Nightbooks

Nightbooks #1

by J.A. White

A boy is imprisoned by a witch and must tell her a new scary story each night to stay alive. This thrilling contemporary fantasy from J. A. White, the acclaimed author of the Thickety series, brings to life the magic and craft of storytelling.

Alex’s original hair-raising tales are the only thing keeping the witch Natacha happy, but soon he’ll run out of pages to read from and be trapped forever. He’s loved scary stories his whole life, and he knows most don’t have a happily ever after. Now that Alex is trapped in a true terrifying tale, he’s desperate for a different ending—and a way out of this twisted place.

This modern spin on the Scheherazade story is perfect for fans of Coraline and A Tale Dark and Grimm. With interwoven tips on writing with suspense, adding in plot twists, hooks, interior logic, and dealing with writer’s block, this is the ideal book for budding writers and all readers of delightfully just-dark-enough tales.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Horror, Fiction, Audiobook, Childrens, Young Adult

320 pages, ebook

First published July 24, 2018

About the author

J. A. White lives in New Jersey with his wife, three sons, and a hamster named Ophelia that doesn’t like him very much. When he’s not making up stories, he teaches a bunch of kids how to make up stories (along with math and science and other important stuff). He wishes dragons were real because it would be a much cooler way to get to work.

Reviews

[Korrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was completely enthralled reading this. It felt like a perfect blend of Grimm’s Fairytales and Neil Gaiman stories.

[Thibault Busschots · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alex is a young boy who writes down his bad dreams in his nightbooks, so those scary stories don’t keep him awake at night. One day, while sneaking out of the house, he becomes imprisoned by a witch in her magical apartment. The only reason she’s keeping him alive is because he – as a writer - can tell her many new scary bedtime stories. But his creativity and imagination are at their limit. The reason he snuck of the house when he met the witch, was to destroy his nightbooks. He wanted to stop writing scary stories altogether. And now that he’s forced to write them, they don’t come as naturally as they did before.


The plot is really good. And the scary stories play a huge part in the story, though they are not the heart of this book. The protagonist feels like a social outcast because of his fascination with scary stories. And it’s through him slowly becoming friends with the witch’s other captive Yasmin, and her acceptance of his quirky side, that he too learns to accept himself for who he is. That’s what drives this story and makes it so special.


I actually bought this book because I recently saw the Netflix movie. It’s quite a good movie. The acting’s good. It looks visually stunning. It just lacked a little something and I was eager to find out if the original book managed to do it better. And I’m very happy to say that in this case, the book is better than the movie. Something I really don’t get to say as often as you might think.


The movie changed the protagonist’s back story quite drastically. And I have to admit, the reason why the protagonist wants to quit writing his scary stories is improved upon in the movie. But the movie may have gone a bit too far in trying to simplify and improve upon the original story. The short stories are a lot better in the book. I do get why the movie went with less creepy stories and more happy endings, to be able to reach a larger audience. Though it does make the stories in the movie a bit less impactful. Another cool thing in the book that’s left out of the movie is the comparison of the storytelling protagonist to Scheherazade from One Thousand and One Nights, which is a good way to show what inspired this book in the first place, apart from the obvious Hansel and Gretel fairytale. And the plot twist at the end is better foreshadowed in the book.


Overall, quite a creative and gripping middle grade horror story.

[✦BookishlyRichie✦]

5 FREAKING STARS!!!

This was such an awesome and fun read and I want a copy for my shelf now. I'm pretty sure this is a contender for my favorite book of 2019. It was equal parts spooky and whimsical, like Goosebumps meets The Spiderwick Chronicles so you know I LOVED this. I felt a deep connection to Alex because we're basically the same person, it was almost eerie reading about him because I felt like the author was writing about my as a young kid. I can't wait to see the Netflix movie when it comes out, I just hope they don't try to make it too "kiddy", I want to see all the dark moments from this book brought to life on screen. If you're looking for a fun, spooky, and pretty dark read, pick this one up now. - Richard

[Noura Khalid (theperksofbeingnoura) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Edelweiss and Katherine Tegen books for sending me a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“After his family had finally fallen asleep, Alex slung the bagpack over his shoulder and snuck out of the apartment..”

