Blue Is for Nightmares

Okay. First of all:

Ew.

Just ewwwww.

Even if I were able to relate to a character that wet the bed, I would have lost that ability around the age of 2.
So seeing as this book is aimed at teens, I just Don't. Get. That.

I'm sorry. I don't. It's disgusting. It's a huge turnoff. It made me want to put the book down right there.
But I decided to read with an open mind. These books have been around for a while; they must be so popular for some reason, right?

I have no idea what that reason is.
The characters have NO depth. None.
(Example: In one chapter, the main character says she and her mom hit it off. In another, she talks to her mom on the phone and feels all warm and fuzzy. That's it. Just two, strange, contradictory statements randomly thrown show more in with the rest of the ruin)

O, I'm sorry, one of the characters is exceedingly jealous and ungrateful--the best friend. Who's supposed to be a somewhat pitiable character.
Eh eh.
No.

And you know what else? Sitting here, it took me a second to remember what the main character's name was (it's a Baby-Sitter's Club rip-off, by the way; it's Stacie). You know why? Because I didn't care one iota about her.
Zip.
Nada.

Would've made the book a LOT more interesting if the crazy stalker had just offed them all in some violent, stolen scene from Saw .

I only read a few chapters, figured out that, oh hey, by the way, Stacie's a witch,
(just...ya know...FYI...)
and that her stupid roommate, Drea, is being stalked by some psycho she led on on the telephone by discussing sexual things with.
Because, ya know, she's smart and didn't bring it on herself, or anything.

And then I was completely disgusted by the whole bedwetting thing, bored to tears, given the most repetitive excuses for chapters, and irritated to the point of wanting to spit on the book.
So, to see if Stolarz could salvage something from the wreckage, I read the last two chapters.
Yea, they sucked, and I wasted even more valuable reading time. If you really wanna read this book (and your life better depend on it because this book reeks), read chapter one, and the last two.
I kid you not.
The penultimate chapter was a summary of the book and the final chapter might as well have been an epilogue.
It was completely ludicrous. show less

Stacey Brown is not your normal teenager. She casts spells of protection and remembrance, can predict your future with a deck of cards, and has prophetic dreams of a not-so-great tomorrow.

She also wets the bed.

When I first picked up Blue is for Nightmares, I was skeptical. I love books about magic and witchcraft, but this was a whole different world. It wasn't another book about the flashy magic I adored. The witchcraft in this book was actual (I think) Wiccan spells and rituals.

And I must say, I swallowed it down greedily.

I happened to get the 'Deluxe Spellbook Edition' which is loaded with fan-made spells and some poetry. A pleasant way to end a rather morbid book. I suggest you pick up this edition over the normal one. I don't think show more the price differs in the least.

So, what are you waiting for? Go out and pick up this book. Now! show less

Stacy starts having nightmares about her friend Drea being kidnapped. She knows that they mean something because this has happened to her before. In the past she ignored them and lost someone she loved because of it. This time Stacy plans on preventing the murder. There were a couple things in this book that struck me as false; it doesn't seem to take place now, it has kind of a mid 90s feel, which is weird. It seems unbelievable that only one student at this wealthy prep school has a cell phone. Also everyone is catty and bitchy, it seems as though no one is nice to each other, even best friends. I am not saying people have to be nice to each other all the time, but best friends usually have boundaries they wont cross with each other show more and that doesn't seem to exist here. show less

Stacy starts having nightmares about her friend Drea being kidnapped. She knows that they mean something because this has happened to her before. In the past she ignored them and lost someone she loved because of it. This time Stacy plans on preventing the murder. There were a couple things in this book that struck me as false; it doesn't seem to take place now, it has kind of a mid 90s feel, which is weird. It seems unbelievable that only one student at this wealthy prep school has a cell phone. Also everyone is catty and bitchy, it seems as though no one is nice to each other, even best friends. I am not saying people have to be nice to each other all the time, but best friends usually have boundaries they wont cross with each other show more and that doesn't seem to exist here. show less

"The spirit of dreams is everlasting," I whisper. "It lives within my mind."

Light and easy. This one was just okay. I liked the Wicca/Pagan type slant to the story. Stacey was interesting with all her spells and rituals. But I found the bed-wetting part of the story unnecessary......and she doesn't seem all that worried about! I would be scared to sleep, setting alarms to get up all night long to go to the bathroom and go before bed....but she doesn't seem to do any of that

I also didn't much like most of the cast of characters. Amber and Drea were awful friends. Between sharing secrets with strangers and constantly not trusting or believing each other, I just couldn't imagine these people had been friends for long.

The guys were show more equally rough. Between PJ, Donovan and Chad, I though they ALL were the stalker. None of them were particularly great or even interesting. They were creepy and gross and often lied.

Meh. this one was just okay. show less

I read and loved the first two books of Laurie Faria Stolarz's Touch series and adored them, and Cait a blogger friend of mine suggested I give this series a try, and I'm so glad she did, Thanks Cait!. I am totally Stolarz's newest fangirl.
The mystery in this book was executed really well, no matter how much you want to believe in a characters innocence Stolarz has you questioning everyone's motives. Main and side characters alike. The wiccan elements in the book really added to the story, not distracting from it. I'm confident you could take them out and still have a great story, they just add more depth and colour to it. It also made Steacy's character that much more intriguing.
Stolarz has a knack for getting inside the teenage brain show more and it shows in her writing, the characters have a natural feel, less like their imagined and more like actual people she's based them on. Steacy and her friends Amber and Drea couldn't be more different but their personalities suit each other. Drea is the gorgeous spoiled friend that loves you more then anything. Amber is the wacky but highly entertaining friend that encourages the stuff you shouldn't do and Steacy is the grounded logical one that always has your back.
I loved this book and I'm definitely purchasing the next in the series it was a really fun read with a great mystery. Blue is For Nightmares gets 4 out of 5! show less

Sixteen year old boarding school student Stacey Brown suffers from nightmares, but they aren't the typical sort; these nightmares are about her best friend Drea being in serious danger. And Stacey isn't typical either; she is a witch, and in the past has had psychic dreams before. So when she has these nightmares, Stacey is certain that they are premonitions, and she has to save Drea, who the two find out is being stalked.

This isn't the kind of book one in a series that drags out. Things conclude in the very same book. I appreciated that. I also appreciated Stacey's creepy nightmares, the way Stolarz's writing could easily transport me into the scene, and any time Stacey performed a spell or ritual. The Magic and darkness are the best show more part, and it was difficult to do anything else but read just to find out who the stalker is.

Beyond that, I struggled. I liked Stacey. Stacey is a good girl, and she means well, even though she is seriously crushing on Drea's on again-off again boyfriend Chad. My problem is with Drea. For being Stacey's best friend, she sure gave a lot of attitude, and was quite mean to her throughout most of the book. Drea is a brat, and there was really no camaraderie between the two girls, making the friendship unbelievable, and causing me to have no sympathy for Drea's stalker situtation.

Throughout the book, Stacey, Drea, and their also difficult to like friend Amber try to deal with the stalker mostly on their own, and There are a lot of moments where the characters get distracted and make a lot of jokes, causing Stacey to have to get them back on track and take things seriously. This is something I felt perhaps mostly younger readers wouldn't mind, but for me it could be irritating.

Most of the characters are clichés, but I found that actually worked to balance out all the darkness. It was just so difficult to get past what an awful friend Drea is. This did improve a bit past the halfway mark, and it was then I really couldn't put the book down.

While not the best book I've read in a while, Blue is for Nightmares has a pretty good whodunnit, and if you can get past the bad, unbelievable friendships, the darkness and magic might actually be worth it. show less