YA Book Review: Tommy Nightmare by J.L. Bryan

Release Date: 10 April 2011
Publisher: Self-published
Source: Author via Kismet Book Tours

Goodreads description:

While Fallen Oak recovers from the Jenny pox, someone new is hunting Jenny.


Like Jenny, Ashleigh Goodling belonged to a pair of opposites with powers that mirror each other.


Now Jenny and Seth must face the opposite of love...

My Thoughts...

I HAVE to start out by saying this--BUY THESE.  (And absolutely no one has paid me to say that--it is my absolute, 100% honest opinion that you should go HERE and buy these.  They are worth every freaking penny.  There's a very good reason that Jenny Pox is a Kindle bestseller! Don't worry, I'll remind you again when I review Book #3...probably next week!)

Okay, now on to my review of this fabulous book! (Just FYI, this review is mostly spoiler free but may unintentionally have spoilers for the first book.)

Tommy Nightmare starts off by dropping us into a new scene with new characters.  We've left Fallen Oak behind and now we meet Tommy and Esmerelda for the first time.  Tommy is a foster kid living with an abusive father and weak mother (also an previous foster kid of said father--what does THAT tell you?).  Tommy first gets a real glimpse of his power the night that he attempts to help his "grandfather" and actually ends up killing him--which in a roudabout way brings Esmerelda into the picture.  Tommy runs away from the farm and unloving foster family.  Seeing Ashleigh on TV, he's immediately drawn to her and takes off across the country to find her.  Now, knowing what happened at the end of Jenny Pox, you can guess what Tommy finds in Fallen Oaks, which leads him full-circle back to Esmerelda...and the story that ensues from there.

Tommy and Esmerelda were definitely a welcome addition to the cast of The Paranormals.  Their unusal "powers" (gifts?) add new elements and twists to the story and the way that they pull Ashleigh back into the world was unexpected. (I mean, really, I thought we were done with that crazy chick!) Their quest to basically avenge Ashleigh's death is INTENSE.

And don't worry--Jenny and Seth (*love them*) are still in this book, but the first thing you pick up on when they pop into the story is that they've been growing apart! SAD FACE. D-: Seth has all kinds of big plans to go to college in Charleston, despite Jenny's continuing insistence that it's too risky for her to go somewhere so crowded.  Also, Seth's parents have returned to Fallen Oak in light of the recent disaster...and Seth refuses to tell them that he and Jenny are together! Seth did a number of things, directly or indirectly, in Tommy Nightmare that curbed my enthusiasm for his character a little bit!

Jenny is so still growing as a character and becoming a little more confident in herself, but she's still so obviously vulnerable.  When everything goes down at the end of this and Alexander rescues her, I was immediately jumping ship from Team Seth to Team Alexander because Jenny needs a grounding presence in her life to continue gaining confidence...and well, Seth....he's screws up big time.

Older YA readers and adults alike will really enjoy these books. JL Bryan blew me away with his storytelling and his ability to pull me into the story. I cannot wait to dive into Alexander Death (Book #3), even through I'm sure it will be a bittersweet ending seeing as it's the last book!

Be sure to check out ALL of the fabulous Tommy Nightmare posts this week as part of the Kismet Book Tours' The Paranormals Blog Tour!

Monday, October 24th - Reading in the Corner (Did you catch my character interview?!)

Tuesday, October 25th - Books With Bite 

Wednesday,October 26th - Paranormal Wastelands 

Thursday, October 27th - Reading Angel 

Friday, October 28st - About Happy Books