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The Nightmarys
Timothy July has been having nightmares. About his brother, who is in a coma after being wounded in Iraq; about his best friend, Stuart, who is behaving like a jerk; about the old biology specimens in jars lining the walls of his classroom; and about Abigail, the new girl who seems to be a magnet for trouble. Or perhaps she is the cause.
Suddenly Timothy’s nightmares are coming true. His brother, his face decaying, approaches Timothy on the street. Stuart ends up in the hospital, terrified that monsters are stalking him. And the specimen jars are tormenting not only Timothy but his teacher as well.
What is the secret in Abigail’s past that is the key to these horrors? And can Timothy figure it out before his nightmares become a deadly reality?
A follow-up to the well-received Stone Child , Dan Poblocki’s second novel will have his readers mesmerized until the last page—and sleeping with the lights on.
Suddenly Timothy’s nightmares are coming true. His brother, his face decaying, approaches Timothy on the street. Stuart ends up in the hospital, terrified that monsters are stalking him. And the specimen jars are tormenting not only Timothy but his teacher as well.
What is the secret in Abigail’s past that is the key to these horrors? And can Timothy figure it out before his nightmares become a deadly reality?
A follow-up to the well-received Stone Child , Dan Poblocki’s second novel will have his readers mesmerized until the last page—and sleeping with the lights on.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published August 24, 2010
119 people are currently reading
3321 people want to read
About the author
Dan Poblocki
26 books647 followersAuthor of The Stone Child, The Nightmarys, The Ghost of Graylock, and the Mysterious Four series,The Haunting of Gabriel Ashe, and The Book of Bad Things.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 310 reviews
October 8, 2011
http://www.theunreadreader.com/2010/0...
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.
August 24, 2011
This is a great children's (10 to 14 year old?) horror story!
While it is definitely geared toward a younger audience, there were a few creepy scenes in it that gave me some nice little chills.
Parents Beware!
If you have a kid who has trouble sleeping, because they think something is going to get them as soon as the lights go out, this may not be the wisest choice in literature. I'm just saying...
While it is definitely geared toward a younger audience, there were a few creepy scenes in it that gave me some nice little chills.
Parents Beware!
If you have a kid who has trouble sleeping, because they think something is going to get them as soon as the lights go out, this may not be the wisest choice in literature. I'm just saying...
September 2, 2010
the big question: Is Dan Poblocki’s The Nightmarys scary or not? You tell me:
A little after midnight, she awoke to a soft tapping on glass. Before she even opened her eyes, Abigail feared what she would see at the window--two faces, smiling at her.
Timothy screamed and fell backward, landing halfway down the stairs. He watched, paralyzed, as a thin brown arm reached through the broken window for the lock. Its skeletal fingers turned the knob, and slowly, the front door creaked open.
The corpse stood in the entrance, the dawn lighting the sky in the distance. The creature's white hair lay limp across its skull. The bottom half of its face was missing. Its empty eye sockets were barely visible, but Timothy felt their blackness dig into his chest. The corpse clutched at the wood frame and dragged its feet across the threshold.
Scared, Esteemed Reader? I must admit Mr. Poblocki gave even the piranha-loving ninja a few goosebumps. If you don’t care for horror, you’ve probably stopped reading this review already. But if you like things that go bump in the night, pick up a copy of The Nightmarys or come on back next week and try to win one.
So there you go. I’ve established my criteria for a horror book review: scary, not scary. The Nightmarys is scary, therefore my review is done and in record time. Now I have only to tell you about the book, we’ll talk a little craft, and then we’ll all go get a taco.
The plot is as follows: Timothy July partners up with Abigail Tremens for a school project and while they’re at the museum doing research, Timothy experiences the first of many waking nightmares. He discovers a book there that helps him to unravel a mystery that has something to do with a writer named Nathaniel Olmstead, who astute readers will recognize from Poblocki’s first book, The Stone Child. Shortly thereafter, Timothy’s buddy is attacked by another nightmare image as is his teacher. There’s a supernatural force prowling about and Timothy’s new friend Abigail knows more about it than she’s letting on.
Eventually, after some other events I won’t spoil for you, Abigail spills the details about two girls named Mary she used to know:
Oddly, Mary Brown was white, and Mary White was black; they were both beautiful...
...Together the Marys were an entity, the likes of which Abigail had never seen before. She didn't like it, and she decided she didn't like them. So Abigail gave them a tase of their own medicine. She made up a nasty name for the two girls: the Nightmarys, of course. To Abigail's horror, the girls liked it, and it stuck. They wore it like a badge of honor.
The Nightmarys begin haunting Abigail after she’s moved. Did the girls die, you ask? Ahh, but that would be a spoiler. The important thing is that two supernatural entities are following Abigail around and causing her waking nightmares. And she can’t shake them, no matter what she does:
"I actually thought I could hide from them. I dyed my hair. I was planning on sleeping on the couch in the living room tonight. I thought maybe they wouldn't recognize me..."
Does Abigale overcome the Nightmarys or do they drive her insane? Does Timothy July banish the Nightmarys away forever or at least until the sequel? Naturally, I'm not going to tell you. Instead, I'd like to share with you two passages from one scene and then we'll see about that taco.
The Nightmarys opens with a classic teaser scene. I know different writing guides refer to this opening under different terms, but I've always liked "teaser" scene. Most horror novels open with them. Probably the most famous is the opening of the film version of Jaws: naked chick swims in the ocean at night, dies a guesome death, establishing the presence of the shark and the need of a hero to rid us of the shark. It also makes a promise to the audience that though we're about to spend some time learning about the characters and establishing the premise, we're going to see more shark at some point and our characters must interact with it, for good or ill. As for examples from books, Pennywise the clown has a chat with Georgie and murders him in the first few chapters of Stephen King's It, a woman is stopped and chased by cannibals in the first chapter of Jack Ketchum's Off Season, and a nearly restored Voldermort kills a man at the beginning of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (by far my favorite of the Potter books).
