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A review by thereadingcountess
The Nest by Kenneth Oppel, Jon Klassen
5.0
It was a doozy of a Friday, and all I wanted to do was crawl into bed with a good book and forget the day's troubles. Spying the spooky cover, my middle son grabbled the book from my hand commenting on how "thin the book jacket was." Oh, the better to creep you out, my dearies.
The Nest is intended for middle grade readers, but honestly, it creeped me out from the beginning. I am positive that nightmares might await my poor students if they are brave enough to crack its pages. A cross between Coraline and The Night Gardener, The Nest also reminds me of A Monster Calls. Grief, fear, abandonment, and a child's imperfections are all skillfully woven into the story to make you understand why Steven decides to make a pact with the devil, er, Queen Bee. Ultimately, though, Steve realizes his error in judgement and saves the day. No spooky story would be complete without a person no one else seems to see and a phone no one else seems to hear...I know this book intended for ages ten and up is sure to scare the pants off my students.
The choice of illustrators is an odd one, and a choice that has been commented on numerous reviews. I won't belabor the point, but here are a few of my thoughts...Jon Klassen, of I Want My Hat Back fame, has done a miraculous job of subduing the scariness of the words through his art. I agree with one reviewer that his depiction of Steve's house in the beginning of the book vs. his home at the end is truly genius. That, and the art makes me think of A Monster Calls again. There. No more belaboring. Brilliant pairing.
While I relish a good spooky story as much as the next person, I saw so much more within the pages. Perhaps because like Steve's parents, I know all too well the sheer fear that huddles in the depths of your throat, choking you and reminding you that your most precious thing in the world-your newborn-is a medical enigma. The overwhelming sense of confusion and dizzying madness that you suddenly find yourself immersed in is frightening. Futile punches in the dark, you no longer own your life. You are no longer in control, though you are the leaders of your family and must make a billion decisions not only about your medically-fragile child but about your other brood, too. It is a terror that thankfully not as many parents feel as statistically could in our day and time; but it is a fear that I recognize within the pages of The Nest. I wonder how Kenneth Oppel got those intangible emotions so spot on. I only hope he has not lived them himself.
Highly recommended. Wow.
The Nest is intended for middle grade readers, but honestly, it creeped me out from the beginning. I am positive that nightmares might await my poor students if they are brave enough to crack its pages. A cross between Coraline and The Night Gardener, The Nest also reminds me of A Monster Calls. Grief, fear, abandonment, and a child's imperfections are all skillfully woven into the story to make you understand why Steven decides to make a pact with the devil, er, Queen Bee. Ultimately, though, Steve realizes his error in judgement and saves the day. No spooky story would be complete without a person no one else seems to see and a phone no one else seems to hear...I know this book intended for ages ten and up is sure to scare the pants off my students.
The choice of illustrators is an odd one, and a choice that has been commented on numerous reviews. I won't belabor the point, but here are a few of my thoughts...Jon Klassen, of I Want My Hat Back fame, has done a miraculous job of subduing the scariness of the words through his art. I agree with one reviewer that his depiction of Steve's house in the beginning of the book vs. his home at the end is truly genius. That, and the art makes me think of A Monster Calls again. There. No more belaboring. Brilliant pairing.
While I relish a good spooky story as much as the next person, I saw so much more within the pages. Perhaps because like Steve's parents, I know all too well the sheer fear that huddles in the depths of your throat, choking you and reminding you that your most precious thing in the world-your newborn-is a medical enigma. The overwhelming sense of confusion and dizzying madness that you suddenly find yourself immersed in is frightening. Futile punches in the dark, you no longer own your life. You are no longer in control, though you are the leaders of your family and must make a billion decisions not only about your medically-fragile child but about your other brood, too. It is a terror that thankfully not as many parents feel as statistically could in our day and time; but it is a fear that I recognize within the pages of The Nest. I wonder how Kenneth Oppel got those intangible emotions so spot on. I only hope he has not lived them himself.
Highly recommended. Wow.