The Nest
Book description
'The first time I saw them, I thought they were angels.' The baby is sick. Mom and Dad are sad. And all Steve has to do is say, "Yes" to fix everything. But yes is a powerful word. It is also a dangerous one. And once it is uttered, canā¦
Why read it?
4 authors picked The Nest as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
In this middle-grade horror novel, Steve is feeling lonely and worried. His newborn brother is sick in the hospital, and his parents are understandably stressed. Thereās also a waspās nest threatening their home, which becomes a bigger problem when the wasp queen visits him in his dreams. One night, the queen comes to Steve and offers to help āfixā the baby.
I have read many, many horror books. I consider myself a connoisseur of the creepy. This book, intended for middle-grade children, remains one of the scariest books Iāve read. Itās filled with dread while also centering on family.
Iā¦
From Iphigenia's list on reading like Wednesday Addams and indulging your dark side.
Sometimes the scariest thing about monsters is how much we relate to them. Or how much we want to listen to them. Thatās exactly whatās being explored in The Nest by Kenneth Oppel.
Thereās a surreal quality to this story, as the wasps outside the boy's window begin talking to him. We think their intentions are good at first, but the creepiness builds and builds until itās almost overpowering. Until the main character doesnāt know if he can resist any longer.
This is a perfect story about finding the thing inside us thatās stronger than any monster.
From Sarah's list on where the monsters are more than monsters.
On my first read of Oppelās spare masterpiece, I thought, I havenāt been this scared by a book in a long time. Itās a middle-grade novel, but donāt let that stop you from picking it up. Steve is anxious about his baby brother, who was born with severe health problems. When an otherworldly creature offers to help, he assumes heās communicating with an angel. The creature can fix Steveās brotherāa normal baby certainly would be a huge relief for his whole family. But what does it mean to fix him? And what is ānormal,ā anyway? This is a haunting, beautifullyā¦
From Alisa's list on deals with devils.
If you love The Nest...
Iām not sure how to classify Oppelās haunting and thoughtful novel, except to say that it straddles the line between fantasy and reality and is much more than just a psychological thriller (though it is that). It tells the story of Steve, a boy coping with anxiety, and his quest to save his sick infant brotherā¦by making a deal with a wasp queen to replace his brother with a ābetterā or āperfectā one. Bizarre? Yes. Creepy? Seriously, especially in the last third of the book. But what struck me most about Oppelās dreamy narrative was how much I connected withā¦
From John's list on to spook middle-grade readers.
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