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bekah_divall's review against another edition
4.0
This book was weird but that made it good. I did not expect it to end in the way that it did.
jellybeam's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
murdmuh's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
protoman21's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book and found it to be wonderfully creepy, but I wish I had been able to read it in one sitting instead of listening to it, missing the illustrations and being interrupted often. It still built very well and made you think and feel about what we do and what we would do seeking perfection. The tempo was great and the language and thoughts matched that of a kid Steve's age beautifully. The entire story was haunting and it leaves you with a tickle at the back of your neck, much like the feeling of a wasp brushing by.
I'm struggling to decide at what age I would want my child to read this. I'm thinking probably 24 would be ok, but they still might have nightmares. This is a story that will stick with you for a long time and you probably will never look at a wasp the same way again.
I'm struggling to decide at what age I would want my child to read this. I'm thinking probably 24 would be ok, but they still might have nightmares. This is a story that will stick with you for a long time and you probably will never look at a wasp the same way again.
goodem9199's review against another edition
4.0
So. Weird. Creepy. Unsettling. Bizarre. Fantastic writing. Made me uncomfortable but I can't stop thinking about it. Unlike anything I've every read before.
kaiteayu's review against another edition
2.0
*spoilers*
The antagonist is really doing the most trying to hit all the points in gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss. The antagonist also doesn’t realize consent can be taken back, but it’s a wasp, so…idk it was weird.
The story was interesting but not for me; if I were younger, maybe I would be a little more entertained, but that’s a big maybe because it felt like so much happened, but also nothing happened at all. The writing is good, but the ending fell a little flat for me and felt almost rushed. 1.5/5 stars
The antagonist is really doing the most trying to hit all the points in gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss. The antagonist also doesn’t realize consent can be taken back, but it’s a wasp, so…idk it was weird.
The story was interesting but not for me; if I were younger, maybe I would be a little more entertained, but that’s a big maybe because it felt like so much happened, but also nothing happened at all. The writing is good, but the ending fell a little flat for me and felt almost rushed. 1.5/5 stars
imkevbo's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Really unlike anything I have ever read! And, I mean that in a good way!
saharafrost's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ponch22's review against another edition
3.0
Read this book after it got a shout out on the podcast, Reading Glasses.
I'm not sure I've read a middle-grade book since my college Children's Lit class in college almost two decades ago (ouch...) but I don't think any of the kids' books I've read were quite this creepy.
Steve, a middle-school-aged boy, has a younger sister and a new baby brother who seems to spend more time in the hospital than at home. One night, Steve has a dream with a glowing angel-like creature who seems to have plans to save the baby. Steve just needs to agree to the angel's plan but sometimes dreams aren't exactly what they seem...
Unfortunately, the ebook I read seemed to be missing most of the illustrations by Caldecott Medal winner [a:Jon Klassen|3118934|Jon Klassen|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1320343513p2/3118934.jpg]. I only realized this as I look at other reviews and notice some artwork I do not recall seeing in my copy (although I did read it a month ago so maybe I'm forgetting them??).
[a:Kenneth Oppel|88922|Kenneth Oppel|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1460937107p2/88922.jpg] is a new author to me, but I doubt I'm going to rush out to read any of his other books any time soon—[b:The Nest|23271637|The Nest|Kenneth Oppel|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1425076899l/23271637._SX50_.jpg|42811477] just didn't grab or excite me all that much. The twist is interesting in theory, but as written I got sort of confused—was the magical realism a metaphor for his mental illness? Or did Steve suffer from anxiety and the whole [spoiler]wasps wanting to replace his baby brother with a Steve-slash-wasp clone[/spoiler] just a crazy coincidence to freak him out?
Definitely something I could have read in one sitting, but instead it took me four days to complete. Nice to read something short and sweet to get a little closer to completing my reading challenge, but nothing great.
I'm not sure I've read a middle-grade book since my college Children's Lit class in college almost two decades ago (ouch...) but I don't think any of the kids' books I've read were quite this creepy.
Steve, a middle-school-aged boy, has a younger sister and a new baby brother who seems to spend more time in the hospital than at home. One night, Steve has a dream with a glowing angel-like creature who seems to have plans to save the baby. Steve just needs to agree to the angel's plan but sometimes dreams aren't exactly what they seem...
Unfortunately, the ebook I read seemed to be missing most of the illustrations by Caldecott Medal winner [a:Jon Klassen|3118934|Jon Klassen|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1320343513p2/3118934.jpg]. I only realized this as I look at other reviews and notice some artwork I do not recall seeing in my copy (although I did read it a month ago so maybe I'm forgetting them??).
[a:Kenneth Oppel|88922|Kenneth Oppel|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1460937107p2/88922.jpg] is a new author to me, but I doubt I'm going to rush out to read any of his other books any time soon—[b:The Nest|23271637|The Nest|Kenneth Oppel|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1425076899l/23271637._SX50_.jpg|42811477] just didn't grab or excite me all that much. The twist is interesting in theory, but as written I got sort of confused—was the magical realism a metaphor for his mental illness? Or did Steve suffer from anxiety and the whole [spoiler]wasps wanting to replace his baby brother with a Steve-slash-wasp clone[/spoiler] just a crazy coincidence to freak him out?
Definitely something I could have read in one sitting, but instead it took me four days to complete. Nice to read something short and sweet to get a little closer to completing my reading challenge, but nothing great.
andranyat's review against another edition
4.0
This book was kind of crazy! But I liked it!
There's this little boy, Steven, who has a little sister who talks to an imaginary friend on a toy telephone, a baby brother that has a serious congenital disorder and is near death, parents who use all of their energy to take care of the baby, a baby sitter who's studying biology, a magical wasp nests that has unusual wasps and Steven himself; serious OCD, anxiety and allergies to said wasps.
Steven is faced with a lot in this book! But ultimately, I think he has to decide if he wants to replace something that is broken with something that is perfect... his baby brother.
There's this little boy, Steven, who has a little sister who talks to an imaginary friend on a toy telephone, a baby brother that has a serious congenital disorder and is near death, parents who use all of their energy to take care of the baby, a baby sitter who's studying biology, a magical wasp nests that has unusual wasps and Steven himself; serious OCD, anxiety and allergies to said wasps.
Steven is faced with a lot in this book! But ultimately, I think he has to decide if he wants to replace something that is broken with something that is perfect... his baby brother.