A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares by Krystal Sutherland

A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares

by Krystal Sutherland

From the author of Our Chemical Hearts comes the hilarious, reality-bending tale of two outsiders facing their greatest fears about life and love—one debilitating phobia at a time.
 
Ever since Esther Solar’s grandfather was cursed by Death, everyone in her family has been doomed to suffer one great fear in their lifetime. Esther’s father is agoraphobic and hasn’t left the basement in six years, her twin brother can’t be in the dark without a light on, and her mother is terrified of bad luck.
 
The Solars are consumed by their fears and, according to the legend of the curse, destined to die from them.
 
Esther doesn’t know what her great fear is yet (nor does she want to), a feat achieved by avoiding pretty much everything. Elevators, small spaces and crowds are all off-limits. So are haircuts, spiders, dolls, mirrors and three dozen other phobias she keeps a record of in her semi-definitive list of worst nightmares.
 
Then Esther is pickpocketed by Jonah Smallwood, an old elementary school classmate. Along with her phone, money and a fruit roll-up she’d been saving, Jonah also steals her list of fears. Despite the theft, Esther and Jonah become friends, and he sets a challenge for them: in an effort to break the curse that has crippled her family, they will meet every Sunday of senior year to work their way through the list, facing one terrifying fear at a time, including one that Esther hadn’t counted on: love.

Reviewed by shannonmiz on

4 of 5 stars

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You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

This is a really cute book, and I quite enjoyed it! There was so much fun stuff happening in this book, and it was incredibly unique. Of course, it deals with some really serious issues, too. There is a big focus on mental health, and Esther and her family suffer from it in droves, but in very different ways. Esther's best friend is selectively mute, and Esther's new-old friend (read about it to see what I mean!) Jonah is dealing with a lot himself, grappling with an abusive parent. So yeah, life hasn't been easy for any of the characters.

But Jonah and Esther try to attack her nightmares in a way that leads to all kinds of fun and shenanigans, including a cat named Fleayoncé Knowles. And the thing is, so much of this book is so, so relatable. I mean, sure, you may not think your family is cursed, and you may not have undertaken this same kind of adventure, but at its core this book is so, so relatable.

It talks about mental illness on a level that makes you know that the author just gets it.

"People got tired of mental illness when they found out they couldn't fix it."


Esther shares her panic over death, which is something I have experiences a lot. There's discussion of the paralysis of anxiety and panic, and of her brother's depression. It's very, very honest, and I loved that. But not only are the mental health pieces relatable, there's just a lot of everyday life stuff that the author throws in to make you feel like you can connect with the characters. There's talk about grandmas trying to "out grandma" each other, for example- which I flagged because yesss, my grandmas did that all the time! Little things like that made me feel like the characters were more genuine and authentic.

The only small downside was that sometimes, the book felt a little long for a contemporary, but overall, I really enjoyed it.

Bottom Line: Great characters, a quirky plot, and an amazing focus on mental health, family, and friendships made me adore this book.


*Copy provided for review
** Quote taken from uncorrected proof, subject to change

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 2 August, 2017: Finished reading
  • 2 August, 2017: Reviewed