The story concept was very intriguing -- emotions represented as insects, fantastic! Verse novel? I love that. Unfortunately, the Kindle ARC did not work well for the verse format. I struggled becasue of that, however, I was intrigued by the story. Due to the heaviness of the content, I do not think i will be purchasing for my middle school (grades 6-8). I'm looking forward to checking out the print copy to see if that helps with the reading experience.

I’m sorry, I really tried to like this book but it just didn’t work for me. I love novels in verse, but I found myself in this one constantly going, “Huh?” The story felt very disjointed and hard to follow. I’d be reading about Mr. ___, then all of a sudden it would skip to another aspect of the main character’s story. Likewise I’d be reading about “the boy,” and then with no warning it would jump to something else. The magic element of the insects showing her feelings was nice but not executed effectively in my opinion. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am the Swarm was hard for me to follow and get into. It’s very short, and yet I struggled to connect and finish. Not for me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a surprising story as it was written in a poetic format. It caught me off guard. But this format and the choice to use poetry makes it more intimate and vivid. Immersive in the journey that Nell Strand goes on as a cursed line of women whose magic emerges. The insects creeped me out at first, because insects cane feel so invasive, but honestly the way it was used to describe her emotions was so beautiful. This does deal with deep seated traumas like multi-generational curses, mental illness, and major instability from inherited pain. However, this stories prose just does all of these things so beautifully. The love and the way its expressed, the journey to healing, the honesty in all of the lines it’s incredible. I would definitely recommend this read to those who love poetic and vivid prose, magic, and love.

This was such a moving read, even with out the magical components it would have been amazing. But it’s like the magic manifested was a reflection of each characters mental state. I also like that they kept Mr. _____ name blank. It allowed the reader to turn him into their own Mr. _____ if you’re unfortunate enough to have had one.

5 ⭐️

“I get wasps, too. When I’m angry.”
“Good. Every girl needs her anger.”

This short story (very long poem?) was beautiful and maddening. I ached for everything Nell has been through, and I just wanted to wrap her up in a hug the entire time I was reading. Especially since her parents wouldn’t. I loved that the insects she created were tied to her emotions - it gave life to her feelings and helped her process them.

For a minute, I wished it had ended on a happier note, but I’m actually glad it didn’t. It was raw and real; depression and abuse don’t get wrapped up in a pretty bow in real life. But even with the sadness, I felt uplifted and hopeful at the end, and I knew that Nell would be okay because she’s a fighter.

I also love that the abuser in this story didn’t get a name. He was simply referred to as “Mr. ____.” We need to normalize raising the voice of the victim, not giving identity to the perpetrator. When they crave attention, we withhold it by making them nameless.

I ended up listening to the audiobook because the eARC I received was hard to follow along with. There were times it skipped from one scene to the next and then back again, and I couldn’t make sense of it. But the audio flowed perfectly. Hayley Chewins narrated it herself, and you could hear the love and anger she wrote into the story come through her voice. It was beautifully done.

Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers Group, and Viking Books for Young Readers for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I’m so glad I took a chance on a story written in verse (my first one) solely based on the stunning cover.

I appreciate what this book was trying to do, but it simply did not work for me. I love books in verse, and I like the uniqueness of this story and its inclusion of very heavy topics. However, the format, style, and pacing kept me from ever sinking into the story. Additionally, reading this on Kindle made the formatting a mess — maybe I would have enjoyed it more in its printed form. Hard to say.

I loved the premise — magical realism, mental illness and female rage depicted through magic — but something didn't quite land for me. While I appreciate the idea of a novel in verse, I'm a) not 100% sure it's for me, and b) not sure it was executed here as well as it could have been. And I mean "not sure" quite literally — there were several times I was unable to tell if the verse was truly quite out of order intentionally, or if something had fallen apart with the ebook's formatting. If it was intentional, it made the story a bit hard to follow.

I also wish we could have gotten a little more depth. I needed more history, more emotional pull.

3.5 rounded up. The writing style serves this magical realism story. I appreciated the symbolism of the magic. There were times the writing was layered and non linear and that got a little confusing? But overall good read.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I don’t know how or why but I didn’t get this. To be fair, i probably should have DNF’d but since it was so short I wanted to give it it’s full chance. Mistake. I think the biggest issue I had was that I didn’t understand the world or magic system. The plot didn’t seem to be fully realized and this was the kind of “slice of life” story I do not enjoy. The pacing was slow and I suppose it’s trying to be a slow creeping horror but it just wasn’t that. I kept waiting for something to happen and very little really did. I had zero interest in anything happening and continued purely out of spite by the halfway mark.
Would not recommend.

Not your typical novel in verse, this book for older readers (due to themes of self-harm, eating disorders, and sexual assault) is told in an unusual but interesting way, in that some action lines are mixed in with thoughts (making it sometimes hard to tell what is happening and when upon first read, but offering a unique way of storytelling). Using extensive imagery to bring female anger to life, the South African-set main character receives her magic at age 15 (as did her sister, mother, and grandmother, each arriving in a different form). As the story unfolds, the various magics affect the family as a whole, but the story itself focuses on the main character's personal growth through deep reflection and emotionally-charged details of her days. Overall, this is an unusual NIV, but one that addresses important topics, and it will appeal to those interested in books with fantasy elements and feminine strength.

