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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Even though I didn't love this book I could not put it down. I couldn't figure out if the author was trying to personify anxiety or create a magical tale. I feel like it would have been more successful if there was more about the anxiety as it is a real issue with today's kids.
No matter how many times I tried to convince myself The Nest is set in the middle of summer when light and color are at their peak, I never really believed it and could only imagine the story in the darkest, bleakest parts of winter when the world is devoid of color.
Studies have shown "that sadness can affect our vision, making the world appear more gray, by impairing the neural processes involved in color perception." The effect is most pronounced in depression.
Color and seasons seem like things that should be objective and verifiably absolute. Perception confuses the issues, though, and Steve isn't sure he can trust his perceptions. He's always been highly anxious and withdrawn, and now he finds himself feeling more isolated than ever as his parents worry about the things wrong with their new baby. He also worries about the unusual wasps that have built a nest under the eaves near the baby's window, the wasps that talk to him in dreams, first appeared to be angels, and say they are there to help. And there's the strange, van driving, knife sharpener guy who not all their neighbors seem to see and the phone calls his little sister keeps getting from the supposedly imaginary Mr. Nobody.
Steve isn't sure what to believe. He just knows everyone is very worried about the new baby and that the world seems dark and gray.
Readers have to decide what to believe, how much of this horror story takes place inside Steve's head and how much outside of it--or if there's a difference. Or if it matters. They won't have to decide to feel disturbed and captivated, because that will happen regardless. This short, accessible book is haunting and thrilling.
Studies have shown "that sadness can affect our vision, making the world appear more gray, by impairing the neural processes involved in color perception." The effect is most pronounced in depression.
Color and seasons seem like things that should be objective and verifiably absolute. Perception confuses the issues, though, and Steve isn't sure he can trust his perceptions. He's always been highly anxious and withdrawn, and now he finds himself feeling more isolated than ever as his parents worry about the things wrong with their new baby. He also worries about the unusual wasps that have built a nest under the eaves near the baby's window, the wasps that talk to him in dreams, first appeared to be angels, and say they are there to help. And there's the strange, van driving, knife sharpener guy who not all their neighbors seem to see and the phone calls his little sister keeps getting from the supposedly imaginary Mr. Nobody.
Steve isn't sure what to believe. He just knows everyone is very worried about the new baby and that the world seems dark and gray.
Readers have to decide what to believe, how much of this horror story takes place inside Steve's head and how much outside of it--or if there's a difference. Or if it matters. They won't have to decide to feel disturbed and captivated, because that will happen regardless. This short, accessible book is haunting and thrilling.
This is a children's book? That's AWESOME. This could be one of the most disturbing, creepy stories of any children's or YA book I've ever come across. It is way more frightening, graphic and disturbing a story than should belong on any children's shelf, which is why I would totally love to have more kids read it. This book is the reason I don't have children: they would be scared emotionally from reading this. Aside from that, an excellent, haunting tale. You will never see wasps the same way.
Review of the audiobook.
The story itself is actually pretty intense for a middle grade book. Only issue I had with the audiobook was the reader's voice was a bit monotone, but at just over 3 hours runtime, it wasn't awful.
The story itself is actually pretty intense for a middle grade book. Only issue I had with the audiobook was the reader's voice was a bit monotone, but at just over 3 hours runtime, it wasn't awful.
3.5 ish
TW: anxiety and OCD
I wrote a very thought-out review and it got deleted so I'm bitter and not rewriting it:)
TW: anxiety and OCD
I wrote a very thought-out review and it got deleted so I'm bitter and not rewriting it:)
A little too creepy for me but by the last pages I couldn't stop reading because I needed to know how it ended. Haunting illustrations to go with a haunting story.
This was maybe the scariest children's novel I've ever read.
An incredibly quick read. One of my favorite authors. Just enough horror to hook readers. Dark fantasy.