The Nightmarys (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Nightmarys Karen Coats Poblocki, Dan. The Nightmarys. Random House, 2010. [320p.] Library ed. ISBN 978-0-375-94256-3 $19.99 Trade ed. ISBN 978-0-375-84256-6 $16.99 E-book ed. ISBN 978-0-375-89317-9 $16.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 5-8. Revenge has a rapacious appetite, particularly when it finds fear and secrets to prey upon and a suitably gruesome weapon through which to work its will. Classmates Timothy and Abigail find reference to such a weapon on a trip to a local museum, but they don't initially recognize its connection to their bad dreams and waking hallucinations. Abigail's grandmother is first to recognize that something is amiss, when her washing machine fills up with what looks like blood. Timothy's troubles begin with gruesome hallucinations, including ones featuring his brother, who is in a coma after sustaining injuries in Iraq. Abigail is haunted by ghostly nocturnal versions of the Nightmarys, two girls who bullied her at her former school. But, who is causing the horrific visions, and why? Timothy's hallucinations roll into the narrative like fog, intruding into the everyday without any overt signals, making them all the more terrifying as he struggles to sort reality from nightmare. His experiences make him an appealingly vulnerable character, and he and Abigail become well-suited allies after a rocky start. Full of phantasmagoric apparitions, creepy details, and suspenseful chases, abductions, and escapes, this will appeal to readers who like their mysteries shot through with supernatural horror. For full effect, read after dark, under the covers, with a flashlight. [End Page 37] Copyright © 2010 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois