Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I think the main draw--and the main reason I liked it--was Shesheshen. She's just such a fun and empathetic character. Her observations on humanity (and their hypocrisies and weirdnesses) were some of the highlights for me. While I do think the romance could've been a little smoother, it was, overall, very sweet and I loved the asexual representation. I also liked the varying discussions on grief and abuse and family. There's a conversation that Shesheshen has with Homily that really punched me in the gut.

There were a few things, though, that I think could've been done a little better. The first is that the pacing needed a little bit of work, especially towards the end. This also ties into another critique I have which is that Shesheshen goes from not being able to identify certain human emotions to being able to identify the finer details of some of the things Homily is going through. While I don't mind monster characters taking on a more human perspective to offer empathy and compassion, I do wish that that transition had been explored a bit more. Because, as it is, it sort of came out of left field a bit. I wish Shesheshen had either: a) not been so much of a recluse and, instead, done a bit more snooping on humans or b) spent a bit more time among humans before the main plot kicked in to get a bit more insight on their behaviors. There was an attempt, but I don't think it quite matched up to the level of empathy and compassion Shesheshen reaches in later parts of the book. Which, don't get me wrong, I really loved those moments from her, but I wanted it to be a bit more earned than it felt like it was.

Again, though, this was highly enjoyable and I'd recommend it if you like kind of gory monster stories with a sweet sapphic center.

Easily one of my favorite books this year! Shesheshen is a delightfully funny and surprisingly romantic monster. Homily is so lovely and warm and I want to be her best friend. Not only did this book entertain me, but it also sparked some questions about parenthood, desire, and grief that I'll be ruminating on for a while.

An unexpectedly cozy-like fantasy horror. This was such a fresh take on the monster hunt trope with Shesheshen, the monster, as the main POV. Her views on humans and civilization are funny while she is also, eventually, very supportive and understanding of someone who had experienced trauma.

I had initially thought that the book was dragging on towards the end, but the ending was very much worth it.

Different in many ways from the norm, but in all the best ways! A must-read for any fan of queer fantasy. Thank you for the ARC!

Judging by the blurb, I was expecting Someone You Can Build a Nest In to be a weird, creepy-cute, original bit of literary fun. The concept sounded great, and the story sounded like it might offer something truly different than from what we normally see coming out of mainstream SFF publishers. It was most definitely weird and original, more creepy than cute, but I’m afraid fun is a word I can’t use to describe it.

Critically, I’m sure John Wiswell’s debut will receive all sorts of accolades for its originality and its messaging. It is indeed like nothing I’ve ever read before, and I’m pleased that DAW took a chance on such a book. Shesheshen is a well-developed monster, a truly ‘other’ creature whose biology is like nothing we’re familiar with. Initially, she even seems to think differently, which I admire, but it made it hard to connect with her as a narrator. Eventually, Wiswell does fall into the trap of simply putting familiar thoughts into unfamiliar bodies, making the story more accessible, but there are still shadows of that otherness.

Personally, I regret to say I didn’t enjoy it. The narration didn’t engage me, the pacing made it difficult to get invested in the story, and I never really connected with any of the characters. As for the romance, I never bought into it, never felt anything between the characters, and that’s a huge disconnect for me. There was so much potential, so many other ways Wiswell could have approached it, but I freely admit those choices would have taken away from the otherness of the book. It didn’t work for me, didn’t engage me as the fun read I expected, but I can see how others (especially sci-fi fans who are used to alien otherness) might have a far different reaction.

Someone You Can Build a Nest In didn’t work for me. I struggled to keep reading, and found myself reluctantly returning to the story. That’s just me, though. It’s admirable in what it does, and other readers have given it rave reviews, so give it a chance – if it works for you, it’ll likely work very well.

such a clever, smart read! loved it, very athmospheric, loved the worldbuilding, a masterpiece! VERY well written, funny and sharp, absolutly delightful!!

A short, fun, and sweet story full of action and a lovely romance. The POV of a monster usually promises a good time, and this book certainly delivered. I really enjoyed the way this story described human anatomy, the depiction of organs, flesh, and bones, especially when Shesheshen engaged in simple acts of affection like holding hands or hugging and narrated it as meat clasping meat, or kissing as a failed attempt at cannibalism. Someone You Can Build A Nest In simply makes for a very entertaining story.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Song on loop: Mountain - Message To Bears

Somehow simultaneously gory, sweet, funny, compassionate, and exciting all at once! Combining a horror fairy-tale with kind of absurd humour, as our main character, a monster, tries to go unnoticed disguised as a human.