The moment I read the synopsis on Goodreads I knew it was the kind of book for me. The book might have been written for a middle grade audience, but I absolutely loved it! Witches, magic and scary stories all packed into one little book.

I didn’t expect the book to be scary since it was written for a young audience, but even though, the stories that Alex narrated did get the creepy factor across. Alex has a vast imagination and a love for everything horror. You can tell just by reading this book that he has some pretty good ideas for a kid his age.

Loved Alex’s character and loved that there was a middle eastern touch with the appearance of Yasmin. I felt exceptionally proud to have understood what Sito and Kusa mihshi were before she got the chance to explain them! Of course I loved Lenore (always consider the animals as my favorite characters) I even liked Natacha! (Just a little bit) The story was really fantastically written. I didn’t feel bored for even a second. The story was creative and very original. There was a modern touch to the story, and I feel like children would really love it.

I think everyone should read this. Regardless, how old you are there’s definitely a big chance that you’ll enjoy this!

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[Raquel Estebaran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novela de fantasía oscura, versión moderna de Hansel y Gretel, en la que un niño aficionado al terror y que escribe historias de miedo es apresado por una bruja a la que debe contar un cuento cada día si quiere seguir vivo.

Enfocada al público infantil/juvenil, resulta una lectura ágil y amena con una trama oscura e intrigante muy apropiada para su público objetivo.

[Kirsty Carson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could I would give this book like 10 stars it was that good!!!!

Do you know when you get a book and you start reading it and you just can’t put it down and when you have to your hands are literally itching to pick it up again and when you’re reading you feel like you can’t read quick enough to find out what happens next but at the same time you don’t want to read too fast because you also don’t want it to end …. That was this book.

I am a huge fan of YA/middle grade horror and this one was amazing. Ticked so many boxes, intriguing and heart warming protagonists/heroes, wicked villains, magical creatures, creepy settings, fast paced prose and the list goes on. Children and adults alike will enjoy this one and now I also have the Netflix film to go and enjoy! This one was an epic read - cannot recommend enough!!!!

[Devin The Book Dragon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting, quick read! I know it's middle grade, but I really wish it was written as a YA novel so it was scarier. However, I understand it was written for children so it can't be too scary. I also loved that it involved classic Hansel and Gretel vibes! AND there is an amazing cat sidekick whom I loved! A great read overall, and I will be saving this to read to my children someday.

[jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

this wasn't bad. but even though i do read and enjoy a lot of middle-grade books, this one definitely seems like it is intended strictly for that audience.

to me, it just seemed kind of silly. the witch wasn't scary, and in the few parts that might have been leaning towards maybe being scary she would react to something or do something that just crumbled the walls of realism.

i did enjoy a couple of alex's stories as some of them had really interesting premises. and honestly sometimes i wish the book had been one of his stories as opposed to the one we got.

and unfortunately, overall it just relatively lacked in tension. i'm not sure if it was the writing or just my lack of concern for the characters because i didn't really feel for the characters. there wasn't much there to connect you to them.

overall, definitely more of a book i would recommend to a much younger age because they might be able to get more enjoyment out of it.

[Lani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the Audiobook book with my son driving to and from school every day.
It had just enough creepy factor to keep him interested, but not scary enough to cause nightmares.
It was a cross between 1001 nights (Arabian Nights), Grimm's Fairy tales and some of the children's stories written by Neil Gaiman.

Rated by my 12 year old. He said, "I would have added another star if it was more scary. I was fooled by the description." Oh my little friend, welcome to Mommy's world of disappointment in book descriptions and the actual story written.

[Cori Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so spooky! Loved it!

