Scan barcode
A review by missie_bee
The Nightmarys by Dan Poblocki
3.0
http://www.theunreadreader.com/2010/08/nightmarys-arc-review.html
I'm really struggling to know what to say about this book. Although the cover art (which totally drew me in) and even the book title are rather intriguing, I really can't say I felt the same way about the story. Maybe it would have resonated better with its target audience, but I've read many a YA book before, and I can't quite place my finger on why I found this book to be rather drabbish.
The book summary pretty much tells you all you need to know. Two middle school kids, Timothy and Abigail are having living nightmares. Timothy's involve his brother and a shadowy figure, and Abigail's revolve around two girls named Mary that used to pick on her at her old school. Soon they discover that they must team up to help save each other from their worst dreams.
There seemed to be a lot of foreshadowing that pretty much lead you to the predictable conclusions, especially surrounding the mystery of why the nightmares where affecting the people in the story. While it took the characters a bit longer to figure it out, I didn't find enjoyment in unraveling the clues before they did. For mysteries, I prefer being along for the ride, not leading it.
I know the story is intended to be a mystery/thriller, but I also felt like maybe some comic relief was needed to keep things fresh and moving along. It all its outlandishness, the story just fell a little flat for me. I suppose one scene in which a graffiti dragon became animated and attacked Timothy was meant to provide something different, but I still couldn't find it very exciting. Again, maybe a grade school student reading this book would.
Overall, quick read with some great descriptive elements, but not as fun to read as I hoped it would have been.
I'm really struggling to know what to say about this book. Although the cover art (which totally drew me in) and even the book title are rather intriguing, I really can't say I felt the same way about the story. Maybe it would have resonated better with its target audience, but I've read many a YA book before, and I can't quite place my finger on why I found this book to be rather drabbish.
The book summary pretty much tells you all you need to know. Two middle school kids, Timothy and Abigail are having living nightmares. Timothy's involve his brother and a shadowy figure, and Abigail's revolve around two girls named Mary that used to pick on her at her old school. Soon they discover that they must team up to help save each other from their worst dreams.
There seemed to be a lot of foreshadowing that pretty much lead you to the predictable conclusions, especially surrounding the mystery of why the nightmares where affecting the people in the story. While it took the characters a bit longer to figure it out, I didn't find enjoyment in unraveling the clues before they did. For mysteries, I prefer being along for the ride, not leading it.
I know the story is intended to be a mystery/thriller, but I also felt like maybe some comic relief was needed to keep things fresh and moving along. It all its outlandishness, the story just fell a little flat for me. I suppose one scene in which a graffiti dragon became animated and attacked Timothy was meant to provide something different, but I still couldn't find it very exciting. Again, maybe a grade school student reading this book would.
Overall, quick read with some great descriptive elements, but not as fun to read as I hoped it would have been.