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Someone You Can Build a Nest In
Shesheshen has made a mistake fatal to all monsters: she's fallen in love.
Shesheshen is a shapeshifter, who happily resides as an amorphous lump at the bottom of a ruined manor. When her rest is interrupted by hunters intent on murdering her, she constructs a body from the remains of past meals: a metal chain for a backbone, borrowed bones for limbs, and a bear trap as an extra mouth.
However, the hunters chase Shesheshen out of her home and off a cliff. Badly hurt, she’s found and nursed back to health by Homily, a warm-hearted human, who has mistaken Shesheshen as a fellow human. Homily is kind and nurturing and would make an excellent co-parent: an ideal place to lay Shesheshen’s eggs so their young could devour Homily from the inside out. But as they grow close, she realizes humans don’t think about love that way.
Shesheshen hates keeping her identity secret from Homily, but just as she’s about to confess, Homily reveals why she’s in the area: she’s hunting a shapeshifting monster that supposedly cursed her family. Has Shesheshen seen it anywhere?
Eating her girlfriend isn’t an option. Shesheshen didn’t curse anyone, but to give herself and Homily a chance at happiness, she has to figure out why Homily’s twisted family thinks she did. As the hunt for the monster becomes increasingly deadly, Shesheshen must unearth the truth quickly, or soon both of their lives will be at risk.
And the bigger challenge remains: surviving her toxic in-laws long enough to learn to build a life with, rather than in, the love of her life.
Shesheshen is a shapeshifter, who happily resides as an amorphous lump at the bottom of a ruined manor. When her rest is interrupted by hunters intent on murdering her, she constructs a body from the remains of past meals: a metal chain for a backbone, borrowed bones for limbs, and a bear trap as an extra mouth.
However, the hunters chase Shesheshen out of her home and off a cliff. Badly hurt, she’s found and nursed back to health by Homily, a warm-hearted human, who has mistaken Shesheshen as a fellow human. Homily is kind and nurturing and would make an excellent co-parent: an ideal place to lay Shesheshen’s eggs so their young could devour Homily from the inside out. But as they grow close, she realizes humans don’t think about love that way.
Shesheshen hates keeping her identity secret from Homily, but just as she’s about to confess, Homily reveals why she’s in the area: she’s hunting a shapeshifting monster that supposedly cursed her family. Has Shesheshen seen it anywhere?
Eating her girlfriend isn’t an option. Shesheshen didn’t curse anyone, but to give herself and Homily a chance at happiness, she has to figure out why Homily’s twisted family thinks she did. As the hunt for the monster becomes increasingly deadly, Shesheshen must unearth the truth quickly, or soon both of their lives will be at risk.
And the bigger challenge remains: surviving her toxic in-laws long enough to learn to build a life with, rather than in, the love of her life.
10 pages, Audiobook
First published April 2, 2024
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July 11, 2024
All of it stank wholly of deliberate smoke-- the thing humans called incense. [...] Shesheshen never trusted deliberate smoke. Humans were seldom up to anything good when they burned things on purpose.
This book sits very nicely in the tradition of the "alien observes humanity" POV-- this involves a kind of "other" figure, usually an alien, making unintentionally humorous observations about humanity as they become better acquainted with us. My favorite example of this is the entire sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun, though the others that come to mind are any Animorphs book from Ax's point of view, the Coneheads movie (not sure how that one holds up, it's been awhile since I've seen it), and of course, the spectacular opening to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, which includes this paragraph that makes me laugh every time I read it:
lulz.
Shesheshen isn't an alien, she's a monster, but her position in the story is the same. She is an observer, and often a confused one, whose position as an outsider gives her tremendous insights, both humorous and deeply profound, sometimes at the same time. She's also wearier than you usually see with this type of narrator, because she's lived near humanity (and feasted upon it, naturally) for quite some time, and it's always trying to kill her, and she doesn't understand what its DEAL is, and really, isn't that the most goddamn relatable thing you've ever heard.
This book is about her journey toward connectedness-- coming of age, but the exact opposite of the typical coming of age narrative, which involves setting out on your own and forming your identity independently of the systems that raised you to adulthood. This coming of age is about trust, vulnerability, and understanding-- about what we might call 'becoming human' if we believed that becoming human was actually all that great, and I don't think Shesheshen does.
I often talk about science fiction and fantasy exploring things through exaggeration, and depending on who I'm talking to, I get a sort of puzzled look a lot of the time-- but this is exactly what I mean. Fantasy isn't just an escape, though it is often that and truly, thank god for that. But fantasy also makes things bigger and more extreme or dramatic so that you can actually look at them. That's what Shesheshen does with humanity, with love, with family, with the exhausting and horrifying but meaningful task of knowing someone and being known. You can see them all, at last, because she shows them to you in a strange new way.
This book is about her. Her voice, and also her body-- the inventive, sometimes gross, fascinating way that her body operates. This is the second book I've read recently where I felt like someone understood how to write about a being that wasn't a human, and to show the inevitable conflicts and tensions that would arise if we encountered something that Wasn't Us-- a real alien figure, not just some humanoid guy in a rubber mask. (The other was The Stardust Grail, which is also excellent and you should read it.) Like is Shesheshen's POV relatable? Yes. Is she gonna rip out a dead body's esophagus and tell you about it? Also yes. You must simply learn to see through the eyes of the monster.
And like. It's really goddamn funny. But in a sly way where you'll have to stop in the middle of a set of deadlifts to laugh at your audiobook. (Or is that just me?) I'll leave you with two quotes that weirdly happen to come from the same page but delight me nonetheless:
From what she knew of civilization, all children were parasites. You were supposed to grow to like that about them.
and
Self-conscious, Shesheshen picked up her two forks again and tried to capture some of her pasta. Two forks were not enough forks for this. The spaghetti was versatile in its resistance. "Slightly strange. It's like an evasive bread."
I'll never look at pasta the same again.
This book sits very nicely in the tradition of the "alien observes humanity" POV-- this involves a kind of "other" figure, usually an alien, making unintentionally humorous observations about humanity as they become better acquainted with us. My favorite example of this is the entire sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun, though the others that come to mind are any Animorphs book from Ax's point of view, the Coneheads movie (not sure how that one holds up, it's been awhile since I've seen it), and of course, the spectacular opening to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, which includes this paragraph that makes me laugh every time I read it:
This planet has - or rather had - a problem, which was this: most of the people on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small green pieces of paper, which is odd because on the whole it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy.
- Douglas Adams
lulz.
Shesheshen isn't an alien, she's a monster, but her position in the story is the same. She is an observer, and often a confused one, whose position as an outsider gives her tremendous insights, both humorous and deeply profound, sometimes at the same time. She's also wearier than you usually see with this type of narrator, because she's lived near humanity (and feasted upon it, naturally) for quite some time, and it's always trying to kill her, and she doesn't understand what its DEAL is, and really, isn't that the most goddamn relatable thing you've ever heard.
This book is about her journey toward connectedness-- coming of age, but the exact opposite of the typical coming of age narrative, which involves setting out on your own and forming your identity independently of the systems that raised you to adulthood. This coming of age is about trust, vulnerability, and understanding-- about what we might call 'becoming human' if we believed that becoming human was actually all that great, and I don't think Shesheshen does.
I often talk about science fiction and fantasy exploring things through exaggeration, and depending on who I'm talking to, I get a sort of puzzled look a lot of the time-- but this is exactly what I mean. Fantasy isn't just an escape, though it is often that and truly, thank god for that. But fantasy also makes things bigger and more extreme or dramatic so that you can actually look at them. That's what Shesheshen does with humanity, with love, with family, with the exhausting and horrifying but meaningful task of knowing someone and being known. You can see them all, at last, because she shows them to you in a strange new way.
This book is about her. Her voice, and also her body-- the inventive, sometimes gross, fascinating way that her body operates. This is the second book I've read recently where I felt like someone understood how to write about a being that wasn't a human, and to show the inevitable conflicts and tensions that would arise if we encountered something that Wasn't Us-- a real alien figure, not just some humanoid guy in a rubber mask. (The other was The Stardust Grail, which is also excellent and you should read it.) Like is Shesheshen's POV relatable? Yes. Is she gonna rip out a dead body's esophagus and tell you about it? Also yes. You must simply learn to see through the eyes of the monster.
And like. It's really goddamn funny. But in a sly way where you'll have to stop in the middle of a set of deadlifts to laugh at your audiobook. (Or is that just me?) I'll leave you with two quotes that weirdly happen to come from the same page but delight me nonetheless:
From what she knew of civilization, all children were parasites. You were supposed to grow to like that about them.
and
Self-conscious, Shesheshen picked up her two forks again and tried to capture some of her pasta. Two forks were not enough forks for this. The spaghetti was versatile in its resistance. "Slightly strange. It's like an evasive bread."
I'll never look at pasta the same again.
August 15, 2024
Hi, I loved this and am about to make it part of my whole personality. Please read this book. Edit: I read this less than one week later and loved it just as much a second time.
Edit 8/15/24: This has continued to remain my favourite book so far in 2024 and I don't anticipate m/any major contenders to challenge it in the last third of the year.
Someone You Can Build a Nest In is a delightfully cozy, funny horromantasy about what it means to be human, what it means to truly love someone, and healing from traumatic families. It's told from the POV of a monster that slowly finds itself falling in love. She has a blue bear (creatively named Blueberry), a remarkable ability to re-create perfectly detailed human hands, and devilishly sinister threats like "if you lie I will eat your lips."
#MonsterLife:
Unfortunately, the human she thinks she's falling in love with is part of a family that's out hunting her, so she has to do things like: borrow (aka digest) an olfactory system so she can blend in-- so tedious to maintain, not kill humans who are being rude at any moment she wants to, and even tie deer antlers to sheep and try to convince her beloved that that's the monster they're hunting.
The Writing:
If not already apparent, I was enamored by the humor which consistently dropped little nuggets that perfectly tickled my funny bone. But I also enjoyed the way a non-human monster viewed humanity and blending in with phrases like "romance was awful," or "arguing was the hardest form of talking." And equally they could say the absolutely sweetest things that made me genuinely buy into the romance such as when her gf is injured and "she wanted to... spend the rest of her life protecting that shoulder."
The Ending:
Some of the twists were well-telegraphed and easy to guess, but others were very fun developments that felt organic to the story and further reflected the characters' inner selves and their growth. I like when knowledge of a magic system is expanded on by the end of the book for both the reader and the characters. All of it was very satisfying for me.
Overall:
Don't be surprised if you hear me screaming about this book or re-reading it within a week. I absolutely loved it and if I didn't have other commitments would probably immediately start a re-read.
Does the ~dog die?:
Audiobook Notes:
The narrator did an absolutely stunning job. I loved the way she was able to slightly alter her speech so that it was very obvious and differentiated between the voices in a way that felt natural and not at all distracting.
Do note: they have an English accent and speak a little quickly compared to other narrators (I normally listen to audiobooks at 3x speed but initially adjusted this down to 2.5x speed because I was driving and she was just a little too fast with the addition of any single other distraction).
Thank you to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for granting me an audio ARC. All thoughts, opinions, and incessant screaming about this book are my own.
Edit 8/15/24: This has continued to remain my favourite book so far in 2024 and I don't anticipate m/any major contenders to challenge it in the last third of the year.
Someone You Can Build a Nest In is a delightfully cozy, funny horromantasy about what it means to be human, what it means to truly love someone, and healing from traumatic families. It's told from the POV of a monster that slowly finds itself falling in love. She has a blue bear (creatively named Blueberry), a remarkable ability to re-create perfectly detailed human hands, and devilishly sinister threats like "if you lie I will eat your lips."
#MonsterLife:
Unfortunately, the human she thinks she's falling in love with is part of a family that's out hunting her, so she has to do things like: borrow (aka digest) an olfactory system so she can blend in-- so tedious to maintain, not kill humans who are being rude at any moment she wants to, and even tie deer antlers to sheep and try to convince her beloved that that's the monster they're hunting.
The Writing:
If not already apparent, I was enamored by the humor which consistently dropped little nuggets that perfectly tickled my funny bone. But I also enjoyed the way a non-human monster viewed humanity and blending in with phrases like "romance was awful," or "arguing was the hardest form of talking." And equally they could say the absolutely sweetest things that made me genuinely buy into the romance such as when her gf is injured and "she wanted to... spend the rest of her life protecting that shoulder."
The Ending:
Some of the twists were well-telegraphed and easy to guess, but others were very fun developments that felt organic to the story and further reflected the characters' inner selves and their growth. I like when knowledge of a magic system is expanded on by the end of the book for both the reader and the characters. All of it was very satisfying for me.
Overall:
Don't be surprised if you hear me screaming about this book or re-reading it within a week. I absolutely loved it and if I didn't have other commitments would probably immediately start a re-read.
Does the ~dog die?:
Audiobook Notes:
The narrator did an absolutely stunning job. I loved the way she was able to slightly alter her speech so that it was very obvious and differentiated between the voices in a way that felt natural and not at all distracting.
Do note: they have an English accent and speak a little quickly compared to other narrators (I normally listen to audiobooks at 3x speed but initially adjusted this down to 2.5x speed because I was driving and she was just a little too fast with the addition of any single other distraction).
Thank you to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for granting me an audio ARC. All thoughts, opinions, and incessant screaming about this book are my own.
August 1, 2024
What a wild ride! I never knew what would happen next. Dying for more monstrous main characters.
November 18, 2023
An utter delight from start to finish. I can't recommend this enough! Shesheshen is fabulously alien and monstrous, and she never loses that even as she gains an understanding of love and empathy. The romance is slow and sweet and does a wonderful job of focusing on each of them as full people.
Wiswell, as an author, recognizes the fine line between being caring and supportive and being traumatized and self-sacrificing. He leans in, asking difficult questions: do you love your partner for who they are, or are you in love with their trauma? And what if their trauma is part of what has made them who they are?
Wiswell, as an author, recognizes the fine line between being caring and supportive and being traumatized and self-sacrificing. He leans in, asking difficult questions: do you love your partner for who they are, or are you in love with their trauma? And what if their trauma is part of what has made them who they are?
April 19, 2024
This started off so good and yet.... AND YET.... the idea that a bog monster would immediately be able to identify an abusive familial relationship when she has no concept of friendship, let alone family, and is constantly being like 'your abusive mother/brother/sister/etc.' making it sound like a 21st century human talking was so annoying. Therapizing in fiction is probably the worst shit an author can do imo and even worse when your character isn't intended to be human at all!!! If I had known this was cozy fantasy (or cozy horror, which is the dumbest fucking thing I have ever heard) I would have never picked it up.
edit: wait I'm not done I hated that everyone Shesheshen ever ate was a bandit or a bad guy or someone you were meant to hate, and yet is described as a 'predator' like no give me a MONSTER give me a creature who preys on whatever gives her the highest advantage--the weak, the old, the young--and truly have Homily reckon with the fact that the only love she has ever received is from a creature who cannot even comprehend love the same way, who has hurt innocents not because they were innocent but because she was a hungry monster and nothing more. What a fucking cop out to give Shesheshen morals right out the gate like huh?? what you afraid the readers aren't going to connect to the POV MONSTER CHARACTER THAT THEY KNOWINGLY SIGNED UP TO READ
edit: wait I'm not done I hated that everyone Shesheshen ever ate was a bandit or a bad guy or someone you were meant to hate, and yet is described as a 'predator' like no give me a MONSTER give me a creature who preys on whatever gives her the highest advantage--the weak, the old, the young--and truly have Homily reckon with the fact that the only love she has ever received is from a creature who cannot even comprehend love the same way, who has hurt innocents not because they were innocent but because she was a hungry monster and nothing more. What a fucking cop out to give Shesheshen morals right out the gate like huh?? what you afraid the readers aren't going to connect to the POV MONSTER CHARACTER THAT THEY KNOWINGLY SIGNED UP TO READ
April 2, 2024
Destination Uncanny Valley
I have mixed feelings about John Wiswell's debut novel Someone You Can Build a Nest In. Intellectually, it's one of the most interesting attempts I've read at a problem Science Fiction authors have always struggled with -- creating aliens that are actually alien. But emotionally, alas, I didn't really connect with it. Sadly, I finished the book with a feeling of relief.
