Ellen Poe For Evermore by Diana Peterfreund

Today's read is the second in the series, and there was no way I was going to let this one slide on by. I read the first one, reviewed it HERE, and really enjoyed it. I'm hoping this second book will be just as good. Plus, I've missed Eddie...Edgar Allen's ghost...and can't wait to see what he's up to as Ellen Poe heads on the next adventure.

So, let's open this one up and sink right in!

ELLEN POE FOR EVERMORE

by Diana Peterfreund

Running Press Kids

YA Paranormal Mystery

336 pages

COMING OCTOBER 6th!!!

The thrilling sequel to Ellen The Forgotten Lore in which every mystery Ellen solves uncovers another buried secret about her family and the infamous poet, Edgar Allan Poe.

Ellen Poe is no longer plagued by nightmares of scary restless spirits, and she’s even come to a truce with the oft-annoying ghost of her Edgar Allan Poe. But when the coded journal that is tied to his spirit disappears from her family’s home, she’s convinced that the founder of a secret Poe society is responsible for the theft. Ellen finds a cryptic note from the woman, Sara High, and sets out on a dangerous quest to track down the family heirloom that takes Ellen from Baltimore to New York City to Richmond and back. At the same time, Ellen’s visions return, more terrifying than ever, and she realizes it's not just the journal that's in danger. Can she head off a potential murder in time? Or will Ellen find herself at the mercy of a killer who won’t stop until they’ve claimed Poe’s spirit for their very own?

GOODREADS    /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Mystery mixes with ghosts and spirits as the line between visions and hallucinations wears thin.

Ellen Poe is in a very good place. She's now somewhat getting along with her arch-enemy, her aunt's cafe/hotel is doing better, her friend is staying in the hotel after nearly being murdered, and even Eddy, Poe's ghost, is as irritating as ever. But then, the cryptic and questionable head of the Poe's secret society disappears, and at the exact same time, Poe's diary is stolen from Ellen's aunt's collection. Only a mysterious note is left behind. But that's not the worst. Eddy disappears also at the exact same moment, and Ellen's sure it has something to do with the missing diary. She hopes that doesn't mean that Eddy is in trouble. Unfortunately, the entire thing has triggered her nightmares, again, and all she sees is Eddy dying in each one...which considering he's a ghost, is more than odd. And disturbing. Somehow, Ellen has to figure this all out, not only because of her concern for Eddy, but there's reason to believe that the sleep deprivation is leading to hallucinations. And those are getting out of control.

Mystery fans are sure to enjoy diving into this world as well as enjoyers of the darker realm of Edgar Allan Poe. Actually, the story isn't overly dark as Ellen tries her best to stay somewhat positive as problems mount. There are plenty of questions surrounding the secret society, discovered antiques, and the truth of what happened in the past. At the same time, Ellen is still doing her best at the entire friendship and social end of life, which adds a touch of drama. Much of the book pokes and prods the problems surrounding mental illness and dealing with trauma. though, and after book one, this theme slides in wonderfully. The author uses this very well to work into the mystery and build the tension the entire way through. The paranormal aspects work their magic as fantasy tests reality's borders and has Ellen taking a good look at herself and the truth of those around her. 

It's a quick-paced read, which takes many unexpected twists and turns. Ellen is always ready to take risks and when needed, goes beyond her comfort zone, even if she seems very hesitant and reluctant to do so. There's enough lightness added in to keep the read from getting too dark even when the tension remains high. Then, there's the romance, which is more of a cautious tip-toeing on the sidelines. It never overpowers the main plot but adds to Ellen's character very nicely.

This is a grabbing read from beginning to end, which embraces Edgar Allan Poe in a delightful way...or in as 'delightful' a way as Poe and his poems could probably be. Paranormal mystery fans are sure to enjoy this one.

And here she is....

DIANA PETERFREUND has published sixteen novels for adults, teens, and kids. Her works have been named to the New York Public Library’s Books for the Teen Age list, the Capitol Choices reading list, the Texas LoneStar List, and the Sunshine State Young Reader Awards List, as well as Amazon’s Best Books of the Year. In addition, she’s written dozens of short stories and a variety of nonfiction essays about popular children’s literature. Diana lives in Maryland with her family.

Happy Book Birthday, The Forgotten Lore by Diana Peterfreund!

This one doesn't come out until early next week, either, but since I'm in the partying mood, I'm going to scream 'Happy book birthday', anyway. Today's read might hit with a little familiarity from my regular followers, since it was my Joker Read for March. Obviously, I didn't get to it, which is fine because there is still time. I'm very excited to pick it up and see what is inside, since I happen to enjoy Poe's works. 

