It will be evident to listeners that Jason Segel is having fun narrating his first book. The story features 11-year-old Charlie and his friends, all of whom have terrible nightmares—ones that seem to drag the children bodily into their scary world. Segel takes Charlie’s concerns seriously, honestly conveying the character’s worry, fear, and anger. But he lightens the scariness with humorous touches, like giving over-the-top accents to various monsters. A French Bigfoot, anyone? The human characters are varied and realistic, except for the ones Charlie suspects of being monsters, who have sharp edges to their voices. This fun middle-grade story would make good listening on a car trip. Segel’s performance is lively enough for those of all ages to enjoy. G.D. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

In Segel's reading, we get many versions of him—bellowing villain, hissing snakes, exhausted dad and wisecracking stepmom. He is best at portraying the kids, morose Charlie in particular. Segel's performance throughout is more navy-blue-to-black comedy than it is scary…Segel exudes an exuberant joy in the telling and an absence of cynicism that suits a writer of middle-grade fiction. Childhood is frightening even if your mother doesn't die and you don't move into a purple mansion. Kids need to hear someone explain the darkness and the light. Charlie Laird, who learns that fear will eat you alive if you feed it, makes an impression, and I think readers will want to accompany him again, especially if he sticks to his strong suits: dead rats, mushroom-sprouting couches and a firm grasp on just how terrifying our own feelings can be.

09/08/2014
Coraline meets Monsters, Inc. in this delightfully entertaining offering from actor Segel and co-author Miller (How to Lead a Life of Crime), first in a trilogy. Twelve-year-old Charlie Laird believes his new stepmother is a witch, in part due to his horrible nightmares about being held captive by witches. Charlie soon learns that the witches' Netherworld is real, and his fear has opened a portal allowing creatures to travel between realms. When Charlie ventures into the Netherworld to rescue his kidnapped younger brother, he becomes embroiled in an epic struggle to prevent the terrifying President Fear from turning the mortal world into a place of eternal nightmares. In a story that's both whimsical and disturbing, Charlie works to rescue his friends, help them overcome their fears, and find his courage. Segel and Miller make for a solid team; their Netherworld is populated by everything from talking bugs to killer clowns, and the underlying message—sometimes you have to admit to and confront your fears—is important. Kwasny's illustrations provide a fitting mixture of realism and absurdity. Ages 8–12. Agent: Erin Malone, William Morris Endeavor and Abrams Entertainment. (Sept.)

Praise for the Nightmares!  Series:

Texas Bluebonnet Nominee

"Charlie Laird, who learns fear will eat you alive if you feed it, makes an impression, and...readers will want to accompany him again."—The New York Times Book Review

"A touching comical saga...about facing things that go bump in the night."—US Weekly

"Coraline meets Monsters, Inc. in this delightfully entertaining offering from actor [Jason] Segel and co-author [Kirsten] Miller."—Publishers Weekly

"Comical antics, cartoonish spot illustrations, and creepy villains make for quite an entertaining read."—Booklist

"Succeeds at scaring and amusing in equal measure . . . Sweet, charming, and imaginative."—Kirkus Reviews

"An engaging and creative story...woven with a generous amount [of] humor."—VOYA

"There's humor and a fairly high ick-factor."—School Library Journal

"Cleverly crafted...This novel presents just the right mix of 'scary and humorous.'"—ILA Literacy Daily

09/01/2014
Gr 4–6—Eleven-year-old Charlie Laird is absolutely convinced that his stepmother Charlotte is a witch. She dresses funny, serves seriously strange food (kale pancakes), and runs a store called Hazel's Herbarium. Charlie's dad, little brother, and friends all like Charlotte and think Charlie's still grieving for his mom. He's also suffering from terrible nightmares, and living in Charlotte's crazy purple mansion isn't helping. The evil witch who stars in those nightmares threatens to follow the protagonist into the real world and kidnap his brother. Instead, he is tricked into the Nightmare World, peopled with monsters and madness: gorgons, goblins, crazy clowns, scary bunnies, tests filled with gibberish, and the monomaniacal President Fear (who also inhabits the real world as the truly terrifying Principal Stearns). But all is not what it seems, and some of the scariest creatures turn out to be sympathetic—or even allies. There are lessons to be learned about facing fears and uncovering the real enemy in this tale. Pals Alfie, Rocco, and Paige are interesting and fairly three-dimensional; most of the adults (with the exceptions of Fear/Stearns and Charlotte) are merely background. The fear is as much psychological as anything, and there's humor and a fairly high ick-factor, but relatively little violence. A good choice for elementary-aged scare-seekers.—Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library

It will be evident to listeners that Jason Segel is having fun narrating his first book. The story features 11-year-old Charlie and his friends, all of whom have terrible nightmares—ones that seem to drag the children bodily into their scary world. Segel takes Charlie’s concerns seriously, honestly conveying the character’s worry, fear, and anger. But he lightens the scariness with humorous touches, like giving over-the-top accents to various monsters. A French Bigfoot, anyone? The human characters are varied and realistic, except for the ones Charlie suspects of being monsters, who have sharp edges to their voices. This fun middle-grade story would make good listening on a car trip. Segel’s performance is lively enough for those of all ages to enjoy. G.D. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

2016-07-20
Charlie Laird faces off against ICK and INK in the finale of the Nightmares! trilogy.Charlie and his friends foiled ICK and INK’s plot involving the Tranquility Tonic (The Sleepwalker Tonic, 2015), but many mysteries remain. What is ICK and INK’s endgame? Why is INK suddenly enrolled in Charlie’s school? And will Charlie finally work up the courage to ask Paige out? All is answered in this final volume, which returns to the standard set by series opener Nightmares! (2014). The authors delight in turning bread crumbs dropped in prior entries into full-on sandwiches; ICK and INK are compelling antagonists, fully realized and just as emotionally complex as the heroes. Charlie’s relationships with his brother and stepmother deepen, but unfortunately his relationship with Paige stays in neutral. While it’s hard to fault Charlie for focusing on the danger the world is facing rather than his love life, fans who’ve watched these two kids dance around each other for three years now will get a bit fidgety. This is a testament to the authors’ achievement in crafting smart, funny, and empathetic heroes and villains that anchor this trilogy in an emotional reality few middle-grade series achieve. The Netherworld is filled with imaginative creatures and critters, the humor remains silly and fun, and the characters (somewhat diverse, judging by the cover, though Charlie is white) remain engaging. This is one trilogy that ends on a high note. (Fantasy. 8-12)