The Nightmares of Finnegan Quick

Hayes, Larry. The Nightmares of Finnegan Quick

August 5, 2025 by Bloomsbury Children's Books

Copy provided by the publisher

Finnegan's life has been oddly and silently tragic. When he was four, his dog Biscuit was dragged away by a pale hand dripping blood, and before too long his mother, and then his father, were gone. No one seems to notice any of these absences but him! They always occurs after months of dreaming about horrible things, so when he starts to dream about his Gran being attacked by a goblin, he knows things are dire. In his dreams, he's also met a girl with whom he has adventures, so when he meets her at school at the beginning of 8th grade, he knows he needs to talk to her. Cass' father is a paranormal investigator, and it turns out that Finnegan was born on the day Cass' mother died. Along with Finnegan's best friend, Squid, the two start to investigate dreams and try to figure out why they are able to travel in them. This takes them to a tomb near a country church, where they see the woman who took Biscuit, and she's not happy! Squid has done some research, and thinks she is a maere, a demon who sucks out souls. Armed with a crucifix, prayer book, holy water, and a peanut, the three manage to destroy a demon, but it's not enough. Cass' reveals that her father is in a state of sleep paralysis, and is currently in a coffin at the creepy former psychiatric hospital where they two are living, having come from the US. It looks like Finnegan will be able to settle things and destroy the demon, but when secrets are revealed, not everyone is safe. We need another book to find out what happens to Cass and her father, and especially to Finnegan's Gran! 

Strengths: This reminded me a bit of Currie's X Marks the Haunt, but with a very British setting. There are plenty of creepy graveyards and crypts, as well as evil demons and creatures. The best part of the book for me was Squid, who took his research very seriously, and was just very exuberant. At one point, a bully is about to beat up Finnegan, and Squid shows up, playing a flute and dancing a jig. Everyone records his antics, but he silences the bully and sends him on his way. He calls this an "irrational behavior strategy", which I absolute loved! Gran is a fantastic character, and I was amused when she gets a little vague at one point, and this is explained by her possibly having an infection. So true, but not something most young readers would know. There are some good twists and turns that I don't want to ruin as well. 
Weaknesses: Cass' father is paralyzed rather suddenly, and it's treated very casually. Just an odd inclusion, especially since he could be very useful in a subsequent book. Also, this is only available in paperback and is NOT in the Tales from Cabin 23 series, even though the font made me think it was. 
What I really think: This feels very much like a British Goosebumps book, and will be a popular choice with readers who like scary tales Jreije's Bashir Boutros and the Jewel of the Nile or Fournet's Brick Dust and Bones.