Date Published: January 19, 2021
Publisher: FyreSyde Publishing
For generations, the wizards of Candle Paranormal Investigations have helped the people of Boston with everything from garden-variety poltergeists to Eldritch abominations. Sixteen-year-old Henry Candle, however, has no interest in taking over the family business and would much rather spend time hanging out in cafes with his human friends. But when his father is brutally murdered while working on a case, Candle Paranormal Investigations magically falls into Henry’s possession — and so does a warning: “BEWARE, HENRY. HE’LL COME FOR YOU, TOO.”
Henry does some digging and discovers that two other wizards have been killed in the past month, both of their bodies found with the same symbol scrawled into their chest as his father. He decides to reopen the case so he can discover who (or what) is murdering Boston’s wizards before he's next. Aided by his pug familiar, a witch and a group of human friends, Henry must stop a supernatural serial killer and find an evil spell book that could end the world.
My Review
Friday Nightmares is a YA urban fantasy novel that is super fun, a little bit tense at times, and wonderfully heartfelt. I really enjoyed this one, and I think both teens and young at heart adults will find themselves sucked into this one, eager to see how it all plays out.
The story follows Henry Candle, a sixteen year old boy living with his grandparents. Henry is a wizard, and now that his dad has died (aka was murdered), it's up to Henry to continue on with the family business of paranormal investigations. Henry is also determined to solve his dad's murder. But Henry ends up in over his head when he starts digging, and soon he, his Familiar (a pug named Rusty), and his human friends are in serious danger. Can they solve the mystery and stop the end of the world before it's too late?
I'll admit, as soon as I read the synopsis and saw the cover, I knew I needed to read this book. And I'm so glad I did. There is a lot going on, but it's easy enough to follow. There's humor. There's friendship. There's action. And underlying it all is a heartfelt message about believing in yourself and being true to who you really are.
I loved Henry and his gang of outcasts. They were all well-written characters you could root for and want to be friends with. I really liked Molly, but I think I connected more with Enisa. And Frankie was amusing in his own way.
I also liked the subtle nods to pop culture that were scattered throughout. I especially enjoyed the nod to IT when Henry's mom came up. She died investigating missing kids in the sewers. If that doesn't evoke an image of an evil shapeshifting clown named Pennywise, then...
Anyway...
With a diverse cast of characters, an exciting plot, and a magic-filled world (okay, it's just Boston), Friday Nightmares is a fantastical read that is sure to enthrall fans of urban fantasy.
4.5 stars from me!
Author Share Link
He received his BA in Integrated Language Arts from Youngstown State University and went on to later receive his MA in English.
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