What a beautiful book.

Let’s start with the writing. This is a novel written in verse which perfectly suits the story that it is telling. The words flow and cascade off the page. Absolutely gorgeous writing. The emotions and characters felt incredibly vivid.

I adored the magical elements. Felt so unique and fresh. Also made for really beautiful imagery. And what a story… describing it feels too simplistic, but it was truly wonderful reading about this girl trying to come to terms with her emotions. It wasn’t a full five star to me simply because I would have liked to have spent a little bit more time on the development towards the end.


Would highly recommend if you want a stunning story written in verse that discusses emotions, complex family dynamics and mental illness.

I would advise looking at trigger warnings beforehand since it does get heavy. These are also specified in the beginning of the book.

4.5⭐️

Am the Swarm by Hayley Chewins

I Am the Swarm is one of those rare novels that lingers with you long after the last page, weaving together threads of horror, family, and the unsettling power of nature. Hayley Chewins delivers a dark, atmospheric story that felt both intimate and terrifying.

The book centers on a family grappling with loss and trauma, set against the eerie backdrop of an encroaching swarm of bees that symbolize so much more than just a natural phenomenon. The way Chewins uses the swarm as a metaphor for grief, memory, and change is masterful — it’s haunting and beautiful all at once.

What struck me most was the emotional depth of the characters. Their pain, their secrets, and their bonds felt raw and incredibly real. The tension steadily built as the swarm threatened to consume everything, mirroring the internal struggles each character faces. I found myself caught between dread and empathy, unable to look away.

Chewins’ prose is sharp and vivid, painting scenes that are both poetic and unsettling. The blend of horror and family drama makes this novel stand out — it’s not just about fear, but about how we confront what’s hidden inside us.

I Am the Swarm is perfect for readers who appreciate horror with heart, stories that probe the darkness without losing sight of humanity. It’s a deeply affecting read that unsettles and stays with you long after.

I did end up DNF'ing and not because there was anything wrong with the book it was very original, but it was hard to completely keep up and needs trigger warning.

Wowza. This book was intense. It is filled with female rage and tackles some hard topics. It is a fast, intensely visual story—the imagery layered and vivid. Beautiful in a very disturbing sort of way.

The writing is truly exceptional. This is the essence of a story—everything superfluous whittled away. Poetry.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)

I received an ARC of I Am the Swarm by Hayley Chewins through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The concept really grabbed me — a girl whose emotions manifest as insects? It’s bizarre, poetic, and incredibly intriguing. I appreciated the emotional weight behind that metaphor, especially how each type of insect represented a different feeling. It felt raw and original, and I give the book full credit for trying something different.

That said, while I liked the idea more than the actual reading experience, I didn’t find myself fully pulled in. The writing, told in verse, was lyrical and often beautiful, but I personally found it hard to stay grounded in the story. There were moments when I felt lost — not because of the emotional complexity, but because the structure and pacing made it hard to connect with what was actually happening.

The family dynamics, especially with Nell’s mother and sister, were filled with interesting ideas, but they didn’t feel fully explored. It left me with questions that I’m not sure the book ever intended to answer. I kept waiting for the story to "click" emotionally, but for me, it never quite did.

Overall, I’m glad I read this and I think it will really resonate with readers who enjoy metaphor-heavy, introspective writing — especially in verse. But for me, it was just okay. A strong concept that didn’t totally land in execution.

This was such an amazing read! A journey that is beautifully depicted of mental health, physical abuse, and parental neglect. The women in Nell's family have magic, but they are cursed. Her mother is battling depression and neglecting her duties as a mother, and her sister Mori has suicidal ideation. Their father works to stay away as his coping mechanism. Nell's magic emerges as insects; the wasps are like her screams because she feels invisible and unseen. I thought this book was going to be about magic gone awry, but it was so much more emotional and powerful than that! Such an amazing read!

I Am The Swarm is a strong, painfully dark but poetic story. It makes you dig deep, dive, and reflect on the heartbreaking topics that are being spoken about.💫💫💫💫💫


Ouma, Mamma Odette, Aunt Sabine, Mora, the piano teacher, the cat, and the boy are all part of Nell's very complex, magical, and traumatic world. They encompass all that Nell sees, feels, discovers, dissects, and internalizes. Her traumas, pain, desires, and her whole being are so beautifully detailed in this magical realism prose written in verse. The themes are deep, heavy, full of trauma, and then some. All the women in her life share some form of mental health issues and definitely deep embedded trauma and lots of hurt. Insects are the way in which she sees, feels, and touches her emotions that slowly develop as she grows and as she experiences new situations.

Yellow ladybugs, moths, insects, black butterflies, wasps, ants, praying mantis, black beetles, roaches, dragonflies, and yellow stink bugs are all part of her and she of them.

Thank you, Netgalley and Penguin Young Reader's Group/ Viking Books, for this ARC. All opinions are entirely my own.

I am the Swarm is beautifully written, sometimes tough to read. I think the target audience might be female and older, maybe 15+.

This YA magical realism novel in verse deals with some real issues, while still being really beautiful. There is family and figuring out where you belong. This is heavy, but it really pulls you in and keeps you wanting more.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.