I absolutely loved listening to the audiobook format of Wasps in the Ice Cream. The audiobook was a fun and entertaining listen as the narrator was upbeat, did voices for characters.
The book itself is a modern gothic coming to age narrative that asks us why we isolate and ostracize those in our communities who don’t fit in?

Sad, a little strange, and unnerving - not really a horror in the way we first think. But there is always an element of terror in realizing the gravity of consequences when you can't go back to the before. Childhood really is different in small communities and before technology in hand held devices were ubiquitous with youth. Being different, or othered, and not accepted by your neighbors can and does have disastrous consequences.

I didn't enjoy the narrator, but the sense of unease and sadness stuck with me after I finished reading so the impact was there. If anything, this story highlights how some people get to move on and keep going, where others are left behind.

The audio done by Dan Lawson was fantastic. Quick, clean audio, and good distinction for each character.

The novel begins with the narrator, Mark Prewitt, telling the reader that there is a house with a ghost, and that he fell in love with a witch. It worked perfectly as set up for me, as for the remainder of the book, it was like looking over my shoulder waiting for the exact moment those reveals would have an effect.

Mark just wants to make enough money this summer to get his car running. That, and to have as much fun with his friends as possible. But when a prank goes too far, Mark is forced to cross paths with the Farrow sisters in the hopes of making amends, but there’s also a dirty secret that may create a problem of its own.

The Farrow sisters are the town pariahs. Their parents pulled them from school after the death of their eldest sister, and now they’re seldom seen, and wholeheartedly hated. But as Mark meets George (short for Georgia) he realizes that while the family is strange, they’re mostly misunderstood. A friendship, and possibly more, blossoms.

Part of why I loved the opening is because the novel doesn’t really have much in the way of action. Mark goes to work, and he has two jobs. Otherwise he rides his bike to his friends or to see George. That knowledge that something’s coming stays right in the back of your head the whole time.

It’s also a great coming of age story, with super strong dialogue. Although I am born five years after the novel is set, I feel like the 90s were truly the last generation of kids to have that walk/bike everywhere feel. Especially the ‘go wherever you want as long as you’re not in your parents house’ attitude. So that felt nostalgic while reading.

This might be a first of its kind for me, but this is like reading a horror/romance? The possible intrusion of the ghost, a seance gone bad, the witch antics, the almost Addams family plus abusive dysfunction of the Farrow family, all while George and Mark are growing closer, was a unique blend.

I particularly liked the dissection of high school classism, as Mark battles between his heart and his head. He wants to see more of George, desires to be with her, but what would that do to him if anyone found out? Could he afford to become a ghost as well? To become another town pariah? Sometimes, especially with the fickleness of kids, you don't get a choice.

The ending does pick up, has stakes, and losses. And I really enjoyed the open ending. This was a great read and a first for me from the author.

This is more of a coming of genre story with horror elements rather than a horror book. It also focuses on the real horror of the dangerous and unsettling secrets of adulthood versus the childhood innocence. It definitely has Carrie vibes and is slow paced but for once I didn't mind that.

Ich fand die Geschichte eher langatmig und hat mich somit nicht angesprochen. Die Gedanken und Gefühle des jungen Mannes waren nachvollziehbar aber nichts besonderes

Such a great coming of age story. This is considered horror, and there are horror aspects. I feel this is more a coming of age story than anything. I will definitely be picking up more from this author, and had a blast while reading this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book, in exchange for a honest review.

This was a really great story about a boy who loves a girl that everyone hates and I usually don’t like coming of age stories.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audiobook copy in exchange.

4 stars

Coming of age story set in the 1980s. A reminder that teenagers don't always make the best decisions.

This was an interesting story, I loved the reveal at the end of the book, was not expecting that to come out. I like all of the stuff that Lisl is doing to try and steer Mark and George's story.

Dan Lawson did a great job narrating the story.

