Part of Your Nightmare (Disney Chills, Book 1) by Vera Strange 
Reviewed by: Chelsea Bunton, Youth Services Assistant
Genre: Fantasy, Horror
Suggested Age: Late elementary/Middle School (Grades 3-6)
What is the book about? Shelly has recently started attending a new middle school. At first, she has a hard time making friends, but eventually finds a place with some of the most popular girls on her swim team. Shelly’s family owns an aquarium and she loves all things marine and ocean- but unfortunately, her new friends do not. On a field trip to the aquarium, the popular girls peer pressure her into an act she would normally never commit (littering in the ocean?!?), which sets Shelly on a distressing journey involving sea witches, wishes, and scales. Things start to get spooky in Triton Bay as Shelly battles with the weirdness happening to her- is it all real, or just a nightmare? She will have to decide if having popularity is worth losing her humanity and dragging down others with her. Be careful what you wish for because you could end up a poor unfortunate soul!
My Review: I’m a lover of all things Disney, so I was very excited to start this series! This book was an easy read, and had fun connections to the original movie. The “creep” factor wasn’t too scary and the darkness involved was a slow burn that assisted the pace of the story. The characters were very true to their age group- from their motivations to their speech. The setting was a great connection to the original film as well as it allowed for plenty of interaction with marine life and the villain herself. I think what I found most interesting in this book was the ending. With a young, middle grade novel I usually expect a straight-forward finale, but that was not to be found here! The reader will have to draw their own conclusions about Shelly’s fate. Each book in this series follows a different main character and original Disney villain, so I think we can expect more of the same when it comes to uncertain destinies.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Fishy, cautionary, ominous
Give This a Try if You Like…Disney movies, Goosebumps books/movies, The Witches by Roald Dahl
Rating: 3/5
