ELLEN POE: THE FORGOTTEN LORE, by Diana Peterfreund, Running Press Kids, April 7, 2026, Paperback, $12.99 (young adult)
A teen descendent of Edgar Allan Poe must navigate the haunting legacy of her ancestor in Ellen Pie: The Forgotten Lore, by Diana Peterfreund.
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. —Synopsis provided by Running Press Kids
Ellen Poe: The Forgotten Lore is the first book in a planned YA series that follows Ellen, a descendant of Edgar Allan Poe, as she learns “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.”
It’s an intriguing premise that works well with all the lore surrounding Poe himself.
The story is Ellen’s first-person account of finding what looks to be a previously undiscovered book of poems and codes written by Poe himself. And much to Ellen’s surprise, Poe’s ghost seems to be attached to the journal. Even worse, it seems that only Ellen can see him.
As the story progresses, Ellen starts to seriously wonder about her own sanity, and this is where author Diana Peterfreund excels. The little moments. The flashes of something. The conversations with Poe. They amp up feelings of anxiety and urgency.
Readers will also be drawn to Peterfreund’s puzzles, which play to both Poe fans and those who enjoy mysteries, too.
The Forgotten Lore is a quick-moving read that has a bit of atmosphere and lots of mystery. It sets the stage for what looks like an enjoyable series. Book 2, Ellen Poe for Evermore, will be available Oct. 6, 2026.
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