I loved the exploration of what happens if you turned into your worst nightmare. The concept is brilliant. The dialogue was great, and I loved the character arcs.

3.25☆: I’m a little conflicted on reviewing this book because as much as I wanted to love it, a lot of it didn’t really work out for me.

As someone who’s a fan of Schaeffer’s previous books, I can’t help but compare this to the Market of Monsters series. Something I loved about both of these series were their settings and world building. An urban fantasy setting with people routinely turning into their worst nightmares and corruption to rival Gotham is such an intriguing concept and I just wish the execution had lived up to that image. World building is my bread and butter and I still have so many questions regarding how nightmares came to be and especially how the outside world is reacting to all this.

The thing about MoM is that all of the characters were very intriguing and multifaceted and the plot constantly challenged them and pushed them forward. And while the characters of CoN were likeable enough, the plot felt like it had too many holes and didn’t quite track for me. Another issue with the plot was the pacing. Right when it felt like we had just gotten past the exposition and started to get to meat of the story, the book was around 70% done. This might just be due to this being set up for the rest of the series, but even so, just the vague question of the mysterious figure behind the nightmares wasn’t enough for me to want to continue on the series when this book was so lackluster in terms of plot.

Also, slight tangent but this really felt so much more like Cyril’s story than Ness. Granted, things just keep kind of happening to Ness and she’s very much trying to avoid the plot (and this makes sense given her character and backstory) but be that as it may, it’s not easy to write a compelling story when the characters show no interest in being involved in it.

I will say, I’m a bit confused by the target audience for the book. All signs have been pointing to YA, especially given the topics handled and Ness’s age, but it really does read like a middle grade. In fact, Ness really seems like she’s a lot younger (I’d guess about 14-16 instead of 19) but you could always argue that she’s intentionally written that way due to her trauma.

I can read a book with a bad plot and great characters and I might even be able to push through a book with great plot and terrible characters, but it’s really difficult to feel much of anything at all if both the plot and characters feel lacking.

I generally tend to hate coward main characters, but Ness really worked for me. She absolutely owned being a coward but she wasn't entirely spineless either, so I was never frustrated whilst reading. The book was just generally fun and easy to read, but it wasn't that deep. Definitely interested in reading the sequel once that comes out though.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Holy Moly! This book, it took me awhile to read but mostly cause I didn’t want it to end. It’s a great story that brings to life the concept of “what if you became your worst nightmare?” The main character is easy to identify with and it’s great to see her gain a backbone throughout the story. I can’t wait for book 2 of the duology to be available.

Oh. My. Gosh. I had so much fun with this book! There were so many things I loved. This book became an instant favorite for me and I loved it from start to finish.

The protagonist is a self-admitted coward and I loved that about her. She's not brave or magical or powerful or special at all. Her parents and sister are dead; she's broke and homeless; she's basically afraid of her own shadow. She lives with and works for a DEFINITELY-NOT-A-CULT, where she sleeps in a closet. And she's okay with that, as long as she has a place to hide. She's got exactly one friend and no hope for any kind of future. She was just so common and relatable. I mean, if I lived in her world, where anyone who dreams about a monster can turn into one, I would also join a...group...for sketchy (but free!) room and board. I could easily sympathize with her and I loved her whole personality. She felt quirky and interesting without being given any special powers or being the most beautiful girl on the block or destined for greatness. She was an actual Plain Jane and it was so cool! Such a rare type of heroine.

The secondary main character is a vampire. And you want to like him. He seems nice. He never does anything to make you suspicious. And yet... He IS a vampire. So you keep wondering if he's really as trustworthy as he seems.

The other characters were great too, whether they were friends or foes. The MC's bestie was kick-ass and I loved her. I hope there's lots more of her to come. She doesn't mind her best friend being a coward; she loves fighting bad guys and protecting her friend. There's a blood doll who helps the vampire survive without having to hurt innocent people. There are suspicious, shady characters galore. And a champion that may not be the hero everyone thinks. Oh, yeah - and the jealous girlfriend. That whole subplot was a riot and yet touching. I'm not used to seeing the type of relationship where a girl doesn't want her boyfriend to even have a male friend, she's so possessive. That was interesting.

