Gustav Gloom and the Nightmare Vault

Gustav Gloom #2

by Adam-Troy Castro, Kristen Margiotta (Illustrations)

In Gustav Gloom and the Nightmare Vault, Fernie and Gustav find themselves battling another shadowy foe--The Shadow Eater. He is after one thing, The Nightmare Vault, which his master, the evil Lord Obsidian, will use to unleash the most terrifying and threatening shadows into the world. As Fernie and Gustav race to stop the Shadow Eater, Fernie learns about Gustav's mysterious past and just what happened to his missing parents.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Horror, Paranormal, Fiction, Childrens, Mystery

248 pages, Hardcover

Published April 18, 2013

About the author

Adam-Troy Castro made his first professional sale to Spy magazine in 1987. Since then, he's published 12 books and almost 80 short stories. Among those stories are "Baby Girl Diamond" (nominated for the Bram Stoker Award) and "The Funeral March of the Marionettes" (nominated for the Hugo and Nebula Awards in 1998). "The Astronaut from Wyoming," a collaboration with Jerry Oltion, appeared in Analog and was nominated for the Hugo and Nebula Awards in 2000, before winning the Seiun (Japanese Hugo) for best translation in 2008.

His "Of A Sweet Slow Dance in the Wake of Temporary Dogs" was nominated for the 2003 Nebula. His original short story collections include Lost in Booth Nine (published by Silver Salamander Press in 1993), An Alien Darkness and A Desperate Decaying Darkness (published by Wildside Press in 2000), Vossoff and Nimmitz (2002), and Tangled Strings (2003). He is also the author of the Spider-Man novels—Time's Arrow: The Present (written in collaboration with Tom DeFalco), The Gathering of the Sinister Six, Revenge of the Sinister Six, and Secret of the Sinister Six—as well as the nonfiction My Ox Is Broken! The Andrea Cort novels include, Emissaries from the Dead, The Third Claw of God, and a third installment currently in progress, tentatively titled The Fall of the Marionettes.

Castro, who married the divine Judi on 25 December 2002, lives in Florida with his wife and four cats: Maggie, Uma Furman, Meow Farrow, and the latest acquisition, Ralphie, an orphan of 2005's hellacious hurricane season.

Reviews

[Melissa Chung · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sequel was kind of depressing. I know, I know... it's called Gustav Gloom so I should expect gloomy material, but still. 4 stars for continuing to be entertaining.

In this sequel, Gustav and Fernie are becoming friends. More than just a boy who rescues a girl from his very weird and STUPID house. Gustav eats food for the first time! It is all so bright and cheery at the beginning of this book, then...well like most books, all the bad things come and they come with a vengeance. Gustav's shadow Aunt hints to Fernie about the Ice Cream Man. Fernie has no clue what the Aunt means, but soon finds out.

The whole book is about Fernie and Gustav running from an evil character again. This time though it is more personal. We learn all about where Gustav came from and about his family. We also learn more about the house. There are more interesting rooms this time around, even a prison!

The ending was pretty sad and I'm hoping Fernie is able to convince her father to change his mind. I think that is the case since there are so many more books in this series, which means more adventures. I really like the blossoming friendship between Fernie and Gustav and I hope she is able to cheer him up a bit more. I also really love Fernie and Pearlie they seem like very sweet sisters. The father is also very loving.

My kids are enjoying the books and I am eager to start the next one.

[~Bellegirl91~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually thoroughly enjoyed this one! Even more clever, and LOTS of questions answered it seems and I loved learning more about Gustav's family and why he's stuck in the Shadow House and what had landed him there. Though I still have to say Gustav is so naive but at the same time not really when it comes to the world he grew up in. And as strange and some logical things may sound, I do have to say you'd still want to trust him when you're inside his home ;) Seriously well written and I now have to at least start the first few chapters or so in rhr next book especially after learning about a villain and his true identity!! eek! 😱😱

[Khai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gustav Gloom and the Nightmare Vault certainly did not disappoint! It is an engaging sequel expanding on the story, the world, and the character development. If you liked the first book, I'm sure you'll enjoy this book as well! I'm very much looking forward to reading the next one and see where the story takes Gustav and the What family next (and Fernie in particular).

