I'm very glad a publisher took a chance on this book, even if it ultimately wasn't for me. It's weird, and gory, and nothing like anything I've ever read before. I didn't expect to find myself sympathising with a monster, but I loved the POV of Shesheshen, a shapeshifting monster built from the body parts of her victims. I really liked that this book played with the idea of what it means to be monstrous, and how we perceive those who interact with the world differently from us, without ever feeling like an after-school special.

With that said, where this book really fell down for me was the romance. The entire romantic plot relies on Shesheshen repeatedly lying to and deceiving her already traumatised girlfriend, who is also being continually victimised by her awful family. This is never called out in anyway, and we are supposed to believe that Homily just accepts what Shesheshen tells her when all the big reveals finally come out. Without Homily's POV to give us a sense of how she is thinking and feeling in these moments, the romance really did not work for me, and in fact undercut many of the good qualities of the book.

One final note: as someone on the ace spectrum, I felt a little... underwhelmed by how it was handled in this story, particularly given how much attention was given to the fact that Shesheshen is about to reproduce asexually. There are so many more reasons why someone may or may not desire sex, other than the biological need for children, and this wasn't explored as much as I might like. I also didn't like that Shesheshen was portrayed as becoming irrational the minute her eggs were available, which felt very close to stereotypes around women becoming hysterical when pregnant.

Thanks to DAW and Netgalley for sharing an arc in exchange for an honest review!!

A monster romance where even the human love interest feels monstrous and ostracized by society.

A genre bending fantasy where we follow a monster named Shesheshen who takes great offense at that title. She's trying her best to survive, and pesky so-called heroes keep getting in the way. With a snarky asides and scathing social commentary, Shesheshen is a delightful narrator. At times utterly unaware of her hypocrisy, which personally makes her all the more believable as an eldritch horror play-acting at personhood.

This is a glimpse at what it means to be othered and the joys of finally finding a place to belong and a person to share it with. This book is zany and weird, full of a deep-rooted desire to belong. More so a character study than an adventure tale, the story really shines during the "can I eat __" and "I shouldn't eat __ because of __" conversations. They reminded me of Venom 😊

The romance is almost instantaneous, as both leads are so desperate for connection and softness they fall at the first taste of compassion. Those who want a more meaty build-up of feelings will be disappointed; this is a party I typically find myself in, yet the otherness of Shesheshen and her species warranted some leeway. Of course the eldritch creature views feelings in a different way and latched on once a suitable mate had be found.

There's a lot of body horror in this novel. Yet as the protag is an eldritch being, it's more so descriptions of how Shesheshen uses people she's eaten to morph her own body into shapes she needs to complete various tasks. So like it isn't gore central if that's a concern for anyone going into this novel—I enjoy gratuitous carnage every now and again, but know that isn't everyone's cup of tea—most descriptions are rote detailings rather than bloody revels. Things don't really get bloody til the end.

As far as trigger warnings go, those with sensitivities to abusive parents (especially mothers) may want to pass or go into this carefully, as Homily's entire family is vile.

This offering from John Wiswell is a quirky, gory yet also cosy tale that deals with a lot of dark themes. I requested the ARC because I loved the premise and thought this would be right up my alley. I think this is a great book for the right reader, but while I did enjoy aspects of it, it ultimately wasn't quite for me.

This is a monster romance from the perspective of the (very, very non-human) monster. Shesheshen is an amorphous shapeshifter who can pull items (bones, organs, bear traps, etc) into her flesh to create a humanoid (or whatever other -oid she fancies) body. She is a predator who needs to eat quite a lot to stay happy and healthy. Her species reproduces asexually by planting eggs into a host, which the eggs eventually kill and eat. Hence, the title!

The book starts off really strong. Shesheshen is a fascinating character with a very different set of ethics compared to a human protagonist. There are a lot of tongue-in-cheek comments about the nature of monsterhood that I really enjoyed. Where I started to feel a little let down was the romance itself, which is (of course) a big part of the story.

