YA Friday: Enshadowed by Kelly Creagh

Title: Enshadowed
Author: Kelly Creagh
Series: Nevermore #2
Genre: YA, paranormal
Publisher: Atheneum, 2012
Source: Library
Read for: R.I.P. VII

(Spoilers for Nevermore are fair game. No spoilers for Enshadowed)

Nevermore left us with Varen stranded in his dream world, with Isobel having severed his link. However, despite this supposed separation, the inhabitants of the dream world keep showing up in Isobel's day-to-day life and especially in her dreams. Desperate to rescue Varen, she determines that the only way to reach him is to intersect the mysterious "Poe Toaster" and find out how he travels between the two worlds. However, Isobel must face several obstacles, from her parents' anxiety about Isobel's recent odd behavior, to the demon Lilith, who literally has her claws into Varen. And as Isobel gets more entwined with the world, she is forced to wonder: does Varen even want to be rescued?

So before we get into Enshadowed, let me just tell you that Nevermore rocked my world. Even though intellectually I knew the romance was ridiculous, even though at times I thought Isobel was really annoying, even though I was left hanging in the meanest possible way, I was absolutely, head-to-toe, swept away by Nevermore. Ever since finishing it, I have been eagerly anticipating Enshadowed, hoping for some whisper of closure. I knew it was the second book in a trilogy and that not everything would be resolved... but I must admit, I thought something would be. Instead, Enshadowed simply spirals the reader deeper into the confusion and cliff-hangers. It is basically one long extension of the doozy of a cliff-hanger we were left with in Nevermore.

So, plot-wise, I was frustrated with Enshadowed. It took two years to come out after the publication of Nevermore, and I am a bit depressed at the prospect of waiting another two years to find out how things play out. Also, bear in mind that I am not so much frustrated with Enshadowed ending on a cliff-hanger -- I am frustrated that the entire book resolved nothing, leaving me immensely unsatisfied. It seemed as if the characters were simply dancing around accomplishing anything.

With that said, Enshadowed was not a complete bust for me. I think the biggest reason I still enjoyed it is that Kelly Creagh really is phenomenal at evoking atmosphere. Her writing is beautiful and detailed, and the woman can create a mood. Even though I felt like I wasn't learning anything and was impatient for more information, I still loved the imagery of the dreamworld creeping into Isobel's life. I don't know how to accurately describe it -- it's the same reason I was so transfixed by Nevermore. I just felt enveloped in this mood. It isn't as strong or as magical as it was in Nevermore, but it was definitely there, and I loved getting lost in it.

I also really love the characters. Even though there were a few that did not get enough page time (*ahem*VAREN), I still absolutely delight in Gwen's weirdness. I also really love Isobel's little brother, who does his best to act like a brat but who genuinely loves his sister and is amazing. Isobel is even growing on me -- she has her moments, but I love her determination to help Varen, even though at times I just want to shake her for ignoring the obvious signs. One character that was MIA that I had expected to see more of in Enshadowed is the character Lacey. I suppose I might have been missing something, but she seemed to be mysteriously significant in Nevermore, and she just dropped off the face of the earth in Enshadowed.

Also, of course, the tie-ins to Poe and his writings and the legend surrounding him were fantastic.

For me, Enshadowed did not live up to the fantastic experience that was Nevermore for me. However, I haven't given up on the trilogy yet. As I said, I love Kelly Creagh's writing, and she really has to resolve something in the next book, right? I just hope that it is resolved in the way that I hope it will be.

3 stars

Warnings: Very very mild swear words, some minor violence, scary imagery

Short Story Spotlight: "Ligeia" by Edgar Allan Poe

I was very intrigued by the short story "Ligeia," which I had never heard of before, when I read Nevermore by Kelly Creagh last October. The premise is this: the narrator falls in love with a woman named Ligeia and marries her, although he knows very little about her. She is beautiful and entrances him, but at times there is something odd about her, particularly about her eyes. Eventually she dies, and the narrator is tormented. He comes into an estate and decorates it in a very dark, creepy way. He ends up marrying a woman named Rowena, who slowly declines and is overtaken by an illness. After she has allegedly died, he sits with her corpse, only to see it animated multiple times throughout the night. At the last, she rises up again and comes to him, but it is Ligeia possessing Rowena's body.

There were elements of this story that I enjoyed -- the elements that are more or less Poe's trademarks. His writing is very beautiful, even when the subject matter is extremely disturbing, and I can vividly imagine everything he describes. I also enjoy that chilling thrill at the end of a scary story, and it was certainly present in "Ligeia."

However, I felt that it took Poe a long time to get to the point in "Ligeia." While I realize that his extensive descriptions are partially what make everything so vivid, he focused at times on elements of the story that were less interesting to me and skimmed over those that I would have liked to know more about. He spends pages and pages discoursing on Ligeia's appearance and beauty, every detail about her, which became boring to me very quickly. Then he skimmed over his relationship with Rowena, mentioning briefly that he "hated" her, but never giving any inclination of why he then chose to marry her (is it just "a man's needs" or something?). While I enjoyed the "chill" at the end of the story, I felt that it took a long time to get there.

I guess in brief, while "Ligeia" was a creepy and enjoyable story, I wish that the preamble about Ligeia's appearance had been abridged while the actual events of the story had been more fleshed out. Still, it was interesting to finally read the story after seeing it referenced in Nevermore.

Short Story Spotlight: The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe

{Image Source}

I knew Edgar Allan Poe was the perfect choice for a little fall creepiness. And when I turned to my Kindle to read from The Poe Nevermore Collection, a small compilation put together by Kelly Creagh of some of the Poe poems and stories highlighted in the novel Nevermore, I was excited to see that "The Masque of the Red Death" was first. I read a few Poe stories in high school, and this one stands out in my mind more than any other. I was excited to revisit it.

A brief synopsis: The rich and somewhat cavalier Prince Prospero decides to evade the Red Death, a plague that has been, well, plaguing his country, by hiding in an abbey and inviting several hundred of his best friends to do the same. They keep themselves entertained through their self-imposed quarantine by having parties and revelries. However, one particular night, in which Prospero has arranged seven rooms in different colors for a masquerade (and the last, in disturbing black and blood red, seeming to mimic the red death, along with a clock whose dire tolling interrupts the party every hour), someone arrives dressed as the Red Death. Everyone is appalled at his lack of tact, but when they try to get rid of him, he proves to be insubstantial, and everyone dies.

The two things I really remembered about "The Masque of the Red Death" were that there were multi-colored rooms and that it was freaky (par for the course with Edgar Allan Poe). What stood out to me this time around was the haunting beauty of Poe's writing and his attention to disturbing detail.

In the past, I definitely never associated Poe with beauty. His stories are so twisted and nightmarish, how could anyone? However, there is something spell-like and enchanting about his writing. Haunting seems a cliched word, but it really is the best word. Every image was vivid in my mind as I read, and even the darkest were described in beautiful language, making it more like a dark fairy-tale with an unhappy ending.

I think what makes the beauty of Poe's writing go dark is not just the disturbing outlines of his plotting, which granted are disturbing enough, but the details he adds to further frighten and haunt his reader. For example, the Red Death isn't just a plague -- it kills in about thirty minutes. And the masked stranger wasn't just dressed as the Red Death -- his mask and clothing were literally spattered with blood. Every detail adds to the atmosphere and the chills of the story.

Edgar Allan Poe is a masterful writer, and "The Masque of the Red Death" is a prime example of his skill. I am looking forward to reading more of his short stories and poetry as the fall goes on.

YA WEEK: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Title: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
Author: Michelle Hodkin
Series: Mara Dyer #1
Genre: YA, thriller, contemporary, paranormal
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2011
Source: Library
Read for: Fun

When Mara Dyer wakes up in the hospital, she has no memory of the accident that killed her best friend, boyfriend, and his sister. However, that doesn't prevent her from being haunted by their faces, despite her family's move to a different state. Life becomes further complicated as strange things begin to happen around Mara -- things that can't be explained or ignored. The more she seeks to unlock the secret, the more dangerous things occur -- what is happening to her?

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer was a book with a lot of hype last year. It was also a book that held no interest for me. In fact, I could hardly remember why I put it on hold at the library, and simply picked it up and read it because it had come in. I probably gave into the hype when I decided to put it on hold. However, I am extremely happy that I did. Despite my skepticism, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer was a thrilling, well-written adventure, one that I could not put down despite my 14 hour days.

