This was an interesting concept, but ended up being a so-so reading experience. I liked the exploration of manifested nightmares, Ness's character arc about finding her courage, and the overall plot arc of uncovering major corruption in the city. But I didn't really get along with the writing style, and I felt like Ness's relationship development with Cy actually moved a bit too fast given how utterly crippling her fear and distrust has been throughout the entire novel. The story was fast paced and action-packed enough to keep me engaged, but I haven't really thought about it much since finishing it.
I've seen from other reviewers that the marketing comparison to the show Gotham is very apt- so if you're a fan of that show, this might be a good fit for you (I haven't seen the show, so I can't personally speak to that comparison).

That was a ride! Honestly, the majority of the book had me at a 3 star read, but from Chapter 31 and on- I was hooked and it brought it up for me.

Usually the main thing I love in a book is a strong, female lead. Going into this book, with how terrified of everything Ness is, it became quickly apparent that I wasn't going to have that. I almost dropped the book about 25% of the way in because of it. Everyone handles trauma differently though and I know that's not fair to be annoyed with her.

Honestly, her narrative is what kept me going and the idea of the nightmares. One of the lines that had me actually laugh out loud was, "As the saints say, shake it, shake it, shake it off, Oh no, wait, that's a pop song." Just small moments like that added to the atmosphere for me and made it enjoyable.

By about the half way point, it was actually kind of nice to have a main character not just be great at everything already or be suddenly given a dream life. It was a nice switch from most fantasy. I also thought I knew how it was going to end, but I was far from it.

Overall, the story is a light read and it's easy to get through. There is nothing overly complicated or though-provoking, it's just nice. I'm excited for the next book!

Cheesy, camp, hilarious and so dark at times. Gritty urban vibes of repo, the genetic opera, and v for vendentta this was an exciting read. the grief that ness feels and processes throughtout the story is honest and real. She misses the safety she once had and suddenly looses. She has to trust a vampire which is a way is a real life honest nightmare. Cy who is our nightmare vampire and i pretty sure a love interest as well is a complex character that deals with issues steaming from farhter. This a complex world and i can’t wait to see wherre we go with the next book.

when i tell you i’m OBSESSED—

city of nightmares is a delightfully chaotic YA fantasy about a cowardly girl in a hilariously corrupt city where dreaming leads to waking up as your worst nightmare and sometimes you have to join a cult for the free rent.

i can see why this one is polarizing, but everything about it worked for me.

one of my main complaints in YA fantasy is the handling of the “chosen one” trope, so i loved ness. she isn’t a hero, she’s an often-incompetent coward who happens to get caught up in the plot along with cy, a rather endearing vampire boy.

i found the conversations about the romanticization of vampires in media interesting and reminiscent of reluctant immortals, if a little too meta at times, and (to my surprise) i actually enjoyed this particular human x vampire romance. ness and cy are adorable.

if you like your SFF chaotic and weird, with low-key 1920s vibes and villains practically tripping over each other’s evil plots, i would absolutely recommend city of nightmares.

I liked it. I do appreciate a good monster (in fiction!), and this has a few. I think teens will like it if they give it a chance.

I truly loved the idea of nightmares come to life, but the heavy handed use of issues in literature was off putting and felt like an attack on those who truly enjoy those aspects.

That aside, it was fairly light as far as story versus the heavy use of dialogue. I wanted more depth, but it just felt thrown together.

It's an interesting premise, people becoming their own nightmares. Some go on to live "normal" lives, while others attack and need to be taken down. Then you have a protagonist who is scared of almost everything, but most especially nightmares. Surprisingly, it doesn't become an annoyance throughout the story, as she's forced to deal with her fears. There's a good amount of intrigue with a mystery that keeps you reading to find out just what's going on.

The ideas of nightmares coming to life has been done but not quite like this! This book had me turning the pages while anxiously waiting to see what would happen next

I found this read to be a fast-paced, thrilling read that constantly had me on the edge of my seat. I love the creative idea of nightmares coming to life, and what that means for the MC. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys paranormal or urban fantasy with some darkness.

I really enjoyed the nightmare lore/theory and how we got to learn about them throughout the book. It initially felt chaotic but as we learned more through Ness it was a well thought out system. I found it very fascinating to read.

It felt refreshing to have Ness being this YA fantasy lead who is scared of nightmares and running away. I’m bored with these young people running into danger and being skilled fights. I’m ready to be impressed by her running and hiding skills.

The assassination mystery plot was okay. There was honestly just so much going on and so many people involved it felt a bit underbaked compared to the rest of the storylines.

I also appreciated how this felt very self contained and satisfying but I’m already excited for the next book and where it will go!ended.

Unique and creative! This story takes place in a world where people are literally transformed into their worst nightmares. It's both dark and surprisingly light, with touches of humor. Unexpected twists and interesting characters. I'll be looking for the next in the series.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.

I thought this was such a creative premise! I’m surprised that the tone of the book was more uplifting and about how important it is to not let fear control your life, only because the plot and setting was so dark and seemed it would be more serious. But I was delightfully surprised with the murder mystery elements! I’d call it a more plot driven story as opposed to character driven and it was a strong plot with some nice twists at the end!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books, Clarion Books for an eARC of City of Nightmares!


This book was an adventure to read. Definitely for the younger side of YA. I did like that it tackled themes like loss of a family member and grief. The main character, Ness, reminded me of me, wanting to help but being a total wimp, which made me giggle A LOT. I almost wish this book came out when dystopia was top dog of genres (Hunger Games era). This book was dark, quirky, and I definitely can't wait to finish it and see how the duology ends.