There were a lot of side plots and I loved how they were all interconnected by the end of the book. I had no idea how things were going to turn out and kept turning pages, wondering what was going to happen next. This book had so much going on. We had a NOT-A-CULT, a special-ops kind of unit, monsters running amok, people shapeshifting before our eyes, explosions, assassins...even fraud. lol I mean, it was just such a fun romp and I can't wait for more. I will definitely be reading the second book and I cannot wait for it!

Thank you to HarperCollins Children's for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book's premise was intriguing. This is a book I would pick up in a bookstore, read the synopsis, and nod, but be unsure as to whether I would want to pick it up. In this case, I'm glad that I did! I was never really sure where this book was headed, either. I enjoyed this new take on YA heroines through Ness. Her cowardice was executed well, but at times, it seemed like she was never really going to grow from it and stay stagnant. I figured this book would be a standalone so we'd see more of her confidence in the next book, and we did start to see it toward the end, but I felt like something was a bit lacking in all the characters. I will be tuning into the sequel to see how it all unfurls, though.

I had no idea what to expect from City of Nightmares, but it was getting a lot of hype and I was curious. I'm really glad I was, too, because I ended up really enjoying it! I loved the way the author blended YA fantasy with horror elements to create a truly terrifying city. The opening is so compelling, with the main character Ness watching her sister turn into a huge spider nightmare creature. I was hooked! The action really didn't let up and the writing was excellent. I definitely think this book is worth the hype it's receiving and I'm very excited to receive my own finished copy very soon!

Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books, Clarion Books, and Netgalley for granting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

City of Nightmares

3.5/5 ⭐️

Overall it was an entertaining read. A good one for a weekend marathon. It reads quick and easy. A fantasy novel with lots of dry humor, monsters and morally grey characters.

What I liked the most about this story was the setting. The whole concept of the novel, that people become their worst nightmares is amazing in itself. And the ambience in the city, the corruption, monsters and general chaos makes for a very interesting read. I though it was ingenious and clever how the author describes the worst of humanity in a world in crisis.

The MC I struggle with a times. I actually can’t decide whether I liked her or not. She has very good lines and some funny moments that make it worth it but she also annoyed the hell out me most of the time. Honestly I think the city itself makes the best character.

The plot is fast forward and twisted enough to keep you reading till the end, though. So I would highly recommended if you’re into plot driven stories and not much care for character driven.

I am totally going to read book two that much I’ll tell you

City of Nightmares is published by an imprint of HarperCollins and as such I will be withholding my review at this time in support of the HarperCollins Union strike. I look forward to reviewing this title once HarperCollins has worked with the union and agreed to a fair contract.

3/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I really enjoyed this! City of Nightmares is an original, solid read that had me from start to finish. The concept is super cool, the protagonist isn’t a not-like-other-girls Strong Female Character™ that punches her way through things. I also enjoyed Ness and Cy’s dynamic, even though I think he could have been a better character.

There were definitely ideas that were a bit too on the nose and forced, but I appreciate the author’s intent.

Excited to read the next installment!

Not my typical read but I wanted to see what it was like. I love the cover. The story was thrilling and a page turner. Definitely would recommend.

I loved the premise of people becoming their worst nightmare. The author creates an interesting, steam punky, gothic world based on the chaotic city of Newham.

This story was well paced and cleverly conceived, Ness’s humor and wry outlook were a welcome counterpoint to the grim world around her. It struck an excellent balance between “trust no one” and “your friends are there for you.”

I went into this book knowing it was going to be different from anything I normally read. I will say overall I loved the book. It is a coming of age and learning not to fear living. The story was perfect analogy (for me) on living in the pandemic. I appreciated the characters showing their fears slowly instead of info dumping. I can tell this is an opening to a new series/duology.
I really liked the characters connections to each other and how the story didn’t turn into a romance with some plot. The friendship between the two girls was sweet while also being realistic.
What I disliked was the pacing felt off at some points and sometimes the writing felt it needed more editing. I understand the story is told first person but I felt like I was reading a typical teenage girl who put herself down constantly. I wanted to see more depth in her character development. I felt like the internal monologue was forced at times. Telling the audience what to think of instead of letting them draw that conclusion. I felt like the dialogue sometimes pushed to be edgy and say things for shock value. It felt like there was so much chaos and information packed in but not a reason for it. Maybe it will explain more in the second book but I wanted more context on the nightmares instead of that’s just how it is.
Overall the premise was great and I hope to read the second one. I felt like once you get to the boat the story really picks up and honestly could have started there for me.

