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katiegrrrl's review against another edition
3.0
Book Riot Read Harder Challenge 2016 - Read a horror book
andipants's review against another edition
3.0
This book had an interesting premise, but overall the plot felt kind of convoluted and disjointed, and parts of the conclusion seemed pretty hand-wavy. There were a few very creepy scenes, but overall I didn't find it particularly scary, especially compared to [b:The Ghost of Graylock|13316309|The Ghost of Graylock|Dan Poblocki|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1341264431s/13316309.jpg|18522413], which I'd read previously and liked very much indeed. It wasn't bad, and I'll definitely keep it in mind for recommending when kids come looking for "scary books" at the library, but it probably won't be my first suggestion.
elisweets's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I thought this was a smooth and interesting read. I'm excited to have my niece read it. There are a couple parts that I feel just aren't needed at all. I don't feel they add much to the overall story, but I do see what the author was trying to accomplish. Specifically the small interludes of the story. The lawyer, and the librarian, and the original girl's sister being affected does make sense, but I found those pages to just not add much. Even with the ending tying it all together. It just wasn't my favorite part.
Overall, the book was a fun read. It's really imaginative and has some really cool scenes that I enjoyed. The dragon being one of them. It was very creative.
Overall, the book was a fun read. It's really imaginative and has some really cool scenes that I enjoyed.
kristinetp's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
did I like it? No
Would I read it again? No
Happy to be getting rid of this one! I don’t know, it felt just like too much at some points ? Like I was confused sometimes ? Idk, didn’t really enjoy it
sandylovesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Another good one by Dan Poblocki. Not as scary as some of his other books but close enough. One of the themes in the book is fear. If you can learn how to deal with your fears you can overcome them. Well, maybe, not in my case. I'll tell you why. Ok, I don't have a fear of bugs but when I'm reading a scary book, albeit a juvenile one at that, and a bug flies down and lands on my shoulder I will (and did) freak out like all of hell's creatures came out to attack me. I jumped up, screaming and throwing the book over my shoulder to "get it the f*ck off". It took me about 20 minutes to calm down some and pick the book up off the floor. I don't know where it, the bug, went but I will never sit in that seat again for the rest of my life.
I think most scary books should come with its own scary "real life" event. That will get the blood flowing, let me tell you.
Alright, lets get back to the book. I love Dan Poblocki's books and this is just as good as The Stone Child. I know why he is an award winning author. The main characters, Timothy and Abigail, are so brave and smart. I would want them with me if I were ever in a situation like this. And I like how the adults in the books are not invisible, dumb, or oblivious. They are there maybe thinking "what in the world is going on with this teenager?"
Anyway, a great book, and I can't wait to read more from him. Now, I need to try and calm down more because there are no bugs on me but I still feel creepy crawly.
I think most scary books should come with its own scary "real life" event. That will get the blood flowing, let me tell you.
Alright, lets get back to the book. I love Dan Poblocki's books and this is just as good as The Stone Child. I know why he is an award winning author. The main characters, Timothy and Abigail, are so brave and smart. I would want them with me if I were ever in a situation like this. And I like how the adults in the books are not invisible, dumb, or oblivious. They are there maybe thinking "what in the world is going on with this teenager?"
Anyway, a great book, and I can't wait to read more from him. Now, I need to try and calm down more because there are no bugs on me but I still feel creepy crawly.
blaarrosir's review against another edition
5.0
From the opening scene this is a book filled with horror and scary things going on. The style the author uses to describe the details makes the nightmares come to life. It's easy to see exactly what Timothy, Abigail, and the others are seeing. As the book progresses it becomes harder for the characters to discern the nightmare from reality and keep the two separate. They must use tricks to keep the nightmares from overtaking them and the fear from paralyzing them. The book is very much about taking a person's deepest fears and using them against that person. With elements of magic, the book definitely delivers on the scare factor. Unlike a lot of horror books it wraps up nicely at the end which I found satisfying.
bwreads's review against another edition
2.0
I'm giving this two stars because 1) it is for boys around the age of twelve, and boys that age might like it, and 2) the first part was kind of creepy. But then there were repeated words, and trite descriptions, and unbelievable characters, and it all fell apart really quickly. It was Harlan Coben-ish, which is a bad thing in my world. I know other people like him, though, and this is the kind of book those people should read if they aren't old enough for HC (or James Patterson) yet.
I would like to add that I got to meet Harlan Coben at the library and hear him speak and he was fantastic. It's a personal preference sort of thing.
I would like to add that I got to meet Harlan Coben at the library and hear him speak and he was fantastic. It's a personal preference sort of thing.
chronicreads's review against another edition
3.0
It actually wasn’t bad.
I enjoyed it quite a lot, I think I would’ve enjoyed it even more around when I first recieved it lmao.
I enjoyed it quite a lot, I think I would’ve enjoyed it even more around when I first recieved it lmao.
sweetcreature89's review against another edition
3.0
I bought this book a while back at a thrift store, though I had seen it a long time ago on different websites here and there. I knew that The Nightmarys would be a great read come October and when it came time to make my horror TBR for the month, I immediately put it front and center on my list.
The cover of this book has always been super creepy to me and very reminiscent of The Shining. I always wondered who the Nightmarys were and what kind of story they had to tell.
Starting the book, I admit that I was slightly disappointed. For whatever reason, the fact that this was a middle grade book, always seemed to slip past me. Don't get me wrong, I have absolutely no problems with middle grade novels (and this was a good one) they're just not my normal choice in reading (unless it's R.L. Stine related). That fact was easy to dismiss however because the characters were well thought out and didn't seem as juvenile as their ages would suggest.
This story, though it did seem a big dragged out at times, had a lot of twists and turns and was not always easy to figure out. I really enjoyed the addition of the interludes and how Poblocki stuck in the point of views of some of the older characters. I feel like that was a great addition to the story and made it deeper and creepier, to know that older adults were affected by the events just as heavily as the children.
Overall, this was a great book. I would definitely recommend it to lovers of horror, especially if they're of a younger age.
Rating: 3 Stars
The cover of this book has always been super creepy to me and very reminiscent of The Shining. I always wondered who the Nightmarys were and what kind of story they had to tell.
Starting the book, I admit that I was slightly disappointed. For whatever reason, the fact that this was a middle grade book, always seemed to slip past me. Don't get me wrong, I have absolutely no problems with middle grade novels (and this was a good one) they're just not my normal choice in reading (unless it's R.L. Stine related). That fact was easy to dismiss however because the characters were well thought out and didn't seem as juvenile as their ages would suggest.
This story, though it did seem a big dragged out at times, had a lot of twists and turns and was not always easy to figure out. I really enjoyed the addition of the interludes and how Poblocki stuck in the point of views of some of the older characters. I feel like that was a great addition to the story and made it deeper and creepier, to know that older adults were affected by the events just as heavily as the children.
Overall, this was a great book. I would definitely recommend it to lovers of horror, especially if they're of a younger age.
Rating: 3 Stars