I don't guess Wiswell was aiming at Science Fiction, but rather Horror Fantasy. Fine, I don't care where the bookstore shelves it. It stars an alien monster that a science fiction author would be proud of. What's more, the alien monster, Sheshehen, is the main point of view character. And she is truly biologically alien. She's a blob of flesh and can voluntarily take any shape and incorporate anything she eats. Does she have bones? If she wants to, and if she eats something with bones. Her life-cycle, though inhuman, is more familiar. Wiswell obviously based it on the truly horrifying Parasitoid Wasp -- they lay eggs in the body of a host, the eggs hatch and consume the host, killing it -- thus the title Someone You Can Build a Nest In.
This leads to some fascinatingly awkward etiquette problems, like this one
Where Shesheshen's alienness slips is in her inner life. She thinks and wants and communicates in a very human way. In fact, she falls in love with a human. How does she have the capacity for a very human-seeming love? Her species reproduces asexually. Furthermore, like Parasitoid wasps they do not nurture their young. It is difficult to understand how, with this biology, it makes sense for her to experience a very human love.
Well, of course it is not really that difficult to understand. Wiswell is bowing to the exigencies of fiction. He wants a point-of-view character that his readers (most of whom he assuredly expects to be human) can relate to. For me this doesn't quite work. The alien biology combined with the almost human psyche combine to place Shesheshen in the Uncanny Valley. One suspects that Wiswell may be doing this deliberately.
I personally am not a big fan of Romance novels, and while I appreciate the creativity of this one, it landed outside my sweet spot. It would not surprise me to learn that it works better for folks who have broader romance tolerances.
I thank NetGalley and DAW for an advance reader copy of Someone You Can Build a Nest In. This review expresses my honest opinions.
Blog review.
I have mixed feelings about John Wiswell's debut novel Someone You Can Build a Nest In. Intellectually, it's one of the most interesting attempts I've read at a problem Science Fiction authors have always struggled with -- creating aliens that are actually alien. But emotionally, alas, I didn't really connect with it. Sadly, I finished the book with a feeling of relief.
I don't guess Wiswell was aiming at Science Fiction, but rather Horror Fantasy. Fine, I don't care where the bookstore shelves it. It stars an alien monster that a science fiction author would be proud of. What's more, the alien monster, Sheshehen, is the main point of view character. And she is truly biologically alien. She's a blob of flesh and can voluntarily take any shape and incorporate anything she eats. Does she have bones? If she wants to, and if she eats something with bones. Her life-cycle, though inhuman, is more familiar. Wiswell obviously based it on the truly horrifying Parasitoid Wasp -- they lay eggs in the body of a host, the eggs hatch and consume the host, killing it -- thus the title Someone You Can Build a Nest In.
This leads to some fascinatingly awkward etiquette problems, like this one
There was no easy way to ask if Homily wanted her to eat her mother.Indeed, it's a difficult subject to broach.
Where Shesheshen's alienness slips is in her inner life. She thinks and wants and communicates in a very human way. In fact, she falls in love with a human. How does she have the capacity for a very human-seeming love? Her species reproduces asexually. Furthermore, like Parasitoid wasps they do not nurture their young. It is difficult to understand how, with this biology, it makes sense for her to experience a very human love.
Well, of course it is not really that difficult to understand. Wiswell is bowing to the exigencies of fiction. He wants a point-of-view character that his readers (most of whom he assuredly expects to be human) can relate to. For me this doesn't quite work. The alien biology combined with the almost human psyche combine to place Shesheshen in the Uncanny Valley. One suspects that Wiswell may be doing this deliberately.
I personally am not a big fan of Romance novels, and while I appreciate the creativity of this one, it landed outside my sweet spot. It would not surprise me to learn that it works better for folks who have broader romance tolerances.
I thank NetGalley and DAW for an advance reader copy of Someone You Can Build a Nest In. This review expresses my honest opinions.
Blog review.
May 2, 2024
What was this physical nonsense? It was her body. She controlled the nerve endings. It shouldn't be allowed to tell her how to feel. A single organ didn't command her.
Shesheshen is a terrifying shape-shifting monster. She uses components of anything she devours, be it inorganic or human, to build a body. Though she does need to occasionally satiate her hunger, on the whole, she just wants to be left alone. Unfortunately, there always seem to be a bunch of pesky villagers with torches andpitchforks rosemary soaked harpoons out looking to slay "The Wyrm", as she's called by the local yokels. It is through one such encounter that she meets Homily, a kindhearted, gentle soul, who sees the good in Shesheshen, and only seeks to help her. ZING go the strings of whatever stuff Shesheshen has inside her at the moment, and now she's feeling all sorts of confusing feels. Could Homily be the proper nest for Shesheshen's eggs . . . someone to hold the eggs within her lungs where they would be bathed in oxygen until they were strong enough to burrow out?
Or does Shesheshen love Homily too much to let her be devoured by their young?
And, then there's Homily's terrible family, devout monster-hunters who would never approve of this newly hatched love . . .
You can probably tell that I enjoyed the heck out of this dark fairy tale. There's plenty of gore (digesting people is a messy business), but there's also a lot of humor, and Shesheshen's struggle to playact the proper human reminded me quite a bit of one of my favorite film characters - Bella Baxter in Poor Things. For poor monsters struggling to fit in, it's a strange new world to navigate, and it's easy to forget the very complicated regulations. Honestly, Shesheshen - there are only two rules you really need to follow: never say "No" to love, and only gobble up people who deserve to be eaten.
Many thanks to NetGalley and DAW for the fun.
Shesheshen is a terrifying shape-shifting monster. She uses components of anything she devours, be it inorganic or human, to build a body. Though she does need to occasionally satiate her hunger, on the whole, she just wants to be left alone. Unfortunately, there always seem to be a bunch of pesky villagers with torches and
Or does Shesheshen love Homily too much to let her be devoured by their young?
And, then there's Homily's terrible family, devout monster-hunters who would never approve of this newly hatched love . . .
You can probably tell that I enjoyed the heck out of this dark fairy tale. There's plenty of gore (digesting people is a messy business), but there's also a lot of humor, and Shesheshen's struggle to playact the proper human reminded me quite a bit of one of my favorite film characters - Bella Baxter in Poor Things. For poor monsters struggling to fit in, it's a strange new world to navigate, and it's easy to forget the very complicated regulations. Honestly, Shesheshen - there are only two rules you really need to follow: never say "No" to love, and only gobble up people who deserve to be eaten.
Many thanks to NetGalley and DAW for the fun.
Want to read
September 14, 2024
April 7, 2024
Someone You Can Build A Nest In is a marvelously creative novel that is-at times-grisly, poignant and very entertaining. It provides intriguing examinations of the nature of humanity through the eyes of its protagonist Shesheshen: a shapeshifting monster who falls in love with a young woman named Homily who tends to her following a fall from a cliff during a pursuit by monster-hunters.
Although it does have its moments of coziness, Someone You Can Build A Nest In also touches upon familial abuse, trauma, the consequences of low self-esteem and the inevitable damage caused by unintentionally destructive coping mechanisms.
Shesheshen is an immensely unique protagonist and the novel does not shy away from the more disturbing aspects of her behavior. The body horror as she constructs her body time and again is fascinating, as it goes beyond the more traditional shapeshifting that is often depicted. Facets of her personality were also very relatable: the unease with interacting with others, the not always comprehending social customs and the concern of saying the incorrect thing due to ignorance.
Homily is an intriguing character as well. While immensely compassionate, she is also depicted an individual who is accustomed to self-sacrifice for the benefit of others. She also isn’t miraculously “healed” by Shesheshen’s affections, but they both make an effort to try and help one another and do so at their own pace rather than following any particular conventions.
The plot overall is engrossing, the antagonist is quite monstrous and the conclusion really does wrap things up wonderfully.
Thank you to NetGalley, DAW Books and to John Wiswell for providing access to this ebook. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
Although it does have its moments of coziness, Someone You Can Build A Nest In also touches upon familial abuse, trauma, the consequences of low self-esteem and the inevitable damage caused by unintentionally destructive coping mechanisms.
Shesheshen is an immensely unique protagonist and the novel does not shy away from the more disturbing aspects of her behavior. The body horror as she constructs her body time and again is fascinating, as it goes beyond the more traditional shapeshifting that is often depicted. Facets of her personality were also very relatable: the unease with interacting with others, the not always comprehending social customs and the concern of saying the incorrect thing due to ignorance.
