Aug 12

Aug 12 Someone You Can Build a Nest In

About the book

Author: John Wiswell
Publisher: DAW Books

More info:
The StoryGraph | Goodreads
Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the review.

Buy and support indie bookstores (+ I earn a small commission):
Bookshop.org (print or ebook) | Libro.fm (audio)

My Review

Well, I did not expect this novel — about a (female) blob monster who falls in love with a (human) woman and decides she wants to lay her eggs in her body, after which her offspring would devour her from the inside out — to be one of my favorite reads of the year. And yet! What fun this was!

Some have called this “cozy horror,” and while I am not so sure about the cozy label (the stakes are high and there’s a lot of trauma here), this book has a feel-good vibe that I really enjoyed. For example, Shesheshen (the monster MC) has a big blue pet bear named Blueberry. So while yes, the fact that Shesheshen is a big blob who can form body parts out of whatever creature she’s eaten technically puts this in “body horror” territory, don’t let that scare you away if horror/body horror isn’t usually your thing. It was much more silly than gross, IMO.

Beyond the fun premise and overall good vibes, I had a ton of fun with the plot — he even got me with the twist. It’s also great ace representation and is full of characters actively helping one another heal from abuse and trauma (which, okay, maybe is a little unrealistic for a monster who is only just learning what it means to love, but WHO CARES). Finally, you should know that this one works great on audio, as the world-building is minimal, we only have one POV, and it takes place in an linear timeline.

I would be happy for this to win the Hugo tomorrow!