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Disney Chills #1
Part of Your Nightmare
"My dear, sweet child. Go ahead. Don't be afraid?."
Eleven-year-old Shelly Anderson just wants to be popular. Her parents have split and she has to start over at a new school with different classes, a brand new swim team and an unfamiliar social scene. So what if she just wants the cool kids to like her? Is that really too much to ask? So when Shelly finds a mysterious nautilus shell that summons the infamous sea witch, Ursula, she jumps at her chance to make a deal that will solidify her as one of the coolest girls in school. But when Shelly's wish quickly goes belly-up, she must figure out how to back out of the witch's deal before it forever binds her fate.
Grab your night-light, dear reader, and prepare to be CHILL-ed!
Eleven-year-old Shelly Anderson just wants to be popular. Her parents have split and she has to start over at a new school with different classes, a brand new swim team and an unfamiliar social scene. So what if she just wants the cool kids to like her? Is that really too much to ask? So when Shelly finds a mysterious nautilus shell that summons the infamous sea witch, Ursula, she jumps at her chance to make a deal that will solidify her as one of the coolest girls in school. But when Shelly's wish quickly goes belly-up, she must figure out how to back out of the witch's deal before it forever binds her fate.
Grab your night-light, dear reader, and prepare to be CHILL-ed!
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews
January 28, 2025
**3.5-stars**
Part of Your Nightmare is the first book in Disney's Chills series, which features all new characters making deals with famous Disney villains.
This is a Middle Grade anthology series and does read very true to that age group.
In this installment we follow 11-year old, Shelly Anderson, who spends a lot of her time at the aquarium owned by her parents. She loves marine science and knows a lot about the ocean and the creatures who live there.
At school, Shelly is a member of the swim team and wants so much to be accepted by the popular girls on the team. In fact, being popular is a big focus for Shelly.
On a school trip to the aquarium, Shelly is hanging out with the popular girls, Kendall, the queen bee, and the twins, Alana and Attina. She's excited about the acceptance she is starting to feel from them. They actually consider her a friend. She can't mess this up.
When Kendall challenges her to do something she would never normally do, Shelly succumbs to the peer pressure. Her action has horrible consequences, summoning the Sea Witch Ursula and putting Shelly within her grasp.
Shelly apparently never saw the movie The Little Mermaid, so she is unaware that Ursula is a dangerous negotiator; someone she doesn't want to be a making a deal with.
Unfortunately, without this knowledge, Shelly does just that. She makes a deal with the witch that will allow her one wish, to be the best swimmer, that way she can win competitions for her team and secure her popularity for sure.
As I am sure you can imagine, there's hidden aspects to this deal and it doesn't go as Shelly imagined at all. Life as she knows it is now at stake, can she figure out a way to break the deal before it's too late!?
Part of Your Nightmare is a great start for this anthology series. I enjoyed this one. The ending took me completely by surprise. It was definitely chilling with a heavy dose of Goosebumps vibes. Fun and frightening!
The dialogue wasn't the greatest, but I am hoping this author can improve with that over the course of the series. It just didn't feel natural, or in any way like kids this age would talk.
Other than that, I enjoyed the imagery, the incorporation of Ursula and the lessons taught over the course of the story. I absolutely plan to continue on with this Spooky Middle Grade series.
Part of Your Nightmare is the first book in Disney's Chills series, which features all new characters making deals with famous Disney villains.
This is a Middle Grade anthology series and does read very true to that age group.
In this installment we follow 11-year old, Shelly Anderson, who spends a lot of her time at the aquarium owned by her parents. She loves marine science and knows a lot about the ocean and the creatures who live there.
At school, Shelly is a member of the swim team and wants so much to be accepted by the popular girls on the team. In fact, being popular is a big focus for Shelly.
On a school trip to the aquarium, Shelly is hanging out with the popular girls, Kendall, the queen bee, and the twins, Alana and Attina. She's excited about the acceptance she is starting to feel from them. They actually consider her a friend. She can't mess this up.
When Kendall challenges her to do something she would never normally do, Shelly succumbs to the peer pressure. Her action has horrible consequences, summoning the Sea Witch Ursula and putting Shelly within her grasp.
Shelly apparently never saw the movie The Little Mermaid, so she is unaware that Ursula is a dangerous negotiator; someone she doesn't want to be a making a deal with.
Unfortunately, without this knowledge, Shelly does just that. She makes a deal with the witch that will allow her one wish, to be the best swimmer, that way she can win competitions for her team and secure her popularity for sure.
As I am sure you can imagine, there's hidden aspects to this deal and it doesn't go as Shelly imagined at all. Life as she knows it is now at stake, can she figure out a way to break the deal before it's too late!?
Part of Your Nightmare is a great start for this anthology series. I enjoyed this one. The ending took me completely by surprise. It was definitely chilling with a heavy dose of Goosebumps vibes. Fun and frightening!
The dialogue wasn't the greatest, but I am hoping this author can improve with that over the course of the series. It just didn't feel natural, or in any way like kids this age would talk.
Other than that, I enjoyed the imagery, the incorporation of Ursula and the lessons taught over the course of the story. I absolutely plan to continue on with this Spooky Middle Grade series.
July 31, 2020
I absolutely LOVED the concept for this!
The execution was very superficial, but the ending redeemed the book a bit.
I wish the characters/story had been more fleshed out.
Shout out to NetGalley & Disney Publishing Worldwide for my DRC.
The execution was very superficial, but the ending redeemed the book a bit.
I wish the characters/story had been more fleshed out.
Shout out to NetGalley & Disney Publishing Worldwide for my DRC.
May 16, 2021
The shortest retelling I have read in a while and easily one of the best. This one wasn't trying to hard or trying to make an alternate story line. It was like a fun spin off.
