Maren works in a dream shop, where she creates dreams.... and there is only one rule: never give a person a dream without their consent. Maren’s sister is in a coma and Maren decides to give her sister a dream...without her consent. She steals a dream and gives it to Hallie as a birthday gift, too bad for her, someone caught her on video and now she is being blackmailed. Thus begins the spiral of bad decisions for Maren as she gets deeper and deeper into the mess she created. More people are put at risk and if she doesn’t fix it soon the whole town and her family are at risk. With strange nightmares tormenting people and a sinister customer who has taken a particular interest in Maren, things are not looking good. Heres the thing, this story has all the foundations of a great fairytale, the only part I just couldn’t really connect to were the characters. I did not like any of them except for the bird. As the story progresses and more things go wrong, I just found myself not rooting for the characters. The story then wraps up and everything is seemingly fine with no consequences for anyone. The entire world of the book is very interesting and the magic dream system was fun to learn about. While this book didn’t work out for me, maybe it will for you. Definitely give it a read and see if it’s worthy of sweet dreams or nightmares.

*Thanks Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Kids for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I really enjoyed this story - Maren is a very endearing character. She clearly loves her sister, Hallie, deeply, and is willing to go to great lengths to get her out of her coma. Her relationship with her grandmother was also so sweet, and it's clear that they share a strong bond.

I love the idea of dream magic. It's an original idea, not something I've seen explored before and I think that the author did a good job of explaining it. The idea of taking dreams and nightmares is fascinating, and made the story whimsical and quirky. The mystery of the nightmares in Maren's town was also intriguing and I thought that it was resolved in a satisfying manner.

Overall, this was an enjoyable middle grade story, with an unusual type of magic and very likeable characters!

Maren's sister Hallie was in an auto accident that has left her in a coma. It's been long enough that the medical professionals think she should go to long term care. Since all of the facilities specializing in this are far away from Blackpool Bay, where the family has moved to live with Maren's grandmother, Lishta, Maren is desperate to help her sister get better. Lishta runs a shop that specializes in typewriters and dreams. All of Rockpool Bay has some magic to it, and Maren and her grandmother create dreams and nightmares for people to purchase. One shady customer, Obscura Gray, wants to break the rules and get more nightmares than Lishta is willing to sell her. There are rules about giving dreams to others, and when Obscura tapes Maren giving a dream to Hallie at the hospital, Obscura blackmails the girl into providing her with nightmares. While she doesn't know exactly what Obscura is doing with them, Maren can imagine-- local shop owners are having horrific nightmares and selling up. Their properties are being taken over by nefarious sounding businesses, and Blackpool Bay is not the same. On the bright side, the dream seems to have helped Hallie, who has started to speak and open her eyes. When Obscura asks for even more magic and Maren is not able to provide it, she fears that she, her family and the whole town are in jeopardy. Will Maren be able to defeat Obscura?
Strengths: Lishta's typewriter repair shop was great fun, although it is probably equally as likely that she has a dream shop! Rockpool Bay is a delightful area, even though it is endangered by the conniving Obscura. Maren's concern for her sister is realistic, and Obscura is a great villain. This whole book had a sort of Roald Dahl-esque feel to it. The magical world was very close to the real world, and Maren has to save the day.
Weaknesses: Obscura was a little too obviously evil, in a sort of Cruella deVil way. This makes the book feel a little on the younger side, since middle school readers like a little more nuance.
What I really think: The blurbs that describe this as being like Ingrid Law and Natalie Lloyd's books are spot on, and I would throw in Wendy Mass as well. There'sa touch of Corey Haydu's Eventown as well.

I was delighted to receive an ARC for this book. If you like whimsical fantasy with a sweet sibling relationship, then this book is perfect for you.
Maren lives in a magical coastal town where she works in her grandmother's dream shop, helping her to make wonderful dreams. But some customers have a penchant for nightmares, and will go to great lengths to secure them, even if it means destroying Maren's family and the peaceful town.I absolutely loved the relationships in this book. We learn so much about her comatose sister, Hallie, through Maren's eyes, and there are some truly heart-wrenching moments, though lined with a dash of hope. There is just such a great bond between Maren and her grandmother; it's the kind of love, respect and friendship between older and younger generations that I wish were present in more MG books. With the addition of a ridiculously talented villain, and a parrot that can teach you some creative French insults, this book was a joy to read. I highly recommend it!

The Nightmare Thief is a delightful read full of whimsical and dark magic. I loved learning about the different magical talents that made up the town, including the main character, Maren, and her family's dream magic. Nicole Lesperance seamlessly weaves magic and real family tragedy together into a story full of hope, friendship, and love. Even with magic, Maren felt like a real kid who struggles to fix her mistakes. Middle schoolers will identify with the themes of shifting family dynamics and changing childhood friendships, all while enjoying the mystery of the nightmares plaguing the town.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I highly recommend it!

This is a wonderfully whimsical, magical, sweet, and a sprinkle of spooky middle grade read. Maren's relationship with her grandma and her sister are just a couple of highlights, and the author's way with descriptions really makes the quirky, magical town Maren lives in come to life. Obscura is truly a villain to be feared and the way the imaginative dream magic interweaves with the plot creates a very satisfying conclusion.