Shesheshen meets Homily and it's essentially insta-love, which I would be down with if Shesheshen's only criteria for love was finding a nice "nest" for her eggs. But Shesheshen's idea of love is ultimately very human. My animal-behaviour specialist brain couldn't quite bring myself to accept this the way it was presented. I am, however, fussy about romance at the best of times, so don't let this put you off.

I do think this is a good story and it's unlike anything I've read before. I loved reading a book from the perspective of the monster and Shesheshen is SUCH a cool monster. If you're a fan of horror, romance, and cosy vibes combined into one unlikely and very unique bundle, I recommend checking this one out!

𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘊𝘢𝘯 𝘉𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘈 𝘕𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘐𝘯 is out 2 April 2024. Big thanks to Netgalley and DAW for providing me with a free eARC!

I'm not sure what I expected this book to be, but I am obsessed with what I read. This book meshes horror, romance, and LGBTQIA+ themes into a strangely weird book about existence and identity. Shesheshen's unintended wit and observations of humanity kept me giggling the whole book. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC! I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy.

Imagine being woken up from hibernation by a group intent on killing you, all because you're a fleshy blob that sometimes devours humans. Shesheshen finds herself being pursued by a family who is convinced she cursed them. She naturally has to get to the bottom of this, and along the way she falls in love with the perfect human to serve as a nest for her eggs. But is that really the best way to show her affection? And is it polite to eat your new girlfriend's family, even if they are awful human beings?

Wow, interesting take on monster-hunting books - a book from the viewpoint of the "monster" itself! I loved all the grappling with consent, and how Shesheshen remains not quite human while developing some human emotions. It's not your typical romance, more of a slow burn without much physical contact at all, and showcases how relationships come in all shapes and sizes. I'm in love with Blueberry the bear, one of my favorite characters! And what a perfectly horrid family that this curse centers around (with the exception of Homily, of course!). It makes you really sympathize with Shesheshen wanting to eat them. I also enjoyed the creativity of the monster itself, she had a lot of interesting abilities and characteristics.

Overall this was a quick and fun read! If science fiction or a darker fantasy involving monsters is your cup of tea then you should give this book a try! I would definitely read more by John Wiswell in the future. It is a bit gory at times, so TW if that bothers you. I received this book as an ARC for my opinions.

I was expecting this to be weird and charming, and it did start off that way but then turned weird and sad instead. Homily's family was abominable, and while dealing with emotional abuse is an important topic it's not the direction I was expecting this book to go. I really appreciate the publisher taking a chance on this one, and I'm sure this will find its readers who love it, but unfortunately I wasn't one of them despite this book being highly anticipated for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

Shesheshen is minding her own business at home when a trio of home invaders break in, intent on killing her. The thing is that they're monster hunters and Shesheshen is, by most definitions of the word, a monster. She's a shapeshifting creature that, yes fine, eats humans when needed (though she tries to only eat the bad ones who are hurting others), but really all she wants is love. After scaring off two of the monster hunters (and eating the other one), Shesheshen is wounded, alone, and temporarily human-shaped when she is discovered by a traveling botanist named Homily, who treats her with the first kindness Shesheshen has ever experienced. And now Shesheshen is conflicted — she's falling in love with Homily, despite the fact that Homily's family is dead set on killing Shesheshen. She's not sure how she can keep Homily in her life while still killing off those who would kill her.

I love the idea of a fantasy novel from the monster's point of view, and for the most part, Wiswell nails it. Shesheshen is pretty gross, but she's also a very three-dimensional, sympathetic character, and it's easy to take her side in the conflict that dominates this book. Where the book falters, however, is in the plot, particularly toward the end of the book, where it wanders off into the weeds a bit, with several potential stopping points that aren't. I'd still happily recommend this to anyone who has felt like an outsider (and is OK with reading about copious bodily fluids).

Finally, look at that cover. It's definitely an early frontrunner for best of the year!

idk how to feel about this
it just wasn't really what I was expecting and no offense, I don't know if the characters name was bugging me the whole time which made my rating lower and influenced me to dislike other parts of the book, but I couldn't stand "shesheshen" it distracted me whenever I read it and I hope this isn't insensitive but yeahhh...
anyways not terrible, but not the best.