I think Shelley is relatable to the target audience. She wants to fit in and to do that she has to deny who she is. The science enthusiast aka nerd who is embarrassed by her parents even though she shares their passion.
Ursula makes a deal she can't refuse, and I think it represents a good lesson of be careful what you wish for and work for what you want.
I like that there wasn't a happy ending like in every other story. It was pretty refreshing.
I think Shelley is relatable to the target audience. She wants to fit in and to do that she has to deny who she is. The science enthusiast aka nerd who is embarrassed by her parents even though she shares their passion.
Ursula makes a deal she can't refuse, and I think it represents a good lesson of be careful what you wish for and work for what you want.
I like that there wasn't a happy ending like in every other story. It was pretty refreshing.
July 13, 2020
HASHTAG SURPRISINGLY GOOD
June 15, 2025
J'ai pris le livre par hasard à la bibliothèque en me disant "tiens, c'est marrant, une revisite de la Petite Sirène !". J'adore les revisites de contes. Ici je ne suis pas déçue, c'est bien écrit, l'histoire est vraiment chouette, l'héroïne est touchante. Et puis, le livre aborde des thèmes universels: l'amitié, les choix, bons ou mauvais. Le tout sur fond d'écologie et de protection des océans. C'était vraiment une chouette lecture, enfantine bien sûr, mais très agréable. Et la fin est surprenante !
March 22, 2020
What a cool way to pay a new visit to a Disney villain! Thrilled to get this ARC for review, Disney-perfect balance of fun and spookiness that is captivating my middle-grade readers! Definitely keeping an eye out for the rest of this series!
August 19, 2020
I loved this😍😍
January 12, 2021
I’d actually give it 3,5 stars. Nice take on Ursula and cool way of merging two worlds together. I didn’t know what to expect but I liked the story! The ending felt rushed and was a bit sad. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series!
August 10, 2020
This book was a little mermaid retelling about the sea witch “Ursula” with a major twist. The main character is Shelly who wants to be popular but to also tried her best to fit in order to make and keep her friends. She loved the aquarium, which her family owned in Triton Bay (located in California) Shelly did not want to portrayed as a nerd and so she did everything she could to be considered cool. As she was trying to be someone she wasn’t she was also part of the swim team at her middle school. When it was time for a swim meet to begin against the winning team she wanted to help her team win. And so one day Ursula dragged Shelly to the ocean due to littering. One Shelly apologized Ursula granted her a wish. The wish Shelly asked was to be the fastest swimmer and her wish was granted. But her wish cane with a price and so she was the fastest swimmer, but by being the fastest she had lost a friend. But most importantly she was turning into a fish. Once Ursula told Shelly what she needed to do to be turned back into a human she had to retrieve the trident from her families aquarium. This book is a middle grade that is filled with suspense, but there is no happy ending. At the end I was expecting a happy ending, but I clearly was wrong. All I can say is to be careful what you wish for because you just might get it and there is no turning back.
November 8, 2022
I don't have anything positive to say about it, so I'll just shut up 🙃
October 23, 2024
A very quick read. Very enjoyable, nice to read a disney book where the ‘good guys’ dont win
July 5, 2025
Terribly creepy did not enjoy but I also read it when I was like ten so idk. Not a happy ending and I hated it but I also am a baby when it comes to creepy stuff 🙃
March 26, 2021
It reminded me of Goosebumps in a lot of ways. I really enjoyed the message in it too. Very entertaining book !
January 11, 2021
3.5/5 🌟
This is a very nice way of putting Disney villains in the real world. This is my first middel grate book of 2021 and I'm very happy with the choice.
First I didn't like Alana and Attina but in the end I liked them. Kendall is just a big bully.
Enrique is a character that I adored. In the beginning I didn't liked our main character Shelly that much but after a while I started to like her more and more. I also adored the marine sea life. All the hastags quotes were a little bit cringe to me.
The only reason I gave this book 3.5 stars and not 4 is because of the ending. It was a little bit rushed to me. This book gave me Goosebumps vibes and I love it. Would definitely buy the second book.
This is a very nice way of putting Disney villains in the real world. This is my first middel grate book of 2021 and I'm very happy with the choice.
First I didn't like Alana and Attina but in the end I liked them. Kendall is just a big bully.
Enrique is a character that I adored. In the beginning I didn't liked our main character Shelly that much but after a while I started to like her more and more. I also adored the marine sea life. All the hastags quotes were a little bit cringe to me.
The only reason I gave this book 3.5 stars and not 4 is because of the ending. It was a little bit rushed to me. This book gave me Goosebumps vibes and I love it. Would definitely buy the second book.
July 16, 2022
Thank you Disney Publishing for giving me access to an e galley through NetGalley.
When I was a child, Ursula always seemed super frightening and now in the first Disney Chills children's horror book she's still scary. I think this book will surprise readers at just how well Disney can do spooky. It surprised me. What I loved most is that Part of Your Nightmare is horror with a eco-friendly message. Elements of the tale are literally the horrors (pun intended) of ocean pollution. Young readers will hopefully pick up on this theme and the dangers of peer pressure also explored throughout the book. A great book to kick off the series!
When I was a child, Ursula always seemed super frightening and now in the first Disney Chills children's horror book she's still scary. I think this book will surprise readers at just how well Disney can do spooky. It surprised me. What I loved most is that Part of Your Nightmare is horror with a eco-friendly message. Elements of the tale are literally the horrors (pun intended) of ocean pollution. Young readers will hopefully pick up on this theme and the dangers of peer pressure also explored throughout the book. A great book to kick off the series!
