Friday, July 03, 2015

App Review: The Castle of Nightmares

THE CASTLE OF NIGHTMARES by Denis Jugo is a creepy interactive ebook about a boy’s experience with scary dreams.
Ten-year-old John becomes immersed in a dream where he tries to save a group of children from the queen of nightmares. Aimed at the lower middle grades, the story is spooky without being scary.
Readers work their way through the linear reading experience by clicking the forward or backward arrows. Interactive elements are found on each page from animating creepy spiders to exploring a castle map. Spooky music and sound effects are woven throughout the story.
The visuals are attractive and the animations contribute to the creepy atmosphere. While the font is generally easy-to-read, there are places where the text color could use more contrast. Some paragraphs are centered rather than left aligned making them a little more difficult to read.
While the writing won’t win any literary awards, it’s fine for budding fans of Alfred Hitchcock or other creepy classics. This ebook is perfect for reading under the bedcovers during a thunderstorm.
Librarians will find this ebook fantasy to be a hit with those who enjoy interactive stories.
To purchase/download the book, go to https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id633303329?mt=8.
Published by Pixy Interactive.