In the prologue, or "prelude," of The Nightmarys, we meet Abigale's grandmother, though we don't know who she is yet, as she is haunted in a laundry room. It's a very effective scene and the suspense it promises hooks us through the opening chapters of character and premise introduction. It's a shame more novels don't open with a teaser scene like this one. First, notice how effectively Poblocki establishes the setting and mood in a few sentences:
The corridor was longer than she recalled. The light was dim. The pipes hung from the low ceiling, craning at wicked angles every which way. A bitter scent lingered in the air.
Nothing good could possibly happen in such a place. Secondly, I want to draw attention to a rhythm game Poblocki plays with the reader. Notice the way he uses the same sentence pattern three times, lulling the reader a bit, and then suddenly breaks the pattern to great effect:
With a huff, she rolled up her sleeve and reached in, digging through the wet clothes. Finding nothing unusual, she closed the lid. Whirring, the machine started up again.
But before she sat down, the thumping noise returned.
To read an interview with author Dan Poblocki or to read other interview with writers and literary agents, check out my blog at www.middlegradeninja.blogspot.com
A little after midnight, she awoke to a soft tapping on glass. Before she even opened her eyes, Abigail feared what she would see at the window--two faces, smiling at her.
Timothy screamed and fell backward, landing halfway down the stairs. He watched, paralyzed, as a thin brown arm reached through the broken window for the lock. Its skeletal fingers turned the knob, and slowly, the front door creaked open.
The corpse stood in the entrance, the dawn lighting the sky in the distance. The creature's white hair lay limp across its skull. The bottom half of its face was missing. Its empty eye sockets were barely visible, but Timothy felt their blackness dig into his chest. The corpse clutched at the wood frame and dragged its feet across the threshold.
Scared, Esteemed Reader? I must admit Mr. Poblocki gave even the piranha-loving ninja a few goosebumps. If you don’t care for horror, you’ve probably stopped reading this review already. But if you like things that go bump in the night, pick up a copy of The Nightmarys or come on back next week and try to win one.
So there you go. I’ve established my criteria for a horror book review: scary, not scary. The Nightmarys is scary, therefore my review is done and in record time. Now I have only to tell you about the book, we’ll talk a little craft, and then we’ll all go get a taco.
The plot is as follows: Timothy July partners up with Abigail Tremens for a school project and while they’re at the museum doing research, Timothy experiences the first of many waking nightmares. He discovers a book there that helps him to unravel a mystery that has something to do with a writer named Nathaniel Olmstead, who astute readers will recognize from Poblocki’s first book, The Stone Child. Shortly thereafter, Timothy’s buddy is attacked by another nightmare image as is his teacher. There’s a supernatural force prowling about and Timothy’s new friend Abigail knows more about it than she’s letting on.
Eventually, after some other events I won’t spoil for you, Abigail spills the details about two girls named Mary she used to know:
Oddly, Mary Brown was white, and Mary White was black; they were both beautiful...
...Together the Marys were an entity, the likes of which Abigail had never seen before. She didn't like it, and she decided she didn't like them. So Abigail gave them a tase of their own medicine. She made up a nasty name for the two girls: the Nightmarys, of course. To Abigail's horror, the girls liked it, and it stuck. They wore it like a badge of honor.
The Nightmarys begin haunting Abigail after she’s moved. Did the girls die, you ask? Ahh, but that would be a spoiler. The important thing is that two supernatural entities are following Abigail around and causing her waking nightmares. And she can’t shake them, no matter what she does:
"I actually thought I could hide from them. I dyed my hair. I was planning on sleeping on the couch in the living room tonight. I thought maybe they wouldn't recognize me..."
Does Abigale overcome the Nightmarys or do they drive her insane? Does Timothy July banish the Nightmarys away forever or at least until the sequel? Naturally, I'm not going to tell you. Instead, I'd like to share with you two passages from one scene and then we'll see about that taco.
The Nightmarys opens with a classic teaser scene. I know different writing guides refer to this opening under different terms, but I've always liked "teaser" scene. Most horror novels open with them. Probably the most famous is the opening of the film version of Jaws: naked chick swims in the ocean at night, dies a guesome death, establishing the presence of the shark and the need of a hero to rid us of the shark. It also makes a promise to the audience that though we're about to spend some time learning about the characters and establishing the premise, we're going to see more shark at some point and our characters must interact with it, for good or ill. As for examples from books, Pennywise the clown has a chat with Georgie and murders him in the first few chapters of Stephen King's It, a woman is stopped and chased by cannibals in the first chapter of Jack Ketchum's Off Season, and a nearly restored Voldermort kills a man at the beginning of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (by far my favorite of the Potter books).
In the prologue, or "prelude," of The Nightmarys, we meet Abigale's grandmother, though we don't know who she is yet, as she is haunted in a laundry room. It's a very effective scene and the suspense it promises hooks us through the opening chapters of character and premise introduction. It's a shame more novels don't open with a teaser scene like this one. First, notice how effectively Poblocki establishes the setting and mood in a few sentences:
The corridor was longer than she recalled. The light was dim. The pipes hung from the low ceiling, craning at wicked angles every which way. A bitter scent lingered in the air.