April 20, 2020
Part of your Nightmare
What happens when villains of Disney stories invade real life? I like the premise, it is a new way to look at some of the old Disney tales.
This story was about a girl who DESPERATELY wanted to have friends in her new school and caved to a little bit of peer pressure and learned the lesson that peer pressure doesn’t pay, be careful what you wish for and above all things...DO NOT LITTER!
I loved the science facts and the anti-littering message in the book.
It pulled in lots of tiny details that fans of The Little Mermaid will notice and appreciate.
What happens when villains of Disney stories invade real life? I like the premise, it is a new way to look at some of the old Disney tales.
This story was about a girl who DESPERATELY wanted to have friends in her new school and caved to a little bit of peer pressure and learned the lesson that peer pressure doesn’t pay, be careful what you wish for and above all things...DO NOT LITTER!
I loved the science facts and the anti-littering message in the book.
It pulled in lots of tiny details that fans of The Little Mermaid will notice and appreciate.
April 19, 2024
Spoiler Alert ⚠️
I did not see the ending coming and now I'm very invested in this series. It's not everyday a children's book and possibly series is made without a happy ending. Would've loved as a kid and still find fascinating and fun to read.
I did not see the ending coming and now I'm very invested in this series. It's not everyday a children's book and possibly series is made without a happy ending. Would've loved as a kid and still find fascinating and fun to read.
September 10, 2024
I love this series!! Addi wanted me to get into it and it’s just so fun!! Quick and easy reads and a little spooky!
July 16, 2021
Oh, the rare disappointment strikes again. I'll be upfront and tell you Ursula isn't a favorite villain. I think one trek through my favorite shelf would tell you Maleficent is my favorite. At the same time, however, I love all Disney baddies so I purchased this book for my kindle.
The following are thoughts I had while reading.
This is going a little slow.
How long is this book?...130 pages.
Where's the action?
Can I just skim it?
Ursula arrives the action picks up and the author succeeded at grabbing my attention again but then come stupid character choices as usual.
Don't do it, don't make a deal.
Wow okay, so that happened.
Enter message about conservation, good, good message this was actually brought up in the opening chapters but now it's getting interesting, starting to have repercussions. The action has kind of a stop-and-go pace but I'm sticking with this story because of DISNEY. There was a friendship between Shelly and Enrique that I enjoyed seeing. I thought it was so cute then EVERYBODY was at risk and I was strapped in for a boss battle.
There was no boss battle.
The bad guy won and Shelly was turned into a fish!
I was like:
“But this is a middle school DISNEY book”
yes, I am painfully aware that heroes don't always win. This is also the Disney Chills series so I understand going for that ending but COME ON!!!! the deep gut-wrenching disappointment. I was so sad. I'm still sad. There was no boss battle there were no lessons learned because characters other than Shelly have no recollection of the events.
Excuse me, I need an AG mystery stat!
The following are thoughts I had while reading.
This is going a little slow.
How long is this book?...130 pages.
Where's the action?
Can I just skim it?
Ursula arrives the action picks up and the author succeeded at grabbing my attention again but then come stupid character choices as usual.
Don't do it, don't make a deal.
Wow okay, so that happened.
Enter message about conservation, good, good message this was actually brought up in the opening chapters but now it's getting interesting, starting to have repercussions. The action has kind of a stop-and-go pace but I'm sticking with this story because of DISNEY. There was a friendship between Shelly and Enrique that I enjoyed seeing. I thought it was so cute then EVERYBODY was at risk and I was strapped in for a boss battle.
There was no boss battle.
The bad guy won and Shelly was turned into a fish!
I was like:
“But this is a middle school DISNEY book”
yes, I am painfully aware that heroes don't always win. This is also the Disney Chills series so I understand going for that ending but COME ON!!!! the deep gut-wrenching disappointment. I was so sad. I'm still sad. There was no boss battle there were no lessons learned because characters other than Shelly have no recollection of the events.
Excuse me, I need an AG mystery stat!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 23, 2020
A nice addition to the middle grade / tween horror genre, even more so if you're a big Disney fan (and who isn't?). What I expect from Disney's version of Goosebumps is a fast moving plot, cliffhanger chapters, cardboard characters and a twist ending.
You get all of the above, albeit there is some level of character development thrown in with some moral life lessons (littering in the ocean, being yourself, standing up to peer pressure, coping with family stress etc.) that I enjoyed.
You get all of the above, albeit there is some level of character development thrown in with some moral life lessons (littering in the ocean, being yourself, standing up to peer pressure, coping with family stress etc.) that I enjoyed.
April 20, 2021
Well, this one's a bit more recent. Yeah, this is an interesting one. A series by Disney that centers around Disney villains in middle grade horror stories. This drew the usual Goosebumps comparisons when this was announced, so I suppose the tradition started by Bone Chillers still lives to this day. I was curious about this so I figured I'd give it a chance.
Honestly aspects of this concept seemed a bit silly so I thought I'd come out roasting this but actually, I rather liked it. It's not without its flaws but it balanced to being a decent story. Our protagonist is Shrlly Anderson, her parents recently got divorced and she now lives in Triton Bay, where there is an aquarium her family owns. She has a hard time making friends at school and gets a group of them lead by popular girl Kendall. It soon becomes clear Kendall isn't the nicest but it's all Shelly is and she is desperate to keep that.
They are all part of the swim team and they are desperate to beat the rival team, or at least Kendall is. Shelly wants to be the fastest swimmer so she can help the team win and beat the rival, but just to make Kendall happy. One day after being pressured into littering, Shelly meets Ursula who offers to grant her a wish in exchange for a favor at a later date. Naturally she accepts out of desperation but shockingly, it goes wrong.
Starting with the flaws, there's an environmental message here that was just silly. There's a whole thing about plastic straws being bad and littering and all that. It wasn't even that important. Yeah it starts all this but it's not important to Ursula's ultimate plans and motivation. So it was just cheesy, especially when the plastic plays into the horror.
The other girls have some cringy modern talk that I didn't care for, although at least it was only with them and not the more down to earth characters. The horror in this horror book is hit or miss, there's a few effective bits but also some that just feels silly, perhaps too restrained given the target audience. There's something that happens to Shelly that had the chance for some good body horror and while what we get is fine, it could have been pushed further.
As for why the story works, I mostly liked the theming. Sure, it's not that orginal or deep by most standards, with someone falling in with a bad crowd and dealing with peer pressure and all that. But since I'm so used to the Goosebumps type stuff, seeing this may as well be ground breaking lol. Plus, it is handled well as Shelly struggles on if she should do the right thing or keep pushing this.
There's also slight nuance as Kendall does help her here and there, it's what helps keep Shelly going to impress her.It becomes clear Kendall only does so to help herself in the end but it is at least a bit more than what I usually get.
Then there's the ending, which was not what I expected. It's not quite the traditional one I expected and the execution mostly made it work, although it leaves me with one lingering question they weirdly didn't answer. Still, it was effective.
Overall, there's plenty I can make of fun here but the core story was a decent one with solid themes. Ursula was used fine, she was a threatening presence and it's not held down too much by having to connect this to Little Mermaid. This got lucky enough to overcome the flaws to tell a decent enough story. I'm not as sure how the others fare but maybe I'll see someday.
For now, this wasn't too bad. There's better options as far as this stuff goes but for kids, it's not too bad. So yeah, there's that.
Honestly aspects of this concept seemed a bit silly so I thought I'd come out roasting this but actually, I rather liked it. It's not without its flaws but it balanced to being a decent story. Our protagonist is Shrlly Anderson, her parents recently got divorced and she now lives in Triton Bay, where there is an aquarium her family owns. She has a hard time making friends at school and gets a group of them lead by popular girl Kendall. It soon becomes clear Kendall isn't the nicest but it's all Shelly is and she is desperate to keep that.
They are all part of the swim team and they are desperate to beat the rival team, or at least Kendall is. Shelly wants to be the fastest swimmer so she can help the team win and beat the rival, but just to make Kendall happy. One day after being pressured into littering, Shelly meets Ursula who offers to grant her a wish in exchange for a favor at a later date. Naturally she accepts out of desperation but shockingly, it goes wrong.
Starting with the flaws, there's an environmental message here that was just silly. There's a whole thing about plastic straws being bad and littering and all that. It wasn't even that important. Yeah it starts all this but it's not important to Ursula's ultimate plans and motivation. So it was just cheesy, especially when the plastic plays into the horror.
The other girls have some cringy modern talk that I didn't care for, although at least it was only with them and not the more down to earth characters. The horror in this horror book is hit or miss, there's a few effective bits but also some that just feels silly, perhaps too restrained given the target audience. There's something that happens to Shelly that had the chance for some good body horror and while what we get is fine, it could have been pushed further.
As for why the story works, I mostly liked the theming. Sure, it's not that orginal or deep by most standards, with someone falling in with a bad crowd and dealing with peer pressure and all that. But since I'm so used to the Goosebumps type stuff, seeing this may as well be ground breaking lol. Plus, it is handled well as Shelly struggles on if she should do the right thing or keep pushing this.
There's also slight nuance as Kendall does help her here and there, it's what helps keep Shelly going to impress her.It becomes clear Kendall only does so to help herself in the end but it is at least a bit more than what I usually get.
Then there's the ending, which was not what I expected. It's not quite the traditional one I expected and the execution mostly made it work, although it leaves me with one lingering question they weirdly didn't answer. Still, it was effective.
Overall, there's plenty I can make of fun here but the core story was a decent one with solid themes. Ursula was used fine, she was a threatening presence and it's not held down too much by having to connect this to Little Mermaid. This got lucky enough to overcome the flaws to tell a decent enough story. I'm not as sure how the others fare but maybe I'll see someday.
For now, this wasn't too bad. There's better options as far as this stuff goes but for kids, it's not too bad. So yeah, there's that.
October 16, 2020
OH MY GOD????? That ending!!! 😱😱😱 I AM SHOOK SHE ACTUALLY TURNED HER INTO A FISH!!! My boyfriend said it’s a Goosebumps ending and he’s 100% correct ahahaha I did NOT see that coming! And Dawson most likely wanting to take her home as a pet? WHAT!!!! I actually thought they’d be unveiling some strange new fish they found that was really her and how fucked up that would be, but it didn’t happen. 🐠
This was sitting at a solid three stars until the ending. 😂 I turned the page absolutely expecting it to be wrapped up in a happily ever after kind of way in the last five pages and then it wasn’t. I cannot deal. What are the next ones in this series going to look like??? Omg I can’t wait.
Okay actual review time:
The characters were kind of one dimensional, and this is definitely on the younger side of middle grade. Maybe even just an advanced chapter book. Everything felt very superficial and unbelievable, but if you look at it like a Disney-fied Goosebumps, it makes more sense.
The issues felt very juvenile to me, like “oh no I have no friends” and “I’m going to go against everything I know and care about to impress my friends.” I know for 12 year olds friendships are EVERYTHING, but reading it as a 28 year old they felt silly and a bit dumb. That’s more of a me problem though.
The girls drinking iced lattes at 12 was ridiculous, nobody does that. And the amount of times the twins said “hashtag X” was annoying. Nobody talks like that. I feel like some authors write books with young characters without actually knowing any young people and nobody thinks to run it by the age group to see if it’s realistic in how they talk.