[Belles Middle Grade Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Now I see what everyone has been talking about w/this author-brilliant!! This gave me all the Grimm fairytale vibes, & modern day Hansel & Gretel vibes. It was superb. Alex was such a great kid. The very fact that he worried so deeply about being a bad person b/c of the stories he wrote, to me proved how completely opposite of a bad person he was. The stories he read to the witch that he wrote were all so good too!! Some were quite creepy/scary! I loved the whole story, details, & then the back story as well of the apartment, & the witch. Alex was so brave & smart. I loved seeing him grow from the experience, & learn to love who he is. When he would tell the witch he wanted to be normal, I did like SOME of the things she said to him in response. She made a few good points that I agreed with. Yasmin was also a great kid. So strong, brave, determined, & feisty. Her & Alex truly needed each other, & I loved the dynamic b/n them, & seeing their friendship/story grow. My favorite character is the cat Lenore. It’s funny, b/c I’m a dog person, but I LOVE a great MG cat. Lenore was AMAZING!! I wanted to beat that witch up myself the way she treated her on several occasions.😤 This is fast paced, full of suspense & danger. A dark fairytale in its own right, & it shows the power of the imagination. I absolutely loved this, & can’t wait to read the other books I have by him. It’s blurbed on the back by Claire Legrand who I have loved 1 book by, & am currently loving another so far that’s she’s written. But the icing on the cake, is that it’s also blurbed by Soman Chainani who wrote my favorite series of all time. I love this cover. It’s a perfect image of the story that awaits inside.😍😍 I highly recommend this!!💜💜

[Mook Woramon · Rating 4 out of 5]

แบ๊ว ๆ ใส ๆ ไม่มีพิษภัย สไตล์วรรณกรรมเยาวชน

เนื้อเรื่องสูตรสำเร็จมาก เป็นเรื่องราวของเด็กชายผู้ชอบเขียนนิยายสยองขวัญ โดนแม่มดจับตัวไป
อเล็กซ์ต้องเล่านิทานขนหัวลุกให้แม่มดฟัง
พร้อมทั้งต้องหาทางหนีอ���กจากสถานที่ชั่วร้าย
อเล็กซ์ได้เรียนรู้เรื่องมิตรภาพ ความกล้าหาญ การยอมรับตนเอง และหนีจากแม่มดได้ในที่สุด 🧙‍♀️🧙‍♀️

เราชอบนิทานที่อเล็กซ์แต่ง มีกลิ่นอายสตีเฟน คิงหน่อย ๆ มันดูเหมาะสมกับวัย แต่ก็แฝงความเศร้า สยองเล็ก ๆ ไว้

โดยรวมอ่านได้เรื่อย ๆ ไม่หวือหวา แป๊บเดียวจบ

[Marc *Dark Reader with a Thousand Young! Iä!* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good middle-grade book and deserving of the 'horror' tag for genuinely creepy stuff while remaining age-appropriate. The story draws on Hansel & Gretel, One Thousand and One Nights (a.k.a. Arabian Nights), Tardis technology, and the Chinese restaurant scene from It (book or movie). The protagonist, Alex, a horror-loving boy and urban resident, is lured into an apartment and held captive by a witch who may dispose of him at any time. He becomes useful for his ability to tell scary stories, which he has a stock of thanks to his backpack full of his "nightbooks", in which he writes the stories he composes. Alex is a social outcast thanks to his predilections for all things creepy.

The plot and characters are pretty standard for material aimed at this age, a little forced in many places, and the book runs on the short side. It's good, the author nailed the climax and ending, and Alex's stories-in-the-story are fun and reminded me of scary campfire tales. My current hallmark of quality for fantasy in this age group is Django Wexler's The Forbidden Library and this doesn't approach that, but it is a perfectly enjoyable one-shot tale for creative kids, readers and writers who can handle a little bit of scary stuff.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

I really like how this author writes spooky middle grade. A series he has, The Thickety, is one I really enjoyed as well.

