5 Reasons you should read A Semi Definite List of Worst Nightmares

1. Krystal Sutherland

Sutherland wins, hands down at crafting relatable and bittersweet contemporaries. I loved her debut Our Chemical Hearts to pieces because how realistic and spot on it was. Her writing and characters are so authentic, deep and just perfect! She's definitely become an autobuy author and a contemporary favourite by now!

2. The characters are delightful

The small cast of characters are amazing. Esther's voice was so relatable and I enjoyed her so much! Jonah, despite the sketchy introduction ended up being a sweetheart. I loved all the minor characters, Esther's twin Eugene, her best friend Hepzibah, and her one of a kind family.

3. The book is all about the fears we have in life

Esther's family is scared of a lot of things. She even has a list of 50 nightmares. The constant anxiety over these fears is what the book is all about, and it was executed perfectly. As someone with anxiety myself, I related to it very deeply. ( Especially Eugene who was scared of the dark - which is something I share, not to his level though. My dad has actually installed light switches on the outside of all the rooms in our house, because I am scared to step into a dark one ) From the little fears to the worst nightmares, the book explores how we sometimes let them take control over us, and it gave me a new perspective on a lot of things.

4. The book deals with tough issues yet managed to stay light

The book deals with quite a lot of serious concepts. Anxiety, depression, selective mutism, abuse - yet the treatment of them is pretty unique. This book portrays mental illnesses as a regular part of life, and I loved that. Certain things were so matter of fact, and I appreciated how mental illnesses didn't define people nor was it an exclusive concept. It was so refreshing.

5. It's one of the quirkiest books you'll ever read

It's the perfect teenage story - relatable, authentic and on point :D It had its moments of humor - at times dark humor, fun, lighthearted moments as well as heartbreak, and lots of powerful feelings and emotions. And of course, the pop culture references deserve a special mention. Overall, it's my ideal contemporary book - bittersweet and realistic, and I'll recommend it to each and everyone, because this is a must read for sure!

This book is a great mix of serious and really quirky. I liked how the story started off feeling very placeless and enchanting, but slowly goes deeper while the picture sharpens. A lot of serious topics are handled, including mental illness, physical abuse and self harm, all with a dose of weirdness that makes the tale feel not so heavy. I really loved following Esther on her adventures as she tried to conquer her fears, and though didn't like him at first, I adored Jonah Smallwood so much by the end. I am a huge fan of sibling bonds, especially twins and Esther and Eugene's relationship is one of my favorite parts of this book. My only complaint is the end was way too abrupt and one aspect of it threw me off. But overall, I highly recommend this book.

Love Triangle Factor: None
Cliffhanger Scale: Standalone