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The Nightmare Crew #1
Beginnings
Paul Wiseman, orphan and runaway, was looking for a family. He found one—and got a little more than he bargained for in the process.
Being an orphan is no fun. Having no friends isn’t much fun, either. When Paul Wiseman, seventeen, runs away from an orphanage to try his luck on the mean streets of New York, he finds himself trapped and almost beaten to death one night.
Rescued by a vampire named Angela, Paul goes to her small house in upstate New York where he meets her friends—Ooze, a sentient water being, Sandstorm, who uses his sandy body to blind his opponents, and CF—short for Cannon Fodder—a zombie.
The four of them become the Nightmare Crew—beings created by a scientist to fight against the lawless elements of the city. In joining them, Paul finds a family, friendship and maybe even love.
However, the company that allowed the creation of these beings wants them back, and they’ll stop at nothing to retrieve what they believe to be their property. It soon comes down to a battle between those born and those created…and it’s up to Paul to fight for the only family he’s ever known.
Available Exclusively to Finch Books: 29th March 2016
General Release Date: 24th May 2016
Being an orphan is no fun. Having no friends isn’t much fun, either. When Paul Wiseman, seventeen, runs away from an orphanage to try his luck on the mean streets of New York, he finds himself trapped and almost beaten to death one night.
Rescued by a vampire named Angela, Paul goes to her small house in upstate New York where he meets her friends—Ooze, a sentient water being, Sandstorm, who uses his sandy body to blind his opponents, and CF—short for Cannon Fodder—a zombie.
The four of them become the Nightmare Crew—beings created by a scientist to fight against the lawless elements of the city. In joining them, Paul finds a family, friendship and maybe even love.
However, the company that allowed the creation of these beings wants them back, and they’ll stop at nothing to retrieve what they believe to be their property. It soon comes down to a battle between those born and those created…and it’s up to Paul to fight for the only family he’s ever known.
Available Exclusively to Finch Books: 29th March 2016
General Release Date: 24th May 2016
238 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 24, 2016
1 person is currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
J.S. Frankel
92 books237 followersJ.S. Frankel was born in Toronto, Canada, many moons ago and managed to scrape through high school and university, earning a BA in English Literature and leaving no book unopened during his time at the University of Toronto. Shortly after graduation, he moved to Japan in order to teach English to the hapless residents of whichever city he happened to be living at the time.
In 1997, he married the charming Akiko Koike and their union produced two rather interesting children. Frankel and his family make their home in Osaka where he teaches during the day and attempts to write YA fiction at night.
In 1997, he married the charming Akiko Koike and their union produced two rather interesting children. Frankel and his family make their home in Osaka where he teaches during the day and attempts to write YA fiction at night.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 21, 2017
This story was truly interesting. Every time you thought it was going to go one way, it actually went another. I love the author’s honesty to the life of a orphan. No one really knows what these children really go threw in the system. Sometimes these kids do get to a phase where they feel like no one will ever care for them. They prepare themselves for the worse, and it’s really sad.
Now, the character Paul seems to have it hard. He educates himself by reading, but he gets picked on because he does. He seemed to always be bullied even though he takes the “passive approach.” I love the fact that the author shows some emotion for this character, who carries a picture of his father. That made me sad and a little hopeful for him and his future.
I loved the story, it started off a little slow for me. I had to reread the beginning a few times just to understand where it was going, but this book turned out pretty good.
I give JS Frankel a 4 out of 5 stars. Good job, can’t wait to read more from you.
Now, the character Paul seems to have it hard. He educates himself by reading, but he gets picked on because he does. He seemed to always be bullied even though he takes the “passive approach.” I love the fact that the author shows some emotion for this character, who carries a picture of his father. That made me sad and a little hopeful for him and his future.
I loved the story, it started off a little slow for me. I had to reread the beginning a few times just to understand where it was going, but this book turned out pretty good.
I give JS Frankel a 4 out of 5 stars. Good job, can’t wait to read more from you.
May 4, 2016
Title: Beginnings
Author: J. S. Frankel
Publisher: Finch Books
ISBN: 978-1-78651-760-9
Buy Link: https://www.finch-books.com/book/begi...
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Blurb:
The Nightmare Crew 1
Paul Wiseman, orphan and runaway, was looking for a family. He found one—and got a little more than he bargained for in the process.
