The Nightmares of Finnegan Quick by Larry Hayes is a scary novel pitched at 11-13 year olds. We were lucky enough to get a review copy from the lovely Sally Oliphant, just before Christmas.
Both children – 10 year old and 13 year old – had a go at reading this, though (the admittedly very sensitive) 10 year old didn’t continue past the early pages. Youngest has a policy on not consuming media if the dog dies so…. that might be worth knowing if you have a similar stance.
The story follows the eponymous Finnegan Quick, whose nightmares have an impact on the real world come morning. We went into reading this book expecting something akin to Goosebumps or Gremlins – given the excellent neon-nineties vibes of the cover – but the story itself was something darker, and there are some genuinely scary moments.
Eldest kiddo really enjoyed this book, and I think it’s the perfect sort of novel for those between years, when young adult books can be slightly too old, and middle-grade can feel slightly too young. Horror isn’t a genre that Eldest would usually read, but the more grown-up themes explored here within the context of a middle-grade novel worked perfectly. We’ll definitely be looking out for more books like this in future.
What are your favourite spooky books for children? Are there any you’d recommend we explore beyond the old-school obvious?
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THE INQUISITIVE NEWT 