Great message in this one too, about how just because you're different or like things that aren't considered "normal" that there's nothing wrong with you. Emphasis on friendship and working through your problems either through introspection or by relying on others.

Also there's a magical cat which of course makes any story better. 😸

[La La · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though this was much more suited to Middle Grade age readers than the author's Thickety books, because there was no graphic violence, it had other problems. The good parts were very very good, but the dry boring parts were longer than they had to be. It felt almost like filler, which to me makes no sense in MG because younger kids still like books that don't take forever to read. The boring segment in the beginning worries me a bit because most MG aged readers will drop a book like a hot potato at the breath of a yawn.

There was also an eyebrow raising scramble of hard to believe events towards the end to set the conclusion in order. I think Children's authors sometimes forget how savvy younger readers can be, and casually take plot shortcuts that in the end will make the book less successful. I loved the short stories within the main story construct, though.

I was approved for an eARC, via Edelweiss, in return for an honest review. I will not be reviewing this title on the blog because it was less than four stars.

[Petra · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the last few months I wasn't really interested in middle grade but boy oh boy did this book change that. I went it with little to no expectations and story pulled me in from the first page.
I really liked our main character, Alex, and his friendship with Yasmin was adorable but I've gotta be honest and say that Lenore the magic cat was my favorite of them all.
My favorite part were short horror stories that Alex read and even if they were not really scary I enjoyed them and they set up a good tone for the book.
My only complaint is that the ending felt a little rushed and I would love to get to know more about Natacha and the magic apartment but overall it was a great book and I would especially recommend it to younger teenagers and fans of R.L.Stine

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gosh, I realize I never wrote my review for this book!

I read this back in April (listened to the audiobook) and it was a fun read. It's pretty weird as well. The story is about a kid who goes into this apartment and cannot get back out. He is lured inside by an object of great personal value to him, but it's a trap by a witch with nefarious plans. Inside the apartment are two other kids who have resigned themselves to their fate. However, Alex isn't going to give up on escaping. The apartment owner is a bad-tempered, young in appearance witch who is seemingly pacified by stories. Good thing Alex is a writer (he's actually bullied because he likes to write creepy stories in his notebooks). Alex must tell the witch a story every night or something very bad will happen to him. He has to keep her satisfied until he can find a way out for himself and his companions.

Nightbooks is tailor-made for people who like short and child-appropriate, but nasty, scary stories. I have to admit those stories are pretty horrifying. I love short stories, particularly those in the horror, fantasy and science fiction genre, and I am a huge sucker for the "story within a story" concept. One could draw a very strong comparison to Scheherazade and the Arabian Nights as she is in a similar situation.

While I found this one enjoyable, something didn't 100% gel with me. I wasn't super thrilled with the narrator, so maybe that was part it. Perhaps I wasn't completely satisfied with the plotting. Possibly I was felt the conclusion was somewhat anti-climactic. Although I was relieved about one aspect. I did love the themes in the book about how being different as a kid is usually something that leads to bullying by others. It has something important to say about good and evil that I think would precipitate a good discussion between parent and child. I liked the diverse representation as one of the kids is a young Muslim girl. Of course, as a huge booknerd, I love the storytelling/writing themes. There's a hug library in the apartment, which is kind of like a TARDIS or let's say some waiting room that leads to different dimensions (perhaps a small allusion to the Chronicles of Narnia). It's kind of a creepy library though. Alex is a good leading character. He's a good kid at heart, and his penchant for writing horror stories is not a reflection on his character in any way. There's nothing wrong with enjoying the macabre when one understands the difference between truth and fiction and knows right from wrong. I think this would be a good book for kids who like spooky stuff, but maybe feel left out because of it. I think the content is okay for a kid who is 9-12 years old. I'd personally be cautious about letting a child younger than this age read it, because there is some scary imagery and it's about an adult who wants to inflict harm on children.

Overall, I'd give this a 3.75/5.0 rating. It just doesn't feel like a four star read to me, but it's close. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.