Thank to you DAW for the advanced copy of this book!

What happens when a monster falls in love? A cute/fun/creepy book that somehow mashes up romance, fantasy, and horror into a fun read. Shesheshen is what some would call a monster, as she is a creature that can shapeshift her body into anything she needs by consuming parts. Those parts can be human, flora, or even bear traps. After being rudely awakened from hibernation by some hunters, she is chased off a cliff and then rescued by a human named Homily. Things get worse when Homily reveals she is hunting the shapeshifting monster that placed a curse on her family. From there things get even more complicated as the two start to bond, but Shesheshen isn't the only one hiding what she truly is.

Someone You Can Build a Nest In is a sapphic horror romance novel featuring Shesheshen a shapeshifting entity that falls in love with a human girl while trying to escape attack by the local villagers. However, Shesheshen finds out that she is being blamed for placing a curse on her beloveds family and resolves to help solve the curse and save her future in-laws. Even as an amorphous shape shifter Shesheshen was such a relatable character, I really enjoyed the growth of her relationship with Homily. I felt their bond grew in a realistic way as the book went on even with no physical aspect to their relationship. They had better communication skills than most couples I know in real life! I also liked the side characters, especially Laurent, and I would have liked to see even more of him (and his kinks) in the book. None of the named characters felt extraneous and they were all well fleshed out and contributed to the plot. There was a bit of a twist, maybe just to me because I did not see it coming at all but I loved the direction it took the book to. I’ve heard other reviewers comment that this would be great for fans of the movie Jennifer’s Body, but since I haven’t seen it I will be adding this to my watchlist. The novel is described as a horror but I didn’t find it too scary or graphic, I think if you are very squeamish some of the detailed shape shifting scenes may be a little much for you, but I liked how the author really thought out how shapeshifting would work anatomically. This was a very fun read for me and I am excited to go back and read through John Wiswell’s backlist.

Thanks to John Wiswell, DAW Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC. Someone You Can Build a Nest In publishes on April 2nd

Really enjoyed this read from John Chiswell. This genre is not one I normally read-- I like light-hearted fiction. This had its moments, but it was also very gruesome. I enjoyed it.

John Wiswell's first novel reflects his talents as a writer and ability for growth while also seeing the best in others. Though Shesheshen is a monster that preys on human beings, her world is rocked by meeting Homily, a woman who proceeds to see the best in her. For starters, Wiswell's writing is solid. His prose is functional, but he's best with characters and humor, which is where his talents tend to shine out. He makes Shesheshen an effective protagonist and her relationship to Homily is believable. The plot iis not the strongest at times, and the setting could have used a bit more, but overall, it's a strong effort.

My thanks to DAW books for the advance copy!

"Maybe the monster is just misunderstood" isn't a new concept, but I found this telling to be engaging and unpredictable, and very satisfying in its conclusion. Very polished for a debut novel, and I look forward to seeing what Wiswell does in the future.

Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell was such a original and unique read. I'm so happy I was given the opportunity to read the ARC of this and I cannot wait for people to read this. It was just so original and amazing. It was also so heartwarming. It was a lot of things and it was very enjoyable. Overall, I loved this and I know there will be a lot of people who will love it just as much as I did.

*“this human woman had made unkind bait out of the feeling that shesheshen shouldn’t be alone”*

*“still, in the depths of the pool, Homily’s smile haunted her. the human woman’s body heat, and the gentle way she wielded her size and her softness. the soup she’d made. the attentiveness.”*

*“let me hear you, let me judge what’s true for myself”*

*“what was it? what did you both want so badly?”* *“you.”*

---

BYE THIS WAS.. AMAZING !! HELLOO?!!:?:!: 😭 i love this ! the main characters are so lovely and they just deserve the whole world.

this book is about the story of a “monster” who had fallen in love with a human being that is hunting a shapeshifting monster.

aside from this, this story i believe is also about alienation as it is evident in some scenarios where shenshenshen was feeling utterly out of place in the human world and that really emphasizes her character and what she thinks about things.