I loved the main character, Shesheshen! The descriptions of the ways she manipulates her body while shapeshifting and her various biological functions were great, and made for a believable species. As she isn't human, she comes across blunt and a little clueless, which resulted in funny interactions with other characters, but she also has a sweet nature. This allows for the introduction of the theme that perhaps it is the humans who are the most monstrous for the way they treat other beings like Shesheshen.

There is romance in this novel, and it is the main focus. However, I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book to romantacy fans because there isn't really any flowery romantic dialogue or explicit scenes. While not directly stated, both of the characters involved in the romance are likely on the asexual spectrum. Personally, I'm not a big romance reader and I usually prefer it to be secondary (or tertiary...) to other elements of the plot - but I really loved this book and didn't feel put off by the focus on the relationship. The narrative had some great twists and an exciting climax, and dealt with some themes like childhood trauma in a sensitive way.

Someone You Can Build a Nest In is a literary chimera, stitching together romance, body horror, fantasy, and a smattering of sci-fi into a narrative as unconventional as its shapeshifting protagonist.

At its heart (Or is it?) is Shesheshen, a monster whose introspections on her next meal are as gruesome as they are fascinating. Wiswell doesn't shy away from the graphic; he dives headfirst into the visceral inner workings of his creature. The descriptions are lengthy, detailed, and not for the faint of heart. Yet, they're not gratuitous. Each gory detail serves the plot, highlighting a stark contrast between Shesheshen's monstrous nature and the unexpected humanity that emerges from her relationship with Homily.

The romance at the core of this tale is warm and genuine, an ironic twist considering it involves a monster contemplating devouring her lover. Wiswell navigates this complex dynamic with a deftly, ensuring the reader remains invested in their unconventional love story.

However, the book does, at times, stumble in its ambitious attempt to juggle its myriad elements. The landing isn't as solid as one might hope, leaving a sense of a narrative that, while intriguing, doesn't quite coalesce as seamlessly as it could have. However, these moments are more than made up for by the warmth and humanity that shine through.

This is not a book for everyone. Its graphic nature might deter some, but for those with a stomach for it, the book offers a unique reading experience. It's a story that, despite its flaws, leaves a lasting impression, with its better parts outweighing the sum of its whole.

This novel might not resonate with everyone, but for those it does, it has the potential to become a cult classic. Wiswell's bold storytelling and the poignant humanity he weaves into the narrative make this one that will not be soon forgotten.

Thank you NetGalley, John Wiswell, and DAW Books for allowing me early access in exchange for an honest review.

Someone You Can Build a Nest in is a great way for me to start the new reading year! It has all the gore, dark comedy, and tender romance of Gideon the Ninth wrapped in a gross, beautiful sapphic romance.

I seem to be drawn to sapphic fantasy and sci-fi books recently, and Someone You Can Build A Nest In will easily become part of my collection. I really liked how the gore and descriptions of am amorphous blob body were described - it truly made Shesheshen feel otherworldly. The way the worldbuilding and the main plot became interwoven was also really creative. I know the year has only just started, but I think this may have raised my reading expectations for the rest of the year.

Fun, funny, monstrous, and affecting. The POV “monster” Shesheshen is more human (and humane) than most of the humans in this book, and her voice was pitch-perfect, carrying the novel crisply from start to finish. This book won’t be for everyone, being equal parts fairytale, fantasy, romance and horror, but the target audience will LOVE IT! If you’ve read and enjoyed Wiswell’s short fiction, you’ll surely be in that appreciative audience. If you’re up for inventive worldbuilding, creative POVs, and offbeat meet-cute (meat-cute?) stories involving overcoming trauma, found family, more than a bit of body horror, and confusing social cues, give this a go. I bet you’ll like it.

Someone You Can Build a Nest In was for sure one of the weirdest books that I had the pleasure of reading this year, and I am not complaining at all!

I am a HUGE fan of making non-human characters decidedly other, so Shesheshen was an absolute delight to behold. Wiswell went all-out on making this monster truly monstrous, while still toeing the line of keeping her relatable and likeable. It was a joy to discover not only the mechanisms of her body and being, but also her inner thoughts and feelings.

I really enjoyed the dynamic of the main relationship, I believe ace characters don't get the spotlight enough, so it was fun to see Homily taking centre stage and being such a loving, kind person while taking no real pleasure in sex and the like - I can't truly comment on the quality of the representation as I myself am not ace, but it felt genuine and positive to me.

