Publishers Weekly
11/14/2022
Dream situations manifest as real-life horrors upon waking in this rollicking fantasy adventure from Schaeffer (the Market of Monsters trilogy), set in the Gotham-esque city of Newham. After her sister neglected to take dream-prevention drugs before bed, she turned into a giant spider and ate the girls’ father, forcing then 11-year-old Ness to flee. Now 19 and struggling to survive, Ness—terrified of becoming, or falling prey to, a Nightmare—belongs to the Friends of the Restful Soul, a cult dedicated to helping those affected by Nightmares that provides room and board to initiates. After Ness’s nerves cause her to botch yet another work assignment, she volunteers for the Friends’ onerous weekly mail run to avoid expulsion. But her ferry explodes on the job, and Ness is rescued by the tragedy’s only other survivor: 19-year-old Cy, who recently woke up as a vampire. Despite his heroics, Ness is too frightened to trust Cy—until subsequent events force them to team up. Schaeffer’s worldbuilding is economical and inventive, and snappy dialogue, breezy first-person-present narration, and a quirky, ethnically diverse cast add levity, counterbalancing ruminations on fear. Ages 14–up. Agent: Suzie Townsend, New Leaf Literary & Media. (Jan.)
From the Publisher
Rebecca Schaeffer delivers another dose of morally ambiguous, delightful chaos—this time with a refreshing examination of how we view vampires.” — #1 New York Times bestselling author Xiran Jay Zhao
“So much fun readers will stay up all night to finish it.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“A wonderfully grisly and darkly imaginative tale that will entertain its readers even as it draws them into its web of self-examination.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
"One of my favorite books of the year! Phenomenally fun, with a vivid, vicious world that's stuffed with monsters (both human and otherwise) and a heroine you'll root for. I absolutely loved it!" — Sarah Beth Durst, award-winning author of The Queens of Renthia series
"Schaeffer’s worldbuilding is economical and inventive, and snappy dialogue, breezy first-person-present narration, and a quirky, ethnically diverse cast add levity, counterbalancing ruminations on fear." — Publishers Weekly
"Thrilling, atmospheric and wonderfully original! In a world where people become their worst nightmares, Ness has to contend with explosions, monsters, assassins – and a cute vampire boy! Rebecca Schaeffer’s City of Nightmares is a page-turning read full of twists and mysteries. I loved it!" — Vanessa Len, author of Only A Monster
"Readers will welcome this is a series opener, as there is still far more to explore in this world that is mostly bleak but with just enough hope to make the bitter sweet." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Fascinating [and] gripping.” — Booklist Online
#1 New York Times bestselling author Xiran Jay Zhao
Rebecca Schaeffer delivers another dose of morally ambiguous, delightful chaos—this time with a refreshing examination of how we view vampires.”
School Library Journal
★ 04/28/2023
Gr 9 Up—Several years ago, Ness's sister woke up from a nightmare as the giant man-eating spider creature that she'd seen in her dream, killing their father and going on a murderous rampage before being brought down by the Friends of the Restful Soul. Tragic, yes, but not unheard of in a world where anyone can wake up transformed into their own worst fear. Now, the Friends (which may be a cult) is all Ness has left. Ness is desperate to keep her safe room in their facility, but her entrenched PTSD has prevented her from being successful at every job available. When a last ditch effort to retain her access to the only home she has results in a near-death experience for Ness, she starts to realize that safety may be an illusion and trust may not be as simple as she thought. The infinite forms taken by Schaeffer's nightmares speak to the individualized nature of fear and anxiety; although the metaphors Schaeffer employs are obvious, they are deftly handled and will affect each reader differently. Wild and vividly entertaining yet simultaneously thought-provoking, the nightmares themselves will have readers questioning their own greatest fears; Ness's brave, almost irreverent attitude in the face of her debilitating PTSD creates a complex but relatable character. VERDICT A wonderfully grisly and darkly imaginative tale that will entertain its readers even as it draws them into its web of self-examination. —Allie Stevens
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2022-09-28
A girl who escapes being collateral damage in an attack must face her overwhelming fears.
In the fictional city of Newham, bribes, shootouts, and corruption are widespread, and the water supply is laced with a drug that keeps people from dreaming so that they don’t wake up transformed into the worst thing they can imagine. Ness came to Newham after her older sister turned into a giant spider and ate their father. To avoid becoming homeless, she works for the Friends of the Restful Soul, though she’s always messing up due to her lack of piety and extreme fear trauma responses to Nightmares. With her position already in jeopardy, she ends up accidentally sucked into a targeted conspiracy that throws her together with a living Nightmare. Ness must then figure out the secrets people are willing to kill her to keep hidden. The worldbuilding’s a dream: The magical rules are revealed clearly and concisely when relevant, and the quirky alternate setting maintains internal consistency and is frequently revealed in pithy, hilarious ways. The matter-of-fact tone of the humor effectively keeps the laughs from undermining the scary story elements. Ness’ development from being a self-described coward is hard earned and connects to powerful themes of relationships (including friendships) and overcoming manipulation. While immediate threats are neutralized by the end, bigger threats loom. The cosmopolitan world is casually and naturally diverse; Ness lacks racial descriptors.
So much fun readers will stay up all night to finish it. (Fantasy/horror. 13-adult)