Nothing good could possibly happen in such a place. Secondly, I want to draw attention to a rhythm game Poblocki plays with the reader. Notice the way he uses the same sentence pattern three times, lulling the reader a bit, and then suddenly breaks the pattern to great effect:
With a huff, she rolled up her sleeve and reached in, digging through the wet clothes. Finding nothing unusual, she closed the lid. Whirring, the machine started up again.
But before she sat down, the thumping noise returned.
To read an interview with author Dan Poblocki or to read other interview with writers and literary agents, check out my blog at www.middlegradeninja.blogspot.com
May 27, 2022
Woo! First book of 2019 :) I bought this book at goodwill a year or two ago since it sounded interesting. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised with this book. It was a refreshing take on those pre-teen/early teen horror stories that authors try to make. I love the concept of your worst fears being used against you. I think the ending was a bit meh but I overall enjoyed the book in total. The chapters were short and I loved how the author segmented between some chapters. I might have to check out some more books from this author since I genuinely enjoyed this book.
February 5, 2018
This book is awful. There is barely any horror and the main plot is a boy that is in an argument with his best friend. It is impossible to get hooked and is very slow throughout the whole story with few action and scary parts. I got this book to be scared and it was extremely boring and a disappointment. 10/10 would NOT read this or recommend it for anyone looking for a scare. It might be good for younger people but not for teens or older.
February 2, 2011
When Timothy July gets partnered with classmate Abigail Tremens for a research project, he starts seeing terrible and frightening things. Afraid that he’s going crazy, he lets Abigail in on his visions. That’s when she tells him that it’s happening to her, too. And somehow, it’s her fault. Abigail believes that she’s being haunted by the Nightmarys – a couple of mean girls from her former school – and that they’re trying to “help” her by terrorizing anyone who upsets her. Why are they helping her? To get her to follow them somewhere she doesn’t want to go. But not even Abigail knows the whole story; it’s much more complicated than she realizes, and involves a curse on her family that extends back to her grandmother’s childhood. Before their lives can return to normal, Timothy and Abigail must work together to solve this frightening mystery.
“The Nightmarys” is a great title, but it suffers from a surfeit of ideas. As a result, this stumbles around a lot. There were some seriously spooky moments, but confusing plotting takes away from the terror. You find out that the Nightmarys are two real girls (they’re not even dead) who were mean to Abigail, and she’s somehow haunted by them (which doesn’t make any sense) when she moves because she’s been cursed by this mystical jawbone (wait, what?), but the name is based on one of her favorite horror books, which may or may not be related? Clunky. And that’s not even the half of it. It’s not that it’s hard to figure out what’s happening – it’s just cluttered, and there are way too many convenient plot devices. Still, it probably won’t matter to readers who like a fast-paced story and want to be scared – this definitely qualifies as spine-tingling, and Timothy and Abigail are mostly likeable, capable characters.
“The Nightmarys” is a great title, but it suffers from a surfeit of ideas. As a result, this stumbles around a lot. There were some seriously spooky moments, but confusing plotting takes away from the terror. You find out that the Nightmarys are two real girls (they’re not even dead) who were mean to Abigail, and she’s somehow haunted by them (which doesn’t make any sense) when she moves because she’s been cursed by this mystical jawbone (wait, what?), but the name is based on one of her favorite horror books, which may or may not be related? Clunky. And that’s not even the half of it. It’s not that it’s hard to figure out what’s happening – it’s just cluttered, and there are way too many convenient plot devices. Still, it probably won’t matter to readers who like a fast-paced story and want to be scared – this definitely qualifies as spine-tingling, and Timothy and Abigail are mostly likeable, capable characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2011
The Nightmarys terrified my 10-year-old. She read portions of the book aloud to me, and literally yanked the book I was reading out of my hands to force this one on me.
Unfortunately, meh.
I can see why the creepy bits bothered her. But I can't wait till she's old enough to tackle some real horror.
Unfortunately, meh.
I can see why the creepy bits bothered her. But I can't wait till she's old enough to tackle some real horror.
June 27, 2020
3.5 stars
Dan Poblocki always delivers with a fast paced and exciting middle grade "horror" book.
Dan Poblocki always delivers with a fast paced and exciting middle grade "horror" book.
August 5, 2020
This book was very good
October 25, 2018
1)The reader was able to experience the crimes or crisis that the main character , Timothy July, saw. In this book, there are several events that could be classified as a crisis. For example, Timothy encounters a stairway up a hill. On this stairway, there is a graffiti dragon that somehow peels off of the pavement and attacks Timothy, whilst being two dimensional. The majority of the story deals with finding the person who is responsible for the crime. The crime, in this case, is who stole the jawbone that possesses powers to make people hallucinate and make their fears become reality.
The main characters, Timothy and Abigail, are fully aware that they are in danger. They know that they are in danger because they are experiencing hallucinations that physically harm them and ask them to do things for them.
At some point, I did feel worried for the characters. My main concern was the characters ,for the majority, were either elderly or children, so I feared that they would die because of their inability to defend themselves. I would recommend this book to people who are easily frightened, because this book is anti-climactic. I would definitely not recommend this book to horror lovers, because it is very disappointing due to its slim amount of action and gore.
The main characters, Timothy and Abigail, are fully aware that they are in danger. They know that they are in danger because they are experiencing hallucinations that physically harm them and ask them to do things for them.
At some point, I did feel worried for the characters. My main concern was the characters ,for the majority, were either elderly or children, so I feared that they would die because of their inability to defend themselves. I would recommend this book to people who are easily frightened, because this book is anti-climactic. I would definitely not recommend this book to horror lovers, because it is very disappointing due to its slim amount of action and gore.