The city buzzes with life in City of Nightmares by Rebecca Schaeffer. Citizens piss on the grimy walls. Pterodactyls fly above tall buildings. Speakeasies hide beneath the city’s secrets while Nightmare hunters fly in from the sky to slay dragons. Casinos shaped like golden dragon eggs encase villains and their sharp smirks. Advertisements promise Newham’s fearful citizens a life of immortality. The world is refreshing, funny, and dark.

In City of Nightmares, people transform into their worst fears after just one irreversible, slimy nightmare. Every day Ness lives her childhood fear, one bringing back memories of her sister, including the people that died. Ness Crane is just a simple kid trying to stay off the streets. Friends of the Restless Soul is a cult providing door-to-door therapy for families dealing with post-Nightmare trauma. Ness and her best friend hand out nonsense pamphlets to these families in the hope that no one turns into an eldritch horror. Priya is a warrior girl with a gentle, vulnerable side prepared to rip the world apart to protect her friends. Combat boots. Ombre hair. Excited about killing. Priya’s only there until someone turns into a Nightmare, and she can add it to her demon hunter resume. When that day rears its horrifying head, the director of the organization kicks Ness out for repeated mistakes, leaving her with no place to stay. Ness has PTSD and tends to panic first, think later. Surprising absolutely no one, this causes total destruction and chaos wherever she goes.

Every time this happens, I know it’s going to have consequences. But in those moments, I don’t care. It’s like my mind goes blank, and there’s only the fear.

Ness is a respectable teen, a bonafide scam artist. After a lot of wrangling, the director gives her a job in exchange for a room and a meal. Cy, a kind boy with eyeliner, helps her with a big mail bag. Events lead them onto a boat deck, where Ness very comically threatens Cy with a sample of pepper spray when she believes he’s a blood-sucking vampire about to eat his next victim. In an awkward disaster, Cy helps Ness to shore after a traumatic life-threatening situation. Due to being severely afraid of all Nightmares, Ness expects him to murder her after arriving on shore. He mostly just wants to sleep in the cottage, much to her confusion. That’s the entertaining thing about this book. Every reader wishes they could be the hero but deep down knows they are the disaster coward just trying to make it home for a full eight hours of sleep.

Being the only suspects puts them into a bloody, threatening dilemma. Every reporter is after their story, leaving them trying to solve a mystery in a city swarming with police corruption, conspiracy theories, and cults.

It’s a cruel, dreadful world for teens. They flee their abusive families and parents trying to sell them to harvesters, child-eating Nightmares, and child traffickers. Around them are predators and dangers, every choice on the edge of a knife. Adults create their world, but it’s the kids that are forced into heartbreaking decisions within this monstrous world. Ness and Cy both deal with trauma. Jaded, gay, and passionate about the horrifying way the media portrays content and romance, Cy and Ness dispel that desire is monstrous, that magical creatures are absolved of abuse as so many authors assume in their worldbuilding. Ness, for one, refuses to be any monster’s victim.

Drowning in parties and vice, Cy is the type of character suffering from loneliness after a particularly harrowing childhood. Everyone runs away after discovering he’s a vampire. Those stereotypical images of teeth and blood-sucking get to them over any sense that he might be an individual in control of his actions. He wants, hopes, to be Ness’s friend. One of the highlights of City of Nightmares is seeing how their friendship develops. It’s the classical reason readers still eat up SFF. The threat of gargantuan monsters in a city is without a doubt a plus, but it’s the friendships that make readers stay.

The story in City of Nightmares is about trust, a kind honest human connection between friends. Amongst all the eldritch horror references, readers will love the bond between Cy and Ness, who pack a quick jab for every response. There’s a similar understanding of trauma between them, one that allows for bonding over their experiences into something more about love over the horror of their past. Society doesn’t value friendship nearly enough. This is the type of friendship that makes a reader grab for the tissues more than a blood-drenched death.

It’s also worth a shout-out that Schaffer is deliberate in all her decisions. It is not an untrue statement to say that fantasy authors often forget that skin color means describing everyone. Black, brown, and white characters are described with the understanding that they exist in this world. Schaeffer points out a character’s skin color over the myth of colorblindness which has historically consumed the fantasy genre. Her world feels fuller, more like the real world, due to this choice.

City of Nightmares is a gleeful mixture of dark fantasy, sharp waistcoats, and humor. The characters go through hell, and they are worth every word. If you’re a fan of Gotham-inspired worlds, The Locked Tomb, or monsters wreaking havoc, City of Nightmares should be on your shopping cart. Any Grimdark parents looking to get their teens into dark fantasy would be remiss to miss this gem.

When I saw this book started off with a bang; whew! This is my first read from the author, and I would definitely check out more that she has written. City of Nightmares feels a bit like something Stefan from SNL would describe as the hottest new club. It has everything: nightmares come to life, giant human eating spiders, people with scales who turn into cockroaches, cults, vampires, etc. If that sounds like a lot, it’s because it is.

One of my issues with this book is simply that there is SO much focus on breakneck plotting that we hardly get any character development or proper world building, something I look forward to when reading books that are fantasy or paranormal centric. If you enjoy pacing and chaotic storytelling, you definitely need to pick this one up. If nothing else, it’s a fun ride, and I appreciate that the author set this up for the conclusion in the duology, but didn’t leave us on such a horrific cliffhanger that we feel there isn’t any closure.

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!