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 2 down. In #gustavgloomandthenightmarevault it left me hanging! Now I need book 3. I had to force myself through this book (like I had to with the first one) but I will keep going because of 1. The cliff hanger! And 2. I really like the idea of the portal to the dark county and just the lore of the shadows and weird “gustav stuff” that happens. I really enjoyed the origin story of Gustav. I’ll be interested to see more of his personal story line.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fernie and Gustav are once again in danger. Lord Obsidian has released his Shadow Eater to track down and find the Nightmare Vault. What's inside the vault, Gustav and Fernie don't really know, but they know that it is sure to house something terrible and if Lord Obsidian is after it then it is really bad. Adam Troy Castro expands in book two on Gustav's parents and how Gustav came to live in a home filled with shadows. As Fernie and Gustav race through the house more and more of what is behind all of those secret doors and passageways is revealed. Yet, there is still so much more to learn about Gustav Gloom Mansion. I wish the author was able to expand a little more about Gustav's curse and his family. I also really enjoyed the moments when Fernie and Gustav stopped their running and plotted the next move it is after all the appeal of this book for me, Gustav and his relationship with Fernie. Even though the house is dark and creepy, Fernie knows that Gustav will help her and she brings some normalcy to Gustav's life. Again, I can't say enough about the wonderfully detailed black and white illustrations by Kristen Margiotta. The cover is also beautiful and I'm happy to see that they continued the cut out on the cover. Looks like I'll have to wait til August for book 3 but again a wonderful creepy book.

[Shayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a rare case when the second book is actually quite a bit better than the first book. The first book had too much world building, where The Nightmare Vault had some much better action. In both books it still amounts to Gustav and Fernie running throughout the house into weird rooms of the house until the last chapter when all is resolved, but I liked that there was at least more of an attempt at making the characters more interesting. It was nice to read about Gustav's background and it made him a deeper character rather than just tour guide for the weird house. It's a good book for young readers who want a longer book but not very challenging content.

[Alysa H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ditto my review of Book 1. My daughter liked it, though I find I’m losing interest.

[Astoria (Jax) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never did write my review for the first book. I should go back and finish that.

I find this series so far to be sad and wonderful at the same time. I just want to pepper little Gloom in hugs and kisses and make everything better for the little guy. We find out a lot more about his family in this book and see even more of the house as Fernie and Gustav go on yet another adventure. This time to stop a shadow eater from finding referring to as the Nightmare Vault and compared to Pandora's Box, or rather described as much worse than Pandora's Box.

It left on another cliffhanger but the good kind that just makes me want to jump straight into the next one. I'd recommend this to any child who has ever felt like they were considered different and is really just as normal as any other child out there.

[John Loyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

A shadow-eater posing as a ice cream truck driver invades the What household. Fernie and Pearlie barely make it out. Fernie goes to Gustav for help and she sends Pearlie to keep their father out of harm's way. The shadow eater chases Fernie and Gustav around the mansion, along the way Gustav tells Fernie about his parents and the role that Howard Philip October played in their deaths.

Fun fast read. I love Fernie and Gustav and the dynamic they have together, still not a fan of horror (though I read the second book knowing what to expect). If you liked the first book you'll like this one. In the first book we get introductions to Gustav and shadows. Here we get some of Gustav's back story.

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute, creepy-but-not-really series that I like to read for a not-actually-scary Halloween read.

In this story we learn more about Gustav's life and history. How exactly he came to be - as a boy half-human and half-shadow - and why he can't leave the confines of the house.

The Shadow Eater wasn't really scary or anything - though it might be to a kid - but I enjoyed watching how Gustav and Fernie dealt with him, and also exploring more of the house. The final battle with October was really cool.

We also see Fernie's dad be somewhat of a hero, and then a real downer.

It had a rather sad ending, though, and I'm curious to see where it goes from here.

[Sarah Jane]

It great book I love to read lots and keep going I wish can’t be book writer someday

[Bookworm]

It was a truly touching book

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this series. It's sweet and creative with interesting world building.

[Krys · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

[Carina Olsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've waited for this sequel since I read the first book about Gustav Gloom in August. When I finally got it a few days ago, I knew I had to read it right away. So I did. And it was worth it. But it is really short. And I do wish it had been longer. But it is still an amazing book with an amazing plot and such perfect characters. The cover is one of the most gorgeous ones.

That is one thing I like the most about these books. The artwork. The covers are stunning, but they aren't all there is. There are drawings in these books. Amazing drawings of Gustav and Fernie and all of them. They are just so gorgeous, and I loved all of them. I cannot wait to see more of this gorgeous art. It's so perfect. It fits the story really well too.

