I love a list, so was instantly drawn to the title of this book, and whilst I never actually got around to reading 'Our Chemical Hearts' I heard nothing but praise and was interested to see what Krystal Sutherland's writing was like.
Esther is quirky to say the least and when we first meet her is dressed as Little Red Riding Hood, for no real reason. Although her relationship with Jonah starts off badly, I loved seeing how it manifested through the story as Esther faced each of her fears.
Aside from this relationship, the book explores phobias, and people's varying reactions to them, in an insightful way. Sutherland's story was deeper and almost more philosophical than I anticipated and I found it a really great read.

Well, this book was strange.

A Semi Definitive List of Worst Nightmares by Krystal Sutherland happens to be the strangest book that I have read in a long time. To put this in to context the book that I am currently reading has a dog that has had human testacies implanted into its body and turned into a human and yet this book is still pipping it to the post.

The story focuses on a family who are convinced that they are being followed by death and that it is their worst fear which will ultimately lead to their personal demise. Esther has created a list of potential things that will be her undoing. With the help of her family and friends she starts facing her fears one by one. As she completes each task she becomes more confident but life is always there to remind you that you actually don’t have that much power at all.

Even though I described this book as strange I did really enjoy it. I loved the quirkiness and the eccentric delivery. I have genuinely not seen anxiety tackled in such a fresh way before. Sutherland highlights the irrationality of fear without a “buck up” attitude. She is sensitive.

A Semi Definitive List of Worst Nightmares by Krystal Sutherland is definitely a book to add to your to be read pile especially if you are a sufferer of any form of anxiety.

A Semi Definitive List of Worst Nightmares by Krystal Sutherland is available now.

For more information regarding Krystal Sutherland (@km_sutherland) please visit www.krystalsutherland.com.

For more information regarding Hot Key Books (@HotKeyBooks) please visit www.hotkeybooks.com.

For more information regarding Bonnier Zaffre Books (@BonnierZaffre) please visit their Twitter page.

I enjoyed this book immensely. It centres around Esther Solar and her family, their fears and a perceived family curse. Esther decides to face her 50 fears helped by Jonah, her brother and her friend, Hephzibah. In doing so she has to face the impact her fears are having on her life, her family and her future.

The author very sensitively deals with the issues of mental illness and suicide and brings hope to an apparently hopeless situation.

Quirky at times, entertaining and heart warming. One I will definitely be recommending!

This is a quirky, honest and imaginative book. Esther Solar lives in an unusual house, with some rather dysfunctional family members. Believing that her family is tainted by a curse, she creates a semi definitive list of her worst nightmares - lobsters, dolls, small spaces...Her tightly controlled life is unexpectedly and rudely interrupted when an old friend, Jonah, cons Esther out of her phone, her money and a fruit roll-up, as well as the list.

I could see echoes of other books in this, hints of the magic of Alice Hoffman and the troubled and gothic world of Eugenides' The Virgin Suicides, but Esther has a unique voice. A wonderful exploration of the nature of fear and courage, the difficulties of living with anxiety, the ties that bind families and facing the future.

I loved this and couldn't put it down!

Such an amazing book! It's quirky,funny at times and it's such an important read.

This book (like the best ones always do) has left me a little bit speechless. I absolutely loved it.

It is utterly beautiful, witty, hilarious, compassionate and fascinating.

It made me cry more than once and laugh often.

Anyone (whether you suffer with mental illness or not) could benefit from reading this book, not only for the inspiration that the author conveys effortlessly but for the story and the characters themselves, all of whom I loved and will fondly remember for a long time. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Thank you to netgalley, Bonnier Zaffre and Hot Key Books for sending me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was considering putting a quotation at the beginning of this review but I highlighted so, so, so much while reading this novel that I wouldn't know what one to pick. I love Krystal Sutherland's writing style. Her dialogue is witty and painfully honest. The characters feel honest and it's easy to connect - for example, Esther's casual inner commentary like "well, this isn't going to go great," just felt so honest, and real. I don't really know how to explain - but it gave Esther such a strong voice. Sometimes it almost read like reading a recap of an event from a friend.

Once again, much like with Our Chemical Hearts, I like the way mental health is discussed. It isn't romanticised at all, but rather shown to be a real and painful thing that effects everyone in different ways, but all of it horrible. It shows that you shouldn't be afraid to speak about it but this novel deals with the fears of coming out with it.

I do think sometimes though it felt a bit dismissive - it was constant questioning of "do they have mental health issues? Is this a magic realist world? Should I be concerned she believes in this stuff?"