[Lata · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about the power of story.
Alex decides one night to destroy all his writing notebooks. He takes the elevator to the basement so he can drop the books into the incinerator. Unfortunately, the elevator stops at the 4th floor, and he hears a movie playing, The Night of the Living Dead, his favourite. He enters the apartment from where he can hear the movie, and becomes trapped there by Natasha, a woman who identifies herself as a witch. Alex quickly meets the other child (Yasmine and Lenore, though technically she's a cat) occupants of the apartment, and finds out that the very thing he wants to run away from, his writing and his love of horror stories, are exactly what will allow him to stay unharmed in the apartment. Each night Natasha has Alex read her a story he's written that day.
I enjoyed this story, which recalls the Scheherazade story, and also a Grimm story or two. And various horror stories, including George Romero zombiefests. For all that there are some scary moments, it's the friendship that develops between Yasmine and Alex and Lenore that I particularly liked. And the little twist towards the end of the story the author throws his characters' way. Not deep, but a fun little story about the value of kindness, being true to yourself, and perseverance.

[Jess (freaks over books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been a long time since I read a middle book that I enjoyed as much as I enjoyed this book. This book has witches, magic, a wonderful kitty familiar, creepy crawlies, monstrous unicorns, fairy tales, scary stories, friendship, candy houses, it has everything. It gives me Graveyard Book vibes and I love it, I want more middle grade horror novels.

[Mewa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Horrory dla młodszych są najstraszniejsze i najfajniejsze. W dodatku akurat ta historia jest po prostu dobra i niesamowicie klimatyczna!

[Olena Brazhnyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Цілу добу думала, поставити 4 чи 5, і думаю це скоріше 4,8🌟😁

Сподобалась історія, подача, атмосфера, окремі горорні оповідання, які вклинювались у загальний сюжет - це було дуже добре.

Це скоріше дитячо-підліткова історія, але мені, людині за 30, було цікаво 😊

[Blondynka o książkach · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,75 ⭐
Książka sama w sobie nie jest jakaś wybitna, ale audiobook to już inna kwestia. Zadura zrobił świetną robotę 👌

[Ashleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nightbooks follows Alex, a young boy who, while sneaking out of his apartment at night to destroy his books full of scary stories, or his Nightbooks, in his backpack, is enticed by a witch into another apartment, and essentially kidnapped. She tells him that she wants him to tell her a scary story each night and he needs to write new stories all day every day.

Alex knows there's a slight difference between story scary and real scary, and is struggling with writer's block since coming into the magical apartment. So he decides to read the witch a story from his Nightbooks until he can come up with a way to escape. One morning he meets Yasmin, a girl who has also been kidnapped by the witch, and is in charge of tending to the witch's evil plants. Yasmin is very upfront that she does not want to be friends with Alex, but when he saves her from the witch's wrath, the two decide to come up with a plan to escape..

I loved this book. It was spooky and whimsical, and I don't normally like middle grade books, but this one was beautiful. I found myself unable to put this book down. Also, Alex's stories were great and some were pretty spooky. I'm not sure how this would come across to a child as some of it may be too scary for them, but I certainly enjoyed it. The characters were great. I even came to love Lenore the cat (because every evil witch needs an evil cat).

Highly recommend this book for something spooky to read this October!

[Sandra Deaconu · Rating 4 out of 5]

O pisică dubioasă care poate deveni invizibilă, plante care scuipă acid sau trebuie udate cu lacrimi de copil, unicorni violenți, copii care au fost transformați în bibelouri și așezați în vitrină, o vrăjitoare despre care nu știi exact ce să crezi, o fetiță introvertită, dar curajoasă, și un băiat cu o imaginație bogată. De toate găsim în apartamentul fermecat al vrăjitoarei. Pe mine romanul acesta m-a dus cu gândul la Coraline, de Neil Gaiman, în special pentru că avem o pisică misterioasă și niște copii prinși într-o lume condusă de magie neagră, dar și pentru că atmosfera seamănă. Un pic aduce și a un basm scris de frații Grimm la care chiar se face referire pe parcurs. Dar nu contează cu ce altă carte seamănă; important este că mi s-a părut o carte bună, ce te ține în suspans și îți face cunoștință cu personaje care te vor învăța despre puterea prieteniei și cât de greu este uneori să fii tu când ceilalți nu te vor așa. De citit sub pătură, cu lumina stinsă, pentru a-i spori farmecul și a vă asigura coșmarurile. Recenzia aici: https://bit.ly/2ZcOM1j.