I think the first thing that lured me in was the spookiness of Mara's situation. The atmosphere is well-crafted, with the ghosts from Mara's past appearing everywhere, creeping into her consciousness. The fact that she knows they aren't real does nothing to put her mind at ease -- she is tortured by the constant reminders as well as by the fact that she has no memory of what happened the night her friends died. The last book I remember drawing me in so well with its creepiness factor was Nevermore by Kelly Creagh, a book that I adored, so the creepy hints and chilling events were absolutely fantastic. I couldn't wait to find out what happened to Mara next, and what the secret of her experience was.

I also loved Michelle Hodkin's writing. I heard a rumor at an author event (not one attended by Hodkin) that one day she decided she felt like writing a book and sat down and penned The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer with little to no other writing experience. I have no idea if this is true, but if it is, I am even more astounded. Her writing was evocative and vivid for me. I felt as if I was in the moment. In addition, despite the overall gloomy and creepy tone of the book, I loved the dry humor in the crackling dialogue between the characters (in particular, Mara and Noah. More on them in a second). The writing was inviting and suspenseful and pulled me forward.

As for the characters -- more love all around. I'm going to have to dedicate a paragraph to Noah, the British bad boy that won't leave Mara alone. In general, I'm not a fan of bad boys, in books or in real life (although there were a few that made an appearance in my romantic history). Marcus Flutie does nothing for me. (Dodges hurled rotten tomatoes). However, Noah got me from the first page on which he appeared. Even though it seems obvious that he can't be good for Mara, I was rooting for him almost instantly. As I became better acquainted with him, it became clear that I should have been rooting for him all along. The chemistry between the two characters is not only physical, but deeply emotional as well, further solidifying my total fangirl-dom of the couple.

I also loved Mara's family, especially her brothers. They are all well-developed despite being secondary characters, a true sign of a good and thorough author, in my opinion.

My one quibble with the book has to do with the paranormal element. I think in part it is simply because I was not expecting it -- I kept waiting for a more logical explanation. The book seemed to push toward something less mystical and more concrete, so when I realized there was a paranormal element I felt somewhat let down. However, I am intrigued to learn more about this aspect of the story in the sequel. I'll be honest -- I have not been more disappointed with a cliffhanger ending since I read Nevermore (Lauren Oliver also hands out those unabashed "You're just going to have to buy the next book" endings).

I am on the edge of my seat waiting for The Evolution of Mara Dyer. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer combined romance, suspense, and just enough creepiness to have completely drawn me in.

4 stars

Warnings: Language, violence, allusions to sexuality

YA Friday: Nevermore by Kelly Creagh (and mini giveaway!)

Title: Nevermore
Author: Kelly Creagh
Genre: YA, horror
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2010
Source: Won from The Story Siren
Read for: R.I.P. VI

Isobel Lanley is appalled when she is assigned to work with Varen Nethers on her English project. She is popular, hanging out with a tight, exclusive group of friends (including her jealous and possessive boyfriend, Brad), and she is right to be worried -- her friends harass Varen and tell him to stay away from her, despite the fact that she is assigned to work with him. However, Isobel grows more and more interested in Varen, despite his odd behavior. As she starts to learn his secrets, she is rushed into a haunting and disturbing world inspired by the life of Edgar Allen Poe -- a world that could capture Varen forever.

So, a brief history of my relationship with this book -- I won it from the Story Siren earlier this year. I'd entered the giveaway without much thought -- it was when I'd just started to notice that there were giveaways all over the book blogosphere and I was excited at the idea of winning books. When I won it, I was excited to win something, but not extremely excited about the book. I figured I would read it eventually. It came with a little action figure of Edgar Allen Poe (which now perches over my desk), some black feathers and pretend leaves, purple pens, and three signed bookmarks (more about that in a minute). I was excited by the pretty package and decided I would read the book in October for Halloween.

Fast forward to about two weeks ago. I read a few reviews of the book and saw mixed reactions. Because paranormal is a taste I only occasionally enjoy, I thought this would be at best a lukewarm reading experience for me. Oh how very wrong I was.

Because I am obsessed with Nevermore.

I'll start with the writing, because I think that is one merit of the book that most can agree on. Creagh describes her frightening scenes with beautiful precision and power. I could see the dark birds hovering by Isobel's window, feel the chill along the nape of my neck when mysterious voices hissed her name. We are given every detail, moving step by step through Isobel's experiences. I am one of the rare readers that love long, drawn-out explanations and descriptions. While I wouldn't say that the descriptions of the book are over the top (say, Lord of the Rings drawn-out), they did give more information than the usually succinct YA books I am used to. I loved this. I could visualize every event -- I even had a nightmare about the book, which to me is a high compliment to a scary story. If it has filtered in to my dreams, even though they frighten me, it shows they have affected me on a deep level. Reading the book felt like a movie in my mind -- I could see the scenes play out in vivid detail.