i love homily as well AAA she’s so patient with shenshenshen and you can feel the love just blossoming when they’re together 🥹 i also think that shenshenshen is the right character to kind of show their point of view because that’s what made so fun and you really get to emphatize with her.

the names are so silly as well like wdym you named your offspring epilogue 😭 it’s so silly HAAHAHHA but i love them so much ! it’s the right names for the characters to be honest.

the writing was also very easy to indulge yourself in and i think that this was written for like a younger audience at maybe like 16-17 years old? idk maybe it’s just me! but that’s what it felt like.

overall, i gave this a 4.75 ! in my opinion this book would’ve been so much fun if it’s published like a graphic novel or something ! i feel like i would appreciate it more but nevertheless, it’s amazing and i enjoyed it thoroughly 🥹

thank you so much to the author and NetGalley for this book ! 🫶🏻

Original and heartwarming, and an unflinching look at abuse and the long-lasting effects of trauma on its victims, Someone You Can Build A Nest In sucked me in and kept me hooked. I devoured it in two days. I absolutely adored Shesheshen and Homily.

Marvelous Monster

5/5 gnomes

Unique is an understatement, this book was amazing.

It's been quite awhile since I've highlighted so many exceptional quotes/lines in a book. I would love to plaster these lines everywhere ala Shesheshen shirts for everybody.

This story is from the monster's point of view and what a point of view it is. Shesheshen's view of the world is endlessly intriguing and entertaining. I'm going to be recommending this book to everybody.

Seeing the monster's point of view on humanity and love leads to plenty of the best kinds of chaos. Love all the twists and turns and ending too.

I was intrigued by this book and I felt it had a very unique premise. Been in a bit of a reading slump lately and this was a read that helped combat that. I liked the humor a fair amount and found it to be a good mix of fun and creepy. Overall I found this book very enjoyable to read and thought it balanced both the romance and horror in it well!

Lovely little unconventional romance with a hint of action. I loved seeing Shesheshen grow from a solitary eldritch monster into a character with complex needs and wants. The romance was top tier and absolutely believable, and the twists were shocking but made sense for the themes of the show. The book truly asks the reader: Are monsters born or made?

Someone You Can Build a Nest In is the first novel by award winning SF/F short story writer John Wiswell. The story is a fantasy romance that's F/F, features ace characters, and oh yeah, one of them is a shapeshifting monster that desires to find someone it can lay eggs in for their babies to eat their way out of and through (and the other is a maybe a little neurodivergent human). Wiswell's works often deal with serious themes while also being incredibly quirky and amusing, and this novel - as you can imagine from the premise - continues that trend in excellent fashion.

As I'll further detail below the jump, I really liked Someone You Can Build a Nest In. Its third person protagonist Shesheshen is delightful in how her monstrous point of view gives her a surprisingly good view of humanity (while also giving her plenty of blindspots) and the story does an excellent job with themes of parental/familial emotional abuse through its human love interest Homily - whose family shuns her and always treats her like dirt as she tries to be good amongst its aggresive monster hunting ways. Oh and the story is somehow still light despite that, features a number of delightful quirks (like a pompous human man in the nearby village Shesheshen repeatedly threatens to try to get him to do things she needs who responds in a surprising way), and whose central romance winds up being incredibly charming and surprising in how it plays out. Without spoiling anything, I'll say this book takes its final act or two into directions I very much didn't expect, after seemingly setting itself up for some well used (if not loved by me) romance tropes. So yeah, this book is a real winner, and I'll be unsurprised if it shows up on awards lists.

Trigger Warnings: Emotional Abuse from Parents and Siblings: The romantic interest, Homily, is repeatedly berated and emotionally abused by her sister and mother, and her learning she doesn't have to simply accept this, and that suffering for the sake of her family/loves is not right or good, is a major theme.

