What do you think?
Rate this book
The Lost Trilogy
The Nightmare Game
Hope has gone. Warren saw her being taken from her prison under their father's house but was too scared to intervene. Now he wishes he'd been brave enough to stop Rob, Emma and Tom kidnapping her. His father is furious, but it's the behaviour of Warren's normally-cowed mother that's most frightening. For years she has known her daughter was safe in the hole under the conservatory. But now Hope is out in the world, and anything could happen to her. Mum has to get her back. She's going to start by doing something terrible to Hope's kidnappers, and Warren must help. Rob, Tom and Emma have other things on their mind. When they took Hope, it was to save her. But now Hope has disappeared. Could she somehow have escaped to the world of miniature people where Rob's friend Lorn is fighting for survival? Just when the three friends need to be closest, Emma disappears and Tom starts acting really weirdly. Rob is sure the man with blue eyes has something to do with it. He's seen him in town again. If he dares to confront him, will he be able to save his pals? And if he's wrong, what price will they all end up paying?
256 pages, Paperback
First published December 31, 2006
7 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
About the author
Gillian Cross
149 books87 followersGillian Cross was born Gillian Arnold in 1945. She was educated at North London Collegiate School, Somerville College, Oxford and the University of Sussex. Although now a full-time writer who often travels and gives talks in connection with her work, she has had a number of informal jobs including being an assistant to a Member of Parliament. For eight years she also sat on the committee which advises ministers about public libraries.
She is married to Martin Cross and they have four grown-up children, two sons and two daughters.
She is married to Martin Cross and they have four grown-up children, two sons and two daughters.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 26, 2023
Hello everyone, I'm Mr. C Reviewer, and tonight we're discussing (She/Her) Gillian Cross's book, The Nightmare Game. Which is the third book in the lost series. I first read this book in September in 2021, taking me a few days to finish reading the whole book. This was my third experience with Gillian's work the first and second being book one and two, in the series. While reviewing book one and two, I mentioned several other books by this author that have captured my interest for potential future reading. These titles include: 1982-2017, The Demon Headmaster series 1987 'On the Edge', 1989 'A Map of Nowhere', 1996 'Pictures in the Dark', 1994 'New World', 1985 'The Dark Behind the Curtain', 1987 'Roscoe's Leap', and 2013 'After Tomorrow'.
'The Nightmare Game' was rated for readers aged 11 and up and was first published on the 31st of December in 2006 which came out 5 years after both book one and two in the series. The book was told using third person with it being in Warren's, Robert's and Lorn's point of view. Which spans 25 chapters and 250 pages. I wished that this book had its own audible version so that I could have listened to it while reading my physical copy. After doing some research on the book series, I discovered that it does have its own Audio CD available, which I plan to purchase in the future when I revisit the series again.
Summary: In this gripping final installment of a beloved series, our protagonist Robert embarks on a perilous journey through a mysterious parallel world, accompanied by a small band of fellow survivors. With the harsh winter fast approaching, the three friends must race against time to save their loved ones and uncover the sinister connection between their world and the parallel realm.
As they navigate treacherous landscapes and battle against unspeakable horrors, Robert, Tom, and Emma's bond is put to the ultimate test. With their hope for the future hanging in the balance, they must confront the darkness head-on and make sacrifices that will change their lives forever.
Review:
-I appreciated that the book picked up where the previous instalment left off, much like the second book in the series did. The third instalment in the series did not disappoint when it came to providing rich and vivid descriptions of the setting, much like the first two books. While reading the book, I noticed that some scenes seemed to drag on for longer than necessary, and I found my attention wandering at times. This was particularly true in the middle section of the book, where the pacing seemed to slow down slightly. However, I did appreciate the author's attention to detail and the way they built tension throughout the story.
Regarding the use of multiple "ands," I have to admit that it was a bit jarring at first. However, as I continued reading, I began to notice that the author used this technique to create a sense of urgency and to emphasize the importance of certain events. While it wasn't always my favourite aspect of the writing, I can understand why the author chose to use it in this way throughout the series.
-In this book, I found it particularly intriguing to delve deeper into the lives of the main characters and gain a more profound understanding of how their personal experiences have shaped them. It was fascinating to witness the profound impact that various events and circumstances have had on each character individually.
