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Review: The Nightmares of Finnegan Quick by Larry Hayes

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Horror, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , ,
The Nightmares of Finnegan Quick by Larry Hayes

The Nightmares of Finnegan Quick
Larry Hayes
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published August 5, 2025

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About The Nightmares of Finnegan Quick

‘I absolutely loved this book! Genuinely chilling and a little bit gory … such a fun read’ – Jennifer Killick, author of Crater Lake.

By night, Finn has horrible nightmares. By day, they come TRUE! A gripping horror story for readers of 10 and over.

Finnegan Quick is haunted by nightmares. They’re so bad, he’s terrified of going to sleep. Because Finn’s dreams change the waking world too. He’s already lost his mum, his dad, his dog, even his shadow. And now they’re coming for his gran, the only family he’s got left.

Then a mysterious girl starts appearing in his dreams, helping Finn fight back against the creatures in his nightly adventures. On the first day of the new term, she turns up at school, right there in real life, in the lunch queue!

Cass tells Finn that she has come to solve the mystery of Finn’s missing parents. Together with Finn’s geeky best friend Squid, they travel through the nightmare world, battling goblins, ghosts and zombies. Finn, Cass and Squid are a sparky, wise-cracking trio, but even together, can they prove to be a match for the creatures of the night?

If Finnegan Quick is to save the people he cares about most, he has to remember the lesson his gran has been teaching him all his life. He must learn to face his fears – or be destroyed by them!

‘Stuffed full of awesome adventure and superior supernatural chills’ – Keith Gray, author of The Climbers and Creepers

My Review

This book is a little outside my usual reading choices, but I appreciate Bloomsbury sending me a copy, so I wanted to give it a try. I am a recently converted horror fan, but I am drawn more toward books that read more like… is there such a thing as literary horror? The Nightmares of Finnegan Quick is more like goofy horror?

The book opens with a recap of Finn explaining his history with nightmares changing his waking life, including sharing the loss of a pet and the disappearance of his parents. The narrative moves quickly, after all, this is simply a setup for the rest of the story. I struggled to keep up with the story in those early pages as I thought about the depth of those losses.

However, once I got into the pacing and humor of the main part of the story, I connected with the story more easily. Jokes and situational humor abound, taking the edge off the monsters and nightmares-come-to-life.

The book does answer some of the questions readers have about Finn’s nightmarish life, but it leaves plenty unanswered as a setup for the next book in the series. The ARC (advance review copy) includes a sneak peek into the second book in the series. I’m not sure if the finished copy will as well, but it seems likely.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None. A few potty humor jokes.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Finn sees monsters in his dreams which have the power to impact his daily life. If he sees something in a dream, it will be true in real life. One monster attempts to suck the soul out of a character. References to zombies.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Nightmarish monsters. A sinister woman with bandages around her eyes appears in Finn’s dreams. Finn witnesses characters experience terrible injuries. Some description of monster deaths.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: A Mastery of Monsters by Liselle Sambury

Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , , ,

A Mastery of Monsters
Liselle Sambury
Margaret K. McElderry
Published July 29, 2025

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About A Mastery of Monsters

Ninth House meets Legendborn in this thrilling first book in a dark academia fantasy series about a teen who’s willing to do anything to find her brother—even infiltrate a secret society full of monsters.

When August’s brother disappears before his sophomore semester, everyone thinks the stress of college got to him. But August knows her brother would never have left her voluntarily, especially not after their mother so recently went missing.

The only clue he left behind was a note telling her to stay safe and protect their remaining family. And after August is attacked by a ten-foot-tall creature with fur and claws, she realizes that her brother might be in more danger than she could have imagined.

Unfortunately for her, the only person with a connection to the mysterious creature is the bookish Virgil Hawthorne…and he knows about them because he is one. If he doesn’t find a partner to help control his true nature, he’ll lose his humanity and become a mindless beast—exactly what the secret society he’s grown up in would love to put down.

Virgil makes a proposition: August will join his society and partner with him, and in return, he’ll help her find her brother. And so August is plunged into a deadly competition to win one of the few coveted candidate spots, all while trying to accept a frightening reality: that monsters are real, and she has to learn to master them if she’s to have any hope of saving her brother.

My Review

I was really on the edge about whether or not to read this book. It’s almost 600 pages, and I tend to struggle with longer books like that. I had heard such great things about the author, though, that I decided to give the book a try.

