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A review by mackle13
Nightmare Academy by Dean Lorey
2.0
Other reviews have commented on some of the similarities between this book and Harry Potter, so I won't really dwell on those. I will say, though, that I did notice some of them - but that's not really the reason for my rating.
Mostly I just found the book kinda meh. For a book in which nightmares create conduits to the Netherworld which allows nasties to come through, everything was sort of rather tame. And the one event which evoked any pathos and connection with the story for me - i.e. when - was cancelled out by the end of the book (which I sort of suspected was going to happen when it happened, which also lessened any feelings I had regarding it.)
The characters aren't really developed, and the story's - well, it's fine. Everything about this book is fine. It's just that that's all it is, really.
(Oh, but the whole ranks things being broken into things like "noob" and "leets" was a pretty feeble attempt to be "hip".)
So 2-stars for "it was ok", and I probably won't bother continuing with the series, but I won't rule it out entirely, either.
***
Now, that said, there was something that kinda bothered me, and that was the sort of casual sexism.
And I don't mean Theodore and his whole "boys are way better than girls" thing and the whole "I'm going to be a Banisher 'cause Banishers fight and and boys are better at fighting" - because this is addressed in the story, and it's made clear that both boys and girls are equally split into Banishers and the Nether-teleporter peeps (whose name I can't remember), and the headmaster is a woman and a Double Threat to boot, so the story does try to make very clear that both boys and girls can do anything and everything, and it just depends on the individual.
And that's great.
But then it's sort of subverted by the bits of casual sexism which aren't pointed out and/or there to make a point. Like when Rex calls his female colleague "sweetheart" just to get her goat and sort of undermine her.
But, mostly, it's the little things like "you throw like a girl" and "boys don't cry" and other such types of comments.
I know some people are thinking at this point, "Ye gods and little fishes - it's a kids book! Stop trying to cram your nasty feminist agenda into every thing you read!"
But my point is that the book purposely makes a point of addressing these kinds of issues, and then turns around and undermines itself. It's annoying. *shrugs*
Mostly I just found the book kinda meh. For a book in which nightmares create conduits to the Netherworld which allows nasties to come through, everything was sort of rather tame. And the one event which evoked any pathos and connection with the story for me - i.e. when
Spoiler
Rex had to give up his memories of his parentsThe characters aren't really developed, and the story's - well, it's fine. Everything about this book is fine. It's just that that's all it is, really.
(Oh, but the whole ranks things being broken into things like "noob" and "leets" was a pretty feeble attempt to be "hip".)
So 2-stars for "it was ok", and I probably won't bother continuing with the series, but I won't rule it out entirely, either.
***
Now, that said, there was something that kinda bothered me, and that was the sort of casual sexism.
And I don't mean Theodore and his whole "boys are way better than girls" thing and the whole "I'm going to be a Banisher 'cause Banishers fight and and boys are better at fighting" - because this is addressed in the story, and it's made clear that both boys and girls are equally split into Banishers and the Nether-teleporter peeps (whose name I can't remember), and the headmaster is a woman and a Double Threat to boot, so the story does try to make very clear that both boys and girls can do anything and everything, and it just depends on the individual.
And that's great.
But then it's sort of subverted by the bits of casual sexism which aren't pointed out and/or there to make a point. Like when Rex calls his female colleague "sweetheart" just to get her goat and sort of undermine her.
But, mostly, it's the little things like "you throw like a girl" and "boys don't cry" and other such types of comments.
I know some people are thinking at this point, "Ye gods and little fishes - it's a kids book! Stop trying to cram your nasty feminist agenda into every thing you read!"
But my point is that the book purposely makes a point of addressing these kinds of issues, and then turns around and undermines itself. It's annoying. *shrugs*