I have a certain fascination with mythical creatures, re-tellings and unique plot lines. 'The Nightmare Affair' was a book that met all of the above. There has been an influx of the same, familiar mythical creatures in many of the books I have read and it was nice to read one that I had never imagined being in existence.Imagine knowing that you had to sit on the chest of your crush and suck his dreams from him, turning something sweet and innocent into something nasty and horrible - and very awkward. Especially if he knows you're there. Dusty was a Nightmare who faced that very situation and her 'victim' was Eli, the crush she'd had at her previous school. Dusty was a likable character. She was down-to-earth, friendly and courageous when she needed to be. She didn't have a hero-complex and knew how to work in a team. She wasn't a success at everything and she had her faults. She reminded me of a teenager, albeit one with rather unique abilities. Her relationships with people seemed to work, although I would have preferred a closer mother/daughter bond. I know the reason why they couldn't have one though - it wouldn't haven't worked for the plot.Eli was rather special to me too. He was resentful that he had been drawn into a situation that he never signed up for, but I liked that. I liked that he didn't immediately accept what had happened to him. He was a steadying influence, and despite his attraction to another girl, he was always there when he needed to be. He was a normal character in a mystical world. Dusty's world was compelling and exciting, with that undertone of realism. It's based in a school, but I honestly think that for this novel to work it had to be. I really loved that there was a mixture of mythical creatures there. And the legend that unfolded the further I read on was fantastic. If it hadn't been for a v-log review I'd seen on this book I wouldn't have realized it was there until I'd read it. It's an action-packed fantasy complete with a murder mystery. If you're a lover of both these genres then it really is the best of both worlds.I also enjoyed the character voices, writing and the flow of the book. It was a book that I couldn't put down and I went through wide range of emotions while I was reading it. I loved books that can do that to me.I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the above - a paranormal book that has a lot of murder mystery action.Now for my rating:-Four out of five starsThis review can be found at:- http://magicalmanuscriptsandwritingthings.blogspot.co.nz/
A Reader's Heart
Focuses on reviews of Young Adult novels with honesty and integrity. My ratings and reviews vary on how I feel about the book.
I have a certain fascination with mythical creatures, re-tellings and unique plot lines. 'The Nightmare Affair' was a book that met all of the above. There has been an influx of the same, familiar mythical creatures in many of the books I have read and it was nice to read one that I had never imagined being in existence.Imagine knowing that you had to sit on the chest of your crush and suck his dreams from him, turning something sweet and innocent into something nasty and horrible - and very awkward. Especially if he knows you're there. Dusty was a Nightmare who faced that very situation and her 'victim' was Eli, the crush she'd had at her previous school. Dusty was a likable character. She was down-to-earth, friendly and courageous when she needed to be. She didn't have a hero-complex and knew how to work in a team. She wasn't a success at everything and she had her faults. She reminded me of a teenager, albeit one with rather unique abilities. Her relationships with people seemed to work, although I would have preferred a closer mother/daughter bond. I know the reason why they couldn't have one though - it wouldn't haven't worked for the plot.Eli was rather special to me too. He was resentful that he had been drawn into a situation that he never signed up for, but I liked that. I liked that he didn't immediately accept what had happened to him. He was a steadying influence, and despite his attraction to another girl, he was always there when he needed to be. He was a normal character in a mystical world. Dusty's world was compelling and exciting, with that undertone of realism. It's based in a school, but I honestly think that for this novel to work it had to be. I really loved that there was a mixture of mythical creatures there. And the legend that unfolded the further I read on was fantastic. If it hadn't been for a v-log review I'd seen on this book I wouldn't have realized it was there until I'd read it. It's an action-packed fantasy complete with a murder mystery. If you're a lover of both these genres then it really is the best of both worlds.I also enjoyed the character voices, writing and the flow of the book. It was a book that I couldn't put down and I went through wide range of emotions while I was reading it. I loved books that can do that to me.I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the above - a paranormal book that has a lot of murder mystery action.Now for my rating:-Four out of five starsThis review can be found at:- http://magicalmanuscriptsandwritingthings.blogspot.co.nz/