My review won't be that long, because this is a short book. Even though it is short, it's full of amazing. I love the writing, and I enjoyed it better than I enjoyed the first book. I'm unsure if I liked the plot more in the first book or in this one. It just felt so short in this one.. but I'm very sure that I loved Gustav and Fernie even more this time. They just get more perfect for every page. I also love Fernie's big sister, Pearlie. She's amazing. And their cat is adorable! Weird, but cute. I liked their dad too :)

Most of this book takes place inside the Gloom house. We learned a lot of things about it in the first book. Gustav Gloom lives there all by himself, just a ten years old boy. But he also live with a bunch of shadows. Which you really need to read about, because I loved getting to know them all, and the why's about it all. There are some good shadows, whom I liked, sort of. But there are also bad ones. Really bad ones. And I hated those. Although I loved them as well, since I do enjoy a good dark book ;p

I liked the plot in this book. It's mostly about this Ice Cream driver man. But he isn't normal. He's a shadow eater. And ohhh. It was awesome to read about. It's a bit creepy and horror like, and I loved every moment of it. Also kind of wished it was darker. Hih. But I loved the plot. It was exciting and interesting, and I cannot wait to know what happens next about it all. October seemed like an awesome villain. Even though he had done some things that broke my heart a lot. And yet I loved it like crazy.

We learn a lot of things in this book. We learn more about the crazy Gloom house, more about all the different doors and rooms and just everything. I loved it. And we also learn a lot more about Gustav. Which I loved. Because he is my favorite character. But oh. He's such a sad little boy all alone. I'm so glad he had Fernie. They are both amazing characters, and their friendship is the best. We learn about his past. His parents. Sobs. And why he can't go outside the house. I found it to be very heartbreaking.

This is an amazing book. And if you still haven't read the first one, you need to do so right away. Because Gustav Gloom is such an amazing person, and you will all fall in love with him. He and Fernie are just ten years old, and I must admit that I wish they had been older so that there could have been some romance as well, but I also loved that this is a middle grade series. Because they are just so adorable as children, and I loved them all so much. I even loved Fernie's very overprotective dad ;p

I'm giving Gustav Gloom and the Nightmare Vault a five star. Or a four point five. I loved it a lot, but I'm really sad that it was so short. There is kind of just one thing happening in the book, one adventure in one day, and I wanted so many. Wish this book had never ended. So I kind of felt like there could have been more. But I also loved this book so much, so I have to give it a five star. <3 I cannot wait to read the third book, out in August. <3 I hope there will be many more books about Gustav and Fernie :)

[Gwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the saddest things about many book series is that the first book is so wildly amazing, and you can barely read anything else while you’re waiting for the sequel, and then you actually get the sequel and and it sucks. Gustav Gloom does not suffer from this problem at all.

After I read Gustav Gloom And The People Taker, I was so excited to read the next one. When it finally arrived, I was not disappointed. I read it in one day.

Beware the ice cream man… which is a ridiculous sentence, but good advice if you live in Sunnyside Terrace. Fernie What finds herself in the Gloom Mansion once more, but this time it isn’t because her cat was chased there by his shadow… it’s because Fernie was chased there by the shadow eater. Gustav and Fernie must find the mysterious Nightmare Vault before the shadow eater does, or risk the destruction of the world as they know it(or at least, as Fernie knows it). Along the way, Gustav takes Fernie to more rooms in his house, and tells her just how he came to be raised by shadows. Just be warned, it’s kind of a tragic story.

It was cool to see Fernie and Gustav’s relationship now that they’re such good friends. It hasn’t changed too much, and there was, of course, a lot of, “Your house is stupid”. I’m still in love with Gustav, but I don’t think that will ever change. The things he says are so adorable!

“I don’t have a plan, or even a plan for coming up with a plan. What I do have is an idea.”

You know how Goodreads gives you little quotes sometimes? I feel like if that had been said by some famous person, it would be quoted a lot.

Just like the first book, The Nightmare Vault was full of adventure, darkness, and so much humor that you’ll get weird looks from anybody nearby when you start cracking up while you read. But you know what? That’s okay. What’s the most feared creature in the Gloom House? I just told you! I also now have a sign on my door with the entire “do not enter on pain of death” message. It was so fun to read and the illustrations were of a beautifully unique style. An unexpected devastating cliffhanger will leave the reader sad, angry, shocked, and desperate for the next book. I love Gustav Gloom!

[Marian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, so I loved Gustav Gloom and the People Taker, and basically exploded with joy when I got my hands on the galley of Nightmare Vault. And I'm happy to say the sequel does not disappoint.

Nightmare Vault does suffer a little just from being the second book in a fantasy series--the initial charm of discovery and exploration has worn off, which inevitably makes everything feel a little less magical. Fortunately Castro compensates well here by switching the focus to Gustav himself and ramping up the creepiness factor.