Plot Summary:
Shesheshen is a shapeshifting monster whose default form is basically a blob...but she can incorporate things she eats like bones and metal to give herself a bone structure and appear more human. It's a necessary adaptation for when she needs to go down to the local village to eat someone for sustenance, but otherwise Shesheshen prefers to live alone in her lair with her giant blue furred bear she's trained as a companion. And she dreams of her most warm memory: the warmth of emerging from her egg in the corpse of her father and eating her way through him and her siblings...and hopes that one day she can find the perfect person to lay her own eggs in so her offspring can have the same experience.

But when monster hunters awaken Shesheshen from hibernation early, the act of defending herself goes wrong: she successfully eats the pompous noble lord leading the hunt, but the two hunters with him survive and lead the villagers against her while she's still weak, and she falls off a cliff trying to elude them. When she wakes up, she finds herself surprisingly being nursed back to health by a human woman named Homily, who has mistook her for a fellow human. Shesheshen is at first confused by Homily's kindness....and then is absolutely smitten. Here is the person she would love to lay her eggs in....but there's just one problem: How can she admit to Homily she's not a human but a monster when Homily's family is hunting a monster that they believe cursed her whole family...a monster that is Shesheshen herself?

This novel is smartly told entirely from Shesheshen's perspective - we never see from the perspective of the human characters, but only the shapeshifting human eating monster. Shesheshen grew up on her own, without a parent, and relies on her instincts and experience for knowledge about the world: which at times makes her wise but at other times makes her (understandably naïve). She doesn't understand human social dynamics to be sure, but at the same time she doesn't have the upbringing in human social ways that would condition her to ignore what is accepted by humans but is obviously horrible if you come to think about it. Most notably, Shesheshen doesn't understand the willingness of humans to accept their own suffering for the sakes of others whose actions show they don't actually value or care for them to deserve their sacrifice...most notably, one's family.

For that is the struggle faced by the story's second main character, Shesheshen's love interest Homily. Homily is a girl who's clearly asexual in a world where that isn't quite understood (at one point, Homily is shocked and relieved that Shesheshen also isn't interested in kissing) and is perhaps a bit neurodivergent and unable to truly quite react to people as would be considered "normal" and socially appropriate. She's immensely kind and caring - hence her nursing of Shesheshen back to health - but to a fault, to the point where she tries to care for and help her family even as they unfairly berate or even physically harm her...and she can't help but blame herself for her family's actions and feelings towards her. We never see Homily interact with her brother, but he's a pompous asshole, and her two sisters both feel at constant liberty to scream at and physically harm her whenever they want...and Homily blames herself for her sisters wanting to do that, as if something she did while they were growing up is responsible for that. Meanwhile, Homily's mother is a cruel person who seemingly cares about nothing more than slaying the monster she thinks is responsible for a curse on their family...no matter how many innocent lives of villagers or mercenaries she hired it costs, and sees Homily not being as violent and as aggressive as her siblings as a massive flaw and something worth yelling about. And yet Homily can't break away from that family, even as Shesheshen can see how they don't deserve her love.....which of course causes Shesheshen to plot to eat that family to save Homily. She is a monster after all.

Such is the character setup for a plot that, with a lot of very fun Wiswell quirkiness (like I mentioned before the jump, there's a human villager character who's a pompous ass at the start whose reaction to Shesheshen is very different and kind of funny), looks like it's going in directions you'd expect: where the humans are revealed as the real monsters but Shesheshen and Homily's relationship is broken apart at first by the revelation of the truth of Shesheshen's physical monstrosity. There's even a part where Shesheshen finds herself growing an organ that pumps blood for the first time, as if she's growing a heart. But here's the thing - without spoiling - that makes this book a step up from other books: it does not go in the directions you'd expect (alright the theme of Humans often being the real monsters is real, but that's about it). There are some late plot twists in the final third that shift things massively on their head, Shesheshen and Homily's relationship and the revelation interact in very different ways, and it all comes together in an immensely satisfying, if far from bloodless, conclusion.

Just a remarkably satisfying Queer/Ace Fantasy Romance (or Romantic Fantasy - but I think it counts as romance since it has a Happy Ever After of a kind). Highly recommended.