by
Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller
(September
9th, 2014, Delacorte Books for Young Readers)
Book Description:
Life
has been rough for 12-year-old Charlie Laird. After his mother passes away and
his father remarries, Charlie is forced to leave the home he has loved and
lived in all his life.
Now
Charlie lives in the Cyprus Creek’s creepiest house, an old purple mansion on a
hill, along with his younger brother, Jack, his father, and his strange stepmom
Charlotte DeChant.
But
living in a creepy house isn’t Charlie’s only problem. A witch has been haunting
his dreams: threatening to eat him and Jack. He also suspects Charlotte of
being an evil witch, bent on stealing his family from him.
When
the witch of his nightmares comes to the Waking World and kidnaps Jack, Charlie
is forced to venture into the Netherworld, the land of Nightmares, to face his
worst fears and bring his brother home.
Pros:
Despite
its name, Nightmares! reminds me of
one of those gentle, old-fashioned fantasies that would have been popular in the
70s and 80s. That’s not to say that it won’t appeal to modern readers. On the
contrary, this book is very aware of its audience. Much of what is covered here,
from the death of a parent to the difficulties of dealing with new family
members, is very relevant today. And even though these are weighty topics to
tackle, they are presented well, never feeling forced or contrived.
Charlie’s
personal struggles with his mother’s death and new stepmom are central to the
plot but they don’t smother it. This is a book first and foremost about facing
one’s fears, and the choice to make the Netherworld a real place and having the
nightmares be just as fleshed out (and afraid) as the human characters was an
excellent and very imaginative twist.
Both
the Waking World and the Netherworld felt very real to me. Cyprus Creek is a
sweet, sleepy town that is both archetypal and endearing. The Netherworld – at least
what we see of it – is a dark and twisted version of Cyprus Creek, populated by
all manner of monsters and scary creatures.
The
secondary characters are all satisfactory. And even though none of them really
shine, it doesn’t hurt the story much, since the focus is mainly on Charlie, a likable
and relatable protagonist.
The
writing is also an asset, evocative and descriptive enough to give the reader a
good mental image, but not in any way dense or info-dumpy.
Cons:
Like
many lighter fantasy books, Nightmares!
falls victim to the dreaded slow beginning. Though the central premise is
introduced early on, the story doesn’t really go anywhere till over a third of
the way in. And when the plot does get moving there are many lulls that make
the book lose steam and suspense.
But
the thing the irked me most about Nightmares!
is that it’s one of those books that isn’t in any way bad but isn’t great
either. This problem, I felt, was a direct result of Segel and Miller not doing
enough with their (quite good) ideas, especially where plot was concerned.
Verdict:
With
a sweet and highly positive message, Nightmares!
is a cozy old-fashioned fantasy that will appeal to thoughtful and somewhat
patient readers.
Rating: (6.5/10)
For more excellent MG book recommendations, go to Shannon Messenger's
blog.
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