I loved the premise of people becoming their worst nightmare. The author creates an interesting, steam punky, gothic world based on the chaotic city of Newham.

The more I read, the more I enjoyed this YA fantasy. The main character Ness evolves along with the plot. All the main characters were quirky and interesting.

Underlying is the idea of self empowerment and creating a life out of choice instead of being subsumed by fear.

I am thankful that Netgalley, the publishers and the author gave me the opportunity to read this ARC. Thus is my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy of this ebook in return for my honest review,

City of Nightmares is a comic romp through a city where your dreams can come true - at a terrible cost. In Newham, you can awaken from a dream having turned into your worst nightmare. It’s a city of corruption, violence, and literal monsters.

Ness has been hiding from her fears ever since her sister became a Nightmare and killed their father. When she finds herself unwittingly on the run from assassins after becoming the target of a conspiracy, she has to overcome them all or die trying,

This story was well paced and cleverly conceived, Ness’s humor and wry outlook were a welcome counterpoint to the grim world around her. It struck an excellent balance between “trust no one” and “your friends are there for you.”

Thank you netgalley & harper-collins for the e-arc in an exchange for an honest review.

I was excited to pick this up because it's just such a different and unique fantasy than anything I'd ever read, and I was right. This was a wonderful weird read. Ya fantasy books are almost always a hit for me and this one was. K different.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for provide me an Arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really loved the idea of people becoming their worst nightmare and the different types of monsters that live in the city. It felt very futuristic and prehistoric at the same time which it was very refreshing.

This is the first book I have read by this author so I came here not knowing what to expect. I enjoyed how explicit the descriptions o the characters and the world building was but it was a bit too horrifying for me. Although that I love details I do not enjoy horror haha so I had a hard time reading through those scenes (a lot of them)

I would say if you are fan of the genre you would really enjoy it because the delivery of the story was good is just not my cup of tea. Since there is no actual romance in it, it made it way hardest for me because I was really hoping the romance could make up for the gruesome scenes.

A solid start for a series! The world building is brilliant, the characters are great but a bit too much chaotic for my liking. Unique story though!!

Thank you Clarion books for the e-arc

City of Nightmares brings to mind The Bone Season, Six of Crows, and A Darker Shade of Magic. A world where nightmares come to life, where you have to take pills to prevent the nightmares from creeping in and transforming you. I loved how there are things like vampires where you can maintain a human existence, or even be turned into a lizard creature but still be accepted in society. Some nightmares are killed, but only when they’re a danger to society. Society is regulated, yet government officials are easily bribed and the leader has a pet pterodactyl. There is an undercurrent of mystery, with a lot of horror and blood and murder. I loved Ness’s transformation from a coward into not quite a hero, but someone who is less afraid and more understanding of nightmares and how they are created.

The structure of society and the nightmares reminds me loosely of The Bone Season. The different classes of nightmares is less structured than the unnaturalness in TBS, but it’s there, making me curious about the nightmares that are possible and how they are classified. The city of Newham brings to mind the darker Londons in VE Schwab’s A Darker Shade of Magic.

Ness is a sympathetic character in my eyes. Though cowardly, she’s not annoyingly so. I would be the same in her shoes. Trauma in her past directs her actions and her cowardice makes sense. Cy is your classic vampire with daddy issues but he played off Ness well and was a gread addition of a non-problematic nightmare in a world of terror.

This book will be perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, VE Schwab, and Samantha Shannon. With subtle queer themes and horrifying monsters, this world is super compelling and well written for fans of young adult fiction.

I eagerly await the sequel later this year! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

City of Nightmares took a world building idea I loved and just developed it even more. Every page there was something more to intrigue me. Our nightmares which become real, our fears personified in ourselves? I still get shivers thinking about it. But Schaeffer takes this idea and makes it even more fascinating. Set in this corrupt underbelly of a city, plus Ness' membership to this cult, there are so many disparate elements. And they just work so well together.