'Nightmare Academy' - One of the more fun, dramatic and creative 'Harry Potter' rip-offs I'd picked up in the once humble abode of my school library.
Premise: Some kids - very imaginative kids - possess the gift to create portals while they sleep, through which nightmare monsters come into the real world. So the children are sent by the Nightmare Division to Nightmare Academy, which is a giant tree (come to think of it, the whole book does read like a bizarre dreamworld). Charlie Benjamin is the outcast, more-powerful-than-anyone-has-ever-known protagonist, and with the help of his new friends Theodore and Violet (why hello Ron and Hermione and the cast of 'The Shapeshifter' series), he fights monsters in the Netherworld, where nightmares that go bump in the night come from.
Issues of sexism are addressed in a surprisingly mature way; indeed the female characters have as much spunk as the predominantly male cast, and the (woman) headmaster is awesome. Also parents play a major role in this story, and not just for the main hero. For adults are scared of nightmares and loss as well...
Overall I remember really enjoying 'Nightmare Academy', despite its obvious flaws concerning originality. It's a shame my library didn't have any of the sequels when I was a student. It is colourful, intense, and it goes to highly macabre places for a children's book, though it can still be goofy and silly at times. The humour and drama are equally well done, the characters are likable, and the world building has consistent rules and imaginative content.
If you can ignore the many similarities to 'Harry Potter' and appreciate 'Nightmare Academy' for when it does try new things, you might enjoy the book, especially if you're a child at heart.
Final Score: 3/5
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