Being an orphan is no fun. Having no friends isn’t much fun, either. When Paul Wiseman, seventeen, runs away from an orphanage to try his luck on the mean streets of New York, he finds himself trapped and almost beaten to death one night.
Rescued by a vampire named Angela, Paul goes to her small house in upstate New York where he meets her friends—Ooze, a sentient water being, Sandstorm, who uses his sandy body to blind his opponents, and CF—short for Cannon Fodder—a zombie.
The four of them become the Nightmare Crew—beings created by a scientist to fight against the lawless elements of the city. In joining them, Paul finds a family, friendship and maybe even love.
However, the company that allowed the creation of these beings wants them back, and they’ll stop at nothing to retrieve what they believe to be their property. It soon comes down to a battle between those born and those created…and it’s up to Paul to fight for the only family he’s ever known.
Summary:
Paul had lived so much of his life as an orphan moving from home to home never finding the family of his own until the last time he ran away. Life on the streets meant struggling to stay one step ahead of the anyone who would rough Paul up for the little he had. One night the Bangers, a dangerous gang, caught him and he knew that his life was about to end until a strange girl took out the entire gang before taking him to safety. Paul had long ago learned not to trust, but after meeting the other members living in the home he knew that life was truly stranger than fiction. Paul met Angela a (a vampire), Ooze, (a water being), and CF (a zombie) who accepted him into their lives as they struggled to learn about why they were made as their very lives were threatened. Paul grew up quickly as he learned to protect his new friends from people that didn't understand what they were and from the very people to were determined to get them back at all costs. This was a fast paced intricate story that held unexpected plot twists that I never expected. Paul always tried to do the right thing, but all it got him was hostility and abuse while the adult who were supposed to protect him until he met the Nightmare Crew. Even as different as they were, Paul and his friends were willing to do anything to protect each other making this a phenomenal story. Paul and Angela quickly formed a bond that grew into more than they ever expected. I will be waiting impatiently for the next book in the Nightmare Crew series!
Author: J. S. Frankel
Publisher: Finch Books
ISBN: 978-1-78651-760-9
Buy Link: https://www.finch-books.com/book/begi...
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Blurb:
The Nightmare Crew 1
Paul Wiseman, orphan and runaway, was looking for a family. He found one—and got a little more than he bargained for in the process.
Being an orphan is no fun. Having no friends isn’t much fun, either. When Paul Wiseman, seventeen, runs away from an orphanage to try his luck on the mean streets of New York, he finds himself trapped and almost beaten to death one night.
Rescued by a vampire named Angela, Paul goes to her small house in upstate New York where he meets her friends—Ooze, a sentient water being, Sandstorm, who uses his sandy body to blind his opponents, and CF—short for Cannon Fodder—a zombie.
The four of them become the Nightmare Crew—beings created by a scientist to fight against the lawless elements of the city. In joining them, Paul finds a family, friendship and maybe even love.
However, the company that allowed the creation of these beings wants them back, and they’ll stop at nothing to retrieve what they believe to be their property. It soon comes down to a battle between those born and those created…and it’s up to Paul to fight for the only family he’s ever known.
Summary:
Paul had lived so much of his life as an orphan moving from home to home never finding the family of his own until the last time he ran away. Life on the streets meant struggling to stay one step ahead of the anyone who would rough Paul up for the little he had. One night the Bangers, a dangerous gang, caught him and he knew that his life was about to end until a strange girl took out the entire gang before taking him to safety. Paul had long ago learned not to trust, but after meeting the other members living in the home he knew that life was truly stranger than fiction. Paul met Angela a (a vampire), Ooze, (a water being), and CF (a zombie) who accepted him into their lives as they struggled to learn about why they were made as their very lives were threatened. Paul grew up quickly as he learned to protect his new friends from people that didn't understand what they were and from the very people to were determined to get them back at all costs. This was a fast paced intricate story that held unexpected plot twists that I never expected. Paul always tried to do the right thing, but all it got him was hostility and abuse while the adult who were supposed to protect him until he met the Nightmare Crew. Even as different as they were, Paul and his friends were willing to do anything to protect each other making this a phenomenal story. Paul and Angela quickly formed a bond that grew into more than they ever expected. I will be waiting impatiently for the next book in the Nightmare Crew series!
February 13, 2017
Let's see: teen romance, sci-fi, fantasy, superman, avengers, coming of age, mystery, dysfunctional family, government conspiracy, kicking butt, friendship, social comment....
This book seems to have so many genres mashed together that almost anyone will find something they like - and possibly don't. But the story is compelling enough that you overlook it.
I read during my commute. I just don't have a schedule that allows me to commit an afternoon to reading a book. So for me, the only real problem was that I couldn't just open up kindle and start reading. The story had too much going on for that. If you can focus the time to it, it is a wonderful story. But I had to take some time to get my bearings. That is only a problem for me and how I have to read.
There were some issues with tense and pov changing In the middle of the paragraph, but the story was fun enough that you just overlooked it.
If you want a kind of cute story to entertain you for the afternoon, this nightmares crew might just be your ticket.
This book seems to have so many genres mashed together that almost anyone will find something they like - and possibly don't. But the story is compelling enough that you overlook it.
I read during my commute. I just don't have a schedule that allows me to commit an afternoon to reading a book. So for me, the only real problem was that I couldn't just open up kindle and start reading. The story had too much going on for that. If you can focus the time to it, it is a wonderful story. But I had to take some time to get my bearings. That is only a problem for me and how I have to read.
There were some issues with tense and pov changing In the middle of the paragraph, but the story was fun enough that you just overlooked it.
If you want a kind of cute story to entertain you for the afternoon, this nightmares crew might just be your ticket.
August 1, 2016
New York City... anyone who has ever been there knows its not exactly the safest place. Now put yourself in the shoes of a 17 year old who has run away from the orphanage only to be beaten up after doing so. Scared alone and in agony Paul is be-friended by a vampire named Angela. It is she who takes him in and introduces him to her anything but "normal" friends. A Zombie, A man made out of sand and a guy made out of water. ( Now when I first heard about these characters from the writer I'm thinking sweet. The sand guy from Spiderman 3, the waterguy from Ghost Rider, a Zombie and a Vampire) (And that's kinda how I pictured these characters throughout the book.)) Anyways, they team up to fight the evil of New York City only to realize that their biggest threat is the company who created them now wants them back. Paul must now fight and save the only friends and family he has ever known...
September 1, 2016
Who doesn't love the classic combination of a dark street alley and a vigilante? Paul Wiseman, kid from he wrong side of the tracks, orphaned and about to hit 18 and be thrown out to the streets, doesn't have a lot to lose but he's about to lose the one thing he has in a dark alley - his life! Until the Nightmare Crew come into his life! Taking cues from Batman, Monster Squad and X-Men, and spinning them into it's own perfect blend, the eclectic bunch of outsiders take Paul in and train him up, in a feisty narrative that doesn't need the heroes to be perfect or glamorous - just EFFECTIVE! I really enjoyed this entry into the world of The Nightmare Crew. JS Frankel is a compelling storyteller and I get the feeling this one has just BEGUN...Recommended.
September 9, 2016
This book is a great different read. It is full of action. It keeps you turning the pages. This portrays a whole new world in my opinion. This book is well written. Also reviewed by Heather Ann's Book Reviews.
November 27, 2020
I'd rate 3.5 Stars
Beginnings by J.S. Frankel is a teen/young adult urban fantasy novel, the first in The Nightmare Crew series.
At the age of seventeen Paul Wiseman has been through numerous foster homes and has run away from the orphanage he never felt at home in. Living on the streets he is brutally attacked one night and saved by a vampire named Angela.
Angela takes him back to her residence where he meets an assortment of strange beings, Ooze - a sentient water being, Sandstorm - a creature made of sand particles and CF, or Cannon Fodder - a zombie. Never having a place where he felt accepted Paul soon feels at home with these strange creations who have been programmed to help clear the streets of the lawless. The company behind the idea to create these monsters want them back. Will Paul be able to keep hold of the only friends and family he's ever known?
I very much liked the premise of this story. Putting aside the monsters that fight crime, the bad guys who are chasing them and the budding romance between Paul and Angela, I found that the main theme of the story is acceptance. Finding a place where you belong with a family you have created rather than the one than the one you have by blood.
The writing of this book gave it a slight comic book/graphic novel vibe, without the illustrations. At some points the dialogue, for me, felt a little awkward, however, I feel teens and young adults would probably connect better with the writing than I did.
Overall I would recommend this book for readers who enjoy a monster mash of fantasy characters who fight for good against evil. I'd like to thank J.S. Frankel for sending me an e-copy of his book, as a way to introduce me to more monsters in my reading.
Beginnings by J.S. Frankel is a teen/young adult urban fantasy novel, the first in The Nightmare Crew series.
At the age of seventeen Paul Wiseman has been through numerous foster homes and has run away from the orphanage he never felt at home in. Living on the streets he is brutally attacked one night and saved by a vampire named Angela.
Angela takes him back to her residence where he meets an assortment of strange beings, Ooze - a sentient water being, Sandstorm - a creature made of sand particles and CF, or Cannon Fodder - a zombie. Never having a place where he felt accepted Paul soon feels at home with these strange creations who have been programmed to help clear the streets of the lawless. The company behind the idea to create these monsters want them back. Will Paul be able to keep hold of the only friends and family he's ever known?
I very much liked the premise of this story. Putting aside the monsters that fight crime, the bad guys who are chasing them and the budding romance between Paul and Angela, I found that the main theme of the story is acceptance. Finding a place where you belong with a family you have created rather than the one than the one you have by blood.
The writing of this book gave it a slight comic book/graphic novel vibe, without the illustrations. At some points the dialogue, for me, felt a little awkward, however, I feel teens and young adults would probably connect better with the writing than I did.
Overall I would recommend this book for readers who enjoy a monster mash of fantasy characters who fight for good against evil. I'd like to thank J.S. Frankel for sending me an e-copy of his book, as a way to introduce me to more monsters in my reading.
May 21, 2025
Orphan teenager Paul has had a tough life and lost of bad luck. Running away from his orphanage only made things worse. But all that changes when a female vampire rescues him from a New York street gang who nearly beat him to death. Paul soon discovers that she's part of the Nightmare Crew, four of supernatural beings created by a scientist to fight lawless criminals. Paul decides to join the crew marking the start of an action packed adventure.
The story reminded me of the Marvel comics, especially X-Men. Great characters. The cleaning obsessed zombie CF was really funny. Angela the vampire was my favorite. She had a limited understanding of human nature prior to meeting Paul and she learned a lot from him. A great start to the series. I'll definitely check out part 2.
The story reminded me of the Marvel comics, especially X-Men. Great characters. The cleaning obsessed zombie CF was really funny. Angela the vampire was my favorite. She had a limited understanding of human nature prior to meeting Paul and she learned a lot from him. A great start to the series. I'll definitely check out part 2.
April 5, 2019
Ooze is fabulous and only reason why I made it as far in the book as I did. Unfortunately he couldn't quite carry me through the akward teenage romance bits, too many flashbacks chopping up the action moments, and narration that could not decide weather go the highly intellectual route or try to fly on the usual teenage talk level. I did like the idea of the book but for me, it didn't deliver.
January 7, 2017
I recieved this book from the Author for a honest review.
The beginnings is more of a young Adult.
While reading this story It felt like i was reading about Marvel characters ,which is why I liked it.
I can't wait to read more from this author.
The beginnings is more of a young Adult.
While reading this story It felt like i was reading about Marvel characters ,which is why I liked it.
I can't wait to read more from this author.
September 10, 2016
This book leaned a lot towards the classical Marvel comics superheroes. A girl so fantastic he could finish off a gang in just a couple of minutes while the main character whimpered in fear and a bunch of beings whose very existence is surreal. It instantly reminds you of the X Men, especially since they were created by a scientist (the only half-plausible explanation for their existence). Insert Paul, a human, who can’t even fight his own battles at the beginning. Among all these creatures, he looked like a total loser. But as the story progress, we see his character evolve into a hero, fighting alongside Angela and her crew, actually becoming part of the team, earning his own place with them as they all become a cohesive, strong unit. As always, it was a pleasure form beginning ‘til end to read J.S. Frankel’s book, enjoying his exquisite prose and his marvelous characterization that is becoming more brilliant with each book. His imagination never fails to amaze me and intrigue me. Like always, the author manages to insert these little messages that become central themes of the book. In this one, the power of friendship and fight for justice make a resounding echo, superb messages that are artfully woven along the plot. This is a great start to a new series. Definitely a rec for the lovers of the genre in particular and all readers in general!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews