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Friday Nightmares by Corey Edward
3.0
emotional funny mysterious fast-paced

When Henry's arranging his late father's affairs, he doesn't expect to battle a tomato can demon, yet that's how the book opens and how we learn of magic. What follows it a tale of adventure, grief, friendship and plenty of shenanigans as Henry, Enisa, Frank, and Molly race to save Boston from an undead pharaoh. 

At 16, Henry must decide to take on the mantle of paranormal investigator or forsake his magic. This proves an increasingly difficult decision as magic is what killed both of his parents, but it's also something that's part of him. Throughout the novel, he wrestles with his consciousness, his grandparents, and his friends until he is able to come to a decision that he is satisfied with. As a main character, Henry was fun to experience. He punctuates most of his thoughts with a joke or sarcastic comment, but is able to be serious when the situation requires it. 
The secondary characters were just as fun. Enisa, Frank, and Molly all support Henry in his journey, while facing their own struggles as 16yo teens (magical or no) which gives them more depth as characters. While Henry's grandparents appear less, they still hold a special place in the story which comes through whenever any of the gang talk about them. 
The antagonists, however, came off as formulaic. Sophie was the only one with a deeper reason as to why she was doing anything, but even that was flimsy. Not to say that I didn't enjoy them, but more depth would've made them even better. 

As for the plot, it followed a classic murder mystery pattern with an added twist towards the end, which I enjoyed. Most didn't surprise me, but it was well written and the characters carried it forward. I found a couple subplots dragged down the story, especially as they all wrapped up with the central plot's climax, making them feel a tad rushed. 

Friday Nightmares by Corey Edwards was a delight to read and I definitely recommend it if you want something quick but fun.