Another aspect of the book that I enjoyed was the introduction of new characters. While I would have liked to spend more time getting to know them, I found that their brief appearances added depth and complexity to the story. One character in particular stood out to me as being particularly well-developed, despite their limited screen time. However, I did find one character's actions to be somewhat annoying, as they seemed out of place and disruptive to the overall narrative. Despite this, their actions did serve a purpose in advancing the plot, so I can appreciate their contribution to the story. Overall, the addition of these new characters helped to enrich the world of the book and kept the story feeling fresh and engaging.
In my opinion, this particular book significantly enhanced the character development of the other two books. It provided a much deeper insight into the personalities and backgrounds of various characters, thereby enriching the overall reading experience.
-Personally I found the conclusion of the book to be quite satisfying. However, it did leave room for further exploration if there were to be additional instalments in the series. Unfortunately, based on the current information available, it does not seem likely that the series will continue. Nonetheless, one aspect that I particularly enjoyed about the ending was that it provided some resolution while also revealing the true identities of certain characters who had undergone significant transformations.
After reading the three books, I wish they had been combined into one comprehensive volume. I believe that a single, well-crafted book would have been more engaging and easier to follow. However, despite the fragmented nature of the series, I still found the content to be captivating and would definitely consider watching its movie or TV show adaptation if one ever came out.
For each story that I read, I rate it out of 10 so for this am going to give it a 8.4. Remember this was what I thought about the book personally and I suggest that you give it a go for yourself.
'The Nightmare Game' was rated for readers aged 11 and up and was first published on the 31st of December in 2006 which came out 5 years after both book one and two in the series. The book was told using third person with it being in Warren's, Robert's and Lorn's point of view. Which spans 25 chapters and 250 pages. I wished that this book had its own audible version so that I could have listened to it while reading my physical copy. After doing some research on the book series, I discovered that it does have its own Audio CD available, which I plan to purchase in the future when I revisit the series again.
Summary: In this gripping final installment of a beloved series, our protagonist Robert embarks on a perilous journey through a mysterious parallel world, accompanied by a small band of fellow survivors. With the harsh winter fast approaching, the three friends must race against time to save their loved ones and uncover the sinister connection between their world and the parallel realm.
As they navigate treacherous landscapes and battle against unspeakable horrors, Robert, Tom, and Emma's bond is put to the ultimate test. With their hope for the future hanging in the balance, they must confront the darkness head-on and make sacrifices that will change their lives forever.
Review:
-I appreciated that the book picked up where the previous instalment left off, much like the second book in the series did. The third instalment in the series did not disappoint when it came to providing rich and vivid descriptions of the setting, much like the first two books. While reading the book, I noticed that some scenes seemed to drag on for longer than necessary, and I found my attention wandering at times. This was particularly true in the middle section of the book, where the pacing seemed to slow down slightly. However, I did appreciate the author's attention to detail and the way they built tension throughout the story.
Regarding the use of multiple "ands," I have to admit that it was a bit jarring at first. However, as I continued reading, I began to notice that the author used this technique to create a sense of urgency and to emphasize the importance of certain events. While it wasn't always my favourite aspect of the writing, I can understand why the author chose to use it in this way throughout the series.
-In this book, I found it particularly intriguing to delve deeper into the lives of the main characters and gain a more profound understanding of how their personal experiences have shaped them. It was fascinating to witness the profound impact that various events and circumstances have had on each character individually.
Another aspect of the book that I enjoyed was the introduction of new characters. While I would have liked to spend more time getting to know them, I found that their brief appearances added depth and complexity to the story. One character in particular stood out to me as being particularly well-developed, despite their limited screen time. However, I did find one character's actions to be somewhat annoying, as they seemed out of place and disruptive to the overall narrative. Despite this, their actions did serve a purpose in advancing the plot, so I can appreciate their contribution to the story. Overall, the addition of these new characters helped to enrich the world of the book and kept the story feeling fresh and engaging.
In my opinion, this particular book significantly enhanced the character development of the other two books. It provided a much deeper insight into the personalities and backgrounds of various characters, thereby enriching the overall reading experience.
-Personally I found the conclusion of the book to be quite satisfying. However, it did leave room for further exploration if there were to be additional instalments in the series. Unfortunately, based on the current information available, it does not seem likely that the series will continue. Nonetheless, one aspect that I particularly enjoyed about the ending was that it provided some resolution while also revealing the true identities of certain characters who had undergone significant transformations.
After reading the three books, I wish they had been combined into one comprehensive volume. I believe that a single, well-crafted book would have been more engaging and easier to follow. However, despite the fragmented nature of the series, I still found the content to be captivating and would definitely consider watching its movie or TV show adaptation if one ever came out.
