Review/Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting

On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;

And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,

And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;

And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor

Shall be lifted - nevermore!

-- from "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe

Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due—so unfair—on the day of the rival game. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he’d rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can’t help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look.

Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life.

As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Now she must find a way to reach Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares.

His life depends on it. (Publisher's Summary from Powell's Books)

If you are a fan of Edgar Allen Poe’s Gothic tales and ghostly poems, paranormal romances, and dark complex tales that twist you into knots then Kelly Creagh’s debut novel Nevermore is a must read. Creagh uses the mysterious circumstances surrounding Poe’s death to build a sinister world underneath the surface of her plot. The result is a macabre mystery that has both the main characters and the reader racing to find answers.

From the start, Creagh pulls the reader into the mystery. I loved how she begins with an account of the last conscious moments of Poe’s death. From there, the story moves to present day and introduces Isobel and Varen, the two must unlikely characters to ever fall in love. Pairing them for an English project was brilliant and while sparks started flying immediately, they were sparks caused by the friction of two totally opposite personalities (cheerleader and Goth guy) having to coexist to accomplish a mutual goal.  As Isobel’s contact with Varen increases, so does her attraction. This subtle building was one of my favorite parts of the story because it was far more realistic than love at first sight.

Creagh also builds suspense like a pro, and once again, I was amazed at how quickly and subtly she accomplished this through her characters and plot. Tension builds as Isobel’s idyllic cheerleading life falls a part. As Isobel tries to make sense of the bizarre unearthly events taking over her life, she sheds the stereotypical cheerleading image and becomes a courageous heroine on a quest to save Varen, who is a wonderfully complex character. He is almost ethereal but still sexy, caught up in a nightmarish world carefully designed and greatly influenced by Creagh’s fascination with Poe’s death. The book has several great scenes that add layers to Isobel and Varen’s unusual relationships. My favorite, however, is the presentation of their English project, which is superbly written and an excellent beginning to the story’s creepy and action packed ending.

While the ending is a real nail biter, I did find it to be confusing at times. I am also disappointed that I will have to wait for the next book to unravel questions left unanswered. I desperately hope that Isobel and Varen’s romance reaches another level and will be anxiously anticipating the sequel.

Nevermore is a brilliant first novel and Creagh’s has more than established her talent as a writer. I look forward to reading more from this author and have no qualms recommending this book to the YA community. 

Review Personal Demons by Lisa Desrouchers

Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a wicked streak. She's spent years keeping everyone at a distance--even her closest friends--and it seems her senior year will be more of the same...until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can't seem to stay away from him. What she doesn't know is that Luc works in Acquisitions--for Hell--and she possesses a unique skill set that has the king of Hell tingling with anticipation. All Luc has to do is get her to sin, and he's as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn't stand a chance.

Unfortunately for Luc, Heaven has other plans, and the angel, Gabe, is going to do whatever it takes to make sure that Luc doesn't get what he came for. And it isn't long before they find themselves fighting for more than just her soul.

When I first read the premise for Personal Demons I was quite impressed with its originality. Unfortunately, after reading the book, I was more than a little disappointed.

The first half of the book took everything I had to get through it. I found the set up tedious, and the narration boring. I also had a difficult time making any real connection to Frannie or Luc, and Gabe was about as one-dimensional as a character gets. Frannie’s indecision about which guy was the one she wanted also irritated me. The only characters I actually liked turned out to be Frannie’s grandpa, and her mother and father and their role in the story is quite limited.

Once Frannie finds out who Luc and Gabe actually are, and why both of these guys are into her, the action picks up. With a some tense moments where demon deceptions place Frannie and Luc in harms way, plus a few steamy kissing and petting scenes I did manage to finish the book. The ending was better than the beginning thankfully, and it tried to pass along the message that learning to forgive one’s self is a necessary part of life. Unlike most first books in a series, it doesn’t end with a cliffhanger, so the book can stand alone.

While I still feel the premise was original, I just never felt engaged with the story or the characters. I would also hesitate to recommend this book to a lot of younger YA readers because of the sexual nature of Frannie's and Luc's relationship. All in all, Personal Demons was not the enjoyable read I was hoping to find.

Source: ARC copy received from  Dark Faerie Tales ARC Tours

Review/Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything--including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice? (Product description from Penquin.com)

Just when I thought that nothing new could be done with werewolves, Andre Cremer comes along and with a dazzling new twist on the subject. What sets Nightshade apart from other books is Cremer’s unique world building, fantastic characters, and a dangerous romantic triangle. Nightshade definitely left me hungry for more.