December 27, 2018
Hm, not sure where to start. The cover no doubt drew me in and I was anxious to read about the Nightmarys as the title seemed to make me think the story revolved around them. The Nightmarys were in the story, but weren't the main creep factor of the story.
I somewhat enjoyed this book, yet felt it dragged and I felt like I was getting the clues before the characters.
I liked the plot around the cursed artifact and the creepy things the characters experienced. I just didn't feel a strong connection as I would of liked and have to admit I felt lost at times.
Maybe I'm just on a reading slump and couldn't quite connect or it just wasn't a book for me. But, give it a read and see for yourselves because everyone has different reading experiences.
I somewhat enjoyed this book, yet felt it dragged and I felt like I was getting the clues before the characters.
I liked the plot around the cursed artifact and the creepy things the characters experienced. I just didn't feel a strong connection as I would of liked and have to admit I felt lost at times.
Maybe I'm just on a reading slump and couldn't quite connect or it just wasn't a book for me. But, give it a read and see for yourselves because everyone has different reading experiences.
October 21, 2019
3.5 stars.
This book started out with a spooky scene and that got me hooked, lol. But the further I got into this book it was less spooky and more of a mystery. Which is ok for me because I like mysteries. I had 2 complaints of this book. The first is not a big issue which was that there was a scene that dragged for me. The other thing that bothered me the most, which made me give this rating a 3.5 stars instead of a 4, was that I understood why April was cursed but I don't understand why Timothy was cursed. It was explained in the book but to me it still made no sense. But other then that it was entertaining and it had spooky moments. I would recommend for young readers to read.
This book started out with a spooky scene and that got me hooked, lol. But the further I got into this book it was less spooky and more of a mystery. Which is ok for me because I like mysteries. I had 2 complaints of this book. The first is not a big issue which was that there was a scene that dragged for me. The other thing that bothered me the most, which made me give this rating a 3.5 stars instead of a 4, was that I understood why April was cursed but I don't understand why Timothy was cursed. It was explained in the book but to me it still made no sense. But other then that it was entertaining and it had spooky moments. I would recommend for young readers to read.
April 18, 2018
While creepy in some parts the writing was a bit disconnected and there were too many moments where it was like “wow! Now wasn’t that lucky that that just HAPPENED to work?”
April 4, 2023
what starts off as a spooky ghost story quickly turns into a occult magic mystery... a hardy boys meets the ring kind of thing. super creepy, especially for a young teen book.
August 16, 2012
"Your father's journal was in the safe?" said Abigail.
"I slipped it into my coat pocket when that librarian wasn't looking," said Jack. "No one ever suspects the old man." He winked. "We get away with so much."
Synopsis: In the fine John Bellairs tradition of Old Men Are Fucking Dangerous, Y'All, an old man kidnaps children in Massachusetts and Shirley Jackson arm-wrestles Michael McDowell to get them back.
Bear with me on this.
I started talking about John Bellairs' theme of Crazy Old Men Will Destroy Us All over at Smash Attack Reads yesterday, and I remain convinced that this is one of two main takeaways from Bellairs' books. The other is Listen To Children, but that's not what's important right now. What's important is that I must find and consume Dan Poblocki's new book*, which apparently takes place in an abandoned mental asylum because sometimes your prayers to the gods really do get answered.
In The Nightmarys, there's a boy with ineffective parents, a Gulf War vet brother and a complicated friendship. He meets up with a girl with an awesome matriarchal family and creepy-ass nightmares: specifically nightmares about two mean girls from her old school (both named Mary) who now manifest in her bedroom at night looking like something shlupped out of a sump pump but with frilly dresses. There's a trip to a museum, swimming practice, a cranky librarian, a lighthouse, a decades-old mystery, a cursed book, some bat-shit crazy old men and a variety of awesome hallucinations.
At least I hope they're hallucinations. And therein lies the best part of the book: the hallucinightmares. (What else can you call it when your nightmares invade your waking space?)
Like this, for example:
[Timothy] noticed that his own closet light was on. At the base of the door, a small white line reflected onto the dark wood floor. The light had not been on when he'd gotten into bed an hour earlier.
Take just a moment with me and focus on those three lines.
Read them again.
Now, think back to your younger self -- hell, think about your self last night in bed, because let me tell you: if I had been in bed for an hour, and I was positive that the light in my closet had not been on when I'd gotten into the bed but I can see it on now? I would have some sort of moment of the sort where you're torn between running screaming from the room and just lying there quietly shitting yourself unconscious.
It's a great moment, the kind of thing that was basically always happening in The Haunting of Hill House and Michael McDowell's books, this kind of terror of the mundane: things that should be dependable with their constancy refuse to cooperate. And there are more than a few in this book AND THEY'RE ALL AWESOME.
Additionally, I have the paperback version of this book and it's just really well designed. I know that's dorky but hello, look where you are. The cover's great, the book is a strange and hand-happy size, the paper's nice and thick, the font is actually lickable (I checked) and there are epigraphssssssss yesssssss. My only complaint is that the title on the cover has been puffed up with some weird font effects thing, but I'll live. I can soldier on past that.
Oh, and this book passes the Bechdel Test. :D
According the Acknowledgements section (yes, I do read those -- introductions too), part of the book was inspired by a series of Victorian ghost paintings by Charles Beyer, so now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to track those down. If I'm not back in a week, send help. Just don't leave my closet light on, because I know for certain that my closet doesn't even have a light, so I'm just opening that door with a flamethrower.