For each story that I read, I rate it out of 10 so for this am going to give it a 8.4. Remember this was what I thought about the book personally and I suggest that you give it a go for yourself.
Currently reading
May 25, 2011The book is called the nightmare game the author is Gillian cross
The main character name is called Zach he was just an average kid in elementary school but one day he was going home he was being fowolled by three adults they had trash bags when he went to an alley and started to run like crazy the adults were running after him he doged trash cans and some bottles’ he was trapped then they kidnapped him and took him to a ware house in Texas he was tied up in a chair on the ground they were surronending him he knew he was in danger he had to get to get out of there the door opened and one of the kidnappers came in and therating him they kidnaooed a another child he said he knows a way out of there he has a little knife and cuts the rope open then he unities zach and shows him the way out of there his escape plan was going under the sewers to freedom they went out the door but before they were about to escape one of the kidnappers saw them they ran and ran for their lives they saw a kidnapper then they had to take a different direction then they got spotted and got captured again this time zach got blind folded and was in a ditch underath the ground but it was filled with garbage but zach had no idea where the other dude was zach thought he escaped and went to go get some help then there was a knock on the door a cop came in and tried to untie him but a kidnapper came in with a glass and smashed it on the cop head and the cop was unconnsience then the kidnapper dragged the cop body to a room that is locked then that kid that escaped came back for him he untied grabbed a ladder then untied zach and opened the door then they went to a police station the kidnappers followed them to the police statin and the kidnappers got aressetd then zach went home to his parents and everything turned out good.
The main character name is called Zach he was just an average kid in elementary school but one day he was going home he was being fowolled by three adults they had trash bags when he went to an alley and started to run like crazy the adults were running after him he doged trash cans and some bottles’ he was trapped then they kidnapped him and took him to a ware house in Texas he was tied up in a chair on the ground they were surronending him he knew he was in danger he had to get to get out of there the door opened and one of the kidnappers came in and therating him they kidnaooed a another child he said he knows a way out of there he has a little knife and cuts the rope open then he unities zach and shows him the way out of there his escape plan was going under the sewers to freedom they went out the door but before they were about to escape one of the kidnappers saw them they ran and ran for their lives they saw a kidnapper then they had to take a different direction then they got spotted and got captured again this time zach got blind folded and was in a ditch underath the ground but it was filled with garbage but zach had no idea where the other dude was zach thought he escaped and went to go get some help then there was a knock on the door a cop came in and tried to untie him but a kidnapper came in with a glass and smashed it on the cop head and the cop was unconnsience then the kidnapper dragged the cop body to a room that is locked then that kid that escaped came back for him he untied grabbed a ladder then untied zach and opened the door then they went to a police station the kidnappers followed them to the police statin and the kidnappers got aressetd then zach went home to his parents and everything turned out good.
April 7, 2013
So I'm attempting writing a review because the main one is from 2011 and has absolutely nothing to do with the book. Except that there is a character named Zak. Minor, mysterious, in the thick of things Zak. He tells people their stories within a story. We don't really know his, just a small hint near the end. And this is the last book in the trilogy.
With that stated, its unlikely you will get here without having read the first two books, starting with The Dark Ground. And having stated THAT, if you haven't and tried reading this story, you will be completely lost. Each takes off where the other leaves off. They may be less than 300 pages each, but there is a lot of details to follow.
It's turning into winter, and it's getting cold, frost is starting and the wind is blowing. Lorn needs to be found.
This is Lorn's story. About her discovering who she is, remembering her past and then coming face to face with her main demon.
Emma ends up kidnapped (there is a kidnapping!), and is told by her abductors she is their missing daughter Hope.
Robert facing doubt about finding Lorn, and his best friend Tom unknowingly ending up with the solution with a nice mysterious twist. I feel sorry for Tom.
And we finally meet the mysterious man who keeps showing up never saying anything...
Kudos to Gillian Cross. You have made a trilogy that does end with the main group being resolved, one way or another, and leaving a TON of unanswered questions. Any plans for a take-off trilogy?
And yes, I do recommend the trilogy, I found it ingenious and engrossing.
With that stated, its unlikely you will get here without having read the first two books, starting with The Dark Ground. And having stated THAT, if you haven't and tried reading this story, you will be completely lost. Each takes off where the other leaves off. They may be less than 300 pages each, but there is a lot of details to follow.