While I have to admit I was a bit confused entering the world of Nightshade, this only lasted for a short time. The main reason is that Cremer does something so totally unexpected it blew me away. Nightshade refers to one of two packs whose reason for existence is to guard the Keepers and their magical secret. Since the packs’ existence is tied to the Keepers, each pack member including the alphas are subservient to the directives and whims of the Keepers. It is this hierarchy that establishes the conflict in the story and kept me glued to the page throughout the book.

Nightshade’s tremendous cast of characters including many of the secondary characters had a lot to do with my total engagement in the story. I am amazed at how well Cremer portrayed each member of the different packs as individuals complete with problems and desires. I loved Calla because she is a strong alpha and teen. She is fierce, passionate, and independent, which also makes her an excellent leader.  Renier, the alpha of the Banes and Calla’s chosen mate since birth, is the perfect characterization of a strong, overly confident guy who uses his good looks and charm to his advantage. Normally, Ren would be the guy I didn’t like, but despite his “I’m all that bravado” he has some redeeming qualities that I couldn’t resist. However, Shay is the guy who had me telling Calla to go for it. His outsider status allows him to question Calla’s destiny. Shay and Calla’s physical chemistry also makes for a steamy and forbidden relationship and a very tense romantic triangle that culminates in a suspenseful, nail-biting climax.

Andrea Cremer’s debut novel more than blew me away, it left me wanting more, and I can’t wait to become part of this dazzling new world of wolves, and witches, and magic. Unfortunately, since Nighshade is not yet been released (it comes out in October), I will be waiting impatiently to find out what happens next.

Source: ARC provided by Philomel Books a division of Penguin Young Readers Group

Show Me Five/ Shade by Jeri Smith-Reading

Show Me Five is a weekly meme created by  That's a Novel Idea where  you  post the answers to five questions. The questions number indicates the number of answers you will provide.

So here goes with my Show Me 5.

1 Book read:  

Shade by Jeri Smith-Reading

2 Words that describe the book:

Paranormal romance


3 Setting where it took place and/or characters met: 


Shade takes place in and around Baltimore Maryland, and has many references to specific places there. For example Roland Park and Hunt Valley are both mentioned and both are actual neighborhoods in Baltimore. A couple of very specific events make the setting important too. 
 
One of those places is the USS Constellation, a historical landmark of a nineteenth-century battleship docked in the Baltimore Harbor .  Aura and Zachary spend the day sightseeing and end up on the boat. During this part of the book Aura finds out some very important information about Zachary and the Shift. 

Another important event takes place at a local pub called the Green Derby. It is the place where Logan's band plays their passing on concert for Logan.

Aura,  the protagonist in Shade  is the first person born with the ability to see and talk to ghosts. She uses her ability to help ghosts who have not crossed over. When her boyfriend, Logan dies, she has trouble letting go.  Logan doesn't make it any easier either. He visits Aura every night keeping fresh the pain of his death and Aura's desires for Logan to be a part of her life.  (I thought Ellen Page might make a good Aura)
 

Zachary is a Scottish exchange student who is assigned to help Aura work on a school project. He has dark hair and green eyes and a scottish accent that makes his voice (even in print) extremely sexy. Zachary and Aura were both born on December 21, but Zach was born one minute before the Shift began. (James Macavoy fit the picture I had in my head of  Zachary)


4 Likes and/or dislikes:

I like the whole concept of the Shift. Not that I would like to be able to see and talk to ghosts, but the world building that Smith-Reading did was very believable and consistent throughout the novel.

I like all of the characters. Even the secondary characters were developed and provided enough credibility that I felt like they were real. I especially connected to Aura and Zachary. I understood Aura's need to hang onto Logan's ghost, I felt the agony of having Logan close enough to see and talk to but not touch, and her confusion when she began to have feeling for Zachary. 

I really like Smith-Readings writing style. I am glad she used first-person point of view because it helped me feel like Aura and I were friends. I also thought that the dialogue was amazing. I loved how Smith Reading was able to write Zachary's Scottish accent so clearly that I heard it every time he spoke. I never felt that the dialogue was anything but natural and authentic.

Finally, I liked and disliked the ending. I love that it had tension, pathos, and a startling surprise. However, my dislike is that I have to wait for the next book to find out what happens next. Ugh!

5 stars or less: 

As far as I am concerned Shade definitely gets a 5 cherry rating from me and if you haven't read it trust me when I say you do not want to miss this one.