Homily is an intriguing character as well. While immensely compassionate, she is also depicted an individual who is accustomed to self-sacrifice for the benefit of others. She also isn’t miraculously “healed” by Shesheshen’s affections, but they both make an effort to try and help one another and do so at their own pace rather than following any particular conventions.
The plot overall is engrossing, the antagonist is quite monstrous and the conclusion really does wrap things up wonderfully.
Thank you to NetGalley, DAW Books and to John Wiswell for providing access to this ebook. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
May 15, 2024
This might be the weirdest book I’ve ever read. I say that with love.
April 2, 2024
Ahoy there me mateys! There is a lot of awesome in this story of Shesheshen the monster falling in love with a human. I loved the tale being told from the prospective of the monster. Shesheshen's viewpoint of humans and their particularities was excellent fun. I found the beginning of this novel up through the monster meeting the love interest, Homily, to be captivating. Homily, of course, thinks Shesheshen is a human. The monster learning about how humans think about love was also wonderful. The insight into monster ethics was excellent.
Sadly, I did not love Homily as a character, even though she was sympathetic. She seemed very one dimensional. As the novel progressed I found the romance subplot and Homily's family began to irk me. I did not like the plot twist regarding Homily's mother at all. The logic of the story did not always work for me.
I also wish the novel would not have taken the direction it did once the big bad was dealt with. Part of the problem was all of the lying that Shesheshen did to Homily seemed to be brushed off with no real consequences. The reasons for the lies made sense but were not resolved satisfactorily. It personally never felt like the two became partners. Plus the epilogue was odd and too long.
I am still extremely glad I read this though because the beginning imagery and plot is going to stick with me for quite sometime. I could see meself rereading this book just because of how enjoyable it was. Oh and Blueberry the Bear rocks! So I do highly recommend it. I think the problems are more me and not the book. Arrr!
Sadly, I did not love Homily as a character, even though she was sympathetic. She seemed very one dimensional. As the novel progressed I found the romance subplot and Homily's family began to irk me. I did not like the plot twist regarding Homily's mother at all. The logic of the story did not always work for me.
I also wish the novel would not have taken the direction it did once the big bad was dealt with. Part of the problem was all of the lying that Shesheshen did to Homily seemed to be brushed off with no real consequences. The reasons for the lies made sense but were not resolved satisfactorily. It personally never felt like the two became partners. Plus the epilogue was odd and too long.
I am still extremely glad I read this though because the beginning imagery and plot is going to stick with me for quite sometime. I could see meself rereading this book just because of how enjoyable it was. Oh and Blueberry the Bear rocks! So I do highly recommend it. I think the problems are more me and not the book. Arrr!
March 14, 2024
I have made it QUITE known that I do not like cozy fantasy. And yet here we are. I LOVED Someone You Can Build A Nest In. It was cozy fantasy but with a bite. A nice, satisfying chomp of flesh and bone. A morbidly adorable little monster romance that feels like a cross between T Kingfisher, Lilo and Stitch, and @strangeplanet comics.
Basically, two monster hunters and an annoying guy in armor disturb Shesheshen's slumbers, and she wakes up grumpy and not fully formed. But she makes do and manages to kill the annoying guy in armor and uses his bones to help structure her new form. And then she goes into the village and sees what's up, but they figure out she's a monster and she runs away, falls off a cliff, and is rescued by a young woman named Homily, who nurses Shesheshen back to health. And boom, love at first bite. Or sight. :)
Someone You Can Build A Nest In is oddly charming and utterly delightful. It probably shocks no one that I really related to a monster hungry for crunchy bones and vengeance and whose solution to any problem is pretty much murder. I was giggling. I was guffawing. This was the monster love story I didn't know I wanted or needed.
And it wasn't just a love story. There was adventure and mayhem and magic and family drama and a bear named Blueberry. And it was so much fun.
Basically, two monster hunters and an annoying guy in armor disturb Shesheshen's slumbers, and she wakes up grumpy and not fully formed. But she makes do and manages to kill the annoying guy in armor and uses his bones to help structure her new form. And then she goes into the village and sees what's up, but they figure out she's a monster and she runs away, falls off a cliff, and is rescued by a young woman named Homily, who nurses Shesheshen back to health. And boom, love at first bite. Or sight. :)
Someone You Can Build A Nest In is oddly charming and utterly delightful. It probably shocks no one that I really related to a monster hungry for crunchy bones and vengeance and whose solution to any problem is pretty much murder. I was giggling. I was guffawing. This was the monster love story I didn't know I wanted or needed.
And it wasn't just a love story. There was adventure and mayhem and magic and family drama and a bear named Blueberry. And it was so much fun.
April 14, 2024
Really enjoyed the grotesque descriptions of monsters and how alien all of it was, but the novel falls a bit flat for me. And I won’t go into actual spoilers, but the plot twist/ending reveal was such a goddamn let down.
Shesheshen is a very interesting character, but the main problem is halfway through the novel, her internal dialogue is Too Human sounding, in my opinion. Her relationship with Homily is neat on paper, but it feels almost one dimensional with how fast it develops at the beginning, and then stagnates for the rest of the novel while the plot moves to be about Homily’s family issues.
Speaking of issues, why does Shesheshen even know the word “allosexual” if she’s a man-eating, eldritch monster that only hangs around humans long enough to eat them? How does this word exist in this setting in the first place? I think it’s neat and interesting that Homily and her are both ace, but in terms of setting and proposed time period of this medieval-type fantasy novel, I find the word ‘allosexual’ to be really jarring to come across, since it’s such a modern word that only been used in the last 10-20 years.
Same thing with the usage of the term “enby”. I actually have more problems with this, since it seems like the author thinks of nonbinary people as just a third gender that you can easily categorize people into, when thats very much not the case. How is it possible for Shesheshen, who’s never even interacted with some of these characters, to be able to pinpoint when someone is nonbinary or not? Nonbinary people do not all look the same, and in fact: nonbinary is literally an umbrella term used for any gender that isn’t necessarily /just/ man or woman. I love the inclusion of trans characters in media, but when used in this way of just having the main character basically look and point and some side character and say “this is a nonbinary character”, it comes off as just trying to add trans characters in a checklist type of way.
I want to clarify that there’s nothing wrong with the inclusion of either of these types of characters, in fact I welcome more representation to be shown! But it’s a bit frustrating as someone who is nonbinary (and aro for that matter!) to feel like proper research or thought wasn’t put into how it would come across. And I know this won’t probably be issues for other people, and it likely comes off as really nit-picky, but these two points bothered me for the rest of my reading experience.
Very sad to say that I didn’t enjoy this book considering it has such an interesting premise, oh well.
Shesheshen is a very interesting character, but the main problem is halfway through the novel, her internal dialogue is Too Human sounding, in my opinion. Her relationship with Homily is neat on paper, but it feels almost one dimensional with how fast it develops at the beginning, and then stagnates for the rest of the novel while the plot moves to be about Homily’s family issues.
Speaking of issues, why does Shesheshen even know the word “allosexual” if she’s a man-eating, eldritch monster that only hangs around humans long enough to eat them? How does this word exist in this setting in the first place? I think it’s neat and interesting that Homily and her are both ace, but in terms of setting and proposed time period of this medieval-type fantasy novel, I find the word ‘allosexual’ to be really jarring to come across, since it’s such a modern word that only been used in the last 10-20 years.
Same thing with the usage of the term “enby”. I actually have more problems with this, since it seems like the author thinks of nonbinary people as just a third gender that you can easily categorize people into, when thats very much not the case. How is it possible for Shesheshen, who’s never even interacted with some of these characters, to be able to pinpoint when someone is nonbinary or not? Nonbinary people do not all look the same, and in fact: nonbinary is literally an umbrella term used for any gender that isn’t necessarily /just/ man or woman. I love the inclusion of trans characters in media, but when used in this way of just having the main character basically look and point and some side character and say “this is a nonbinary character”, it comes off as just trying to add trans characters in a checklist type of way.
I want to clarify that there’s nothing wrong with the inclusion of either of these types of characters, in fact I welcome more representation to be shown! But it’s a bit frustrating as someone who is nonbinary (and aro for that matter!) to feel like proper research or thought wasn’t put into how it would come across. And I know this won’t probably be issues for other people, and it likely comes off as really nit-picky, but these two points bothered me for the rest of my reading experience.
Very sad to say that I didn’t enjoy this book considering it has such an interesting premise, oh well.