Sometimes when I read a long book, I find myself skimming large sections and thinking the book could easily have been 100 pages shorter. I did not do that with A Mastery of Monsters. So. Much. Happens. In this book. It’s nonstop packed with action from start to finish.

August is such an intricately crafted character. She’s still reeling from grief over her mom’s disappearance, but she also has this (understandable) complex where she hyperfixates on fears of disappointing people. Those fears end up becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy as she self-sabotages again and again. Her distrust of others and lone-wolf mentality were so easy to relate to.

In the story, August becomes involved with a group called the Learner’s Society. It’s supposed to seem very high brow and elitist, and yet has these ideals of equity and inclusiveness. Right away, August has questions. It feels like a cult to her, and though she needs them to help her find her brother, she’s committed not to trust the organization. I loved that tension between her and the group.

I thought the ending was also well-balanced. It answers the questions that the premise promised and introduces a new conflict for readers to look forward to in the second book. If the next book is as long as this one, I don’t know whether or not I’ll continue with the series.

Conclusion

I enjoyed the story. I think the length was warranted. It’s just hard for me to commit that much time to one book at this point in my reading life, so we’ll see. I think contemporary fantasy fans will really enjoy this book.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used here and there.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
Some characters transform into monsters. If they bond with a non-monster person, through a special ritual, the non-monster can help the monster retain control of their actions and change back into a human form. A select few have the ability to control any monster, even those they haven’t bonded with. Powerful items offer the ability to control monsters.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Brief graphic descriptions of monster-induced injuries. Brief graphic descriptions of combat.

Drug Content
The opening scene shows a drunk college girl leaving a club and heading for her dorm. August also gets drunk to escape heightened grief or overwhelm. A couple other scenes show college students sharing a glass of wine.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

MMGM Review: The Sky Was My Blanket by Uri Shulevitz

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Historical, Middle Grade 8-12, Nonfiction, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

The Sky Was My Blanket: A Young Man’s Journey Across Wartime Europe
Uri Shulevitz
Farrar, Straus, & Giroux
Published August 12, 2025

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About The Sky Was My Blanket

From celebrated Caldecott Award–winning illustrator Uri Shulevitz comes the gripping and revealing true story of a young Polish exile fighting to survive in war-torn Europe.

Born in the tumult of World War I, a young Jewish boy named Yehiel Szulewicz chafes at the borders of his hometown of Żyrardów, Poland, and at the rules set in place by his restrictive parents. Brimming with a desire for true adventure, he leaves home at fifteen-and-a-half years old to seek his future elsewhere. Little does Yehiel know, he’ll never see his parents again.

His journey takes him beyond Polish borders, to Austria, Croatia, France, and Spain. With no money and no ID papers, he often sleeps under the stars, with only the sky as his blanket. But even wayfaring Yehiel can’t outrun the evil spreading across Europe in the years leading up to World War II. As the fascists and Nazis rise to power, Yehiel soon finds himself a member of the Spanish Republican Army and then the Jewish Resistance in Vichy France, fighting for freedom, his friends, and his very life.

Inspired by the true story of Uri Shulevitz’s uncle and stunningly illustrated by the author, The Sky Was My Blanket is a unique and riveting account of one man’s courage and resilience amidst one of the darkest periods in global history.

Don’t miss Uri Shulevitz’s acclaimed memoir, Chance: Escape from the Holocaust: Memories of a Refugee Childhood, which bestselling author Elizabeth Wein called “harrowing, engaging and utterly honest” (New York Times Book Review).

My Review

I really liked the way this book was written. Each part is broken into very short chapters, usually only a page or so of text, often accompanied by a drawing. This allows the story to focus on the critical moments of Yeheil’s journey. It feels exactly like the snippets you might get when you sit down to ask a relative to tell their life story.

It’s also the kind of information that you’d tell an interested child if you were relating your experiences, so it doesn’t delve too deeply into the horrors of war that Yeheil must have witnessed.

Many of the World War II stories that I’ve read following Jewish characters relate experiences in Concentration Camps, and those are critically important stories to tell. (Perhaps only more important now.) Still, this narrative reminds readers that those aren’t the only experiences of war survivors.

I haven’t read Uri Shulevitz’s memoir, Chance: Escape from the Holocaust: Memories of a Refugee Childhood but after reading his account inspired by his uncle’s life, it’s high on my reading list.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Reference to marriage.

