Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

Summary from Goodreads

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

      At once an homage to one of America's greatest writers and a page-turning psychological mystery that is equal parts horror, humor, and romance, NEVERMORE is the story of Varen -- a Poe-fan and Goth -- and Isobel -- a cheerleader and unlikely heroine. When a Lit. project pairs the two together, Isobel finds herself steadily swept into Varen's world, one that he has created in his notebook and in his mind, one where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life. Isobel slowly learns that dreams can be much more powerful than she'd ever expected, and that pain and despair come in all sorts of shades. As labels of "Goth" and "cheerleader" fade away, she sees more in Varen than a tall, pale outcast, and a consuming romance is braced against the ever-clearer horror that the most terrifying realities are those within our own minds.

     When Isobel has a single chance to rescue Varen from the shadows of his own nightmares, will she be able to save him -- and herself?

Mysterious, scary and heartbreaking, Nevermore has exceed all expectations. Ridiculously researched, this book brings incredible life to Poe's melancholy poems and questionable death. Isobel, a blonde cheerleader defies all stereotypical status quos. She is not at all stuck-up and has her own thoughts. She is not thrilled to be working with Varen at first, but he quickly grows on her. The minute he wrote his phone number on her hand was the moment that connected them forever. Varen hides behind a hard mask and I enjoy seeing him open up to Isobel and them defy the odds.
     The most unexpected and memorable parts of the book were the most gruesome. Bird eating Nocs and phantom men are the least of Varen and Isobel's problems. I was expecting paranormal, but Kelly Creagh's writing is extraordinary. The effort and time put into the book really shows through in the narration. My tip, though? Read all the poems, even when you're tempted to skip through them, because you'll miss some really important parts.