I definitely went into this book with expectations of a great horror story. While the story was entertaining and kept me engaged, I wouldn't call it horror or creepy. This felt more like a coming of age somewhat thriller. If you go into this book without creepy horror expectations I think that the story is much more enjoyable.

Based on the title, cover, and category, I was anticipating a horror novel.
This is more of a coming-of age with paranormal elements, but I enjoyed it just as much.

We follow teenage Mark Prewitt as he navigates a summer in the 80's filled with friendship woes. He and his friends pull a prank on three daughters of a family that has been shunned from the rest of the town. Feeling guilty, Mark seeks out forgiveness, and eventually friendship with one of the girls. He has to keep this friendship a secret, and finds himself living a double-life that he cannot keep up with.

This story reminded me how fickle friendship and social standing can be at that age. It explores loss, guilt, loneliness, friendship, yearning, bullying, and all the fun that the teenage years mean for many of us. A solid addition to coming-of-age novels.

Wasps in the Ice Cream Review! 🍦

Thank you so much RDS audio and Netgalley for this gifted audio, in exchange for an honest review! Wasps in the Ice Cream is out now!

When reading the synopsis it sounded similar to It. I absolutely love reading about a group of kids in the 80s. Wasps in the Ice Cream was a 3.25/5 ⭐️ for me! This book was good, just not what I was expecting!! I had my hopes up for a spooky horror. So I was let down when it read like a literary fiction book. This one completely submerged you into the 80s though and it felt like you were right along side the characters! Overall, a fun summer read, just not the horror I was expecting!

“wasps in the ice cream” is an enjoyable coming of age story. i found it intriguing to listen to, especially once the farrow sisters entered the scene and some paranormal elements were added to the narrative. i like that this a slightly gothic, but slow-paced story, and therefore, without wanting to give too much away, was a little bit taken aback by the rather intense ending, which felt unauthentic to me.
overall, i found it to be a decent YA novel, even though i didn’t 100% get into it personally. i would be interested to know whether my reading experience would’ve been different if i’d read a physical copy rather than listening to the audiobook as i found the narrator quite monotonous and not particularly engaging.

note: the novel is categorised as horror, which i found a bit misleading. i would say it’s a YA novel with gothic elements

Disclamer: copy provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 starts rounded down to 4.

As other reviews mention, this is a coming of age story which focus on the life of Mark Prewitt during the summer of 1987, when Mark becomes acquainted with George Farrow, one the sisters of a pariah and shunned family in a small town. While Mark gets to know George he's also navigating relationships with childhood friends, and adjusting to life with a new stepmom, and in this setup we are guided through the life and secrets of a small town.

Coming of age stories don't always work for me because I don't tend to enjoy following the point of view of teenagers or younger people. However, this is a novel with young characters but written with an adult audience in mind and I really enjoyed this book and was fully engaged from the very beginning.
As an reader in my late 30s I could easily relate to some of the dilemmas that Mark was facing at this stage of his life and the setting in the 80s felt very nostalgic.
There's a sense of unease throughout the book and of dark secrets. The plot kept me intrigued and I was looking forward to picking the book up whenever I had a chance.
A lot of themes are covered in this short novel: discrimination, bullying, abuse, loss, and others, and at the core the book focus on the impact of ones choices.
I really enjoyed the writing and the strong focus on character development.

In short, I definitely enjoyed my time with this book, and unless for those that require constant action scenes and stories that moves at a very fast pace, this is novel that I think will work for wide audience, and I believe deserving of more than the ~230 ratting it currently has, 4 months after publishing date.

Teenager Mark and his group of rebellious friends enjoy playing pranks and causing havoc in their small town. When a prank gone wrong brings Mark closer to the town outcast, Georgia (George,) he's forced to choose between the friends he's always known, and the one person he can be himself with. A classic coming-of-age tale with a heartbreaking and supernatural twist.

I listened to the audiobook of this and really enjoyed it, more than I thought I would!
I was expecting more of a dark story considering the genre (occult/supernatural/light horror) but there is very little of that aspect in this. It's slow-paced and centers primarily around the friendship that develops between Mark and George, while everyone around them wants to keep them apart. I listened to this in one sitting and was engrossed even though it isn't particularly action-packed or "exciting."
The detail and description of every character's personality, background, and attitude was exceptional. This was sort of out of my normal realm of genre, but it was wonderfully written and kept my attention, regardless! Definitely recommend!

5 Stars for this heartfelt coming-of-age story.

Schools out for Summer, Mark and his buddies spend their days trying to find something to do in their small sleepy town. What is the saying, "boys will be boys", the heat induced boredom pushed the boys to play a cruel prank on the town outcasts.

The Farrow sisters don't go to school with the other kids, they spend their days locked in a creepy house with their weird parents crafting spells. George, one of the Farrow sisters, eventually forms an unlikely friendship with Mark and they find themselves completely absorbed into each others orbits. But the Farrows have a weird history in this town, Mark's friends and family don't support this friendship and slowly things start to take a turn for the worse leading to a catastrophic end.

I enjoyed this coming of age story so much, it really captured the essence of the 80's with pop culture references. This was not a horror story which was a bit surprising to me I was under the impression that this was a horror story. The are some dark twists at the end which was shocking. The character development was very well done; I found Mark to be a charming endearing kid that was written very realistically. I also enjoyed his character arc by the end of the story.

I got serious "We Have Always Lived in the House" vibes and would highly recommend this as a Summer read. I would highly recommend this book for fans of coming of age stories with well fleshed out characters. Thanks to #netgalley and the publisher for an ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a solid coming-of-age story about a boy named Mark Prewitt whose father has remarried after the death of his mother from an ailment. With nothing better to do during summer, he stays away from his father and new stepmother by spending most of his waking hours in his two summer jobs (he hopes to save enough money to fix an old car), and in the presence of his friends, Kevin and Eric.

One day the trio decides to play a prank on the town’s pariahs, the Farrow sisters. The Farrow sisters are thought to dabble in witchcraft and the entire family keeps to themselves and stay away from everyone in town. Mark feels bad for the prank they pulled when it seems that one of the sisters, George, suffers from a temporary loss of hearing as a result. As an apology, he buys the book he saw George leafing through in the store and leaves it on their porch. The two decide to start talking and develop a relationship.

Mark hides his relationship with George from his parents and his friends and makes up lies when Kevin and Eric ask him where he spends most of his time when not working. However, when what they have is discovered, things will never be the same again.

This story explores peer pressure, friendships, loneliness, growing up, bullying, and being accountable for one’s actions. This book got my attention because it was classified as horror, but I am not the least bit disappointed that this isn’t horror in the true sense. I loved this book and I’m over the moon I was given an ARC.

This is one of my favorite reads of 2023. It is enthralling, poignant, and magical.

Thank you to Raw Dog Screaming Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to RDS Audio and NetGalley for this audiobook ARC!

I enjoyed this story and the setting, the 80s vibes were great. Wasps in the Ice Cream reminded me a lot of old school Stephen King as well. I liked the narrator as well.

My only complaint was the only parts that felt like horror were near the end of the story. This was my first read by this author, but I’d be interested in reading more in the future.

Solid 4.5 for me!

This is a coming of age, contemporary horror story with witchy vibes. This book felt like if John Green wrote in the horror style to me. I loved that the MC, Mark, started to embrace the “weird” and struck up a friendship with the outcast that seemed to change him. There is teenage stupidity, loss and death, traumatic families and coming to terms and living with your mistakes. The narrator did a fantastic job and I couldn’t stop listening.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tim Mcgregor, RDS Audio and Dan Lawson for the ALC in exchange for a honest review.

This was a coming of age story more than anything. It was also really just sad more than scary. Good message about how the things you do and say can really impact other people. Also, you can be at the top and still fall to the bottom really quickly. Care about one another, treat other with respect, own up to your mistakes. Say no when you know actions are wrong.