#169 in Young adult
The Spook's Nightmare
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Our view
“The Spook’s Nightmare” is a dark, gripping seventh volume and one of the high points of “The Wardstone Chronicles”. Back from Greece, Tom, Alice and the Spook find his house burnt down and flee to the island of Mona, where witch hunters close in on Alice. Some readers find the start slow and the finale breathless; others welcome a Tom who finally takes charge. It can unsettle younger children and is best read in order.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
The Spook, Tom and Alice return from Greece to find the County under siege - and the Spook's home burnt to the ground. With his precious library of knowledge destroyed, they seek refuge on the nearby island of Mona. But with Mona in the thrall of a twisted Shaman there is little respite from hostility or denizens of the dark. And as Alice dodges the ever-tightening net of the island's witch hunters, a more deadly enemy emerges... Bony Lizzie, freshly-escaped from the Spook's bonds, has grand ambitions: to take for herself the throne of isle. She has harnessed the services of a tunnel-dwelling buggane, an evil creature which thrives on stealing the animas, or life force, from its unsuspecting victims. With the buggane as her secret weapon can she become an all-powerful Witch Queen?
Reading order · The Wardstone Chronicles
Full order & progress →- The Spook's ApprenticeStart here
7.97.9 / 10 - The Spook's Curse
8.08.0 / 10 - The Spook's Secret
7.97.9 / 10 - The Spook's Battle
8.08.0 / 10 - The Spook's Mistake
7.97.9 / 10 - The Spook's Sacrifice
7.97.9 / 10 - The Spook's NightmareThis book
7.97.9 / 10 - The Spook's Destiny
–Not ranked yet - I Am GrimalkinI Am Grimalkin–Not ranked yet
- The Spook's Blood
–Not ranked yet - Slither's TaleSlither's Tale–Not ranked yet
- Alice
–Not ranked yet - The Spook's Revenge
–Not ranked yet
Where the score comes from
The sources average 7.8 across 52 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 26% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Young adult average of 7.8. That is how 7.9 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardcover | 7.8 | 52 | 100% |
Frequently asked
What age is The Spook's Nightmare for?
The Spook's Nightmare sits on the Young adult shelf in the sources we use, which by convention means roughly ages 13 and up. This is a guide from the book’s category, not a publisher’s age rating.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
The same shelf — Young adult — and a score of 7.9, the closest to this book.
