Black is for Beginnings (Blue Is for Nightmares, Book 5) [Paperback]

Laurie Faria Stolarz (Author), Janina Görrissen (Drawings)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 8, 2009

It's happening again...

The BLUE IS FOR NIGHTMARES series that put a spell on more than half a million readers continues – in graphic novel format! 

Prophetic dreams. Near-brushes with death. Killers pursuing her and her friends. Stacey Brown knows that being a hereditary witch isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Stacey's nightmares are back. And all she wants to do is go to Colorado and work things out with Jacob, who hasn't been able to remember her since he lost his memory in his brush with death. But before Stacey and Jacob can have a future, they must face their pasts. Black is for Beginnings reveals the never-before-seen backstory—and what lies ahead—for the young, spellcasting lovers.

Praise for Black is for Beginnings:

"Taking Stolarz's Blue Is for Nightmares series into the graphic-novel realm is a bold idea, and it pays off in this morbidly entertaining and surprisingly romantic page-turner."—Booklist

 "The half-million readers of Laurie Faria Stolarz's paranormal mystery series will be happy with this shift to graphic style, offering as it does the pleasure of putting faces on characters, its visualized eeriness and vibrant displays of emotion...The graphic style allows Stolarz to distill the story while simultaneously dropping hints about Stacey and Jacob's supernatural talents, luring new readers to the series."—Kirkus Reviews

Awards and Praise for the Blue is for Nightmares series:

• A 2007 YALSA Popular Paperback
• A 2005 YALSA Quick Pick
• A 2004 YALSA Teen Top Ten Nominee

 

 

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Laurie Faria Stolarz (Massachusetts) has a great interest in teen culture, and admires young adults for their passion, energy, and creativity. Blue is for Nightmares is the product of her desire to write a novel that would have appealed to herself at that age, namely one that has a blending of suspense, romance, and the art of keeping secrets.

Stolarz has an MFA in Creative Writing with a concentration in Young Adult Literature from Emerson College in Boston. She currently teaches writing and is a member of the SCBWI as well as several professional writing groups.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Flux (September 8, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738714380
• ISBN-13: 978-0738714387
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #106,773 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Laurie Faria Stolarz (Massachusetts) has a great interest in young adult culture, and admires young adults for their passion, energy, and creativity. Blue is for Nightmares is the product of her desire to write a novel that would have appealed to herself at that age, namely one that has a blending of suspense, romance, and the art of keeping secrets.
Stolarz has an MFA in Creative Writing with a concentration in Young Adult Literature and a graduate certificate in Screenwriting, both from Emerson College in Boston. She currently teaches writing and is a member of the SCBWI as well as several professional writing groups. She has also written and edited numerous middle school and high schools texts.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Such a Disappointing Platform for such a Promising Series, December 31, 2009

By 

A. K. Wilson "Paralegal Reader" (Elgin, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Black is for Beginnings (Blue Is for Nightmares, Book 5) (Paperback)

I read the previous four books in this series and was devasted to learn the fifth book was a graphic novel! I don't this Stolarz should have put her name on this beyond anything more than being the inspriation for this. The only reason I bought it was my wanting to know the continuation of the storylines. There was no depth to the story and the introduction of new characters (Kira---an ex-girlfriend??!!!) is just irresponsible and unfair to faithful followers of the Blue is For Nightmares series. I think this was a cop-out and fans were let down. Stolarz is a fabulous writer (I love the Touch Novels---and the first four books of the Nightmares series)but this was a bad decision by her and her editors and I would love to have Black is for Beginnings written in the platform of the other four----we deserve it for our loyalty.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Big fan of the series, but definitely not of this book., October 15, 2011

By 

Taylor Marie Corrin (Washington, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black is for Beginnings (Blue Is for Nightmares, Book 5) (Paperback)

I consider myself a huge fan of this series and I was so excited when I originally heard that a 5th book had been released. However, I was immediately skeptical when I heard that it was a graphic novel. While I really do enjoy some graphic novels, I wasn't looking forward to the idea of this book being a graphic novel while the other books were not. But because I am a huge fan of the series, I still bought it and read it while trying to keep an open mind. However, I was incredibly disappointed. This didn't really seem like it was apart of the same series as the rest of my beloved BIFN books. The characters seemed flat and didn't have the shine and spunk that they did in the first four books. The plot overall just didn't sit well with me. I'm so very sad for giving this a one star rating, but it just really disappointed me. I would love for Stolarz to write some more books for this series, but in the same format as the other books. If Black is for Beginnings was rewritten in the same style as the rest of the series, then I might like it better.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Love the series but..., July 4, 2011

By 

bjcrev - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Black is for Beginnings (Blue Is for Nightmares, Book 5) (Paperback)

Our HS librarian got me hooked on the "Blue is for Nightmares" series. I read all four of the print copies our library had but did not have the "Black" book because it is a graphic novel. I bought it and was not disappointed in the book. However, I felt I was too old to be reading a graphic novel...it reminded me too much of someone reading a comic book. I like how the charachters and storyline in the series came together and concluded, but wish it was not a graphic novel.