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Gustav Gloom And The Nightmare Vault (2013)

by Adam-Troy Castro(Favorite Author)

4.27 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0448458349 (ISBN13: 9780448458342)

languge

English

genre

Horror

publisher

Grosset & Dunlap

series

Gustav Gloom

review 1: Fernie and Gustav are once again in danger. Lord Obsidian has released his Shadow Eater to track down and find the Nightmare Vault. What's inside the vault, Gustav and Fernie don't really know, but they know that it is sure to house something terrible and if Lord Obsidian is after it then it is really bad. Adam Troy Castro expands in book two on Gustav's parents and how Gustav came to live in a home filled with shadows. As Fernie and Gustav race through the house more and more of what is behind all of those secret doors and passageways is revealed. Yet, there is still so much more to learn about Gustav Gloom Mansion. I wish the author was able to expand a little more about Gustav's curse and his family. I also really enjoyed the moments when Fernie and Gustav stopp... moreed their running and plotted the next move it is after all the appeal of this book for me, Gustav and his relationship with Fernie. Even though the house is dark and creepy, Fernie knows that Gustav will help her and she brings some normalcy to Gustav's life. Again, I can't say enough about the wonderfully detailed black and white illustrations by Kristen Margiotta. The cover is also beautiful and I'm happy to see that they continued the cut out on the cover. Looks like I'll have to wait til August for book 3 but again a wonderful creepy book.
review 2: Okay, so I loved Gustav Gloom and the People Taker, and basically exploded with joy when I got my hands on the galley of Nightmare Vault. And I'm happy to say the sequel does not disappoint.Nightmare Vault does suffer a little just from being the second book in a fantasy series--the initial charm of discovery and exploration has worn off, which inevitably makes everything feel a little less magical. Fortunately Castro compensates well here by switching the focus to Gustav himself and ramping up the creepiness factor.This one's darker than the first book in many respects, but the narrative's just as funny and engaging and I never felt like the story was bogged down by the sad bits. And I continue to absolutely love Fernie and Gustav's relationship. There's often a very Doctor-and-Companion feel to them--this is Gustav's world and Fernie's the frequently overwhelmed guest--but they're like-minded enough that I totally get why they're friends in spite of their moments of mutual incomprehension and outright irritation.Fernie herself is a really enjoyable heroine--tough and determined and devoted to the people she loves. She's out of her depth much of the time, but she never lets her fear and confusion take over, and I had a great time watching her figure out her own ways of dealing with 'Gustav Stuff'. As for Gustav--without getting too spoilery, let me just say an angry Gustav is an awesome Gustav.And Fernie's family--I love her family so much. I was honestly disappointed there wasn't more of them in this installment. Her dad's really grown on me, which is a pleasant surprise--I wasn't completely won over during People Taker, but now he's one of my favorite characters.I read Nightmare Vault in one sitting, and it had me laughing out loud and tearing up before I was through. I'm really looking forward to the next book, and I can't wait to find out how things will turn out for everyone. less

Download links for: Gustav Gloom and the Nightmare Vault

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