The visuals weren't all that I experienced as if they were my own. The emotions of the slowly building relationship between Isobel and Varen affected me viscerally as no other book has. I am not exaggerating. I had rampaging butterflies in my stomach every time they were in a scene together. I found Varen completely alluring as a male lead -- he was mysterious, intelligent, and different from the status quo of love interests. He wasn't perfect; he was extremely frustrating. But he was real, passionate, and deeply emotional and sensitive beneath his tough exterior, and I loved it. As Gwen (another delightfully quirky character that I really related to) put it, "Right now, you're trying to decide if that was hot or annoying. [...] It was so totally hot." Amen, sister.

I had a slightly more difficult time relating to Isobel. It frustrated me that she didn't take an interest in reading Poe -- Varen was so intelligent, and she seemed to blow off school. Cheerleading was constantly described as the thing she was really passionate about, which is certainly valid, but not something I can ever imagine wanting to do. However, as the book progressed and she underwent ordeal after ordeal, I was impressed with her tenacity and strength. As her popular friends fall away from her, she learns to accept and even love people that previously would have been dismissed as "freaks," people not cool enough for her. I think as a character she demonstrated a lot of growth, but she didn't change her personality -- just the way she dealt with certain situations.

Of course, I can't finish this review without mentioning Poe and the brilliant way he was woven throughout the narrative. I picked up a volume of short stories by Poe in high school and read a few -- "The Red Death" and "The Orang-otang [sic]" are the two that stick out in my memory, along with "The Cask of Amontillado," which I'm pretty sure is required reading in every single grade of high school English. My interest in Poe was renewed with the mention of these stories once again and the dazzling translation of some of his most haunting images into a new story. In addition, the mysterious "Poe Toaster" is inserted into the narrative in a creative and satisfying way. Nevermore sparked my interest in learning more about Poe and reading more of his work. I enjoyed the way his writings were the inspiration for this new and equally ahunting story.

While I can understand that the length and level of detail in Nevermore may be a deterrent to some, for me, this book was absolutely satisfying for me as a spooky read and an enjoyable YA. I highly recommend getting your hands on a copy to read before the Halloween season ends.

4.5 stars

Warnings: Some spooky evil demon violence. And can I just go on a quick little spiel here? I so appreciated the fact that this book was powerful, emotional, romantically tense, and strong without using profanity or sexuality. That is getting to be a difficult thing to find, and this book did an amazing job.

Now, for the mini giveaway! As I mentioned earlier, Kelly Creagh sent me three signed Nevermore bookmarks. I am giving away two of them. If you are as much of a Nevermore freak as I am and would like a signed bookmark, leave me a comment with your email address. I'll announce the two winners on Monday - last chance to leave a comment is Sunday evening at 11:59 MDT.

Poetry Corner: "Alone" by Edgar Allen Poe

From childhood's hour I have not been 
As others were — I have not seen 
As others saw — I could not bring 
My passions from a common spring. 
From the same source I have not taken 
My sorrow; I could not awaken 
My heart to joy at the same tone; 
And all I lov'd, I lov'd alone. 
Then — in my childhood — in the dawn 
Of a most stormy life — was drawn 
From ev'ry depth of good and ill 
The mystery which binds me still: 
From the torrent, or the fountain, 
From the red cliff of the mountain, 
From the sun that 'round me roll'd 
In its autumn tint of gold — 
From the lightning in the sky 
As it pass'd me flying by — 
From the thunder and the storm, 
And the cloud that took the form 
(When the rest of Heaven was blue) 
Of a demon in my view.
- Edgar Allen Poe


How beautiful -- and haunting -- is this poem? I came across it while reading Nevermore by Kelly Creagh (review coming Friday) and have been unable to get it from my mind ever since. I dabbled in reading a few Poe stories in high school, and I am now intrigued by the man and his writings once again. This poem is so desperate with loneliness, yet full of beauty as well. 


(I feel frivolous adding this last comment, but the scene in Nevermore when Varen reads this poem to Isobel is the most romantic scene I have ever read. I literally had butterflies to rival my first kiss when I read it.)