The amount of Little Mermaid “Easter eggs” felt like a lot, seeing as most people who pick up this book already know Ursula and her story. It felt like it was trying too hard to be clever in its references, instead of taking place in I’m assuming the same canon world? She wanted the trident in the movie too. Same with the twins’ names, as well as the fish references.
Miguel was a sweet character, I liked him a lot. Though it did bother me that Shelly wasn’t going to sacrifice her whole town to save herself, but was absolutely willing to, to save her friend. Like... the town all of a sudden doesn’t matter? I feel like it was supposed to come off as she would fight Ursula to save her friend but that’s not what it was.
The amount of times the trident was said “to have mighty electrical power” or some variation was TOO much and repetitive. Shelly’s issues with breathing also got confusing in the end, as it would say “her lungs were screaming for oxygen” but she’s still able to talk and run? That was in the same paragraph. 🤨
It was all kind of ~ho hum~ until the last 50 pages when everything RAMPED UP and I had anxiety wondering what was going to happen. Is that good writing? I don’t know.
Despite its unrealistic-ness, the twist ending got me good and I hope the rest of the series delivers. 🙌🏻
SIDE NOTE - the author, Vera Strange, is writing under a pen name (an AWESOME one) but it’s ruined at the back of the book when the “about the author” tells you her name is really Jennifer Brody. 😐 Why write under a pen name at all then??? For me, it ruined some of the ~mystery and chills~ surrounding the series.
This was sitting at a solid three stars until the ending. 😂 I turned the page absolutely expecting it to be wrapped up in a happily ever after kind of way in the last five pages and then it wasn’t. I cannot deal. What are the next ones in this series going to look like??? Omg I can’t wait.
Okay actual review time:
The characters were kind of one dimensional, and this is definitely on the younger side of middle grade. Maybe even just an advanced chapter book. Everything felt very superficial and unbelievable, but if you look at it like a Disney-fied Goosebumps, it makes more sense.
The issues felt very juvenile to me, like “oh no I have no friends” and “I’m going to go against everything I know and care about to impress my friends.” I know for 12 year olds friendships are EVERYTHING, but reading it as a 28 year old they felt silly and a bit dumb. That’s more of a me problem though.
The girls drinking iced lattes at 12 was ridiculous, nobody does that. And the amount of times the twins said “hashtag X” was annoying. Nobody talks like that. I feel like some authors write books with young characters without actually knowing any young people and nobody thinks to run it by the age group to see if it’s realistic in how they talk.
The amount of Little Mermaid “Easter eggs” felt like a lot, seeing as most people who pick up this book already know Ursula and her story. It felt like it was trying too hard to be clever in its references, instead of taking place in I’m assuming the same canon world? She wanted the trident in the movie too. Same with the twins’ names, as well as the fish references.
Miguel was a sweet character, I liked him a lot. Though it did bother me that Shelly wasn’t going to sacrifice her whole town to save herself, but was absolutely willing to, to save her friend. Like... the town all of a sudden doesn’t matter? I feel like it was supposed to come off as she would fight Ursula to save her friend but that’s not what it was.
The amount of times the trident was said “to have mighty electrical power” or some variation was TOO much and repetitive. Shelly’s issues with breathing also got confusing in the end, as it would say “her lungs were screaming for oxygen” but she’s still able to talk and run? That was in the same paragraph. 🤨
It was all kind of ~ho hum~ until the last 50 pages when everything RAMPED UP and I had anxiety wondering what was going to happen. Is that good writing? I don’t know.
Despite its unrealistic-ness, the twist ending got me good and I hope the rest of the series delivers. 🙌🏻
SIDE NOTE - the author, Vera Strange, is writing under a pen name (an AWESOME one) but it’s ruined at the back of the book when the “about the author” tells you her name is really Jennifer Brody. 😐 Why write under a pen name at all then??? For me, it ruined some of the ~mystery and chills~ surrounding the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 29, 2021
RESEÑA EN EL BLOG ➜https://bit.ly/3m4E2f6
La vida de Shelly ha cambiando mucho en muy poco tiempo. Sus padres que siempre habían demostrado un gran afecto entre ellos se han separado y ahora vive con su hermano menor y madre en un pequeño departamento que es muy diferente a su antiguo hogar. También ahora tiene que asistir a otra escuela en donde vivió un episodio tan fuerte al que denomina "el mes sin ningún amigo" en donde solo los maestros le dirían la palabra. Pero eso cambia cuando es aceptada en el equipo de natación ya que sus carreras son lo suficientemente buenas para que las chicas más populares de su clase de fijen en ella.
El problema es que estás chicas y ella tienen solo la natación en común y fuera de la alberca son polos opuestos, pero Shelly está tan decidida a no repetir el episodio sin amigos que accede hacer cosas por ellas que nunca haría, como arrojar basura a su amado amor, aquel basto azul que ha estado siempre con ella pese a todos los cambios.
...
Antes de comenzar con la reseña de este libro debo decirles que con él inicia una serie enfocada a cada villano de Disney. En esta ocasión es Úrsula quien toma el papel de la antagonista. Esta bruja del mar a quien conocimos en La Sirenita ahora de sale un poco de su contexto para aterrorizar a chicas de secundaria que están pasando por una mala racha.
El hecho de encontrar a Úrsula fuera de su cuento ha sido toda experiencia, de hecho durante todo el libro no se hace mención alguna de Ariel, ni nada del marco de La Sirenita, solamente se enfoca en adaptar la leyenda de Úrsula en un tiempo más actual.
Pero sin duda alguna el detalle que más me gustó de este libro es que está muy lejos de ser un cuento de hadas, ya que en este pequeño librito encontraremos una historia quizá un poco más oscura y no tan alentadora, muy diferente a los libros de Disney.
November 6, 2023
Para el reto Halloween 2023 tenía planeado otra novela sobre brujas pero, descubrí esta serie “Escalofríos” de Disney en la cual los villanos que hemos visto en diversas películas cobran relevancia nuevamente y tenía que leer la primera novela con Ursula (La Sirenita) haciendo fechorías.
Leer esta novela fue prácticamente la prosa de los títulos pertenecientes a la serie CIAO Horror o como Zekkyou gakkyuu de Ishikawa Emi. Básicamente, lo que llamó horror moralizante en el cual el o la protagonista debido a una conducta o un objeto enfrenta vicisitudes que le harán madurar o recibir un castigo al final de la historia.
Ni los manga ni esta novela son para mi pero ambos los disfruto, aun cuando al leer hay cosas que no comprendo porque actúan así, incluso tuve decepciones con la protagonista en esta novela, Shelly. Creo incluso se puede decir todos los personajes son planos, no sé si incluir a Ursula pero pues a ella le conocemos más gracias a la peli.
¿Entonces, por qué 5 de 5? Ya lo escribí, no soy el publico objetivo el cual puede identificarse más con Shelly, y debido a que es una niña entiendo, aunque me desespera, sus decisiones.
Dejando eso, la autora maneja capítulos concisos, el lenguaje es sencillo lo que aunado a la historia uno no tiene dificultad para leer capitulo tras capitulo haciendo de ello una novela muy entretenida.
Gran idea de Disney en aprobar este tipo de historias que no dejaran indiferente a nadie, pues tocan situaciones reales en el ambiente familiar y escolar. Y qué una historia ficticia puede ser como la vida misma.
“If only she’d done the right thing and hadn’t bent to peer pressure…”
Narrador.
March 2, 2022
If you enjoyed "Goosebumps" as a kid or even if you still do as an adult, but also enjoy Disney stories and fairy tales, this book series is for you. I thought this was a fun take and did a great job at paying tribute to Ursula the sea witch, a very clever villain indeed. The issues presented in this book is relatable towards kids of all ages, but specifically those in middle school since that's the age demographic that is desperate to "fit in". I will say the one thing that annoyed me in this book is how the kids talked in here. There was so much Gen Z slang it was a little bit ridiculous, no one I know talks like this. If the author would have dialed back the slang, it would have made the story not look as cheesy and in my opinion, more enjoyable.
Overall, this was a good book to start my March Disney Madness, when I'm on the last stretch of winter and need something magical in my life. I am excited to see more from this series.
Last thing I wanted to add, I liked the ending, it was dark and I adore it when children's author's take it to a whole new level. :)
Overall, this was a good book to start my March Disney Madness, when I'm on the last stretch of winter and need something magical in my life. I am excited to see more from this series.
Last thing I wanted to add, I liked the ending, it was dark and I adore it when children's author's take it to a whole new level. :)
May 13, 2021
Quand j’ai vu cette nouvelle saga Disney sur les méchants, et même si c’est du jeunesse, je me suis dis qu’il me la fallait absolument. Mais genre vraiment. J’avais beaucoup trop envie de la découvrir. La grande fan de Disney en moi a été plus que ravie de voir cette sortie. Je ne sais pas vous mais moi personnellement j’aime vraiment énormément les romans avec les personnages de Disney. Que ce soit la collection sur les Vilains ou les Twisted Tale, clairement je suis aux anges. Cette nouvelle collection consacré aux méchants mais ciblant un public plus jeune m’a vraiment de suite intrigué. J’ai donc lu ce premier tome et je ne suis pas déçue. Vraiment pas.
Déjà, parlons de cette divine couverture? Je crois même qu’en voyant le roman c’est la première chose qui m’a interpellé. Pas le titre, ni la collection. Non la couverture. Je la trouve incroyablement belle est ça donne vraiment beaucoup trop envie de se plonger dedans. Et c’est la même chose pour les deux autres tomes qui sont déjà sorti d’ailleurs. Je suis vraiment ultra fan de ces couvertures. Et puis clairement on peut dire qu’elle nous annonce la couleur du roman.
Dans ce premier tome, on va suivre le personnage de Shelly, une jeune fille de onze ans. Elle n’aspire qu’à une seule chose: devenir populaire dans son collège. Entre le divorce de ses parents, son déménagement, ce n’est pas toujours facile pour cette jeune fille. Elle est passionné par l’océan et tout ce qui s’y trouve et s’y approche. Ses parents sont d’ailleurs responsables de l’aquarium de la ville. Un jour, elle découvre un nautile qui lui permet de rencontrer Ursula, la célèbre sorcière des mers. Shelly décide donc de faire un pacte avec la sorcière pour que tout aille mieux dans sa vie. Du moins c’est ce qu’elle croit… Si au début tout se passe bien pour elle suite à son pacte, le rêve se transforme très vite en véritable cauchemar pour elle… Shelly n’a plus qu’une idée en tête désormais : annuler le pacte avant qu’il soit trop tard.
Il ne faut pas oublier que ce roman s’adresse à un jeune public. Ne vous attendez pas à de la grande littérature! Bien évidemment la façon dont c’est écrit c’est assez enfantin. Mais c’est très bien écrit, c’est très fluide et très rapide à lire. En à peine deux heures, j’avais fini le roman. Je découvre la plume de Vera Strange avec ce roman et franchement c’est une plume très agréable à lire. C’est simple, parfois un peu trop, mais il faut s’y attendre lorsque l’on lit un roman jeunesse. Moi ça ne me dérange pas le moins du monde, bien au contraire. Lire des romans jeunesses de temps à temps c’est mon petit péché mignon, j’adore ça. Je sais d’avance que ce sera une lecture sans prise de tête, hyper rapide à lire et qui me fera passer un excellent moment. Au moins avec les romans jeunesses, on n’a pas un univers complexe etc. Et quand on est fatiguée mais qu’on veut quand même lire ce genre de roman tombe à pic!
