The Nest

by Kenneth Oppel (Author) Jon Klassen (Illustrator)

The Nest
Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade
"When wasps come to Steve in a dream offering to fix his sick baby brother, he thinks all he has to do is say yes. But yes may not mean what Steve thinks it means."--
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Hardcover
$19.99

Kirkus

Starred Review
Compelling and accessible.

Publishers Weekly

Starred Review

Oppel (The Boundless) enters Gaimanesque territory with his portrayal of Steve, an older brother struggling with anxiety and his family's distress after his newborn brother, Theodore, is diagnosed with a rare congenital disorder. After a curious gray and white wasp from the hive above their house stings Steve, he develops the ability to speak to the hive's queen, who promises to replace the ailing baby with a new one. Agreeing to the queen's offer, Steve confronts a dangerous traveling knife sharpener, his parents' concerns over his mental health, and strange phone calls from Mr. Nobody, a family legend turned real, it seems. As Theodore's health deteriorates, Steve must decide what is best for his brother and what he will do to save him. Oppel infuses the natural world of the hive with chilling scenes of the queen's heartlessness ("Before you know it, you'll forget all about that crappy little broken baby") while Klassen's graphite drawings hauntingly depict the family's stress (an early image, all angles and shadows, shows Steve's parents standing solemnly over the baby's crib), as well as increasing tension between Theodore's complications and the wasps' growing power. In exploring the boundaries of science, self-determination, and belief, Oppel uses a dark and disturbing lens to produce an unnerving psychological thriller. Ages 8-12. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Oct.)

Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Starred Review

Gr 5-7--Steve has always been a worrier, but since his brother was born he's become even more anxious. When Steve starts having dreams about otherworldly wasps, he takes comfort in their message that everything will be okay. But the more he learns about their plan to "fix" the baby's congenital condition, the more he's conflicted. The tension and unease grow as Steve begins to wonder if the wasps are real or imagined. The story comes to a climactic end that is cathartic and comforting. Set in a modern-day suburb, this quiet yet emotionally haunting book thoughtfully explores themes of safety, anxiety, and the beauty of the imperfect. Klassen's black-and-white graphite illustrations complement the sensitive and powerful narrative, written in first person from Steve's perspective. The images have a retro, printmaker feel and never reveal the entire picture, leaving much to the imagination--what is hidden in the unknown? Is it something bad or good? How can you know? The characters are believable and strongly developed, especially Steve, who deals with anxiety and possibly obsessive compulsive disorder. Scientific information on the life cycle, anatomy, and behaviors of wasps is woven in a way that furthers the plot. VERDICT This affecting middle grade psychological thriller is recommended as a first purchase for libraries.--Amy Seto Forrester, Denver Public Library

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

 
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781481432320
Lexile Measure
640
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication date
October 06, 2015
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039150 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Special Needs
JUV013040 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | New Baby
Library of Congress categories
Supernatural
Paranormal fiction
Horror stories
Babies
Horror fiction
Infants
Horror tales
Wasps

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