7/10, this was an ok novel which feels like a cheap imitation of Harry Potter with a few bits of originality here and there but overall this was another slog to get through. The beginning was disorienting until I realised that this was book two in the series and my library couldn't be bothered to get books one and three or they removed them some time ago but I really don't know. It starts off with three really flat characters named Charlie Benjamin, Violet Sweet and Theodore Dagget fight off some strange monsters from somewhere and then they were called to the equivalent of Hogwarts known as Nightmare Academy, how original, which was in the Bermuda Triangle and built out of boats and what could possibly go wrong with that. Then Charlie and the teachers there discuss the imminent threat of the monsters so they go to the Nether and try to stop them and the worldbuilding is fine and gets the job done however there were a few unanswered questions that I thought about like how did the Nightmare Academy and the Nether come to being and who were these monsters and there were apparently also four leader monsters whose names I forgot and they were just flat antagonists to try and stop the protagonists and guess what, the latter won but not before they destroy an entire city. In the end there was a fifth monster who killed the other four leader monsters since she didn't need them anymore and another big war is going to begin and it ends in a cliffhanger with no way of knowing what happens next. If you like books like Harry Potter read the first one or read the original ones or an alternative like Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger. It's also a shame that this series never really took off but it's an interesting series that has untapped potential and more people should know about it. ( )

It's been 6 months since Charlie first entered the Nightmare Academy and learned that he was a double-threat. He and his friends have grown closer together and become stronger. Now it is time for their Addy test so that they graduate from being Noobs. However, even though they for the most part defeat the monsters that they are supposed to, they discover that something is going on in the Netherworld.

A nefarious plan is in motion in which creatures from the Netherworld are kidnapping children to use them to kill the Guardian. The Nightmare Division begins their Division Invasion ready to ambush and kill one of the two Named on Earth in their lair. However, they discover that they are too late; the Named and their army of Nethercreatures have moved to a new lair. As the agents search for the monsters, Charlie and his friends set out to help the Headmaster heal the Guardian while the agents try to kill a Named so that they can stop the Named's monstrous plan.

Like its predecessor, the book is a fun, thrilling read. The characters are more developed and grow a lot more. There is an emotional battle to the story which I love since most stories like this one deal more with heroics instead of the emotional turmoil that goes on. I totally recommend it for children and adults of any age. The story also deals with bullying, how to deal with people, being an outcast and being accepted, and dealing with fear.

However in their quest, ( )

Nightmare Academy Monster revenge is a story of adventure and pain. Young Charlie and his two best friends have been training for a year improving thier skills of fighting monsters. When they notice more activity of high level monsters. Death soon follows as two of the named start there plan to escape the nether. Charlie must make devastating choices and must stop yet again the named.

Reviewed by Cat for TeensReadToo.com

Charlie Benjamin and his friends are back in Dean Lorey's MONSTER MADNESS, the second book in the NIGHTMARE ACADEMY series.

Unfortunately, so also are Level 5 Nethercreatures Verminion and Barakkas, as they continue their quest to bring the remaining named (Slagguron and Tyrannus) out of the Nether and into the human world by weakening (and ultimately killing) the Guardian to a gateway between worlds.

It's up to newly upgraded Addeys Charlie, Theodore, Violet, Leet Facilitator Brooke, and Professor Pinch to venture inside the fourth ring of the Nether in search of a cure.

Enemies don't always come in giant, scary packages, though. Sometimes, they work inside the very agencies for which we fight - and sometimes an enemy is the person standing right by your side...

MONSTER MADNESS is a great book for younger readers suffering Harry Potter withdrawals. While the characters might not be quite complex enough for older teens, Charlie and company are an engaging trio full of bravery and gusto.

Lorey's background in screenwriting translates to steady pacing and key descriptions that allow you to easily picture scenes as they unfold in novel form. So grab your hot chocolate, a warm blanket, settle into a cozy chair, and enjoy an afternoon or two in Charlie's world. ( )

Thirteen-year-old Charlie Benjamin and his fellow students at the Nightmare Academy try to stop the four Named Lords of the Nether from coming to Earth and summoning an even more deadly creature called the Fifth.