*His first book involves banishing monster lake-dogs, and as I am generally pro-monster-lake-dogs, I'm going to skip books where they get banished. Or even whupped on the tentacle-laden snouts with a rolled-up newspaper. It is just how I roll, people.
January 18, 2015
I've been reading a lot of middle grade horror/ghost stories lately and Dan Poblocki's books looked right up my alley. You have to admit - the cover art is pretty amazing. Unfortunately, the story itself...wasn't so much.
Even if I haven't been thrilled with all of them, almost all of the middle grade books I've been reading lately have been fairly well-written (and some were crafted extremely well). The Nightmarys had really bad writing, in my opinion, and that was the main problem with this book. I found myself having trouble understanding what was going on while reading and while I at first blamed it on being tired, I quickly realized the problem was the writing. It's weirdly choppy, contains too many clauses, and didn't altogether make sense. I was surprised that this book could have gotten past an editor and was published by a well-known publishing house. You'd think they'd have fixed a little at least...There were multiple problems going on here. The dialogue was laughably bad and unbelievable. And then we have the plot. The main thread of the story was interesting - involving a cursed relic that allows its bearer to control the fears of others. The problem was that there were so many threads that the story completely unraveled. It was a little hard to follow and I wonder if a kid could actually follow it all either.
One of the strangest things about this book was realizing that the "Nightmarys" didn't fit with the plot at all and were mostly irrelevant. But that's the title! And the cover art! But why would the jawbone from an ancient tribe have seemingly Victorian-type ghosts protecting it? Huh? My first thought was that the title "Nightmarys" must have come first with the story following. Reading the acknowledgement at the end made me realize was that I wasn't far off - the author had a "dream" about ghostly little girls and that was the kickoff for the rest of the story. Apparently his original idea got away from him a little, because if you read The Nightmarys you'll see how irrelevant these ghost girls are. It's too bad, because creepy ghost girls are always interesting. What we have instead is a convoluted ghost story with too much happening all at once.
As you can tell, I was not impressed. The Nightmarys was a lot scarier than other middle grade stories I've read lately, so that was a plus (for me). I don't go into a middle grade horror book expecting or even wanting to be scared, but I'm always pleasantly surprised if the author manages to make a book creepy enough to bother adults a little. It wasn't overly scary or anything, but even I felt a chill creep up my spine at some of the imagery (the prelude and interludes were definitely the best parts here). I can see 11 to 14-year-old boys really eating this up. A sensitive child may be overly frightened, however - so proceed with caution. A teen older than 14 probably wouldn't enjoy this much, so ignore those who have tagged this as "young adult." This is a solidly upper middle grade read. And as for grown persons - I'd skip this. There are plenty of superior middle grade horror stories out there and there's no reason to read this one. It's too bad, because I really expected I'd like this. Oh well. 2 out of 5 stars.
Even if I haven't been thrilled with all of them, almost all of the middle grade books I've been reading lately have been fairly well-written (and some were crafted extremely well). The Nightmarys had really bad writing, in my opinion, and that was the main problem with this book. I found myself having trouble understanding what was going on while reading and while I at first blamed it on being tired, I quickly realized the problem was the writing. It's weirdly choppy, contains too many clauses, and didn't altogether make sense. I was surprised that this book could have gotten past an editor and was published by a well-known publishing house. You'd think they'd have fixed a little at least...There were multiple problems going on here. The dialogue was laughably bad and unbelievable. And then we have the plot. The main thread of the story was interesting - involving a cursed relic that allows its bearer to control the fears of others. The problem was that there were so many threads that the story completely unraveled. It was a little hard to follow and I wonder if a kid could actually follow it all either.
One of the strangest things about this book was realizing that the "Nightmarys" didn't fit with the plot at all and were mostly irrelevant. But that's the title! And the cover art! But why would the jawbone from an ancient tribe have seemingly Victorian-type ghosts protecting it? Huh? My first thought was that the title "Nightmarys" must have come first with the story following. Reading the acknowledgement at the end made me realize was that I wasn't far off - the author had a "dream" about ghostly little girls and that was the kickoff for the rest of the story. Apparently his original idea got away from him a little, because if you read The Nightmarys you'll see how irrelevant these ghost girls are. It's too bad, because creepy ghost girls are always interesting. What we have instead is a convoluted ghost story with too much happening all at once.
As you can tell, I was not impressed. The Nightmarys was a lot scarier than other middle grade stories I've read lately, so that was a plus (for me). I don't go into a middle grade horror book expecting or even wanting to be scared, but I'm always pleasantly surprised if the author manages to make a book creepy enough to bother adults a little. It wasn't overly scary or anything, but even I felt a chill creep up my spine at some of the imagery (the prelude and interludes were definitely the best parts here). I can see 11 to 14-year-old boys really eating this up. A sensitive child may be overly frightened, however - so proceed with caution. A teen older than 14 probably wouldn't enjoy this much, so ignore those who have tagged this as "young adult." This is a solidly upper middle grade read. And as for grown persons - I'd skip this. There are plenty of superior middle grade horror stories out there and there's no reason to read this one. It's too bad, because I really expected I'd like this. Oh well. 2 out of 5 stars.
September 14, 2011
I thoroughly enjoyed The Nightmarys by Dan Poblocki.
While not exactly a sequel, this book far exceeds its predecessor, The Stone Child. The author manages to create a more intriguing story set on a richer canvas with deeper, more realized characters.
This is intended to be a middle-grade or young adult story, but it kept my attention throughout. I even related to the emotions and thoughts of the main character, Timothy July. Timothy is well-rounded and the reader is able to connect with him. The added element of Timothy’s brother being a soldier wounded in the Middle East made this character more than a simple cardboard cutout going through the steps of solving a mystery.