July 31, 2024
This is a ridiculous book that I loved very much. Also, because I have low spoons at the moment and also because I couldn’t do better, here are some key moments from the blurb:
"Shesheshen has made a mistake fatal to all monsters: she’s fallen in love."
"Shesheshen is a shapeshifter, who happily resides as an amorphous lump at the bottom of a ruined manor."
"Homily is kind and nurturing and would make an excellent co-parent: an ideal place to lay Shesheshen’s eggs so their young could devour Homily from the inside out."
"Eating her girlfriend isn’t an option."
"And the bigger challenge remains: surviving her toxic in-laws long enough to learn to build a life with, rather than in, the love of her life."
I think you’ll agree whoever wrote that blurb deserves an award of some sort. And in my opinion, it perfectly represents what you will get in the book: a tongue in cheek, weird little story about a monster who learns to be a person, while gross and funny things are constantly happening to and around her.
Also, I WILL NOTE LOUDLY, both of the love interests in this book, Shesheshen and Homily, are not only homoromantic but ASEXUAL. There is also a tertiary character in here that is called the offspring for most of the book that made me CACKLE every time it was on page. The last time I laughed this hard at a book and tabbed so many memorable, funny, and utterly weird lines was Gideon the Ninth.
I don’t know what to tell you about all the mediocre reviews of this one. They just don’t get it. I thought this book was perfect and exactly what I wanted, and I can’t wait to see what John Wiswell and his weird little mind do next.
Read Harder 2024: Read a book based solely on the title.
r/Fantasy BINGO 2024: Book Club or Readalong Book (Hard Mode)
CBR BINGO: Bananas
"Shesheshen has made a mistake fatal to all monsters: she’s fallen in love."
"Shesheshen is a shapeshifter, who happily resides as an amorphous lump at the bottom of a ruined manor."
"Homily is kind and nurturing and would make an excellent co-parent: an ideal place to lay Shesheshen’s eggs so their young could devour Homily from the inside out."
"Eating her girlfriend isn’t an option."
"And the bigger challenge remains: surviving her toxic in-laws long enough to learn to build a life with, rather than in, the love of her life."
I think you’ll agree whoever wrote that blurb deserves an award of some sort. And in my opinion, it perfectly represents what you will get in the book: a tongue in cheek, weird little story about a monster who learns to be a person, while gross and funny things are constantly happening to and around her.
Also, I WILL NOTE LOUDLY, both of the love interests in this book, Shesheshen and Homily, are not only homoromantic but ASEXUAL. There is also a tertiary character in here that is called the offspring for most of the book that made me CACKLE every time it was on page. The last time I laughed this hard at a book and tabbed so many memorable, funny, and utterly weird lines was Gideon the Ninth.
I don’t know what to tell you about all the mediocre reviews of this one. They just don’t get it. I thought this book was perfect and exactly what I wanted, and I can’t wait to see what John Wiswell and his weird little mind do next.
Read Harder 2024: Read a book based solely on the title.
r/Fantasy BINGO 2024: Book Club or Readalong Book (Hard Mode)
CBR BINGO: Bananas
July 1, 2024
This was such a unique and unusual read and I’m so glad I stumbled upon it. It tells us the story of a much feared monster hunted by the townsfolk. This monster who is able to live within anything she wants, even to take the shape of a human. There is so much lore about how to kill this beast and yet she laughs most of it away outwitting the humans at every turn. Until that is, she falls in love with one. Then the story takes a bit of a turn as she tries to figure out human emotions and even how to keep one of them alive, without revealing her secret of course (this part totally reminded me of Murderbot). There is a fabulous modern thriller-esque twist in the final third which turns everything on its head. So fun to be reading a book where you’re totally rooting for the monster!
November 24, 2023
This book is an absolute wild ride of a read, and it was incredibly enjoyable throughout. It's definitely not for everyone - I'm not recommending it for family book group, for example. However, for people for whom, "lesbian shapeshifting blob disembowels and absorbs girlfriend's abusive family members...for love!" hits the sweet spot, it's an absolute slam dunk. Yeah, it's a little gory, but there's an amazing amount of tenderness and humanity that I found super relatable. It's also got a great message about how "monsters" might have more humanity than the humans, and that humans can be monsters too; the different is not in how you're perceived, but how you treat others. Honestly, a book that can give me goopy digestive juicy gore, a tender exploration of familial trauma, and the joy and confusion of falling in love all in one is absolutely a five star read for me. This is the kind of book that I wouldn't have expected to get published, but I'm thrilled that it did, and I hope it finds its way into the hands of other readers for whom it resonates like it did for me.
May 26, 2024
i actually think it is a big pussy move to give your eldritch horror a moral compass. i think shesheshen should have been way nastier.
i felt like homily didn’t really have much of a personality, and i also struggled with her family being villainous in such an overwrought manner. this story definitely had potential for me but the execution was not successful.
i wonder if it would have been more to my taste as a novella, because all the action scenes in the last half felt jumbled and unclear and could probably have been condensed to one scene.
i felt like homily didn’t really have much of a personality, and i also struggled with her family being villainous in such an overwrought manner. this story definitely had potential for me but the execution was not successful.
i wonder if it would have been more to my taste as a novella, because all the action scenes in the last half felt jumbled and unclear and could probably have been condensed to one scene.
Want to read
December 14, 2023i always like books with monsters who aren't villains.
April 4, 2024
Someone You Can Build a Nest In
by John Wiswell
Cozy Horror Fantasy
NetGalley Audio ARC
Pub. Date: Apr. 2, 2024
Tantor Audio
Age: 16+
Shesheshen is a monster able to shapeshift, incorporating bones, rocks, and other objects to be able to pose as something else. Shesheshen's hibernation is interrupted by hunters sent by the Baroness to kill Shesheshen and to bring back Shesheshen's heart to remove the curse Shesheshen is accused of putting on the Barroness's family, which she did not do.
But the hunters were able to hurt her, and in escaping she fell off a cliff. Homily, a warm-hearted woman, believed Shesheshen was human and tended to Shesheshen's injuries.
Shesheshen wakes and thinks Homily would make a great meal or a nice nest for her eggs. But as the two 'women' get to know each other, Shesheshen falls in love. But Shesheshen is still being hunted by the Baroness, who is also Homily's mother.
I used the main character's name a lot in my description as it was used A LOT in the story. Yeah, I get it's needed when there are multiple characters, but when Shesheshen is the only character in the area, using the name became monotonous, boring, and irritating.
That was the main downside to this story. It was cute with morbid humor which caused me to snort laugh a few times, and could have been so much better if the characters' names weren't used so many times.
It was an easy read, (I listened to the audio and the narrator was great!) and a lot was guessable as the plot played out. There is violence and graphic morbid humor, but even so, I think it's still suitable for readers starting at a mature 16.
One more star would've been given if Shesheshen's (and other's) name(s) hadn't been repeated so much.
3 Stars
by John Wiswell
Cozy Horror Fantasy
NetGalley Audio ARC
Pub. Date: Apr. 2, 2024
Tantor Audio
Age: 16+
Shesheshen is a monster able to shapeshift, incorporating bones, rocks, and other objects to be able to pose as something else. Shesheshen's hibernation is interrupted by hunters sent by the Baroness to kill Shesheshen and to bring back Shesheshen's heart to remove the curse Shesheshen is accused of putting on the Barroness's family, which she did not do.
But the hunters were able to hurt her, and in escaping she fell off a cliff. Homily, a warm-hearted woman, believed Shesheshen was human and tended to Shesheshen's injuries.
Shesheshen wakes and thinks Homily would make a great meal or a nice nest for her eggs. But as the two 'women' get to know each other, Shesheshen falls in love. But Shesheshen is still being hunted by the Baroness, who is also Homily's mother.
I used the main character's name a lot in my description as it was used A LOT in the story. Yeah, I get it's needed when there are multiple characters, but when Shesheshen is the only character in the area, using the name became monotonous, boring, and irritating.
That was the main downside to this story. It was cute with morbid humor which caused me to snort laugh a few times, and could have been so much better if the characters' names weren't used so many times.
It was an easy read, (I listened to the audio and the narrator was great!) and a lot was guessable as the plot played out. There is violence and graphic morbid humor, but even so, I think it's still suitable for readers starting at a mature 16.
One more star would've been given if Shesheshen's (and other's) name(s) hadn't been repeated so much.