J’ai beaucoup aimé les sujets qui sont traités dans ce roman. On parle d’acceptation de soi, d’intégration, d’écologie ou encore d’amitié. Il y a une vraie morale derrière toute cette histoire. Et ça je trouve ça vraiment génial. Ce roman nous montre que quoi qu’il arrive, il vaut mieux rester tout simplement soi même plutôt que changer pour plaire à quelqu’un qui au final ne vous aime pas à votre juste valeur. C’est ce qui finit par arriver à Shelly. Son envie d’être populaire à tout prix lui fait faire des choses pour lesquelles elle est contre de base. Mais juste pour plaire à ses « amies » elle va quand même le faire. Et quand on voit comment ça se finit… Le roman nous montre aussi que lorsque vous avez un problème, vous pouvez vraiment voir sur qui vous pouvez compter ou pas. Je trouve ça vraiment bien ce genre de morale dans un roman jeunesse c’est important!
J’ai beaucoup aimé le personnage de Shelly, même si forcément les choix qu’elle peut faire tout au long de ce premier tome ne m’ont vraiment pas plu. J’ai trouvé ça hyper dommage qu’elle change sa façon d’être juste pour plaire. Qu’elle se sente obligé de faire un truc qu’elle n’a pas envie juste pour prouver a ses « amies » que ce n’est pas la geek que tout le monde pense qu’elle est. J’ai beaucoup aimé celui de Enrique, même si au final j’aurais aimé le voir encore plus que ça. Par contre je n’ai pas accroché avec Kendall, je trouve que c’est une véritable peste comme c’est pas permis! Et les jumelles m’ont un peu gonflés dans leur façon de parler à rajouter des hashtags à tout bout de champ dans leurs façons de parler.. c’est vraiment le seul point négatif que je trouve à redire.
Par contre si il y a bien une chose à laquelle je ne m’attendais absolument pas c’est la fin! Mais vraiment, c’est tellement inattendu que j’en suis restée bouche bée. J’avais l’impression d’avoir mal lu tellement la fin est « extrême » si je puis dire. J’ai envie d’en parler mais en même temps ce serait spoiler et au final ce n’est clairement pas le but du tout. Mais woooow c’est vraiment surprenant et tout ce que je peux vous dire c’est que ce n’est pas forcément toujours ceux qu’on pense qui finissent par gagner. C’est tout ce que je peux vous dire.
Le fait que tout se déroule dans notre monde à nous et que le côté Disney n’est pas forcément très présent, à part la présence d’Ursula et le côté magie, je trouve que c’est intéressant à exploiter. Même si la fan en moi aurait aimé que ça transpire de Disney évidemment. En tout cas je ressors de cette lecture enthousiaste. Oui c’est du jeunesse et il faut apprécier la lecture jeunesse pour vraiment adorer ce roman. C’était une collection qui m’intéressait vraiment beaucoup et je ne regrette pas de m’être lancé! J’ai très très hâte de lire la suite, surtout le troisième tome avec le Capitaine Crochet!
Déjà, parlons de cette divine couverture? Je crois même qu’en voyant le roman c’est la première chose qui m’a interpellé. Pas le titre, ni la collection. Non la couverture. Je la trouve incroyablement belle est ça donne vraiment beaucoup trop envie de se plonger dedans. Et c’est la même chose pour les deux autres tomes qui sont déjà sorti d’ailleurs. Je suis vraiment ultra fan de ces couvertures. Et puis clairement on peut dire qu’elle nous annonce la couleur du roman.
Dans ce premier tome, on va suivre le personnage de Shelly, une jeune fille de onze ans. Elle n’aspire qu’à une seule chose: devenir populaire dans son collège. Entre le divorce de ses parents, son déménagement, ce n’est pas toujours facile pour cette jeune fille. Elle est passionné par l’océan et tout ce qui s’y trouve et s’y approche. Ses parents sont d’ailleurs responsables de l’aquarium de la ville. Un jour, elle découvre un nautile qui lui permet de rencontrer Ursula, la célèbre sorcière des mers. Shelly décide donc de faire un pacte avec la sorcière pour que tout aille mieux dans sa vie. Du moins c’est ce qu’elle croit… Si au début tout se passe bien pour elle suite à son pacte, le rêve se transforme très vite en véritable cauchemar pour elle… Shelly n’a plus qu’une idée en tête désormais : annuler le pacte avant qu’il soit trop tard.
Il ne faut pas oublier que ce roman s’adresse à un jeune public. Ne vous attendez pas à de la grande littérature! Bien évidemment la façon dont c’est écrit c’est assez enfantin. Mais c’est très bien écrit, c’est très fluide et très rapide à lire. En à peine deux heures, j’avais fini le roman. Je découvre la plume de Vera Strange avec ce roman et franchement c’est une plume très agréable à lire. C’est simple, parfois un peu trop, mais il faut s’y attendre lorsque l’on lit un roman jeunesse. Moi ça ne me dérange pas le moins du monde, bien au contraire. Lire des romans jeunesses de temps à temps c’est mon petit péché mignon, j’adore ça. Je sais d’avance que ce sera une lecture sans prise de tête, hyper rapide à lire et qui me fera passer un excellent moment. Au moins avec les romans jeunesses, on n’a pas un univers complexe etc. Et quand on est fatiguée mais qu’on veut quand même lire ce genre de roman tombe à pic!
