Book Review: The Nest by Kenneth Oppel

I previously thought Coraline, by Neil Gaiman, was a creepy book. Then I read an advanced copy of The Nest, by Kenneth Oppel, with illustrations by Jon Klassen – and my already existing fear of bees and wasps is now on overdrive.

You might be asking yourself, “but how creepy is it, Lisa?” Well, read these excerpts from Simon and Schuster’s website, which sum up the book’s premise more succinctly than I can in my horrified state:

“For some kids summer is a sun-soaked season of fun. But for Steve, it’s just another season of worries. Worries about his sick newborn baby brother who is fighting to survive, worries about his parents who are struggling to cope, even worries about the wasp’s nest looming ominously from the eaves. So when a mysterious wasp queen invades his dreams, offering to “fix” the baby, Steve thinks his prayers have been answered. All he has to do is say “Yes.” But “yes” is a powerful word. It is also a dangerous one. And once it is uttered, can it be taken back?”

Part horror story, part love story, The Nest burrows into the reader’s fears and heart at the same time. What is wrong with Steve’s baby brother? There is a wasp nest, growing larger and larger every day, right outside the baby’s window. Are the wasps bearers of good will – or evil?

I’m telling you – this book is a literal page turner as you physically will not be able to put this book down until you find out what is going on. Oh, and let’s not forget the super creepy knife sharpener who drives by Steve’s house… slowly… slowly… with that faint bell jingling in the background.

Shudder.

Intrigued? Hearing the buzzing of wasps circling your ears yet? Leave a comment below if you would like us to send you The Nest to read before its October 2015 release date. But when you can’t sleep, don’t say I didn’t warn you. For brave readers ages 10 and up.

For a reading group guide to the Nest, click here: See below for a page excerpt, and a look at the beautiful vellum overlay jacket that will enshrine The Nest in honeycomb upon its release.