That’s the thing about facing your fears: until you do it, it’s just impossible to imagine it will ever actually happen. page 206
Well, I certainly had to face my fears to read this new, seriously chilling, middle grade novel from Larry Hayes! I think it is going to be popular with children of 10+ who are fans of Goosebumps and Jennifer Killick’s Dread Wood series.
Finnegan Quick suffers from nightmares which are so terrifyingly real that they make those he loves disappear from his life. First his dog, then his mum and then his dad. Now living with only his gran, he becomes even more distressed when she starts to appear in his dreams. Is she destined to disappear from his life too? The only solution that Finn can see is to stop sleeping…but this only leads to trouble at school. And why does gran continually encourage him to face his fears?
When a new girl appears at school and Finnegan recognises her from his latest nightmare, she offers him a way to resolve his problems. Cass is the daughter of a paranormal investigator and tells Finn that her Dad can help him to recover his parents. However, there is the small matter of a terrifying, zombie monster to face…who just happens to share Finn’s nightmare powers, and to be Cass’s dead mother! Teaming up with Finn’s brilliant best friend Squid, the three youngsters must face a series of blood-curdling encounters with maeres, zombies, mummies; armed only with their wits, some kitchen implements and water pistols!
I know that there are a lot of upper middle grade and tween readers who really enjoy getting their scares from the safety of a book, and I think that author, Larry Hayes, has accomplished an excellent blend of horror, humour and intriguing plot. Narrated in the first person voice of Finn, the thrills are visceral and the humorous thoughts that flash through his brain provide light relief to counter some of the scary moments. The interactions between the three child protagonists is thoroughly entertaining. While Finnegan learns to face his fears, Cass is a wisecracking, cool, American early teen, and Squid (who was my favourite character) tries to cover his terror under a shield of fascinating facts, logical thinking and sheer loyalty to his best friend. The tension builds throughout the novel, leading to a heart-pounding finale which sets up a sequel, a sneek-peek of which is provided at the end of the book. I expect that The Nightmares of Finnegan Quick will be a word-of-mouth sensation in schools, with long reservation lists in school libraries – hopefully everyone will get a chance to read it before The Fate of Finnegan Quick is published in September!
Disclaimer: I am grateful to Sally Oliphant PR and Bloomsbury for sending me a review copy of The Nightmares of Finnegan Quick. It was my decision to write a review and all opinions are my own.
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