3 Stars
June 17, 2024
this was everything I wanted in a weird sapphic monster “pls can I put my eggs in you” cosy horror novel. LOVE. it was somehow both sweet and innocent and gory and funny all at the same time.
June 1, 2024
Someone You Can Build a Nest In is a weird blend of horror, fantasy, and romance...👹 And it just didn't work for me. This was marketed as a cozy horror fantasy, and I was seriously hoping I would like it. So far, cozy stories have not been my vibe, and alas, this was once again not up my alley. I am aware that this may be a me problem.😬
Plot: Our story follows Shesheshan, a fleshy blob monster with alien-like qualities, who has recently awoken from hibernation to find that monster hunters are out and about hunting for her kind.👽 Whilst trying to escape and shape shifting into a human, she ends up falling in love with a woman who happens to be the sister of one of the men who hunts her.🏹
Characters:
Shesheshan was interesting at first. A fleshy blob of a monster, I really enjoyed the descriptions of how alien she is.👹 She seems to be constantly hungry, too, and how the monsters eat/use humans is gross, but entertaining to say the least. I'm fucked up. Plus, she seems to mostly only kill bad people. However, as the story progresses she becomes more and more human-like... Which is strange for a man-eating monster.🤷🏼♀️ Homily as a character fell flat for me. Despite all of her family issues, she still seemed pretty one dimensional. The relationship between the two of them happens pretty quick, too, so their attachment wasn't totally believable, either.
Overall Thoughts:
I've seen so many positive reviews on this book, so I'm thinking this one just wasn't for me. The pacing was slow and honestly the book was pretty repetitive, especially when it came to speaking on the flaws of humans. Shesheshan's inner dialogue was always harping on the human race. I was like, "I get it, bitch... We suck major ass. Get TF over it or eat Homily's ass." ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I got through the book, but it was a massive struggle. I wouldn't necessarily tell people not to read this, though. If you're looking for something cozy this might be for you! It wasn't poorly written at all. Apparently this type of writing just isn't my thaaang, but it might be yours!
⭐⭐/5
Plot: Our story follows Shesheshan, a fleshy blob monster with alien-like qualities, who has recently awoken from hibernation to find that monster hunters are out and about hunting for her kind.👽 Whilst trying to escape and shape shifting into a human, she ends up falling in love with a woman who happens to be the sister of one of the men who hunts her.🏹
Characters:
Shesheshan was interesting at first. A fleshy blob of a monster, I really enjoyed the descriptions of how alien she is.👹 She seems to be constantly hungry, too, and how the monsters eat/use humans is gross, but entertaining to say the least. I'm fucked up. Plus, she seems to mostly only kill bad people. However, as the story progresses she becomes more and more human-like... Which is strange for a man-eating monster.🤷🏼♀️ Homily as a character fell flat for me. Despite all of her family issues, she still seemed pretty one dimensional. The relationship between the two of them happens pretty quick, too, so their attachment wasn't totally believable, either.
Overall Thoughts:
I've seen so many positive reviews on this book, so I'm thinking this one just wasn't for me. The pacing was slow and honestly the book was pretty repetitive, especially when it came to speaking on the flaws of humans. Shesheshan's inner dialogue was always harping on the human race. I was like, "I get it, bitch... We suck major ass. Get TF over it or eat Homily's ass." ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I got through the book, but it was a massive struggle. I wouldn't necessarily tell people not to read this, though. If you're looking for something cozy this might be for you! It wasn't poorly written at all. Apparently this type of writing just isn't my thaaang, but it might be yours!
⭐⭐/5
June 19, 2024
I cannot accurately describe how this was the perfect book for me.
Want to read
November 5, 2023“monster-slaying sapphic romance from the perspective of the monster, a shapeshifter who falls in love with a human” 💳💥💳💥💳💥 GIVE IT TO ME NOW
March 29, 2024
This was EVEN BETTER than I'd hoped for!!!
Rtc!
HIGHLIGHTS
~when I tell you that both the US and UK covers accurately represent the story
~this time the monster’s an ACTUAL monster
~wigs
~hurt the giant blue bear and you die
~gold is not a good metal for armour
~kissing = failed cannibalism
~gods damned rosemary
TW for mentions and some discussions of trauma and abuse.
John Wiswell really said “Monster romance? I’ll show you monster romance!” and gave us Someone You Can Build a Nest In.
Which: everyone else can go home, Wiswell wins. It’s not even close.
Because Shesheshen is an actual monster. Not a human with sexy fangs; not attractively muscly under unusually- but prettily-coloured skin; not an unexpectedly aesthetically-pleasing demon under the bed. A gross, icky blob of a monster, who eats humans in graphic detail. All the things monster romances usually give us – the monster being HotTM actually; the monster only eating nightmares or just a sip of blood or only really bad people; the monster willingly declawing themself for the sake of their human romantic interest – none of that’s a thing here. Shesheshen is anything but conventionally attractive; she is definitely not a vegan; she is extremely dangerous and always will be. Everything about her is a challenge: Can you, the reader, become attached to and invested in and deeply care about a monster who hits a lot of your ick buttons? Can Wiswell make you love her?
The answer to both those questions is – Oh my gods, YES!!!
Because – despite finding fly eggs in the corpse-leg she’s eating the equivalent of sprinkles on ice-cream – Shesheshen is ENORMOUSLY relatable. Don’t we all wish we could bite the heads off the idiots who wake us up before we’re finished sleeping? Doesn’t everyone want to murder their mother in law?? Is there truly anyone who doesn’t struggle to eat spaghetti neatly??? These are problems I think most of us can empathise or with!
Shesheshen is the weird alien creature for all of us who ever felt, or still feel like, weird alien creatures; her absolute bafflement when it comes to human behaviour isn’t just hilarious to read, or good worldbuilding (although it is both), but as an autistic reader, it also serves as both validation and relief. Yes, humans do things that make no sense!!! Thank you!!! SAY IT LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE AT THE BACK!!! So while I do not want to start nomming on my fellow humans, I did feel at home with Shesheshen; this is someone whose mind words very similarly to mine, and that will never stop feeling like a Big Deal when I get to encounter it in fiction. I don’t just love Shesheshen because she’s funny and socially awkward and is a murderous goo-monster (although I do love her for all those things); it’s also because I GET her. And I know I’m not going to be the only reader who feels that way. I love encountering characters who really Are Not Human because they’re interesting, and their perspective on humanity is interesting, but it’s also because I tend to identify with them really hard.
I have Feels about this, okay?
Read the rest at Every Book a Doorway!
Rtc!
HIGHLIGHTS
~when I tell you that both the US and UK covers accurately represent the story
~this time the monster’s an ACTUAL monster
~wigs
~hurt the giant blue bear and you die
~gold is not a good metal for armour
~kissing = failed cannibalism
~gods damned rosemary
TW for mentions and some discussions of trauma and abuse.
John Wiswell really said “Monster romance? I’ll show you monster romance!” and gave us Someone You Can Build a Nest In.
Which: everyone else can go home, Wiswell wins. It’s not even close.
Because Shesheshen is an actual monster. Not a human with sexy fangs; not attractively muscly under unusually- but prettily-coloured skin; not an unexpectedly aesthetically-pleasing demon under the bed. A gross, icky blob of a monster, who eats humans in graphic detail. All the things monster romances usually give us – the monster being HotTM actually; the monster only eating nightmares or just a sip of blood or only really bad people; the monster willingly declawing themself for the sake of their human romantic interest – none of that’s a thing here. Shesheshen is anything but conventionally attractive; she is definitely not a vegan; she is extremely dangerous and always will be. Everything about her is a challenge: Can you, the reader, become attached to and invested in and deeply care about a monster who hits a lot of your ick buttons? Can Wiswell make you love her?
The answer to both those questions is – Oh my gods, YES!!!
Because – despite finding fly eggs in the corpse-leg she’s eating the equivalent of sprinkles on ice-cream – Shesheshen is ENORMOUSLY relatable. Don’t we all wish we could bite the heads off the idiots who wake us up before we’re finished sleeping? Doesn’t everyone want to murder their mother in law?? Is there truly anyone who doesn’t struggle to eat spaghetti neatly??? These are problems I think most of us can empathise or with!
Dressing up so that you could eat never made sense to Shesheshen; the food was typically dead and surely unimpressed with its audience.
Shesheshen is the weird alien creature for all of us who ever felt, or still feel like, weird alien creatures; her absolute bafflement when it comes to human behaviour isn’t just hilarious to read, or good worldbuilding (although it is both), but as an autistic reader, it also serves as both validation and relief. Yes, humans do things that make no sense!!! Thank you!!! SAY IT LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE AT THE BACK!!! So while I do not want to start nomming on my fellow humans, I did feel at home with Shesheshen; this is someone whose mind words very similarly to mine, and that will never stop feeling like a Big Deal when I get to encounter it in fiction. I don’t just love Shesheshen because she’s funny and socially awkward and is a murderous goo-monster (although I do love her for all those things); it’s also because I GET her. And I know I’m not going to be the only reader who feels that way. I love encountering characters who really Are Not Human because they’re interesting, and their perspective on humanity is interesting, but it’s also because I tend to identify with them really hard.
I have Feels about this, okay?
Read the rest at Every Book a Doorway!
April 11, 2024
CW: trauma, abuse (physical and emotional), family abuse, animal harm (though the animal does not die)
Many thanks to Jo Fletcher Books for providing me the copy for this review. The book releases 11th April 2024 in the UK.
Well, in the vein of so much cozy fiction that's recently been coming out, I guess it's time for cosy horror to make an appearance. I think for me, this really is more like cozy fantasy with a great deal of body horror attached. Which, to be clear, didn't bother me, but I do think it's worth mentioning so people are aware going into it.
There is a lot to like in here: I liked Shesheshen as a narrator, I liked her viewpoint of the world and how she approaches her own nature as a monster, that feeling that she isn't just a human in a weird skinsuit, but an actual different creature. I wouldn't really go quite as far as calling her eldritch, because it doesn't read as being quite so alien, but she is not a human at all. I enjoyed that human habits remain strange to Shesheshen all the way through the book, that she tried to find words to describe these things to herself, without a guaranteed success.
I also really enjoyed Homily, who despite not having a direct POV in the book, shines through the narrative and who provides the big emotional core of the book. I like that she is a fat protagonist whose fatness is actually not the cause of her abuse nor does it become a weapon for her abusers to leverage against her; Wiswell also doesn't shy away from describing her fatness and her body, grounding her presence on that page.
I like that we have asexual rep that doesn't just begin and end at the eldritch horror! I'm so over the only ace rep being the robot, the cyborg, the monster and it's nice to see that's actually not the case here. I think it's partly because Wiswell is himself asexual, so that #ownvoices angle really shines through. I loved watching the relationship between Shesheshen and Homily grow, the difficult conversations, the emotions that they don't have a name more.
But there were some things that I wasn't so in love with: the book felt padded in parts, like this could have worked so much better as a novella. It's not a long book either, but there were parts that just felt like characters spinning some wheels, waiting for the next part of the book to happen. The twist was... disappointing, I feel. I wanted to have more depth to that, to understand exactly why it happened and the motivations behind those decisions. Again, it feels like it's there to add more padding to the novel because it's such a shallow reveal in that sense. Finally, the conversation between Shesheshen and Homily, the one we know is coming for much of the novel, just ends up flopping for me. I'm not looking for made up conflicts or pushing for fake outrage, but it's just... over? To admit to your nature, to admit to murder, and to lying for so long, only for Homily to just accept it unquestioningly. There is no moment, even in the last few pages of the book, where they ever speak about it, where Shesheshen apologises for the deception. I didn't love that.
Overall, it's an enjoyable book, it's a quick read and I do hope it means that Wiswell puts out more novels in the future. There is a lot to like here and I know for some people this will easily be a 5 star read, but for me, it was just a bit too shallow in parts and too padded in others to really feel like it will be a book I remember well a few months down the line.
Many thanks to Jo Fletcher Books for providing me the copy for this review. The book releases 11th April 2024 in the UK.
Well, in the vein of so much cozy fiction that's recently been coming out, I guess it's time for cosy horror to make an appearance. I think for me, this really is more like cozy fantasy with a great deal of body horror attached. Which, to be clear, didn't bother me, but I do think it's worth mentioning so people are aware going into it.
There is a lot to like in here: I liked Shesheshen as a narrator, I liked her viewpoint of the world and how she approaches her own nature as a monster, that feeling that she isn't just a human in a weird skinsuit, but an actual different creature. I wouldn't really go quite as far as calling her eldritch, because it doesn't read as being quite so alien, but she is not a human at all. I enjoyed that human habits remain strange to Shesheshen all the way through the book, that she tried to find words to describe these things to herself, without a guaranteed success.
I also really enjoyed Homily, who despite not having a direct POV in the book, shines through the narrative and who provides the big emotional core of the book. I like that she is a fat protagonist whose fatness is actually not the cause of her abuse nor does it become a weapon for her abusers to leverage against her; Wiswell also doesn't shy away from describing her fatness and her body, grounding her presence on that page.
I like that we have asexual rep that doesn't just begin and end at the eldritch horror! I'm so over the only ace rep being the robot, the cyborg, the monster and it's nice to see that's actually not the case here. I think it's partly because Wiswell is himself asexual, so that #ownvoices angle really shines through. I loved watching the relationship between Shesheshen and Homily grow, the difficult conversations, the emotions that they don't have a name more.
But there were some things that I wasn't so in love with: the book felt padded in parts, like this could have worked so much better as a novella. It's not a long book either, but there were parts that just felt like characters spinning some wheels, waiting for the next part of the book to happen. The twist was... disappointing, I feel. I wanted to have more depth to that, to understand exactly why it happened and the motivations behind those decisions. Again, it feels like it's there to add more padding to the novel because it's such a shallow reveal in that sense. Finally, the conversation between Shesheshen and Homily, the one we know is coming for much of the novel, just ends up flopping for me. I'm not looking for made up conflicts or pushing for fake outrage, but it's just... over? To admit to your nature, to admit to murder, and to lying for so long, only for Homily to just accept it unquestioningly. There is no moment, even in the last few pages of the book, where they ever speak about it, where Shesheshen apologises for the deception. I didn't love that.
Overall, it's an enjoyable book, it's a quick read and I do hope it means that Wiswell puts out more novels in the future. There is a lot to like here and I know for some people this will easily be a 5 star read, but for me, it was just a bit too shallow in parts and too padded in others to really feel like it will be a book I remember well a few months down the line.
April 6, 2024
This is a peculiar and unconventional story that takes readers into a bizarre world filled with dark humor and unsettling scenarios. From the outset, it's clear this book isn't your typical read; it's weird, gory, and unlike anything I've encountered before.
The story is narrated from the perspective of Shesheshen, a monster who provides a fascinating viewpoint on human behavior and emotions. Wiswell excels in portraying the monster's observations with wit and insight, highlighting human peculiarities through an alien lens. This narrative approach is undoubtedly one of the novel's strongest aspects, offering a fresh and engaging take on the typical monster-human encounter trope.
However, while the concept and narrative voice are intriguing, the execution falls short in several areas. The characters, for the most part, come across as one-dimensional or downright unpleasant. The romance between Shesheshen and Homily lacks believability and depth, which undermines a significant part of the plot. Homily, in particular, feels underdeveloped and fails to evolve beyond her initial submissive portrayal, making it difficult to fully invest in her character arc.
As the novel progresses, the plot becomes increasingly disjointed and erratic. The introduction is captivating, setting up an intriguing premise with Shesheshen's discovery of humans and his interactions with Homily. However, the story loses its footing as it delves into the romantic subplot and Homily's family dynamics. The narrative logic begins to unravel, culminating in a disappointing plot twist regarding Homily's mother that feels forced and out of place.
Despite its flaws, "Someone You Can Build a Nest In" offers moments of dark humor and clever social commentary, particularly in its exploration of monster ethics and human relationships. Wiswell's ability to craft a unique perspective and inject humor into grim scenarios is commendable. However, the novel's inconsistent pacing, underdeveloped characters, and questionable plot choices ultimately detract from its overall impact.
Overall, "Someone You Can Build a Nest In" is an unconventional read that may appeal to those seeking a fresh take on the monster genre. While it has its strengths in narrative creativity and thematic exploration, it struggles with character depth, repetitiveness and narrative coherence. Readers should approach this book with an open mind, prepared for a strange and occasionally frustrating journey through the eyes of an unlikely narrator.