So yeah. I don't think the line between it was always clear. Turns out, this does have some paranormal elements?? I think?? Like I said - I'm still not really sure and I'm not sure how to feel about that. I'm one of those people with books like these that I want it to be defined - is this actually elements of the paranormal or just straight contemporary with a "wacky" character?

That's also what's great about this - the book kind of makes fun of itself. Several times Esther is called out because of how she is a "special snowflake" and she admits she wants to be one. While this is only a small dig at itself, because in the end it becomes to have a much greater relevance and heavier meaning towards plot/character development towards the end of the novel.

"You being scared of cornfields and alines doesn't make you some special snowflake.
Everyone's fear sounds the same in their head."

"How dare you, I am a special snowflake."


Everything did tie in nicely. I don't feel like anything was added as a "filler" and that in the end everything made sense. You could see the links connecting things together.

On the other hand, I think more of these "links" should have been explored further. I.e the absentee parents and domestic abuse. Yes, this was semi-resolved towards the end and the realisation that "parents are human too" I feel like it should've had more to it.

There's a lot of interesting discussions in this novel. There's the obvious ones about mental health and how it can take over your life, and how people just want to fix it for you, but it's not always that easy etc. But it also takes on interesting discussions about fear and what it means to live.
"It's like a broken bone, you know? You can't keep walking on it and expect it to heal."

"Is this the surreptitious Esther Solar acknowledging the existence of mental illness and not just behaving like I'm cursed?"


That's also what I love about this: the views uttered by the characters on mental health and how to deal aren't always perfect. They can say harmful things and their outlook can sometimes be negative and wrong, but the great thing about this is the character development. These then negative opinions have been challenged / developed and I think that's a beautiful thing. It's showing that even if you've got it wrong before you have the chance to listen and to learn and to grow. The novel does this without ever feeling preachy.

Overall, I really liked it and I'm a definite fan of Krystal Sutherland.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this one. Really loved it.

A Semi Definitive List of Worst Nightmares centres on the Solar family, who are believed to be cursed by Death himself to die from their ultimate fear or phobia. Esther's grandfather is terrified of water, Eugene her twin brother is scared of the night. Her father is agrophobic and her mother is scared of bad luck. Esther, not knowing her fear, makes a list of everything that she's scared of, in the hope that she can avoid them all and never have to face her ultimate fear. However, a chance meeting (and mugging) by an old friend, Jonah, changes the course of her path forever, and the chance to break the curse.

On a base level this is a story about facing your fears, with an interwoven story about Death and an extremely dysfunctional family. However, on a deeper level it's so much more than this. It's funny (there's a brain damaged kitten named Fleyonce Knowles and a rooster called Frank who enjoys breakfast freak outs on the kitchen table) and heartwarming. I loved Esther and her character development. We see her go from someone who is unable to live her life, hiding behind fancy dress costumes so she can go unnoticed by everyone into something more. Something strong and powerful, a sort of role model to all those who have fears.

Esther's love for her family really shines through - especially Eugene. There are moments throughout that are just so heartbreaking, yet their bond is lovely to behold. They are always there for each other, looking out for each other (when they can) yet they can't seem to get over their own problems in order to fully appreciate each other and what they've got. Esther's relationship with Jonah is also complicated and messy and problematic. There's a real sense of development between the two as the story progresses, which was nice to see, as it was more than just instantaneous love.

The way the author deals with mental health, depression and anxiety through the novel is wonderful. It's dealt with sensitively, yet thoughtfully and we are made to realise that mental health is deeply complex and difficult to define and understand. The ending is bittersweet, yet perfectly sums up life.

I also really loved the background story involving Esther's grandfather and Death. I'm not normally a fan of dipping in and out of side stories, but this was done very eloquently, and in a way that flowed well with the story. Meeting in Vietnam, and following Esther's grandfather as he's assigned a police case into two missing girls, there was enough intrigue and magic and mystery to keep me wanting to go back for more. I wanted to see how the relationship between the two developed, and exactly why Death had cursed the family.

The only reason this isn't four stars is because at the beginning I was slightly confused by the concept of Eugene 'slipping' out of existence. It's as though the randomly vanishes into thin air at certain moments, and this isn't really elaborated on. I wasn't sure if it was some kind of metaphor or not.

That said, this is easily one of the best books I've read this year, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.

I was super torn reading this book. Jonah and Esther’s relationship didn’t hold my attention. It all seems a bit too stereotypical and immature. But the storyline relating to the Grandfather and Death kept me reading. I am a big true crime fan and the elements of that within were interesting. I also wish there was a bit more within the story about Esther’s father but the family were unique and written well. The way the author writes about mental health is spot on.

