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kaiyakaiyo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
heavier subject matter than I expected, but I think it balances well with the comedy and gore. this gave me the same “I’ve never read anything like this before” feeling as Walking Practice; I’m so pleased to have found another book for that mental shelf
I’d write forever if I had to say all the reasons I liked this, so I’ll leave it at: 5 stars, favorite shelf, so fresh and so so hard to put down.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Blood, Body horror, and Murder
Moderate: Vomit, Grief, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Animal death, Physical abuse, and Animal cruelty
bookboxbabe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Body horror, Murder, Gore, Animal cruelty, and Blood
doodletaco's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Torture, Blood, Body horror, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Gore, and Death of parent
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Vomit and Excrement
blewballoon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Body horror, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Abandonment
annaavian's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The story is narrated from the perspective of Shesheshen, a monster who provides a fascinating viewpoint on human behavior and emotions. Wiswell excels in portraying the monster's observations with wit and insight, highlighting human peculiarities through an alien lens. This narrative approach is undoubtedly one of the novel's strongest aspects, offering a fresh and engaging take on the typical monster-human encounter trope.
However, while the concept and narrative voice are intriguing, the execution falls short in several areas. The characters, for the most part, come across as one-dimensional or downright unpleasant. The romance between Shesheshen and Homily lacks believability and depth, which undermines a significant part of the plot. Homily, in particular, feels underdeveloped and fails to evolve beyond her initial submissive portrayal, making it difficult to fully invest in her character arc.
As the novel progresses, the plot becomes increasingly disjointed and erratic. The introduction is captivating, setting up an intriguing premise with Shesheshen's discovery of humans and his interactions with Homily. However, the story loses its footing as it delves into the romantic subplot and Homily's family dynamics. The narrative logic begins to unravel, culminating in a disappointing plot twist regarding Homily's mother that feels forced and out of place.
Despite its flaws, "Someone You Can Build a Nest In" offers moments of dark humor and clever social commentary, particularly in its exploration of monster ethics and human relationships. Wiswell's ability to craft a unique perspective and inject humor into grim scenarios is commendable. However, the novel's inconsistent pacing, underdeveloped characters, and questionable plot choices ultimately detract from its overall impact.
Overall, "Someone You Can Build a Nest In" is an unconventional read that may appeal to those seeking a fresh take on the monster genre. While it has its strengths in narrative creativity and thematic exploration, it struggles with character depth, repetitiveness and narrative coherence. Readers should approach this book with an open mind, prepared for a strange and occasionally frustrating journey through the eyes of an unlikely narrator.
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Emotional abuse, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Abandonment, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, and Lesbophobia
mindsplinters's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Which sounds a bit pretentious but we all know it is true.
Shesheshen starts the book as that primal, gelatinous lump of sleepy shape-shifting monster that you find under your bed but she grows and develops into so much more. Her arc towards better self-understanding (of her nature, her desires, her needs) is truly impressive. At no point did I felt like I was getting off easy. I was with her in her mind and trudging through both her own layers and those of the humans around her. As she became aware of the difference in humans, in caring about or for others, in how human civilization can work and not work - so did I. It felt utterly naturally despite the alien gloss and knowing that, yes, this is a monster's head we are riding in. Sometimes it takes an outsider to really see the world and upset the status quo and Wiswell gives that to us with Shesheshen who, as she upsets herself, also upends the world around her.
Then there is the human who started the confusion, the love interest who is so much more than that. Homily has her own powerful character arc independent of but still entwined with Shesheshen's. We see her through the monster's eyes and what we see is sweet and kind and giving and attractive. It is only as the story unfolds that we (and Shesheshen) discover that there is more to her, that sometimes behaviors are learned in painful ways. Homily will break your heart in about twelve dozen ways and then she will offer to fix it because that is who she is. The perfect nest and yet... Shouldn't a relationship be consensual?
Speaking of consensual, Homily's family? Are not. Let's just say that there are a lot of types of monsters in the world and not all of them have supernatural powers. Be prepared to hate with the fire of a thousand suns.
Lines that made me put down the book and stare into space, questioning EVERYTHING...
- Underlook had made a mess in their celebration of her death, and then used their fear of her still being alive as an excuse to not clean up after themselves. That lack of accountability was typical to humans.
-Romance was awful. She couldn't even do something as simple as murdering rude people anymore.
-You could not excrete memories. They could not be surgically removed. It was unjust.
-It was easier to comfort than argue. Arguing was the hardest version of talking. You could have reasonable points and try to show as much empathy as possible and lose miserably.
-There was no deception to keep her safe from whatever Homily thought of her. If she wanted to be in love, then she had to grow used to it.
And a lot more. Damn, this book was amazing. I'm going to have to go and buy it now. Drat.
Warning : As you might have guessed, this book is pretty full of heavy themes and fairly graphic descriptions of violence, gore, and mental/emotional/physical abuse. Tread gently and be kind to yourself as you go but I hope and believe that, if you read it, it will be worth every bit of your effort.
Graphic: Gore, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Gaslighting, Blood, and Grief
bonriki's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Torture, Violence, Blood, Bullying, and Gore
Moderate: Abandonment, Cannibalism, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, and Alcohol
laurareads87's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Gore, Grief, Abandonment, Body horror, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Blood
diken's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The safety of being disguised, and of not being wholly known, melted away as though by the heat of her blood. There was no reclaiming the safety of anonymity. What she yearned for was unity.
There was no deception to keep her safe from whatever Homily thought of her. If she wanted to be in love, then she had to grow used to it.
I read this book in one sitting, eating and petting my cat intermittently without being able to tear myself away. It's a very, very good book.
There's a lot I love here: queer romance, obviously, but also a completely unique and fascinating plot with just enough world-building and terribly lovable characters. The writing is straightforward and still poetic.
We know Shesheshen is a monster from the first page, and we never know too much about the kind of monster to make it boring or predictable. There is something to be said for fantasy books that have a deep, detailed taxonomy of monsters (and infodump that exposition right away in some compendium), but one of the highlights of this book for me was how organically the lore was introduced. We learn about Shesheshen as she learns about herself, and it feels really satisfying going on that journey with her.
There are a few heavy-handed moments discussing trauma and abuse, but they are accompanied by some really meaningful insights and beautiful prose. I highly recommend this book with the advance warning that there is a metric ton of body horror and horrible family dynamics; for me, it was absolutely worth it. If this turns out to be a series, I will definitely read the next one; regardless, I'll be waiting for the next John Wiswell release with bated breath.
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Abandonment, Lesbophobia, and Child death
maryellen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Gore, Confinement, Death, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Injury/Injury detail