A review by waclements7
The Job of the Wasp by Colin Winnette

3.0

This is an odd, surreal novel narrated by an unnamed boy (Ashley?) whose voice doesn’t sound in the slightest like a boy. He is a wandering, introspective, paranoid narrator sure he has everything figured out in his new odd type of orphanage. It’s set in an undisclosed time but feels like the past. This new boy doesn’t fit in and second guesses any overtures at kindness. The other boys ignore him. The narration is at times slightly annoying, because he is _so_ much in his head and investing in theories that turn out to be incorrect. His relationships with the boys rapidly deteriorates as bodies begin to surface and they seem to believe him responsible. This is a disjointed, disturbing story. It kept me interested, even though I was often confused as to what was going on, but I think the narrator was as well, so that’s part of the whole point. It’s one of those books that while I’m not sure I liked it, I think it’s going to stick with me, which means it connected at some level even if I’m unsure of it.