I so wanted to love this book, and the premise was great; I loved that Esther Solar's whole family is 'unusual' in terms of them all having their own individual phobias and foibles. The characters were all hugely likeable based on that alone. Sadly however, I found that this book was far too quirky for me to get to grips with. It was like being in some alternate reality! I imagine this would be a 5-star book for the teen/young adult generation at which it was aimed (which sadly I do not fit into!) but I really struggled to keep up with the quirkiness. I can see that the majority of people absolutely loved this book, so I think it's just down to me choosing a book quite far out of my comfort zone.

I had heard so many good things about Krystal Sutherland being a great author, about how Our Chemical Hearts was amazing etc. But I hadn’t yet gotten around to trying any of her works. I was super excited when this came through my door to review.

I wasn’t entirely sure what to think before starting this. I mean the cover was quite plain, with a bright pink lobster on the top. I judged the book a little by the cover, but since this book was to review I ignored my doubts and got on with it.

I’m so pleased I did. This book was so good! The plot was well thought out, the story beautifully written, the characters well fleshed out. I found a main character who has a list of fears almost as long as my own, and thanks to an old friend she has the courage to work her way through them. I could never do that. Just reading some of her experiences my heart was in my throat.

This book covers some touchy and even triggering subjects, but it’s been done extremely well. Mental Health is obviously a key a dubbed throughout this book, and as someone with a long list of diagnoses I’m usually not too impressed. With this book I was.

This book made me laugh, cry and on some occasions both at the same time.

It’s easily a 4 out of 5 stars.

The book is a unique mix of being weird, cheesy and sad at the same time. It follows the story of Esther and how she tackles her fears in an attempt to face death. 

I really liked all the characters in the novel sure Esther had that sort of cliche quirky girl stereotype however i feel she got called out enough for thinking she was unique in the novel, that i'm okay with it and it also fits perfectly with the book. I liked the secondary characters and what they brought to the story. 

The intertwined sub plot involving Death is my favourite aspect as it added that magical feel to the novel and I just really liked how the character was portrayed. Although at the end of the story with the entire YouTube/going viral, which i do find cute/cheesy, it added this realism to the story which took away the tone/atmosphere the book had going for it which made it good 

I do like the resolution of the novel and how it incorporated mental illness and seeking help also there were some good themes in the story which i didn't expect. 

Some people may find the story a bit weird but I liked that aspect but I did find the story tried to be a lot of different genres at once etc murder mystery and YA contemporary which I didn't like. 

The relationships in the book whether romantic or not were portrayed realistically and I loved the romance between Esther and and Jonah. What I didn't like is that she constantly held the actions of what happened when they were kids against him and there was that cliche fight between them when everything was going well between them which was never really resolved. 

3/5

Review can be found on *Milky Way of Books*

Esther Solar's family is cursed. Her grandfather met death when he was alive and since then all of her family members suffer from a phobia which eventually will kill them.
Or is that the truth?

"A Semi Definite List of Worst Nightmares" was a 180 degree turn from Krystal Sutherland's first novel "Our Chemical Hearts". There is humor, mystery, romance and a good dose of magical realism, should I dare to mention.

Esther sees herself as someone ugly, fat too ginger for her own good and tries desperately to keep her family from crumbling. Her best friend is selective mute, so both Esther and her brother know how to use sign language.

Enter Jonah Smallwood, a boy who lives in a tortured family, yet tries desperately to escape his life, by creating movies. When he decides t help Esther to overcome her list of possible fears, a funny emotional journey begins.

And secrets are uncovered.

I enjoyed this book whole-heartily! Some scenes, like the ones with the lobsters and the geese were hilarious! And some others, were heart-breaking (Trigger warnings for suicide attempt, domestic abuse, physical abuse).

But Esther and Jonah matured through the course of the book, although there was ONE final scene (you'll see which one I mean) that made me cry. Because if everything they learnt about Esther's Grandfather was true, then my lovely couple needs more time!

Overall, this book is very enjoyable and maybe one of the best contemporaries, I've read in 2017. ;)

This was a very odd book for me. I was kind of confused for a while, thinking is all this real? Is this characters family actually like this or is she exaggerating? The plot wasn’t as much about the challenges as it was about the main characters family and their problems, and later on her friend and his family too. I was a little disappointed by this, there wasn’t quite as much adventure as I was hoping for.

However this book was pretty deep! It dealt with so many issues such as anxiety, gambling addiction, extreme phobias, dementia, selective mutism, as well as depression. I think the way depression was described was accurate, as it kinda helped me with how to explain it to other people. It’s one of those things that is very hard to put into words. Although, I’m not sure I would’ve read this if I knew beforehand that there was suicide attempt involved, as I find that this kind of thing can affect my own depression, but that’s nothing to do with the book or how well it’s written or anything, that is to do with me personally and my well being.