,,Nu semeni cu nimeni altcineva și nu avem ce face în privința asta! Suntem ceea ce suntem.''

[Serisop · Rating 4 out of 5]

La nostra vita è fatta di storie, vere o inventate, che a volte possono salvarti la vita.
"Nightbooks" di J. A. White racconta una storia che posso facilmente paragonare ad un mix tra la favola dei fratelli Grimm "Hansel e Gretel" e "Le mille e una notte".
Il protagonista Alex, infatti, viene attirato nella trappola di una strega e dovrà intrattenerla con delle storie inventate da lui.
Queste storie vengono raccontate anche ai lettori e devo dire che sono davvero molto carine. I compagni di avventura di Alex sono personaggi che come lui si ritrovano in trappola e mai come nel caso di questa storia vale il detto "l'unione fa la forza".
Credo che sia un romanzo molto carino per la fascia d'età a cui è rivolto, middle grade, e sicuramente fa venire voglia di scrivere.
Quante storie vorrei essere capace di raccontare...

[Jenni Frencham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alex becomes trapped in a magical apartment in his building, and in order to stay alive, he has to tell the witch who captured him a scary story every night. This middle grade retelling of Arabian Nights with a horror twist is appropriate for the target age group, and Alex's short stories will easily capture the attention of many readers.

[Joseph Brink · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable read. While it was very creepy, it wasn't exactly scary (which I didn't mind all that much) and had a cool fairy-tale vibe that worked very well. I love fairy-tale retellings. =)

Recommended to anyone into twisted fairy tales or creepy stories!

[za_pomniane · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 ⭐
Przyjemna książka jednak to nic niezwykłego.

[Satomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This is a great spooky middle grade novel. I would have loved this one if I was young soooo much. Yet I enjoyed every aspect of this book. The cover art is attractive, characters are likable. The audio book was great, too.

I found the Netflix movie version of this book. I must watch it now!

If the ending was a bit more developed and longer, it would have been full 5 stars!

[Mirai · Rating 5 out of 5]

เรื่องราวของ 'อเล็กซ์' เด็กชายที่ชื่นชอบเรื่องสยองขวัญเป็นชีวิตจิตใจ เขามักเขียนเรื่องสยองขวัญต่างๆ ที่เขานึกขึ้นมาได้ในสมุดส่วนตัวที่เรียกว่า 'ไนต์บุ๊ก' แต่การที่เขาชื่นชอบเรื่องสยองขวัญ กลับทำให้คนอื่นมองว่าเขาเป็นตัวประหลาด แต่แล้วในคืนที่เขาวางแผนจะกำจัดไนต์บุ๊กเล่มนั้นทิ้ง เขากลับถูกแรงดึงดูดบางอย่างทำให้เขาเผลอตัวย่างกายเข้าไปในอพาร์ตเมนต์ห้องหนึ่ง โดยที่เขาไม่รู้เลยว่านั่นเป็นกับดักของแม่มด!