This is the first in a new series and should hang heavily in the mystery direction. I'm curious to see how it flows and how dark it gets. So, let's snuggle down into a chair, open it up, and see if it's a series to follow or not.

THE FORGOTTEN LORE

Ellen Poe, Book One

by Diana Peterfreund

Running Press Kids

YA Mystery

304 pages

COMING APRIL 7th!!!

The first book in an exciting YA series about a teen girl, descended from Edgar Allan Poe, who must navigate the haunting legacy of her ancestor while learning to harness her own strength and intelligence, especially as she begins to commune with the dead. 

What happens when your tell-tale nightmares turn into reality and the ghost of Edgar Allan Poe won't seem to let you alone? For as long as she can remember, sixteen-year-old Ellen Poe's family has claimed to be long-lost descendants of Edgar Allan Poe. But when she moves in with her aunt in a Poe-themed B&B, the nightmares that have always haunted her begin bleeding into Ellen’s waking hours. When she stumbles upon a journal in the house, none other than Edgar Allan Poe himself begins visiting her. Has the journal somehow released his ghost? And what does he want with Ellen? Through secret messages in his writings, she learns that the two share the same psychic ability to interact with spirits—which is what ultimately drove him mad. 

This thrilling series for young adult readers follows Ellen on her quest to learn more about her abilities, the afterlife, and the clues Poe has left for her (ciphers and cryptograms galore), in an effort to not suffer his same fate.

PUBLISHER     /     GOODREADS

MY TIDBITS

Mystery and riddle fans are going to enjoy meeting Ellen Poe and diving into a mysterious world where paranormal, secrets, and teenage life cross in unexpected ways.

Ellen Poe Reynolds is temporarily living with her aunt while her father works out of town on a construction job, but her aunt's place isn't exactly normal...just like the rest of her family. Her family claims to be direct descendants of Edgar Allan Poe and own a house with ties to the famous poet, which her aunt has been trying to run as a Poe-themed hotel. Sort of. But upon arriving there, Ellen has been having nightmares, and when she discovers a very old book, Poe's ghost appears and speaks with her. Add that a new guy at school is intrigued with her talent for numbers and notices that she's discovered a code in Poe's writings, and her life is about to get very interesting...in a dark and dangerous way.

The author grabs attention right away with Ellen's strange situation. While she comes across as a kind, pretty normal girl with an odd background, which she can't really do anything about, the odd hotel immediately sets the scene. Ellen is just awkward enough while being innocent and kind to capture sympathy and connect with the reader. Her aunt and father might have their own quirks and issues, but the love and care is there. The school life feels natural with usual problems on the teacher and classmate end to fit Ellen's situation. And the new guy's personality adds an intriguing twist of light-heartedness and, yet, a dark past to make him fun but carrying depth. This adds a hint of a developing romance but only as a distant side-dish as a building friendship and trust comes first. And for all things, there are secrets, puzzles, and paranormal surprises.

The first part of the book allows Ellen's situation to sink in, and with her developing abilities to speak with ghosts and discover Poe's riddles, it's anything but boring. The dark tones stay relatively subtle, at first, but hit with a powerful punch about 2/3rds the way in. It's clear that there are sinister plots at play, but exactly what direction they go and who is involved remains a mystery until the end. Even then, only one of mysteries is solved by the end of this book, which promises much more to come.

Readers will get a lot of Poe in these pages as the author mentions the various works, which especially weaves in thanks to the themed rooms and English class, where they just happen to be covering Poe. Plus, the series-arching mystery is, of course, only centered on Poe. So, there's a lot to learn about the author, and he did have a surprising life to keep things interesting. The writing fits nicely to the younger end of the young adult audience, and this book easily works for upper middle graders as well, since the setting and characters hang nicely in a tween direction. Especially fans of paranormal mystery with a sleuth, who needs to solve puzzles, will enjoy this one quite a bit.

And here she is...

DIANA PETERFREUND has published sixteen novels for adults, teens, and kids. Her works have been named to the New York Public Library’s Books for the Teen Age list, the Capitol Choices reading list, the Texas LoneStar List, and the Sunshine State Young Reader Awards List, as well as Amazon’s Best Books of the Year. In addition, she’s written dozens of short stories and a variety of nonfiction essays about popular children’s literature. Diana lives in Maryland with her family.