Spiritual Content
Reference to Jewish faith and traditions.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Reference to ghettos and concentration camps.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

I’m sharing this post as a part of a weekly round-up of middle-grade posts called Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday. Check out other blogs with posts about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle.

Review: Amari and the Despicable Wonders by B. B. Alston

Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , ,

Amari and the Despicable Wonders (Supernatural Investigations #3)
B. B. Alston
Balzer + Bray
Published August 27, 2024

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About Amari and the Despicable Wonders

The highly anticipated third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Supernatural Investigations series that began with Amari and the Night Brothers!

Perfect for fans of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and Nevermoor.

War has come to the supernatural world, and Amari’s two worst enemies are leading the charge.

Elaine Harlowe has manipulated her way into becoming prime minister, using her mind control ability to force the Bureau to take up her vicious grudge against magiciankind. Meanwhile, Dylan Van Helsing, the newly crowned leader of the League of Magicians—and Amari’s former partner—is after a destructive new power that would not only ensure the magicians’ victory . . . it would make him invincible.

With neither the Bureau nor the League safe for Amari, and her newly returned brother, Quinton, determined to keep her out of the fray, she and her friends decide to find a way to end the war on their own.

So when they learn that the only way to stop Dylan is to find powerful magical inventions known as Wonders, they go after them. But wielding these items comes at a terrible cost, and Amari will have to decide just how much she’s willing to sacrifice . . . because the Despicable Wonders will demand everything.

My Review

I loved the first two books in this series, so the third was high on my reading list. It took me longer than I expected to finally get a chance to read it, though.

I didn’t hear a lot of buzz about the book when it came out. I think the publication date got pushed back a bit, which could have meant that the advance reviews were spread out more or something? I’m not sure what happened. At any rate, I pretty much went into the book without knowing anything more than the cover copy.

The first two books delivered fast-paced, high-stakes magical stories that kept me on the edge of my seat. This book unfolded a little more slowly and didn’t feel as focused on a single issue. I still enjoyed the magical world and the characters who joined Amari’s team. In particular, a ghost named Peekaboo and Amari’s best friend from her neighborhood both have significant roles in the story. There are some sweet and sad moments, too, with some other characters.

Amari is a great character. She continues to grow and reflect on her choices throughout the book. I liked that the things she experiences in this book make her think differently about some of the judgments she made regarding her brother’s behavior and his choices. I also like that Amari isn’t a one-girl show. She needs her friends, and they’re always stronger together.

This was a nice continuation of an engaging series. I think series readers will enjoy getting to see more of Amari’s adventures and the development of her friendships. The author just announced deals for books four and five in the series, so it looks like there will be more to come as well.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Hints of a crush between Amari and another character.

Spiritual Content
Characters have magical abilities. Magical creatures such as fauns exist and were brought to life by magic.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. References to torture (not shown on scene).

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Pretty Girl County by Lakita Wilson

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Pretty Girl County
Lakita Wilson
Publisher
Published July 1, 2025

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About Pretty Girl County

The glitz of Gossip Girl meets the hustle of Leah Johnson’s You Should See Me in a Crown in this charming and hilarious story of ex-BFFs from PG County, Maryland, perfect for fans of Joya Goffney and Elise Bryant.

Girls like Reya Samuels always come from Prince George’s County. Reya is rich and she’s not afraid to show it—she wears designer clothes, drives a custom pink Audi, and lives in a neighborhood tucked behind a fancy cast iron gate. She works hard, but she can get anything she wants with a snap.

Sommer Watkins is from Seat Pleasant, where the cast iron gates are significantly smaller—and attached to the windows, where most folks are still trying to make ends meet. Every day for Sommer is a hustle, working at her dad’s bookstore, and using her art skills to scrounge up enough scholarship money for her dream school, Spelman.

Reya and Sommer used to be BFFs—back when Reya lived in Seat Pleasant, too. Now the girls are from different stratospheres—but when Reya desperately needs help to prove to FIT admissions officers that she has what it takes to make it in fashion, the only person who can help is Sommer. Reya promises to help Sommer in return—she’ll pay her for her services, helping Sommer afford the school her parents can’t.

As the girls work together, slowly they begin to trust each other again. But when new relationships push them both, and Sommer’s dad’s bookstore is suddenly in danger of closing, old wounds bubble up. Can the girls find a way to repair their friendship and stay true to themselves along the way?