เล่มนี้เป็นวรรณกรรมเยาวชนแฟนตาซีที่มีความดาร์คนิดหน่อยถึงดาร์คปานกลาง เรื่องราวของเด็กที่ถูกแม่มดใจร้าย(?) ลักพาตัวมาใช้แรงงานบางอย่าง ในอพาร์ตเมนต์แห่งนั้น ไม่ได้มีเพียงแต่อเล็กซ์คนเดียวที่ถูกจับตัวไป แต่ยังมี 'ยัสมิน' เด็กสาวอีกคนที่ถูกจับตัวมาก่อนหน้า เธอไม่ค่อยเป็นมิตรกับอเล็กซ์เท่าไหร่ แถมยังมี 'เลอร์นอร์' เจ้าแมวส้มอ้วนกลมจอมจับผิด มันทำหน้าที่เป็นผู้คุมเด็กทั้งสอง แถมยังขี้ฟ้องเป็นที่หนึ่ง แต่ในความน่าหมั่นไส้ เรากลับรู้สึกว่าเลอร์นอร์เป็นตัวละครที่น่ารักดีเหมือนกัน 55555

พอถูกแม่มดจับตัวไป สิ่งที่อเล็กซ์ต้องทำก็คือ หาทางออกไปจากที่นี่ให้ได้ และด้วยพรสวรรค์ในการเขียนสตอรี่ผีๆ แม่มดเองก็ดูจะชื่นชอบเรื่องสยองขวัญ อเล็กซ์เลยได้รับหน้าที่เล่าเรื่องสยองขวัญก่อนนอนให้แม่มดฟัง เพื่อแลกกับการมีชีวิตต่อไปอีกวัน พอตกกลางวันก็ร่วมมือกับยัสมินในการหาทางออกไปจากที่นี่ โดยแผนการของทั้งสองต้องแนบเนียนมากๆ ไม่งั้นเจ้าแมวเลอร์นอร์จะเห็นเข้าแล้วนำไปฟ้องเจ้านาย แน่นอน เด็กทั้งสองไม่อยากให้แม่มดรู้ทันหรอก ความสนุกของเรื่องก็เลยอยู่ที่ตรงนี้แหละ คนอ่านจะคอยลุ้นไปกับแผนการของเด็กๆ จะรอดมั้ยนะ จะโดนจับได้มั้ยนะ ทั้งตึงทั้งตื่นเต้นในเวลาเดียวกัน ยิ่งเด็กทั้งสองค้นข้อมูลมากเท่าไหร่ ก็ยิ่งดำดิ่งเข้าไปสู่ความลับอันดำมืดของอพาร์ตเมนต์แห่งนี้

บอกตามตรงว่า ตอนอ่านเล่มนี้ เรารู้สึกว่าทั้งตัวเราและอเล็กซ์มีความคล้ายกันอยู่สองอย่าง อย่างแรกคือ ความชื่นชอบในเรื่องสยองขวัญสั่นประสาทเลือดสาดทั้งหลาย 55555 ชอบถึงขั้นก่อนนอนต้องดูอะไรน่ากลัวๆ ก่อนนอนเป็นพิธีซะหน่อย จะได้รู้สึกนอนฝันดี และความเหมือนอย่างที่สองคือ การชอบอะไรแบบนี้อะ มันตกเป็นเป้าให้คนอื่นมองว่าเราเป็นตัวประหลาดจริงๆ สิ่งที่อเล็กซ์เจอไม่ใช่เรื่องโอเวอร์อะไรใดๆ เลย เราเองก็เจอเหตุการณ์ไม่ต่างกัน เราเลยเข้าใจความรู้สึกของอเล็กซ์เป็นอย่างดี

เพราะงั้นสำหรับเรา โดยรวมแล้ว เล่มนี้สนุกดีนะ (ถึงขั้นสนุกมาก) คือไม่ได้อ่านอะไรที่สนุกๆ แบบนี้มานานแล้ว หลังจากเหี่ยวแห้งไม่เจอหนังสือที่โดนใจ เรากลับได้เจอกับเล่มนี้! รู้สึกดีใจมากที่ตอนนั้นตัดสินใจซื้อเล่มนี้มา การได้อ่านหนังสือสนุกๆ ทำให้ความอยากอ่านหนังสือของเราที่หดหายไปในช่วงหลายเดือนที่ผ่านมาของเรามันกระเตื้องขึ้นมาอีกครั้ง