Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Thought-provoking story examines mind control, blackmail.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Tween Maren Partridge, soon to become THE NIGHTMARE THIEF, is the youngest member of a family whose magical specialty and thriving business is dreams. Whether you want a sweet dream or a terrifying nightmare, their shop has what you need; just slip the sachet under your tongue at bedtime and the dream is yours. Maren's grandmother runs a tight ship: Anyone who gives a dream to another person without their consent is banned for life. Which would normally be fine with Maren, but now her older sister, Hallie, is in a coma following a car accident for which Maren blames herself, and, desperate to make Hallie wake up before she's taken to a long-term care facility, Maren concocts a sweet dream and slips it to her. Unfortunately, a creepy woman who's been trying to buy more than her quota of nightmares at the shop saw the whole thing. And Maren has to choose between letting the truth come out (and being banned from her beloved shop for life) or keeping the villain supplied with nightmares.
Is It Any Good?
Nicole Lesperance spins a lively, relatable, thought-provoking tale of a family whose business is concocting dreams, and the ethical dilemmas when people seek to use their wares for evil purposes. The tween hero who becomes The Nightmare Thief breaks an important rule for what she considers a very good reason, and soon finds herself blackmailed, trapped, imprisoned -- and in some creepy buildings, dank neighborhoods, and other situations best avoided. But thanks to her own resourcefulness and unexpected support from a friend, there may be a way out. There's plenty of suspense, a skillful unveiling of hidden connections, and a bad-tempered, French-speaking parrot with a large repertoire of insults.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the idea of being able to control people's dreams and their behavior, as is central to the plot of The Nightmare Thief. Do you think there are some situations where it would be ethically appropriate to use this kind of mind control on others, or do you think it's unacceptable? Why?
Do you think kids who engage in bullying can change their ways? What might make them do so?
Has anyone ever tried to make you do bad things? Did you find a way to escape? How?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Federica Fenna
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship , School ( Middle School )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Sourcebooks
- Publication date : January 12, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 288
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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