Danny Marble and the Application for Non-Scary Things

by Jessica McHugh, Dave McHugh

Danny Marble is an expert on things that go bump in the night, but it's the last thing he wants to be. He'd gladly trade his expertise for a full night of something he hasn't had in over three years. Tortured into insomnia by scary things at home and taunted for insomnia by children at school, Danny is desperate to rid himself of his torments and all aspects of his fear. But he soon realizes that his scary things are unlike the usual phantoms conjured by a child’s mind and fear is not something easily conquered. His quest calls him into strange worlds, from an island of dreams to the mythical Hades, where his path to salvation may lie in facing fears he didn't even know he had.

148 pages, Nook

First published August 29, 2011

About the author

Jessica McHugh is a 3x Bram Stoker Award-nominated poet, a multi-genre novelist, & an internationally-produced playwright who spends her days surrounded by artistic inspiration at a Maryland tattoo shop. She’s had thirty-one books published in sixteen years, including her Elgin Award-nominated blackout poetry collection, “The Quiet Ways I Destroy You,” her sci-fi bizarro romp, “The Green Kangaroos,” and her cross-generational horror series, “The Gardening Guidebooks Trilogy.” Explore the growing worlds of Jessica McHugh at McHughniverse.com.

Reviews

[Nadine Rose Larter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of feel like I "know" Jessica McHugh because we are friends on Facebook so I must admit I do particularly love reading her books as I tend to feel like I recognize her voice. Absolutely loved Danny Marble and the Application for Non-Scary Things even before I started reading it because it has such a great title! The book didn't disappoint either (although I admit I kind of expected something far less sophisticated than what I got!)Will definitely pass this one off to my kidlets. If they're good and promise to look after the ipad nicely while they read it ;)

[Lindsay Kendal · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars (I’d give it 6 if it were possible)

This book is fantastic, and although this book is meant for a younger audience, I can safely say that people of all ages will enjoying reading this story and looking at the brilliantly dark illustrations.

I’m going to talk briefly about the illustrations first – as soon as I saw the first one, only one thing came into my mind.... Tim Burton!!! And I love him. All I could think about was Nightmare Before Christmas for some reason :). The drawings are so dark, they fit the story perfectly. What a fantastic artist. Tim Burton.... Watch you back mate!

The story is also great and grips you from the first page. Our main character is little Danny who is trying his best to overcome his fears. We all had fears as children didn’t we? From monsters in the closet, to the ones hiding under your bed. I remember when I was young, I used to run and jump on the bed quickly so the monsters couldn’t grab my legs. Reading this book brought a lot of my childhood memories back and I couldn’t help but smile, even though back then, I certainly didn’t think they were funny.

But not only does Danny have the typical child fears, he’s also lost his parents and being bullied at school. I think this is something a lot of people can relate to. I’m not giving too much of this story away as I really hate the thoughts of spoiling it for others. What I will say is that Danny goes onto a journey to try and be released from the feeling of ‘fear’, but maybe, that could be even worse??

Pick this book up and join Danny on a fantastic adventure that will leave you thinking for hours, if not days, after you’ve finished reading the last page!

[Michelle Stockard Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jessica has written a book that deals with the two major fears of most adolescents. The fear of what is out to get them in their room when they go to bed and the fear of being bullied at school. Danny Marble is a kid who is constantly plagued by fear. He can't sleep because of it and it's taking a toll on his life. All he wants is to get rid of the fear and he'll do anything to do it. Where he goes to accomplish this is when we start getting into a sort of Greek mythology theme in the book. Danny crosses a body of water in a gondola with a gondolier who is dressed in a black hooded robe. Sound familiar? He must deliver his 'application' to the Oneiroi, a god of the underworld. The application is almost like an employment application, but it explains why he needs the fear to be gone. Basically, the application turns out to be a contract with the Oneiroi and there are dire consequences if he breaks the contract, but it also turns out to be bad for Danny to be utterly without fear.

I liked this book not only because it was a great story, but also because of the various themes it touched on. Danny had lost both of his parents. His mom became terminally ill and his father left them. Jessica touches on how children who feel as though they were abandoned can be gripped by fear and this can also lead to problems in school and becoming a target for bullies. There is also the old adage of "be careful what you wish for" as Danny learns that sometimes fear can be a good thing. Fear can protect us from dangerous situations and some fears...like the fear of being on your first date with a girl...can be a good kind of fear. This is an excellent story for the middle grade/young adult audience with some genuinely creepy crawliness thrown in. Not only is it entertaining, but the underlying themes teach important lessons. There are also some wonderful black and white illustrations (by Dave McHugh) throughout the book that add a fun visual aspect to the book. I will definitely be letting my sons read it, if I can trust them with my e-reader!

[T.R. Stoddard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Danny and the Application for Non-Scary Things is the first book I've read from Jessica McHugh, but it certainly won't be my last. From the first page I was intrigued, and could instantly relate to Danny Marble. I know my nightmares aren't real, but that doesn't make them any less terrifying. Also, I know the burden they can cause others, so it is best to tuck them away and deal with them on your own. The imagery is captivating and I am devouring it like the moon did the cow. As if his home problems aren't bad enough, his school problems are just as bad with constant mockery and bullying from his peers. Danny’s three scary things are very real and so is his bullying arch-nemesis Edmond Gray. The only thing positive in his world of grey is Jenna Vale. I don’t want to give away any spoilers so I will just say this: A dream sends him to another world which is masterfully blended with Greek mythology. Danny Marble goes on the ultimate hero’s journey without the nasty downfall of hubris. I would recommend this to kids of any age and the kid in all of us. I will be keeping my eyes open for more Jessica McHugh books.

[Mandy White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though this story is intended for a younger audience, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The main character, Danny Marble, experiences fears that a lot of us can relate to - a relentless school bully, the loss of a beloved parent, an absent father. The scary things that stalk him at night are terrifying; reading about them gave me the creeps even at my age.

A desperate attempt to free himself from his fears once and for all leads Danny into the mystical world of dreams, where he makes new friends, reconnects with people he cares about and encounters things more terrifying than anything he has ever seen before; things he must conquer in order to save his soul.

My one regret is that I cheaped out and bought the ebook and missed out on all of the wonderful color illustrations that I would have gotten with a hardcover copy. The e-reader simply doesn't do them justice. C'est la vie - I was warned.

This book makes a great gift for an avid young reader, but I highly recommend that you invest in the hardcover. It is well worth it!