The story is narrated from the perspective of Shesheshen, a monster who provides a fascinating viewpoint on human behavior and emotions. Wiswell excels in portraying the monster's observations with wit and insight, highlighting human peculiarities through an alien lens. This narrative approach is undoubtedly one of the novel's strongest aspects, offering a fresh and engaging take on the typical monster-human encounter trope.
However, while the concept and narrative voice are intriguing, the execution falls short in several areas. The characters, for the most part, come across as one-dimensional or downright unpleasant. The romance between Shesheshen and Homily lacks believability and depth, which undermines a significant part of the plot. Homily, in particular, feels underdeveloped and fails to evolve beyond her initial submissive portrayal, making it difficult to fully invest in her character arc.
As the novel progresses, the plot becomes increasingly disjointed and erratic. The introduction is captivating, setting up an intriguing premise with Shesheshen's discovery of humans and his interactions with Homily. However, the story loses its footing as it delves into the romantic subplot and Homily's family dynamics. The narrative logic begins to unravel, culminating in a disappointing plot twist regarding Homily's mother that feels forced and out of place.
Despite its flaws, "Someone You Can Build a Nest In" offers moments of dark humor and clever social commentary, particularly in its exploration of monster ethics and human relationships. Wiswell's ability to craft a unique perspective and inject humor into grim scenarios is commendable. However, the novel's inconsistent pacing, underdeveloped characters, and questionable plot choices ultimately detract from its overall impact.
Overall, "Someone You Can Build a Nest In" is an unconventional read that may appeal to those seeking a fresh take on the monster genre. While it has its strengths in narrative creativity and thematic exploration, it struggles with character depth, repetitiveness and narrative coherence. Readers should approach this book with an open mind, prepared for a strange and occasionally frustrating journey through the eyes of an unlikely narrator.
April 1, 2024
HELL yes.
"Someone You Can Build a Nest In" is a monster romance between an amorphous leech-like human-eating monster whose reproductive cycle is laying eggs in a host that eat that host from the inside out, and a beautiful, fat lesbian from a monster hunter family who are dedicated to finding and killing the wyrm. The protagonist is in fact this wyrm, who can shapeshift and is doing the best she can to go undetected as she's is trying very hard to not be killed, and keeps building lies upon lies without really meaning to.
It's also a story about not sacrificing yourself for other people, and holding other people up so they learn not to be sacrificed.
It's also a story about narcissistic mothers who live their lives through their daughters and breaking these chains.
It's also just a very fun, funny, horror read that I trusted the whole way along. It has twists and turns galore, it is never easy, but I did not think it would hurt me, and it didn't. Brilliantly written. The setting is a fantasy world that is half ours (there are bombs, and very modern speech) and half high fantasy. It is smart, and clever, but never quippy in a way that draws attention to itself. The characters are wonderful. Shesheshen, the monster and protagonist, goes through one of the best character arcs.
Truly loved this one.
"Someone You Can Build a Nest In" is a monster romance between an amorphous leech-like human-eating monster whose reproductive cycle is laying eggs in a host that eat that host from the inside out, and a beautiful, fat lesbian from a monster hunter family who are dedicated to finding and killing the wyrm. The protagonist is in fact this wyrm, who can shapeshift and is doing the best she can to go undetected as she's is trying very hard to not be killed, and keeps building lies upon lies without really meaning to.
It's also a story about not sacrificing yourself for other people, and holding other people up so they learn not to be sacrificed.
It's also a story about narcissistic mothers who live their lives through their daughters and breaking these chains.
It's also just a very fun, funny, horror read that I trusted the whole way along. It has twists and turns galore, it is never easy, but I did not think it would hurt me, and it didn't. Brilliantly written. The setting is a fantasy world that is half ours (there are bombs, and very modern speech) and half high fantasy. It is smart, and clever, but never quippy in a way that draws attention to itself. The characters are wonderful. Shesheshen, the monster and protagonist, goes through one of the best character arcs.
Truly loved this one.
September 21, 2024
Trauma unpacking? In MY comfort monster read? It’s more likely than you think.
August 22, 2024
*2.5
i can't believe this is the author's debut book, like... how does he write about women so well? for once in my reading experience i didn't have to read about tits and the bottom as is the norm regarding male authors lol. that in itself was a plus.
now, the writing style. i did like the fact that this book had 8 parts and all of them were named. it gave you a sense of what was about to happen.
also shesheshen's shapeshifting descriptions were really vivid and for me that was the horror part of the book. i was grossed out a couple of times lol.
the way that the animal abuse was described in this book... i mean, that in itself was the reason why i gave it a full star less because i DESPISE that in books and i didn't think it would be this graphic. 😭
overall i wasn't too much of a fan of the writing style cos at times it made the story drag for me and even put me in a 2 day slump. i didn't wanna pick this book up. it made me feel like i was reading a 500 page book when it was just over 300.
my favourite characters were definitely blueberry bear and shesheshen. i wish we could've seen more of blueberry tho she was so wholesome. 😩
i absolutely hated the baroness and ode. they were such bitches oml, i did like how shesheshen was so against the baroness tho, she was such a badass for that lol.
i also found some moments between shesheshen and homily cute & wholesome but other than that the writing style really made the story slow for me.
and then i wanted to know more about this offspring, that character was interesting to say the least lmao.
i liked the romance in this book but at the same time it felt a bit too fast and homily became comfortable with shesheshen too quickly. i wanted there to be more tension between them since shesheshen was a monster.
i didn't see majority of the plot twists coming but these 2 things i did see coming. that there was no curse at all and that shesheshen actually confessed to homily's abusive sister cos she was disguised as homily instead of homily herself. which disappointed me cos these things are common in fantasy books.
it also seemed at times unbelievable how a monster could adapt so easily to the situation of being with humans and act like a human too. shesheshen was supposed, in all actuality, to have difficulties doing that cos she had no concept of how to be a human.
i enjoyed the ending of this book which was really sweet and normally i like chaotic endings but this one worked well as a cute little moment!
i understand why people would hate this book and i also understand why people would absolutely love this. it wasn't my favourite one but it definitely wasn't a straight up dnf. i personally can't recommend this but a lot of people seem to love it so maybe it's just a me problem. 😂
i can't believe this is the author's debut book, like... how does he write about women so well? for once in my reading experience i didn't have to read about tits and the bottom as is the norm regarding male authors lol. that in itself was a plus.
now, the writing style. i did like the fact that this book had 8 parts and all of them were named. it gave you a sense of what was about to happen.
also shesheshen's shapeshifting descriptions were really vivid and for me that was the horror part of the book. i was grossed out a couple of times lol.
the way that the animal abuse was described in this book... i mean, that in itself was the reason why i gave it a full star less because i DESPISE that in books and i didn't think it would be this graphic. 😭
overall i wasn't too much of a fan of the writing style cos at times it made the story drag for me and even put me in a 2 day slump. i didn't wanna pick this book up. it made me feel like i was reading a 500 page book when it was just over 300.
my favourite characters were definitely blueberry bear and shesheshen. i wish we could've seen more of blueberry tho she was so wholesome. 😩
i absolutely hated the baroness and ode. they were such bitches oml, i did like how shesheshen was so against the baroness tho, she was such a badass for that lol.
i also found some moments between shesheshen and homily cute & wholesome but other than that the writing style really made the story slow for me.
and then i wanted to know more about this offspring, that character was interesting to say the least lmao.
i liked the romance in this book but at the same time it felt a bit too fast and homily became comfortable with shesheshen too quickly. i wanted there to be more tension between them since shesheshen was a monster.
i didn't see majority of the plot twists coming but these 2 things i did see coming. that there was no curse at all and that shesheshen actually confessed to homily's abusive sister cos she was disguised as homily instead of homily herself. which disappointed me cos these things are common in fantasy books.
it also seemed at times unbelievable how a monster could adapt so easily to the situation of being with humans and act like a human too. shesheshen was supposed, in all actuality, to have difficulties doing that cos she had no concept of how to be a human.
i enjoyed the ending of this book which was really sweet and normally i like chaotic endings but this one worked well as a cute little moment!
i understand why people would hate this book and i also understand why people would absolutely love this. it wasn't my favourite one but it definitely wasn't a straight up dnf. i personally can't recommend this but a lot of people seem to love it so maybe it's just a me problem. 😂
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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