Someone You Can Build a Nest In – John Wiswell

Look at this creepy little beauty! I picked this one up earlier this year for my birthday.

SOMEONE YOU CAN BUILD A NEST IN – John Wiswell (Released April 2nd, 2024)

Book Description:

Discover this creepy, charming monster-slaying fantasy romance—from the perspective of the monster—by Nebula Award-winning debut author John Wiswell

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.

My Thoughts: 4/5 stars

Do you like monsters and monster hunters? Unlikely friendships and a little light romance? Some adventure and some horror. I have to say, I was impressed with this book and how unique this shapeshifter was!

Shesheshen typically exists as an amorphous blob hidden safely away in ruined and dilapidated manor. Her slumber is rudely interrupted when monster hunters and an odd man in gold armor come to attack her. She shifts into a more humanoid form and has her meal, but is then chased from her home and off a cliff. Servery injured, she is found by a woman, Homily, and nursed back to health. Only problem with her starting to fall in love? Homily and her family have no idea that she is actually a monster – and especially the one they think cursed their family.

When I tell you this shapeshifter is different, wow. I was so impressed with the bit of body horror in these parts. This isn’t like a Mystique kind of shapeshifter, this is her taking bits and pieces from past meals to construct a physical body. Bones? Metal chains for a spine? A bear trap for a mouth? The imagery is amazing. Also – love for Shesheshen means finding a co-parent/partner that would be an ideal place to lay her eggs so their young could devour Homily from the inside out. Clearly, she’s figuring out humans express love in different ways.

Who knew the monster of the story would be the easiest to connect with? Feeling out of place, confused on social norms for humans, having to navigate the line between who she is and who she wants to be for Homily. A toxic family, monster hunters closing in – things get intense. Parts of the ending felt a little rushed, and some of the action sequences could have been trimmed up a little, but otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed this one!