ALA Booklist (Fri Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2019)

In Richmond, Virginia, in 1826, 17-year-old Edgar Allan Poe aches to escape his judgmental foster father for the freedom of college. A poet at heart, Edgar has the soul of a dreamer and wants to spend his time writing, something that his foster father, John Allan, views as a waste of time. Edgar, who has tragedy in his past, has always been prone to melancholy, but when his muse manifests itself as a dark, grotesque young woman and her startling appearance throws the town into a frenzy, he finds himself at a crossroads. John, who once murdered his own muse, tells Edgar that following her will destroy his life and prospects, but Edgar, who has named the girl Lenore, is as intrigued by her as he is frightened. In alternating narratives, Edgar and Lenore offer readers a probing, fictional glimpse into the early life and career of one of the world's most notable writers. Eerie, macabre, and appropriately esoteric, Winters' (Odd and True, 2017) story of a mysterious soul will speak to literary teens.

Kirkus Reviews

A fictionalized account of horror master Edgar Allan Poe's life from March 1826 through December 1827.Edgar "Eddy" Poe is desperate to escape the suffocating life of upper-crust Richmond, Virginia. At college, the 17-year-old will be free from his emasculating foster father's controlling grip and can work on his poetry. The passionate and talented Edgar is close to achieving his goal when she appears. A girl in a dress of ashes and raven feathers, she is Eddy's muse, whom he names Lenore. Lenore is fierce, powerful, and hungry for words, but she needs Eddy to commit to her so she can evolve from her new frail human form into a higher being. Will Poe pursue that which makes him happy, or will he succumb to what's expected of him and live a life without artistic expression? Edgar and Lenore share the present-tense narration in distinctive first-person voices. 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. Major characters are white; the family has three slaves, one of whom, Judith, plays an important role in inspiring and guiding Poe. The author's note troublingly refers to her as having "joined the Allans in January 1811," a phrasing in keeping with the benign manner in which these characters' enslavement is portrayed. A labor of literary love that will appeal to fans of Gothic horror and anyone who has ever had to assuage a determined muse. (poems, author's note, further reading, quoted material) (Historical horror. 13-adult)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Winters (Odd & True) delves into the life of young Edgar Allan Poe in this elegantly scripted, detailed exploration of a world in which muses take corporeal form. Edgar is counting down the days until he departs from the home of his foster parents in Richmond, Va., for the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. While it means leaving behind his love, Elmira, he is eager to escape his foster father, John, who is determined to squash young Edgar-s artistic inclinations. The arrival of Edgar-s muse, Lenore, complicates his plan, though. She appears as the physical embodiment of the Gothic art and prose he is so inclined toward, and she terrifies nearly everyone who sees her, particularly John. As Edgar grows into his talents, he-s caught between following his muse and the desire to conform to his foster father-s wishes. This well-researched and darkly entertaining tale serves as an excellent introduction to Poe and his classic works, and it includes a memorable character in Lenore, whose own story of becoming cleverly parallels Edgar-s coming-of-age challenges. Ages 12-up. Agent: Barbara Poelle, Irene Goodman Literary Agency. (Apr.)

School Library Journal (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

Gr 7 Up-Seventeen-year-old Edgar Allan Poe is ready to go to college to escape his overbearing foster father, who believes poetry is a waste of time. Although Poe admires Byron and love poems, he secretly yearns to tell tales of death and darkness. While he is daydreaming in church about 72 people who died in a theater fire, his Muse manifests into a raven-haired girl. Muses of art are frowned upon because they lead to debauchery, and Edgar tries hard to abandon his Muse, Lenore, but it becomes too late as the town and his father have encountered her. Hoping to escape Lenore at the University of Virginia, Poe finds himself in deeper trouble as he is penniless and cannot afford to pay his college debts. This work reimagines Poe as a teen and the circumstances that may have led to his macabre poetry and his untimely death. 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 until it nearly kills him. Although the plot moves slowly, teen fans of Poe's poetry will learn about his life and the included verses will create new fans. VERDICT Purchase where Edgar Allan Poe and Winters's books are popular. Dawn Abron, Zion-Benton Public Library, IL