It's turning into winter, and it's getting cold, frost is starting and the wind is blowing. Lorn needs to be found.
This is Lorn's story. About her discovering who she is, remembering her past and then coming face to face with her main demon.
Emma ends up kidnapped (there is a kidnapping!), and is told by her abductors she is their missing daughter Hope.
Robert facing doubt about finding Lorn, and his best friend Tom unknowingly ending up with the solution with a nice mysterious twist. I feel sorry for Tom.
And we finally meet the mysterious man who keeps showing up never saying anything...
Kudos to Gillian Cross. You have made a trilogy that does end with the main group being resolved, one way or another, and leaving a TON of unanswered questions. Any plans for a take-off trilogy?
And yes, I do recommend the trilogy, I found it ingenious and engrossing.
April 30, 2013
The Nightmare Game by Gillian Cross is a book about a kid and his friend, they both get kidnapped. One day they were just walking and a guy with a trash bag followed them into an alley and eventually kidnapped them. At first the main character didn't know his friend was also kidnapped but then he fund out because he tried to escape. When they did try to escape they saw one of the persons who kidnapped them and they tried running the other direction but it was hopeless. The kidnapper got them again and put them in a more secure place. A cop came to try and save them but the kidnapper stopped him. One day they had a chance to escape and they did they went to the police and then everything turned out good.
Overall, this book was okay. i liked some parts like when they were running from the kidnappers because there was a lot of action to it. The author did good at putting in enough information so that the reader would keep on reading. One part i did not like was the ending because i didn't really understand it. Everything was much too perfect at the end of the book. I would've liked if maybe there was more action to the end in order for it to be a book you would recommend to others. In my opinion this book could of used some editing but it was a good experience reading it.
Overall, this book was okay. i liked some parts like when they were running from the kidnappers because there was a lot of action to it. The author did good at putting in enough information so that the reader would keep on reading. One part i did not like was the ending because i didn't really understand it. Everything was much too perfect at the end of the book. I would've liked if maybe there was more action to the end in order for it to be a book you would recommend to others. In my opinion this book could of used some editing but it was a good experience reading it.
Read
July 27, 2011Not quite as good as the first story, it is nevertheless, a good ending.
Read
August 9, 2023Not sure how i feel about it this one folks.. not completely satisfied...feeling kind of antsy.
May 15, 2011
Spoilers!!-----
I was very disappionted in this ending. It didn't really explain anything. There were so many loose ends that I'm not even sure what happened. Cross did manage to tell us who turned the people small and why he did it, but she didn't explain how he got the power. Or anything about the brother Zac and how he ended up there. I am more confused then I was before. They finally got Hope back to her original form, but Cross left us hanging. We don't know what happens next. Did she go back to her parents? Did her and Robert get together? What happened with Tom? Did he start using his powers like Magee? Do they save any of the others?
There are so many unanswered questions it's insane. This maybe the end of a trilogy, but it was just begining to answer the questions. I have never felt more annoyed after reading a finally book. It may have answered some important questions, but those answers only left us with more unanswered questions?!
I was very disappionted in this ending. It didn't really explain anything. There were so many loose ends that I'm not even sure what happened. Cross did manage to tell us who turned the people small and why he did it, but she didn't explain how he got the power. Or anything about the brother Zac and how he ended up there. I am more confused then I was before. They finally got Hope back to her original form, but Cross left us hanging. We don't know what happens next. Did she go back to her parents? Did her and Robert get together? What happened with Tom? Did he start using his powers like Magee? Do they save any of the others?
There are so many unanswered questions it's insane. This maybe the end of a trilogy, but it was just begining to answer the questions. I have never felt more annoyed after reading a finally book. It may have answered some important questions, but those answers only left us with more unanswered questions?!
June 7, 2015
Good ending to the trilogy. The series took such a different turn from the first book. Thought would spend the whole time on surviving being small. Turned in to more about how the people became small in the first place. And the person who had the power to turn someone small. Also becomes very much about rescuing Hope and why her dad is the way he is.
November 10, 2011
This is actually the 3rd book in The Dark Ground Trilogy. I really enjoyed this series. I just picked up book 1 a while back and got hooked. This series is a quick read but one that gets you really connected with the characters. I would highly recommend this series.
January 3, 2010
Kinda makes me wish I had read the other ones in the series first, you know?
November 7, 2011
I don't know what I think about this one.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews