The Nest by Kenneth Oppel - A Great Gateway Read For Non-Horror Fans
Steve’s family welcomed home a new baby, his little brother Theo. Unfortunately, Theo is sick constantly and spends more time in the hospital than he does at home. All the stress of Theo’s condition and the worry his parents have about him sent Steve’s adolescent anxiety into overdrive. Couple that with a newfound allergy to wasp stings, and Steve is not looking forward to his summer break. But when he starts having dreams of what he thinks are angels, he begins to relax. In the dream, they tell him that little Theo will be alright, that they have a solution – they’re making him a new baby brother. These dreams are a lot better than the night terrors he used to have of a shadowy figure standing at the end of his bed, watching as he slept. As the dreams continue, Steve begins to feel that something is just not right. And as the wasps continue to build their nest outside of Theo’s window, the “angel’s” reveal themselves and their sinister plan. Steve learns that not all nightmares are something to be afraid of, and that some dreams can become a terrifying reality.
The Nest is a middle-grade horror novel by Kenneth Oppel. I originally heard about this book when it was suggested on the Reading Glasses podcast's "Best of" show at the end of last year (or beginning of this one – I can’t remember when I listened to it). It was also the first audio-book I listened to. If it weren’t for the 90-plus podcasts I try to keep up with, I may use this method of reading more often. Not having much experience in current middle-grade reading material, I was surprised at how Oppel was able to make me feel through his writing. The tension was near palpable throughout the entire book. He did a really great job expressing Steve’s anxiety and his thoughts about the baby, his kid sister, and the stress that his parents were experiencing. On top of all that stress, being faced with a possible solution to the troubles the family was having, I could empathize with Steve’s mindset. Oppel did an exceptional job of using the story as a teaching opportunity too. When the zoology-student babysitter explained things about the wasps, I read the care that the author took in crafting that text. The writing was excellent and didn’t seem to condescend to the intended audience, it kept me interested from start to finish.
Frazer did a great job at narration as well. As an avid listener to podcasts, I sometimes find narrators trying to do too much with character and voice changes. Frazer was fantastic at using only subtle changes in tone, volume, and inflection to let the reader know who was speaking. It really allowed me, and other listeners, to be drawn into the story and didn’t take away from the narrative one bit.
Overall, I really like this book. The story was great, the narration was fantastic and I think The Nest will be a great addition to any library, young or old. If you’re looking for a gateway into horror book for young readers, you really can’t go wrong with this one.
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