J’ai beaucoup aimé les sujets qui sont traités dans ce roman. On parle d’acceptation de soi, d’intégration, d’écologie ou encore d’amitié. Il y a une vraie morale derrière toute cette histoire. Et ça je trouve ça vraiment génial. Ce roman nous montre que quoi qu’il arrive, il vaut mieux rester tout simplement soi même plutôt que changer pour plaire à quelqu’un qui au final ne vous aime pas à votre juste valeur. C’est ce qui finit par arriver à Shelly. Son envie d’être populaire à tout prix lui fait faire des choses pour lesquelles elle est contre de base. Mais juste pour plaire à ses « amies » elle va quand même le faire. Et quand on voit comment ça se finit… Le roman nous montre aussi que lorsque vous avez un problème, vous pouvez vraiment voir sur qui vous pouvez compter ou pas. Je trouve ça vraiment bien ce genre de morale dans un roman jeunesse c’est important!
J’ai beaucoup aimé le personnage de Shelly, même si forcément les choix qu’elle peut faire tout au long de ce premier tome ne m’ont vraiment pas plu. J’ai trouvé ça hyper dommage qu’elle change sa façon d’être juste pour plaire. Qu’elle se sente obligé de faire un truc qu’elle n’a pas envie juste pour prouver a ses « amies » que ce n’est pas la geek que tout le monde pense qu’elle est. J’ai beaucoup aimé celui de Enrique, même si au final j’aurais aimé le voir encore plus que ça. Par contre je n’ai pas accroché avec Kendall, je trouve que c’est une véritable peste comme c’est pas permis! Et les jumelles m’ont un peu gonflés dans leur façon de parler à rajouter des hashtags à tout bout de champ dans leurs façons de parler.. c’est vraiment le seul point négatif que je trouve à redire.
Par contre si il y a bien une chose à laquelle je ne m’attendais absolument pas c’est la fin! Mais vraiment, c’est tellement inattendu que j’en suis restée bouche bée. J’avais l’impression d’avoir mal lu tellement la fin est « extrême » si je puis dire. J’ai envie d’en parler mais en même temps ce serait spoiler et au final ce n’est clairement pas le but du tout. Mais woooow c’est vraiment surprenant et tout ce que je peux vous dire c’est que ce n’est pas forcément toujours ceux qu’on pense qui finissent par gagner. C’est tout ce que je peux vous dire.
Le fait que tout se déroule dans notre monde à nous et que le côté Disney n’est pas forcément très présent, à part la présence d’Ursula et le côté magie, je trouve que c’est intéressant à exploiter. Même si la fan en moi aurait aimé que ça transpire de Disney évidemment. En tout cas je ressors de cette lecture enthousiaste. Oui c’est du jeunesse et il faut apprécier la lecture jeunesse pour vraiment adorer ce roman. C’était une collection qui m’intéressait vraiment beaucoup et je ne regrette pas de m’être lancé! J’ai très très hâte de lire la suite, surtout le troisième tome avec le Capitaine Crochet!
April 18, 2021
I just got the book from BJ’s yesterday, and I was shocked to hear from one of the people who wrote a review that the main character turned into a fish!
Anyway, I thought that Shelly got turned into a voiceless mermaid who is now forced to work as Ursula’s slave. Plus, the Disney Chills series have inspired me to make my own story series called Disney Chills Rescue, and my first one is called “A Shell Shock Under the Sea”, where one of the characters from Octonauts, Kwazii, dives in to retrieve King Triton’s trident and save Shelly from Ursula’s clutches, but must get pass her tricks and take away the seashell necklace that holds Shelly’s voice, in hopes of returning Shelly back to her old self and ending a bad stormy weather.
Cool story, right?
Anyway, I thought that Shelly got turned into a voiceless mermaid who is now forced to work as Ursula’s slave. Plus, the Disney Chills series have inspired me to make my own story series called Disney Chills Rescue, and my first one is called “A Shell Shock Under the Sea”, where one of the characters from Octonauts, Kwazii, dives in to retrieve King Triton’s trident and save Shelly from Ursula’s clutches, but must get pass her tricks and take away the seashell necklace that holds Shelly’s voice, in hopes of returning Shelly back to her old self and ending a bad stormy weather.
Cool story, right?
September 17, 2020
I enjoyed the story. It was pretty creepy. And I’m 29! I pictured scenes in my head as I read it and put myself in Shelly’s and Enrique’s place.
The ending is more sad than creepy to me.
This book has some lessons that we can all learn from, too. Kids will learn some real life lessons and fun facts in this book. Looking forward to the next book, with Dr. Facilier! ^.^
Btw, this reminds me of Goosebumps. They’re pretty similar. Imo.
The ending is more sad than creepy to me.
This book has some lessons that we can all learn from, too. Kids will learn some real life lessons and fun facts in this book. Looking forward to the next book, with Dr. Facilier! ^.^
Btw, this reminds me of Goosebumps. They’re pretty similar. Imo.
October 10, 2024
This was surprisingly good! Each book in this series is a Goosebumps-style modern spin-off of a Disney animated classic. This one features a particularly haunting Ursula and a young girl grappling with the weight of middle school. It’s nothing groundbreaking, per se, but it was intriguing, spooky, and fun. I think it would make for a great TV series. I’m definitely going to try out more of these books.
May 30, 2022
This book was my first true horror book, and to be honest, it traumatized me. When I saw it, I thought to myself, “It’s Disney! It can’t possibly be that bad, right?” Well, it WAS that bad. The main character, Shelley is relatable and the book started out okay! But after the first half, it just got, well, scary. There are some scenes that are absolutely terrifying. I would not recommend this book to people who don’t enjoy horror or scary stories.
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