A review by moonlitemuseum
The Wasp Child by Rhiannon Rasmussen

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.75

Like many my age, I'm trying to get back into the swing of writing. Novellas have been my greatest aid in this endeavor, and The Wasp Child is a perfect little meaty morsel to sink into—the world has a familiar melancholy with plenty of its own eccentricities, and main character Kesh is a treat to experience the journey alongside. Believably childish, brash, and self-pitying in turn, I loved being inside his head...even when his head started to quite literally fall apart.
There's a lot to love here. Readers who have ever been a child without a place in the world will ache alongside Kesh and wish for a happy ending that feels almost impossible. The sentient bugs are a delight, as are the scant few supporting human cast members. The body horror is the great, nasty kind of gooshy (beware if you are as squeamish about fingernails as I am!) and everything wraps up in a satisfying, tidy conclusion that still leaves lots of room to dream about what comes next. Great stuff. Highly recommended.
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