Most of the characters were interesting, however I didn’t feel much connection to the main character as much as the ‘side’ characters. I’m not sure why, but it just felt like she didn’t have that much substance until quite late in the book, but I think that was maybe the point, that she was trying to find who she was.

I did enjoy reading this, but I wasn’t really sure where the book was going with the plot mostly until really late in the book. There were stories within the story, told by the main character and also in a different pov at some points, which made me wonder, are these stories actually true, or is this all part of the main characters imagination.

It delivered a good message about mental health, making the main character realise that mental health problems don’t go away by wishing and hoping and showing how the characters come to terms with their illnesses. I really like that aspect about the story.

I’m kinda not sure what genre this book even falls under tbh ahah, I thought it was contemporary but after reading it I’m not quite sure

Such a heart-wrenching, thoughtful story full of lovable characters. The descriptions of mental illness as a beast were spot on and I really enjoyed this book.

I absolutely loved, loved, loved this book! It's incredible. I adored the main character and related to her struggles in the story. She's so well written and engaging. Ive bought the authors other book and can't wait to read it.

I was torn, before reading, on how I thought I might feel about this book. On the one hand, I loved how Sutherland wrote, and her characterisation in Our Chemical Hearts. On the other hand, I really just don't like magical realism. It's something about the lack of explanation of things. But surprisingly, this book doesn't suffer from that. I actually appreciated the supernatural elements of this book (much like I did with Second Star), in that they added to the story, but explanations were possible without them.

So this was actually a book in which the strength of the story won out over my dislike of magical realism. Jonah and Esther are two outsiders, teens trying to navigate their way through their messed-up worlds as they work through a set of weekly challenges. Jonah and Esther leaped off the page as they got to know each other and laughed and loved together. Eugene, Esther's twin brother, has his own demons to face, and his story arc informs Esther's as she journeys through her list of fears. 

The weakest characters in this book was Hephzibah, who was presented in the beginning as someone as important as Eugene, but whose character development was largely off-page, and quickly became irrelevant to the story.

Esther's parents, and Jonah's father, were largely menacing caricatures in the background, although there were some touching elements in Esther's relationship with her mother near the end of the book.

I find it difficult to put into words what I liked about this book. Two teenagers from difficult circumstances finding each other and working through a list of fears as a way to escape their rubbish lives and come to terms with the difficulties that everyone around them faces.

I also appreciated the intertwining narrative of Esther's grandfather Reginald and his encounters with the Man Who Would Be Death/Death/Jack. The supernatural elements of the story were presented as something between reality and a fanciful story for grandchildren, and I appreciated the duality of it all. 

Sutherland's writing is nuanced and beautiful, and her dealing with mental health issues is delicate and effective. While aspects of the book were somewhat unbelievable - every member of Esther's family having crippling MH issues, for example - and some were left unresolved - such as Jonah's little sister! - overall, this was a really touching look at friendship, love, mental health issues, and dealing with the circumstances life has thrust upon you.

I loved Our Chemical Hearts, and so did my pupils. I was worried this might not live up to Sutherland's debut but I didn't have worried! Another brilliant story, populated with thoughtfully rendered characters.

This book deals with some really important issues in terms of mental health but it does so in a way that is sensitive, thoughtful, never 'preachy' and, above all, FUN. I love the way Sutherland has managed to blend very real, relatable characters with elements of magical realism and even crime fiction! All these ingredients make this a great story as well as a touching romance and a thought-provoking, reassuring book.

I can't wait to recommend this to my students!

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Ester is a teenage girl who struggles with anxiety while believing her family to be cursed. Her mother has a phobia of bad luck, her father has agoraphobia and her brother is terrified of the dark, Ester herself doesn't know what her greatest fear is and doesn't want to know. She carries a list of her 50 possible greatest fears which is stolen one night by Jonah, a boy she was friends with as a child. Jonah decides that Ester should face her fears and they work together through her list.
The book dealt with many different forms of mental illness, anxiety, depression, addiction, and of course, phobias, along with domestic abuse of a main character from a parent, but it didn't feel as if the author was trying to cram to many different things into the story at once, giving each tough subject it's time, never rushing through the feelings of the character at that moment in time. All of this coupled with a serious suicide attempt from a main character made it impossible for me to put the book down. The characters were well written, with huge personalities, none of them overshadowing the others, but with the story following Ester, I of course was drawn to her character. I wouldn't say I have any real phobias, fears of course, but nothing that I feel would stop me from doing certain things as it does for Ester. The character was so well written, showing that she was alway brave, she just didn't know it herself. I really enjoyed this book and, maybe in a couple of months I'll be re-reading it.
4/5 stars