A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares

Gr 9 Up—Esther's family is cursed; according to her grandfather, everyone Esther loves is doomed to be killed by the thing of which they are most afraid. Her twin Eugene is terrified of the dark, her mother is a superstitious compulsive gambler, and her father is agoraphobic and hasn't left the basement in six years. Esther's fears are elucidated in her "Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares." After reconnecting with her elementary school valentine Jonah, her list is stolen by said valentine, and the recovery of the list leads to a relationship between the two. As Esther comes to trust Jonah, they work together to overcome her fears, one by one, by facing them directly. Lobsters, graveyards, and heights are a few of the anxieties they tackle together, with Jonah filming the process and, unbeknownst to her posting it to YouTube. Esther, Jonah, and her family are complex and lovable characters fighting their individual demons. Woven throughout is a subplot concerning death incarnate that somehow manages to lighten the tone of the novel.