A teenage Edgar Allan Poe attempts to escape the allure of his Muse in this YA novel—"a darkly delicious tale that's sure to haunt readers forevermore" (Kerri Maniscalco, #1 New York Times-bestselling author)
Seventeen-year-old Edgar Poe counts down the days until he can escape his foster family—the wealthy Allans of Richmond, Virginia. He hungers for his upcoming life as a student at the prestigious new university, almost as much as he longs to marry his beloved Elmira Royster.
However, on the brink of his departure, all of Edgar's plans go awry when a macabre Muse named Lenore appears to him. Muses are frightful creatures that lead Artists down a path of ruin and disgrace, and no respectable person could possibly understand or accept them. But Lenore steps out of the shadows with one request: "Let them see me!"
Praise
“Brooding, macabre, romantic, and surprisingly whimsical . . . A must-read for Poe fans, and Poe newcomers alike.”Kendare Blake, #1 NYT Bestselling author of the Three Dark Crowns series
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"A darkly delicious tale that’s sure to haunt readers forevermore."Kerri Maniscalco, #1 NYT and USA Today bestselling author of the Stalking Jack the Ripper series
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“A captivating and intensively researched tribute to the famous poet and his gothic muse.”A. G. Howard, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Stain and the Splintered series
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“Winters’s smart, silvery, slithering prose finds beauty in the grotesque—and what is art if not that?”Daniel Kraus, co-author of the New York Times bestseller The Shape of Water
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“Spellbinding, imaginative, whimsical, and unforgettable. A rattling good tale that is worthy of the master poet himself.”Dwight L. MacPherson, author of The Imaginary Voyages of Edgar Allan Poe
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"Several of Poe's most well-known works enhance the narrative, complemented by the author's own finely crafted writing that flows with gorgeous, Poe-inspired phrases . . . A labor of literary love that will appeal to fans of Gothic horror and anyone who has ever had to assuage a determined muse."Kirkus Reviews
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"Winters effectively infuses Poe’s macabre aesthetic into her fictional retelling of his life. Fans of classic literature will delight in the many references to mythology and other poets; fans of Poe himself are bound to enjoy passages written in a similar voice to “The Raven,” as well as the many allusions to his early works."The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
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"Well-researched and darkly entertaining."Publishers Weekly
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"Eerie, macabre, and appropriately esoteric, Winters' (Odd and True, 2017) story of a mysterious soul will speak to literary teens"Booklist
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"Winters strategically creates a physical being, Lenore the Muse, as a metaphor for passion or dreams, a theme that rings true as Poe tries to ignore and escape his gothic poetry . . . teen fans of Poe’s poetry will learn about his life and the included verses will create new fans."School Library Journal
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"Fans of Poe will nevertheless find this a 'must read.'"School Library Connection
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