Today, we will be reviewing City of Nightmares by Rebecca Schaeffer. It is a sci-fi and fantasy novel that has some original ideas that will have you wondering how nobody else has thought of them. Keep reading for a short summary and why you should add this to your reading list!
City of Nightmares Summary
19-year-old Ness is trying to get control back of her life ever since her older sister turned into a giant spider and killed their father and their neighbors. Now, Ness is living in Newham, and is a member of Friends of the Restful, an organization that helps people deal with trauma caused by Nightmares.
They gave Ness a place to stay after she came to Newham as she tries to overcome her fear of Nightmares. Whenever a Nightmare appears, Ness gets scared and runs away as fast as she can to get to safety. Anyone who dreams can become a Nightmare, something they fear the most.
A job goes wrong for Ness and now she fears she will be kicked out of the organization. She can’t lose her only home and will do anything to keep it. She takes up a job as a delivery person and takes the boat but it ends up blowing up. She is one of two survivors and someone wants to kill her to cover up the explosion.
Commentary
I was able to read this book before it has been released (January 10, 2023) and I am glad I gave this book a try. The first few pages got me hooked and I enjoyed the jokes right off the bat. The concept of you being turned into your worst nightmares was very creative and navigates this world well with her cowardly protagonist.
The book is shorter than I would have liked it to be and I would have enjoyed reading more about this interesting world. The characters are fun and relatable and the plot twists kept on coming, making it hard to put down. I am definitely a fan and looking forward to the sequel to this novel!
Conclusion
I am happy it worked out for Schaeffer and glad that I came across this book. It was an enjoyable read and I can’t wait to see how it expands its world building in the future. If you are interested in reading it, it will be hitting the shelves on January 10, 2023. Happy reading!
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