The story itself had the tense supernatural mystery for which the author is known. Timothy July is assigned a special class project and is paired up with the new girl, Abigail, a loner. Their trip to the museum drops them into a decades old web of secrets. Soon the line between reality and terrible imagination becomes blurred as Timothy and Abigail struggle to find the truth. I liked that it was not a simple one, two, three easy-to-solve mystery. The characters had to work to discover the truth and that, to me, is always more satisfying.
There were also a few surprises that connected the world of The Nightmarys to The Stone Child. Also, the author appeared to put considerable effort into the mythology behind his plot. As in his first book, there is a lot going on with the supernatural elements that might be over the head of younger readers, but bringing my own background knowledge made it that much more enjoyable for me.
There are some genuinely frightening sequences that makes this story not for everyone. However, if you like to be scared, then The Nightmarys is definitely worth your time.
Mark Miller is the author of The Empyrical Tales fantasy adventure series from Comfort Publishing. Book 1: The Fourth Queen and Book 2: The Lost Queen are available now. Miller has also co-written A Prince in Trenton, Seriously? with Giovanni Gelati as part of Trestle Press's Author's Lab and is headlining the ongoing spiritual introspective series Mark Miller's One. He has a background in motion picture production and elementary education. Please visit www.MillerWords.com and follow his blog at EmpyricalTales.blogspot.com or find him on Facebook at Facebook.com/EmpyricalTales.
While not exactly a sequel, this book far exceeds its predecessor, The Stone Child. The author manages to create a more intriguing story set on a richer canvas with deeper, more realized characters.
This is intended to be a middle-grade or young adult story, but it kept my attention throughout. I even related to the emotions and thoughts of the main character, Timothy July. Timothy is well-rounded and the reader is able to connect with him. The added element of Timothy’s brother being a soldier wounded in the Middle East made this character more than a simple cardboard cutout going through the steps of solving a mystery.
The story itself had the tense supernatural mystery for which the author is known. Timothy July is assigned a special class project and is paired up with the new girl, Abigail, a loner. Their trip to the museum drops them into a decades old web of secrets. Soon the line between reality and terrible imagination becomes blurred as Timothy and Abigail struggle to find the truth. I liked that it was not a simple one, two, three easy-to-solve mystery. The characters had to work to discover the truth and that, to me, is always more satisfying.
There were also a few surprises that connected the world of The Nightmarys to The Stone Child. Also, the author appeared to put considerable effort into the mythology behind his plot. As in his first book, there is a lot going on with the supernatural elements that might be over the head of younger readers, but bringing my own background knowledge made it that much more enjoyable for me.
There are some genuinely frightening sequences that makes this story not for everyone. However, if you like to be scared, then The Nightmarys is definitely worth your time.
Mark Miller is the author of The Empyrical Tales fantasy adventure series from Comfort Publishing. Book 1: The Fourth Queen and Book 2: The Lost Queen are available now. Miller has also co-written A Prince in Trenton, Seriously? with Giovanni Gelati as part of Trestle Press's Author's Lab and is headlining the ongoing spiritual introspective series Mark Miller's One. He has a background in motion picture production and elementary education. Please visit www.MillerWords.com and follow his blog at EmpyricalTales.blogspot.com or find him on Facebook at Facebook.com/EmpyricalTales.
October 8, 2011
It’s late, but you can’t fall asleep. It seems like your parents are having an argument and then you hear a door slam. Hmm; that’s probably not good. Looking around the room, you notice the light in your closet is on - except it wasn’t on when you went to bed. Weird...
Getting up, you move to the door a little reluctantly. Sure; you might have left the light on and forgotten. I mean, there’s a lot of stuff going on in your life right now. Gripping the handle, you pull the door towards you - slowly - and find...
Oh, I’m not going to tell you. If you want to know what Timothy July finds in his closet, you’ll just have to read The Nightmarys by Dan Poblocki. Let’s just say, though, that the author does a great job of coming up with page after page of really creepy images.
It seems that Timothy is seeing things. His history project partner, Abigail, a new student at school, seems to be seeing things as well - scary things, the kind of things that wait for you in the dark in the corner of your room when you try to sleep. Things Abigail calls, “The Nightmarys.”
Actually, quite a few of the people in Timothy’s life are seeing things. Could it have something to do with a mystery from a long time past or that freaky guy in the long trench coat who keeps showing up in weird places? Uh, I’m gonna’ have to say “yes.”
The Nightmarys is a really fun, creepy book. That said, it is also a story for students a bit younger than those for whom I usually write reviews. I’d say this is a very middle school book - although definitely entertaining for anyone. I liked it quite a lot, but I was aware of the lack of maturity in the characters. Everyone who’s twelve acts like he’s twelve - and that’s probably the way it should be.
Getting up, you move to the door a little reluctantly. Sure; you might have left the light on and forgotten. I mean, there’s a lot of stuff going on in your life right now. Gripping the handle, you pull the door towards you - slowly - and find...
Oh, I’m not going to tell you. If you want to know what Timothy July finds in his closet, you’ll just have to read The Nightmarys by Dan Poblocki. Let’s just say, though, that the author does a great job of coming up with page after page of really creepy images.
It seems that Timothy is seeing things. His history project partner, Abigail, a new student at school, seems to be seeing things as well - scary things, the kind of things that wait for you in the dark in the corner of your room when you try to sleep. Things Abigail calls, “The Nightmarys.”
