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.

This was a slower paced coming of age story set in the 80s with a small occult/ghost twist. I liked the story mainly because of nostalgia. I’m and 80s kid and he really brought all of the freedom, adventures, and crazy crap we got up to back to me. I also liked that there was a parallel between the wasps in the ice cream (struggling in school, adolescence and finding yourself), wrecking the wasp nest (finally figuring out your friends maybe aren’t that great, things aren’t what they seem), and then coming out of it all to rebuild something new. I don’t believe there was anything about the wasps actually rebuilding the nest, but we know they do. Maybe I’m crazy and reading to much into that.

Audio: The narrator was very robotic and monotone for the majority of this book. There were parts where I really did enjoy the emotion he put into some of the young characters, but it was few and far between. I found myself speeding it up to 2 to get through it. I’d say if you’re going to grab this one then grab the actual book.

*Trigger warning: Bullying and Homophobia—-I am not saying this is a homophobic book. It is not, but it does discuss how homosexuals were viewed and how kids felt about being called gay. If that triggers you, then I’d move on. Having lived through that time, I’d say he was spot on in how he depicts it.

I was expecting more spooky, but instead I got a really amazing slightly witchy coming of age story that I actually really enjoyed!! It was a tad slow to get into, but once I got used to the story it was an easy ride. I listened to this on audio and the narrator was absolutely fantastic!! If you can keep in mind that this is more of a contemporary horror, not super scary or gory, and more a coming of age then you’re going to love it.

5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to RDS Audio and Netgalley for allowing me to listen to this novel in exchange for an honest review

It's the Summer of 1987 and Mark Prewitt is just trying to keep him himself entertained and figure out who he is. He spends his days hanging out with his friends blowing off steam and working at the ice cream shop that no one ever goes to. Into all of this come the weird sisters, three sisters that live out in the country with their strange parents. They are home schooled and hardly ever seen in town. When Mark's friends get the idea to prank the sisters Mark begins to feel bad and decides to make amends. His life will never be the same.

This is a beautiful story about coming of age, falling in love and wanting to fit in but mostly discovering who you are meant to be.

Let me say that the final paragraph shocked me!

Wasps in the Ice Cream was an incredibly unique coming of age. It showcases how cruel children can be, especially when their adults lead the way with their own indifference and neglect. Mark and his friends do the same sort of things every other kid in a small town in the eighties did, worked part time jobs, hung out at the local movie theater, and pulled pranks. Only this time, it goes too far, and Mark knows it. Deciding to be different, he goes and apologizes the already ostracized sisters they've harassed, and ends up falling in with George, the middle sister. Despite all the terrible things he's heard, she's more like him than he ever imagined, and something wonderful blooms from their time together that summer. Heading back to school changes everything, Marks conflicted on whether or not he can publicly admit to being her friend, and maybe more. His friends abandon him, and things go from bullying him to much worse very quickly. the results of which end in a heart wrenching conclusion, that shows just how the twists and turns of life can haunt us for years, long after the events have ended.

This book absolutely enthralled me early on and kept me engaged the entire time. I felt like I was watching this on a screen, and went through everything with these characters, which is something Tim excels at. I cannot wait to see what comes next.

Wasps In The Ice Cream was a really enjoyable coming of age, spooky and Witchy book. The three Witches of the town are ostracized and kept out of the community, both by the people of the town and their own parents. Our mmc, Mark, is going along and living his life with his two besties when one of their pranks goes wrong. Mark comes across and forms a bond with one of the Witch sisters, George, and we see how their relationship evolves, while she brings him into her spells, and even a séance.

I really liked the Witchy parts of Wasps In The Ice Cream and my heart hurt for George. She had a rough life, and stayed strong throughout everything life threw at her. I got really mad Mark in the middle of the book. He falls into peer pressure and decide not to stand up for the one person who actually sees him for who he is.

The ending was a big crescendo with a somewhat disappointing although realistic closing.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Thank you for the ARC copy.

To see more of my reviews visit my Goodreads and Instagram at Sacred Hearth Book Reviews.

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/104047498-sacred-hearth-book-reviews

https://www.instagram.com/sacredhearthbookreviews/