A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares

By: Krystal Sutherland

Narrated by: Tara Sands

From the author of Our Chemical Hearts comes the hilarious, reality-bending tale of two outsiders facing their greatest fears about life and love—one debilitating phobia at a time.

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Ever since Esther Solar’s grandfather was cursed by Death, everyone in her family has been doomed to suffer one great fear in their lifetime. Esther’s father is agoraphobic and hasn’t left the basement in six years, her twin brother can’t be in the dark without a light on, and her mother is terrified of bad luck.

The Solars are consumed by their fears and, according to the legend of the curse, destined to die from them.

Esther doesn’t know what her great fear is yet (nor does she want to), a feat achieved by avoiding pretty much everything. Elevators, small spaces and crowds are all off-limits. So are haircuts, spiders, dolls, mirrors and three dozen other phobias she keeps a record of in her semi-definitive list of worst nightmares.

Then Esther is pickpocketed by Jonah Smallwood, an old elementary school classmate. Along with her phone, money and a fruit roll-up she’d been saving, Jonah also steals her list of fears. Despite the theft, Esther and Jonah become friends, and he sets a challenge for them: in an effort to break the curse that has crippled her family, they will meet every Sunday of senior year to work their way through the list, facing one terrifying fear at a time, including one that Esther hadn’t counted on: love.

I loved it

It was funny, heart wrenching, and sweet. A very cute book. I do wish the narrator had sung or spoken Sweet Caroline to the correct tune and correctly pronounced a French song title but it was otherwise an excellent performance.

Unique, superstitious, interesting teen drama

First, love Tara Sands as narrator! Amazing as always. Loved Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal too. This one is darker. A great novel for Halloween with spooks and fears for those who do not want to be truly terrified. Loved the costumes that the main character wears. Also enjoyed the bouncing between the grandfathers story and the teens. Didn’t realize it would develop into such a mental health story, but that was a good surprise, well-written. Could be triggering for suicidal issues. It was creepy but not scary.

Great book!

So the synopsis of the book is true but misleading all at the same time. Esther is afraid of everything and when Jonah pickpockets her he gets not only her cash, phone and fruit roll up but he also gets her list of worst nightmares.

Death cursed the Solar family, and the interludes where you learn more about that is a nice touch, but the main arc of the story is Jonah helping Esther overcome her small fears while driving her to face her biggest fear. The writing is really good, I hate when YA books are dumbed down.

Tara Sands does a nice job. You can tell the characters apart and she injects the right amount of feeling into her reading.

It was a Tik Tok recommendation.

I am in tears, with the biggest smile I've had in a year. Must read.

I felt seen.

I hope this book could be in more people's night stands, It is truly a beautiful story and it made me feel less lonely. Hope all the Esthers out there could find their way into a semi-definitive list of worst nightmares.