This one's darker than the first book in many respects, but the narrative's just as funny and engaging and I never felt like the story was bogged down by the sad bits. And I continue to absolutely love Fernie and Gustav's relationship. There's often a very Doctor-and-Companion feel to them--this is Gustav's world and Fernie's the frequently overwhelmed guest--but they're like-minded enough that I totally get why they're friends in spite of their moments of mutual incomprehension and outright irritation.

Fernie herself is a really enjoyable heroine--tough and determined and devoted to the people she loves. She's out of her depth much of the time, but she never lets her fear and confusion take over, and I had a great time watching her figure out her own ways of dealing with 'Gustav Stuff'. As for Gustav--without getting too spoilery, let me just say an angry Gustav is an awesome Gustav.

And Fernie's family--I love her family so much. I was honestly disappointed there wasn't more of them in this installment. Her dad's really grown on me, which is a pleasant surprise--I wasn't completely won over during People Taker, but now he's one of my favorite characters.

I read Nightmare Vault in one sitting, and it had me laughing out loud and tearing up before I was through. I'm really looking forward to the next book, and I can't wait to find out how things will turn out for everyone.

[Akoss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh what a delight it was reading the second book in the Gustav Gloom series.
While book one was definitely odd and creepy this one was odd, creepy and so heart warming.
I know it sounds like a weird combination but I mean it. You get to know so much more about Gustav.
His practical way of looking at things and interpreting situations still got chuckles out of me and made me shake my head at times.
This is the book about how Gustav came to be Gustav and how his mansion became home to many shadows including some unfriendly ones.

By the end of book one I thought maybe Gustav was a sort of vampire but after reading this one I found out he wasn't but he was something totally different. Of course I can't tell you. That would be a spoiler.

The What family didn't disappoint either. Fernie and Pearlie were very courageous in the way they handled the Shadow eater. Unfortunately the events proved to be too dangerous for their father and in the end their friendship with Gustav was in danger. I loved how well rounded they were in this book compared to the first one.

I used to think Gustav's mansion was immense, now I believe that place is endless, infinite, and filled with many more secrets waiting to be discovered. If I didn't already know that book 3 was out I would've been lamenting right now about having to wait. Now I'm looking forward to what happens next because while book two showed me so much about Gustav, it also left me with lots of questions I need answers for.

[Liwayway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading a Gustav Gloom book is adventuring through a nonsensical, yet logical, and haunting trip. Gustav is charming and smart, an unaware friend, and a brave little hero, but... So is Fernie What. Together these two best friends are unstoppable. They're the "Alice's" of the "Wonderland" that is Gustav's home. And not only are these stories utterly charming and intriguing, they lend a bit of lessons and universal knowledge to any kid... Or adult... who reads them.

Oh, you know what? I'm adding these to my favorites list after all.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's like Castro visited all my deepest childhood nightmares and boogeymen, and wrote not-terrifying but still-pretty-scary stories about them! I love this series so much. My 10 year old is hooked, too. "Mom, these are really scary books!"he said after the first one. "Don't worry," I answered. "They get scarier." "Awesome!"

[Yiyi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this series in book two because I could not find the first one. the book is creepy, sad, and uplifting all at the same time with excellent family values for children. love the universe Castro created. Looking forward to buying my own copies as I borrowed this from the library. the artwork on the cover and in the book is imaginative and beautiful in a creepy way.

[Tempest B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful continuation of the Gustav Gloom story! And the unveiling of the big secret: what the f**k is Gustav?!?! Superb! The prose isn't as beautiful or poetic as the first book, which severely disappointed me, but I was so happy with the story, overall, that I'm choosing to table that complaint, for now.l

[Drucilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a cute series (and I mean both the writing and the art). I didn't rate this one as high as the previous book because, while the first book had the weight of world-building behind it, this one is just chasing a McGuffin. It was nice to learn Gustav's backstory, though, and not drag that out for multiple books. Can't wait to read the next one.

[Emily Pieroni skrezec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story perfect for younger readers looking to read spooky stories

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to read this book so bad I'm getting it tomorrow and I'm planning on reading it all by Friday

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter LOVED this book. I also found it enjoyable to read to her.

[Connie Hirsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't be objective about this book as it's written by a friend... I'm so proud for him!

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great follow-up to The People Taker! We have some more hints to the background of Gustav.

[Rene' Riddle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as cute and creepy as the first one!

[Jaky]

It's okay