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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
This book was weird and interesting at the same time. Quite scary if you, like me, really don't like wasps. A bit predictable though. But the illustrations are beautiful.
This book really creeped me out, but I could not stop thinking about this story.
I hate wasps. Leave this one on a shelf for kids who like to read under the covers (and/or aren't afraid to be scared, or like to be.) Can see this as a movie - Lavalantula for the younger set...
This book reminds me of A MONSTER CALLS, however it didn't impact me as emotionally. THE NEST is beautifully written and a wonderful story. I'll be thinking about the story for awhile and I'll be on the lookout for wasps!
A creepy short novel for middle grade readers that touches upon the big issues of OCD, anxiety, disability and being different while providing a good scare and a scenario that allows a fearful boy to find his inner courage. A good book for thoughtful readers. It is probably too slow for the devoted Wimpy Kid crowd.
This book was so original. Loved the premise behind it...what price perfection. Would love to recommend it to middle school kids...perhaps too creepy for my elementary school students. Ophelia expertly turns the suspense factor up to high and keeps it there through out the pages.
What an appropriate read for me so close to Halloween! While this book is advertised as geared towards age 10 & up, I would be more likely to recommend for young adults and upward who are looking for a quick horror read (I finished most of the book in one afternoon). I'd probably wait to learn more about a specific junior high-aged kid before recommending it to them - some will definitely enjoy it, others will find it too intense. I had a fear of wasps as it was...now I am not sure if I'll ever trust the ones I see flying around again!
I loved the slow, eerie setup that gradually got more intense until the complete emotional rollercoaster of the book's last third or so (anyone else reminded of "Aliens" a little?). I was grateful to see a child protagonist with traits of anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder as someone who has dealt with it in my own life. The story's resolution comes a little quickly, but it left me satisfied with all major questions. My further desire to know more about subjects like the precise origin of the wasps, what exactly became of the "nest baby," and what the implications are of the "nest babies" who were successfully "born" being involved with the rest of human society can be effectively filled in by one's own imagination (or perhaps explored in a continuation down the road - who knows?).
Overall, very effective horror with a protagonist that I was happy to cheer for and see have a triumphant end. Check it out!
I loved the slow, eerie setup that gradually got more intense until the complete emotional rollercoaster of the book's last third or so (anyone else reminded of "Aliens" a little?). I was grateful to see a child protagonist with traits of anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder as someone who has dealt with it in my own life. The story's resolution comes a little quickly, but it left me satisfied with all major questions. My further desire to know more about subjects like the precise origin of the wasps, what exactly became of the "nest baby," and what the implications are of the "nest babies" who were successfully "born" being involved with the rest of human society can be effectively filled in by one's own imagination (or perhaps explored in a continuation down the road - who knows?).
Overall, very effective horror with a protagonist that I was happy to cheer for and see have a triumphant end. Check it out!
This might be the strangest children’s book I’ve ever read
An intense story about a boy with OCD. His baby brother was born with congenital defects and will not live a "normal" life. With a history of vivid dreams, Steve begins to dream about the strange wasps that are building a nest outside his baby brother's window. The queen tells Steve that they can help make Steven's brother healthy. Steve is thrilled, until he learns what this will entail. Pretty disturbing and creepy. Not sure where Oppel came up with this story, or what frame of mind he was in when he wrote it. Also, not sure who the target audience is.
Middle school/junior high
Middle school/junior high