The Aussie Zombie

I loved the first book in J.L. Bryan's The Paranormals Series, Jenny Pox. With a unique storyline and fabulous characters, most especially Jenny who is incredibly easy to like and empathise with, I was completely enthralled.

With Tommy Nightmare, J.L. Bryan has taken a bunch of characters I loved, and hated, in the first book and put them back into the mix as well as introducing more characters into the story, increasing the paranormal aspect of the book and creating a more obvious connection between all the characters across their multiple lifetimes.

Tommy is the first new character, and the almost-star-of-the-show, that is introduced in a prologue where as small child he is mistreated by an abusive and radically religious foster father. Tommy's ability is fear, and he uses it to get what he wants, and to get himself out of the trouble he seems to inevitably find himself in.

I assumed, incorrectly, that Jenny and Seth wouldn't play such a big part in Tommy's story, but as the story progressed, the focus was equally on Tommy and his new friends, and on Jenny and Seth. Jenny is still the realistic character that she was in the first book. Although she is plagued by self-doubt and more than a dash of self-loathing, J.L. Bryan writes her in a way that didn't make me want to tell her to grow a pair, it made me sympathise with her even more as things happen that are completely out of her control. Her relationship with Seth is also facing some very adult problems which makes it even more realistic.

Tommy Nightmare felt much darker than Jenny Pox, and the stakes are definitely raised as the story progresses and more of the history of The Paranormals emerges throughout the book. There are flashes of Jenny's far far distant past, and there are more and more abilities turning up all the time (including something to do with my walking-dead buddies, yeah!).

I didn't quite love Tommy Nightmare as much as I loved Jenny Pox, and I think in part that's to do with the fact that Tommy isn't really a likable character although I know it wasn't the authors intention to make him into a good guy. However, Tommy Nightmare ends on a climatic note that really makes me want to read the next book in the series, Alexander Death.

In a world awash with paranormal story-lines, J.L. Bryan has taken a unique idea and turned it into a fantastic series of books, with realistic, likable and despicable characters and multiple twists and turns.


Read more of my reviews at The Aussie Zombie