The story sadly suffered from some pacing issues, which did make the book drag on much more than it needed to. Honestly, I think if this was cut down to like 3/4 of it's length, it would have been much more fun to me, personally, The way it was, I often had to sit down and force myself to read on through parts of the story I didn't much care for, so that obviously tampered my enjoyment.

I still had a good time with this book and would definitely recommend it to people looking for an unique take on fantasy, or looking for monstrous main characters!

oh dear me! horror(ish) romance with the main protag being an eldritch alienesque thing who is VERY inhuman, taking cues from wasps, bears, The Thing, vampire lore... to form this really weird and really cool being with a cute romance. thanks for the arc.

This was a lovely fantasy romance with horror elements, written from the singular 3d person POV of a monster, Shesheshen.
Shesheshen is an amorphous gray flesh blob with the ability to absorb parts of her meals into her body and as such she can give herself a human appearance, and the biology of the monsters was very creative. A lot of description went into how Shesheshen changes her body, what parts she absorbs, and I really liked reading about this.
Despite the MC being a monster that eats people, the author did a great job getting me to root for this character, her view on humans as someone not human was interesting to read and even as she ate people she never came across as evil or unlikeable to me, this was just her understanding of how things worked and she didn't eat people because she was evil, that was just her food source.
I went into this book thinking it was a horror, but it wasn't really, though it definitely gets a bit darker in the second half or so.
Homily is a fantastic character and love interest too, and I loved the exploration of her trauma and how that's part of the reason she's always so kind, this book did a great job with character and relationship development.
Would recommend it to fans of queer romantasy fans sooner than horror fans, though it does have horror elements. And while the biological aspects were sometimes gross and very well described, at its heart this book is a love story.

3.75 stars

What an interesting read this was. Sapphic Beowolf from Grendel's POV, if Grendel was a shape shifting blob who is friends with a big blue bear.

I thought the story was original and well written. The depiction of familial trauma and the long term effects of abuse, as well as the PTSD that so often haunts survivors, was depicted in a very respectful and compassionate way. I appreciated the way the author chose to depart from typical romantic dynamics and made the relationship between his two characters very personal and unique to them.

This was a very original story and I am happy to have had the opportunity to read it. I would recommend it to anyone who likes folklore, a little bit of body horror, or dark fairy tales.

ARC provided in exchange for honest review

Okay, this book was so fun. Somehow it had everything and worked?? Sapphic relationship, asexual representation, humor, gore, found family, AND actual good discussions about abuse and trauma. Definitely not for everyone, honestly I expected a darker book, but it wasn’t a bad surprise to get this humor approach of a monster book. This isn’t a horror book, but be wary if you’re disturbed by graphic descriptions of shapeshifting moments.

I love this book and its monster(s)! This is a charming story about monsters and the nature of the monstrous and who has a right to call anyone else that; it's about love and being ace or demisexual and it's about escaping toxic families and finding happiness. You can curl right up in this book and make a nest in it because it is comfy and adorable, even when it's asking readers to think about really big ideas. A delight.

This was so delightful: one of my favorite books read in 2023.

Sheshenshen is a wyrm, a shapeshifting monster who has terrorized the humans around her lair and who would have continued doing it if it weren’t for meeting Homily, a human who rescues Sheshenshen and thinks she’s a human named Siobhan.

This book is somehow violent yet heartwarming and joyful.

Thank you to NetGalley and DAW!

DNF at 41%

When I requested this one on Netgalley, I really expected to enjoy it. It sounded miles away from what I normally read and I was so excited for the change of pace. But while reading, I found myself dreading picking it up. Our monster, Shesheshen wasn't monstrous at all, and really just seemed incompetent. Her romance with Homily was bland and impassionate. I didn't care about either of them, so why was I supposed to care about them together? it got to the point where I was reading just to get to the end, and not because I was invested in the story. I took this as a sign that I should give up and put the book down.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

This is a monster love story but not THAT type of monster love story (aka not spicy haha)

This tale is from the perspective of a monster that uses bones and objects to build its own skeleton and has no organs of its own, only what is eaten by it. A being that somehow still created its own way of loving humans and did not want to destroy them or build a nest.

While it felt a bit long and tedious at a point towards the middle/end, I think this was a very adventurous take on monsters falling in love. I loved the originality of Shesheshen as a cryptic creature/monster and how their anatomy worked. It was wholly unique and interesting.
The twisting of the story was very fun, too, and I think kept my interest as I found some moments a little much. All in all, it's a very good book!