My Review

This is such a great story of friendship. The story alternates between Sommer and Reya’s points of view. At the beginning of the story, their old friendship has ended, and Sommer isn’t interested in renewing it or connecting with any of Reya’s new friends. An opportunity associated with a schoolwide fashion show changes that, though.

The story has great pacing in terms of relationship development. The ways that Reya and Sommer’s friendship changes and each girl’s romantic opportunities develop feels natural and easy to follow. Each relationship faces challenges, and in both cases, the girls have to ask themselves hard questions about who they are and what they want their lives to look like.

It took me a minute to get into Reya’s character, but I ended up being really glad that the story was divided between both girls. I like the lessons that each of them learned.

Pretty Girl County is also a pretty lighthearted story. Sure, there’s some relationship drama and some family struggle. But this is the kind of book that anyone could read. It would make a great choice for a reader aging up into young adult books.

Also, bonus: there’s a fabulous reading list of books by Black authors in the back that’s worth checking out as well. The characters mention many of those titles as they work at the bookstore or talk about their own reading. I’ll definitely be adding some of those titles to my own reading list! The ones I’ve read already have all been well worth the time.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
One instance of mild profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
References to church.

Violent Content
Some classist comments.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

MMGM Review: Free Piano (Not Haunted) by Whitney Gardner

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Middle Grade 8-12, Paranormal, , , , , , , , ,

Free Piano (Not Haunted)
Whitney Gardner
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published July 1, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Free Piano (Not Haunted)

From beloved graphic novelist Whitney Gardner comes a big-hearted, touching, and spooky coming-of-age story about a young aspiring songwriter who forms a ghostly partnership with the pop star who haunts her secondhand piano.

The piano is free, but fame has a price.

On the sleepy streets of Cascade Cove, lonely Margot knows that when she stumbles across a discarded synthesizer with a “not haunted” sign, she’s discovered the key to realizing her dreams. Determined to become a real songwriter and earn her absent father’s admiration, Margot dives headfirst into trying to gain followers and fans online. But her musical journey takes an unexpected turn when she realizes the (not haunted) piano is very much…haunted.

Enter Vision, teen pop sensation of 1979 whose untimely demise left her spirit intertwined with the keys of her synthesizer. Though Margot and Vision couldn’t be more different, the girls form an unlikely bond fueled by their shared passion for music.

But as Margot’s obsession with fame and recognition grows, she may come dangerously close to losing what she loves about music…and herself.

My Review

I didn’t realize right away that the author of Free Piano also wrote the young adult novel, Chaotic Good, which I really enjoyed. Once I figured that out, I was eager to see how she handled a story for a younger age group and in a different medium, since this is a graphic novel.

I loved Margot’s friends, who have a social media channel called Sons of Smash. They are goofy kids with inside jokes who remind me SO MUCH of some of the guys I was friends with around that age. So their antics cracked me up quite a bit.

I also loved that the ghost-inside-the-keyboard wasn’t what I expected. I pegged the book as a sort of musical inspiration story where the ghost helps her compose a breakout hit, but one that’s true to herself. The idea of whether Margot should write a song suited to what she thinks other people want versus finding her own style and voice does come up in the story. We do get the positive messages about how chasing likes or views on social media only leaves us feeling worse, but doing what we love lifts our mood.

Margot also wrestles with her relationships with her parents in some believable ways. Her mom, whom she lives with, isn’t as available as Margot wants, and she takes out her frustration over her absent dad on her mom sometimes. Her relationship with her dad is much like her relationship with social media. She feels like in order to get her dad’s attention, she has to be something different than she is, so she tries really hard. I loved watching her figure out what she wanted and how to change her own behavior to better achieve the goals that matter to her.

All in all, what a fun summer read. I love the light-hearted approach to talking about social media and divorced parents that still offers wisdom and celebrates music.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Margot encounters a ghost in her piano. Her friend’s aunt offers advice on using stones, herbs, and salt to “cleanse” the item, possibly getting rid of the ghost.

Violent Content
Margot’s two friends have a social media channel where they post videos of them smashing things. They only smash things they have permission to destroy.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I borrowed a copy of this book from my local library. All opinions are my own.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

I’m sharing this post as a part of a weekly round-up of middle-grade posts called Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday. Check out other blogs with posts about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle.