(This review can also be found on my blog The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl).


When I read the blurb to Nightmare City by Andrew Klavan, I knew it was a book I had to read! While it wasn't a fantastic read, it was still decent enough.

I think the title of this book suits it quite well. What the main character is in is a city made from his nightmares!

At first I wasn't sure if I liked the cover, but it's kind of grown on me. Now I do like it. I like how we see the monsters coming out of the fog. Definitely creepy!

I thought the world building was done really well. It has a super creepy and sinister feel about it. In fact, the world felt so real at times, it was like I was Tom.

The pacing does let the book down somewhat, I felt. For the first three quarters of the book, I felt that the pacing was a bit slow. In fact, there were times when I would just skim paragraphs as I became bored. However, the pacing did pick up in the last quarter of the book, of which I was thankful. From there until the end, I couldn't put the book down!

I thought the whole idea for the plot was interesting. It's not an original idea, but Klavan put his own spin on it making it a bit different. I'd go into more detail, but I don't want to give any spoilers away. Oh, and as for the mystery part of the book, I would've never guessed who the culprit was! There's no cliff hangers, so I believe this book may just be a stand alone.

I thought all the characters were written superbly! Though most of the book, the only character featured is Tom. Tom seemed to me like a typical 17 year old male. He likes cars and girls, but he also quests for the truth which puts his life in jeopardy. I liked how down to Earth Tom was and how he couldn't be intimidated when it came to letting the truth be known. Even though she isn't featured very much, I did like the character of Lisa. I liked how friendly she was, and I felt like she was just a very warm person. There's also the character of Marie, Tom's crush, which I liked to begin with, but I'm not going to say anything due to spoilers.

The dialogue flowed very well, as did the character interactions. Nothing felt disjointed or awkward at all. There's no swearing in this book and only mild violence.

Overall, Nightmare City is a decent read. The pacing does let it down a bit, but I think most people would like the book.

I'd recommend this book to those aged 14 who are fans of horror or those who want to be a bit creeped out.

I'd give Nightmare City by Andrew Klavan a 3.5 out of 5.


(I received a hardback copy of this book for free from booksneeze.com in exchange for a a fair and honest review). ( )

Would be a good book for a boy who does not like the typical horror book, but likes some suspense. Also deals with peer pressure. ( )

Originally Reviewed At:Mother/Gamer/Writer
Rating: 4 out of 5 Controllers
Review Source: Blog Tour/NetGalley
Reviewer: Ariel



Nightmare City by Andrew Klaven was a unique read that I enjoyed all the way through. The story begins when high schooler Tom Harding wakes up to what he thinks is a normal day. Wrong. Tom quickly discovers that his mother is missing, and stranger is the fog that seems to be surrounding the neighborhood. The house is silent, and the only people that are around are the creatures in the fog, ready to kill Tom as soon as the fog consumes him.

Now, Tom must figure out how to get rid of the evil creatures – malevolents – and find where the rest of the people he knows are, all while trying to stay alive. Because if Tom dies in Nightmare City, he could die for real.

Tom was a great main character for me to follow. He’s a reporter for his high school newspaper and as such has a drive to find the answers and tell the truth, even when people don’t want to hear it. The most recent article he wrote about how the high school football team that won championship three years ago only did so because of illegal drugs has caused quite a stir, both among the students and the faculty. Tom knows that it isn’t always easy to tell the truth, but he is determined to do so anyway, something that I really admired about him throughout the novel.

His drive to find the answers is what helps to keep him alive throughout the novel. There are multiple points at which Tom almost feels like giving in, but there is always a force, whether external or internal, that pushes him to make it through and to not give up. I loved these moments because there was a real element of truth to them. There are definitely times in our lives when we are faced with an obstacle and it seems so much easier to just give up and move on, but some of the best things in life are also the things we have to work the hardest for.

The writing was done really well also. There was the right amount of internal dialogue, the right amount of description, and it kept me entertained throughout the whole story. Towards the end, especially, I had a really difficult time putting the book down. It was an adventure really well done, and with not a ton of characters which surprised me. I usually enjoy storylines with plenty of characters to follow, and while there were a few characters, whom we mostly got to know through flashbacks and memories, Tom was certainly the only character we got to know for the whole story.

The only thing in this novel that seemed a little off to me was that Tom’s voice sounded more like it was coming from someone younger than what he really is. I kept having to remind myself that he was in high school, not middle school. It could also simply be that I’ve never been a teenage boy, and I have no idea what they sound like in their own heads. Either way, it wasn’t enough to change how much I enjoyed the book.

I’m giving Nightmare City 4 out of 5 controllers. It was a great story, one that was really unique and kept me entertained throughout the whole thing. ( )

Woot woot! Another great one from Andrew Klavan! ( )