Actually, quite a few of the people in Timothy’s life are seeing things. Could it have something to do with a mystery from a long time past or that freaky guy in the long trench coat who keeps showing up in weird places? Uh, I’m gonna’ have to say “yes.”
The Nightmarys is a really fun, creepy book. That said, it is also a story for students a bit younger than those for whom I usually write reviews. I’d say this is a very middle school book - although definitely entertaining for anyone. I liked it quite a lot, but I was aware of the lack of maturity in the characters. Everyone who’s twelve acts like he’s twelve - and that’s probably the way it should be.
August 28, 2011
Glad I had this creepy little gem to keep me company during Hurricane Irene. Black clouds, thunder, and and ominous wind howls set the mood perfectly for this consistently surprising and action-packed book. If you don't know much of the plot, keep it that way; part of the fun is getting through the first hundred pages or so and wondering how exactly all these seemingly disparate pieces are going to fit together. Once the storylines begin to magnetize and the mystery kicks in full force, you'll be glad you didn't have any indication of what's happening and why.
Mr. Poblocki should also be applauded for his skillful and subtle handling of the realities of our world's ongoing war culture and how it affects families. The dose of reality mixed into an otherwise fantastic narrative is a brave and generous move on the author's part. Certain young readers will undoubtedly appreciate this without feeling overwhelmed by it, a goal I think all YA literature should strive for. And, most importantly, the writing is legitimately great. So often in genre fiction of any kind, quality takes a back seat to plot momentum. This is not the case with "The Nightmarys."*
I'm not a regular reader of this kind of fiction but this might have made me convert (or, rather, pushed me back in time to my youth when I couldn't get enough of RL Stine and the rest of the horror gang).
*The rest of us should be kicking ourselves for not thinking of and coining this awesome title first. Same goes for "fart-slap," which I'd never heard of but suspect I'll use for the rest of my life.
Mr. Poblocki should also be applauded for his skillful and subtle handling of the realities of our world's ongoing war culture and how it affects families. The dose of reality mixed into an otherwise fantastic narrative is a brave and generous move on the author's part. Certain young readers will undoubtedly appreciate this without feeling overwhelmed by it, a goal I think all YA literature should strive for. And, most importantly, the writing is legitimately great. So often in genre fiction of any kind, quality takes a back seat to plot momentum. This is not the case with "The Nightmarys."*
I'm not a regular reader of this kind of fiction but this might have made me convert (or, rather, pushed me back in time to my youth when I couldn't get enough of RL Stine and the rest of the horror gang).
*The rest of us should be kicking ourselves for not thinking of and coining this awesome title first. Same goes for "fart-slap," which I'd never heard of but suspect I'll use for the rest of my life.
October 18, 2016
I bought this book a while back at a thrift store, though I had seen it a long time ago on different websites here and there. I knew that The Nightmarys would be a great read come October and when it came time to make my horror TBR for the month, I immediately put it front and center on my list.
The cover of this book has always been super creepy to me and very reminiscent of The Shining. I always wondered who the Nightmarys were and what kind of story they had to tell.
Starting the book, I admit that I was slightly disappointed. For whatever reason, the fact that this was a middle grade book, always seemed to slip past me. Don't get me wrong, I have absolutely no problems with middle grade novels (and this was a good one) they're just not my normal choice in reading (unless it's R.L. Stine related). That fact was easy to dismiss however because the characters were well thought out and didn't seem as juvenile as their ages would suggest.
This story, though it did seem a big dragged out at times, had a lot of twists and turns and was not always easy to figure out. I really enjoyed the addition of the interludes and how Poblocki stuck in the point of views of some of the older characters. I feel like that was a great addition to the story and made it deeper and creepier, to know that older adults were affected by the events just as heavily as the children.
Overall, this was a great book. I would definitely recommend it to lovers of horror, especially if they're of a younger age.
Rating: 3 Stars
The cover of this book has always been super creepy to me and very reminiscent of The Shining. I always wondered who the Nightmarys were and what kind of story they had to tell.
Starting the book, I admit that I was slightly disappointed. For whatever reason, the fact that this was a middle grade book, always seemed to slip past me. Don't get me wrong, I have absolutely no problems with middle grade novels (and this was a good one) they're just not my normal choice in reading (unless it's R.L. Stine related). That fact was easy to dismiss however because the characters were well thought out and didn't seem as juvenile as their ages would suggest.
This story, though it did seem a big dragged out at times, had a lot of twists and turns and was not always easy to figure out. I really enjoyed the addition of the interludes and how Poblocki stuck in the point of views of some of the older characters. I feel like that was a great addition to the story and made it deeper and creepier, to know that older adults were affected by the events just as heavily as the children.
Overall, this was a great book. I would definitely recommend it to lovers of horror, especially if they're of a younger age.
Rating: 3 Stars
December 12, 2011
Title: The Nightmarys
Author: Dan Poblocki
Year: 2010
ISBN: 9780375842566
Type: book
Genre: Horror
Length/Pages & Reading Level: 366 pages; 12 and up
Publisher/Studio name: Random House
Plot Summary: The story is about seventh-grade Timothy July. He has been having nightmares ever since his brother returned from Iraq in a coma. Timothy meets Abigail and during a school museum trip his nightmares begin to haunt his waking life. Abigail confesses to have the same problem and explains who the nightmarys are. Together they must find the origin of the curse before they go mad with terror.
Review: This is a great book. The author does such a great job with his prose. I literally had goosebumps as I read it. I think this is a great book for tweens if they can handle the terror. The characters are likable and the model determination and resilience in the face of terror. There are several plot lines in the book but overall the reader is taken on a pretty straight forward ride. Tweens will enjoy this book.
Annotation: What would you do if your nightmares came true during your waking life? This is what has happened to Timothy July. See how he overcomes his fear and his curse.
See also: The Stone Child
Author: Dan Poblocki
Year: 2010
ISBN: 9780375842566
Type: book
Genre: Horror
Length/Pages & Reading Level: 366 pages; 12 and up
Publisher/Studio name: Random House
Plot Summary: The story is about seventh-grade Timothy July. He has been having nightmares ever since his brother returned from Iraq in a coma. Timothy meets Abigail and during a school museum trip his nightmares begin to haunt his waking life. Abigail confesses to have the same problem and explains who the nightmarys are. Together they must find the origin of the curse before they go mad with terror.
Review: This is a great book. The author does such a great job with his prose. I literally had goosebumps as I read it. I think this is a great book for tweens if they can handle the terror. The characters are likable and the model determination and resilience in the face of terror. There are several plot lines in the book but overall the reader is taken on a pretty straight forward ride. Tweens will enjoy this book.
Annotation: What would you do if your nightmares came true during your waking life? This is what has happened to Timothy July. See how he overcomes his fear and his curse.
See also: The Stone Child
April 16, 2012
“The Stone Child,” Dan Poblocki’s first novel, was scary; but for consistent fright, it’s surpassed by “Nightmarys,” which purely scared this reviewer from one end to the other. I was still scared AFTER I finished the book! It’s so plausible-to anyone who believes in the Supernatural or accepts that it might be plausible; and even if one is a Supernatural skeptic, this novel still works on a fear-inspiring basis if one views it as a psychological treatise. “Nightmarys” is based on a similar fulcrum to some aspects of Voodoo: that one’s own beliefs and fears can scare one, even unto death. I think this has pretty much been demonstrated psychologically, so even if one decries the Supernatural overtones of the novel, it is still effective as a story of thrilling suspense. But I like it better as a novel of the Supernatural.
As with “The Stone Child,” Author Poblocki’s understanding of middle-grade youngsters is superb. They are realistic, likable (even the bullies are understandable), and the reader quickly empathises with their quest to “make things right” and their compassion for others. I highly recommend “Nightmarys” for readers of any age from middle-grade through adults.
As with “The Stone Child,” Author Poblocki’s understanding of middle-grade youngsters is superb. They are realistic, likable (even the bullies are understandable), and the reader quickly empathises with their quest to “make things right” and their compassion for others. I highly recommend “Nightmarys” for readers of any age from middle-grade through adults.
March 19, 2015
Timothy is forced to work with the new girl at school, Abigail, on a school project involving an old artifact at the local museum when some weird things begin to happen. He sees a creepy old man, his friend Stuart is seeing monsters, and Abigail sees two ghostly girls she calls the Nightmarys. Timothy and Abigail try to unravel the mystery, at the heart of which is an old mystery novel that appears to be about Abigail's grandmother.
The concept behind this sounded super creepy, so I was a bit disappointed (much like with The Ghost of Graylock) that this didn't really hold up on the creep factor. I felt like there were a lot of "scary" things happening, but the writing didn't establish a scary tone for me. The mystery seemed waaaay too involved and confusing, like a series of coincidences that somehow always led to the correct "clue." If I was in middle school, maybe I'd be loving this. It was all right and a quick read, but not the creepy kind of book I'd hoped for.
The concept behind this sounded super creepy, so I was a bit disappointed (much like with The Ghost of Graylock) that this didn't really hold up on the creep factor. I felt like there were a lot of "scary" things happening, but the writing didn't establish a scary tone for me. The mystery seemed waaaay too involved and confusing, like a series of coincidences that somehow always led to the correct "clue." If I was in middle school, maybe I'd be loving this. It was all right and a quick read, but not the creepy kind of book I'd hoped for.
August 23, 2011
I thought I would like this book, I like horror movies and scary stories and the cover is sure plenty creepy . . . but you can't judge a book by it's cover. The mystery and friendship at the core of this book is interesting enough to keep you reading, but the book is a good 10 chapters too long. The author needed to either end it sooner or save revealing all the pieces of the mystery for longer. In the end it was no longer suspenseful, rather, it was increasingly hard to suspend my disbelief, eventually becoming downright boring. I almost didn't finish it, but I wanted to see what happened at the end.
March 25, 2015
I loved the book. It's title and picture cover are really fascinating. I read this book at night so it really had that creepy affect. It's great though I recieved it as a birthday gift and just had it there on the book shelf. I then picked it up and started reading it, it was really good in my opinion. You should read it if you like scary stuff. I recommend it. (less)
July 30, 2015
I expected a bit more from this book. There were times I was completely sucked in and had high hopes for it to keep going but it would fall short time and again.
This book is more for a middle school crowd, I expected it to be a bit more mature in certain ways. I give it a 3 stars.
Not spooky enough or rich enough in story line for me.
This book is more for a middle school crowd, I expected it to be a bit more mature in certain ways. I give it a 3 stars.
Not spooky enough or rich enough in story line for me.
December 16, 2010
Interesting plot (maybe a little too scary for a young audience?), but I didn't like the writing as much as I would have hoped. The characters were a little too two-dimensional for my liking and much of the dialogue fell flat.
March 7, 2012
Excellent continuation to the Stone Child. This is an unofficial sequel and expansion of this vast new scary world that Mr. Poblocki is creating. I hope his third and upcoming book is just as spectacular and quick paced.
November 14, 2011
Really scary it also ties into the stone child u should read it if u love trills and chills
December 19, 2013
Stephen King meets Nancy Drew. I REALLY liked it.
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