Shesheshen is a shapeshifter, who happily resides as an amorphous lump at the bottom of a ruined manor. When her rest is interrupted by impolite monster hunters, she constructs a body from the remains of past meals: a metal chain for a backbone, borrowed bones for limbs, and a bear trap as an extra mouth.
Badly hurt by the hunters, Shesheshen’s nursed back to health by Homily, a warm-hearted human. Homily is kind and would make a great co-parent: an ideal place to lay Shesheshen’s eggs so their young can devour Homily from the inside out. But as they grow close, Shesheshen realizes that eating her girlfriend isn’t an option.
Just as Shesheshen’s about to confess her identity, Homily reveals something else: she’s hunting a shapeshifting monster that supposedly cursed her family. Has Shesheshen seen it anywhere?
Shesheshen didn’t curse anyone, so now she has to figure out why Homily’s twisted family thinks she did. As Shesheshen’s hunt for the monster becomes increasingly deadly, the bigger challenge remains: learning how to build a life with, rather than in, the woman she loves.
Somewhere along the way, I think I got the wrong idea about SOMEONE YOU CAN BUILD A NEST IN, the debut novel by John Wiswell. This is when it’s good to have solid bookish friends. Because I had just finished up a book that…was more confusing than I wanted it to be. And was also listening to something on audio that was scrambling my brain a little.
So I just needed something I was going to get, completely. But yeah, somehow I had it in my mind that SOMEONE YOU CAN BUILD A NEST IN had a similar(ish) vibe to say, GIDEON THE NINTH (and no shade to GIDEON! I loved it but would have a hard time explaining what was happening a decent amount of the time), but a good friend assured me that it was not like that at all, and was “cozy horror,” and just…wow.
This was exactly the right book at the right time.
Oh, one other thing in addition to “cozy horror,” this book is also very much a fantasy novel, another thing I was maybe not totally sure of heading in. I had heard it was cozy, queer, horror…but I was never very sure if it was a more contemporary setting, and it absolutely is not.
So, if we’re checking boxes/keeping track of genres, this is a queer cozy horror fantasy! It’s a lot of things, and it’s also one of the best books I’ve read in ages! This book is a goddamn treasure & I loved every moment I spent in this world!
Shesheshen is a shapeshifting monster. I don’t think the book ever provides a proper name for her species or anything (though the people that hunt her call her a wyrm), and it doesn’t matter. She’s a goopy, blobbish, shapeshifter who eats people in order to assimilate their body parts to then pass for human.
She has a blue bear for a friend. Her name is Blueberry and she might be the greatest animal companion in all of fantasy. I want to mention up front that Blueberry definitely comes to harm in this story & faces some rather perilous circumstances. But like animals in the very best stories, Blueberry makes it.
Shesheshen’s yearly hibernation is interrupted by a rude group of monster hunters, and she’s severely injured trying to escape. She’s rescued by a kind woman named Homily, and this is really where the story begins.
The two begin an unlikely friendship of sorts, and an even unlikelier romance. All while, you know, a vengeful and powerful family wants to track Shesheshen down and kill her.
I’m struggling with this review which is bugging me because I adored this book. I’ve fallen really far behind on reviews & I think I’m reading too many things at the same time, and my brain is just mush. Plus there’s the whole state of the world situation, too.
But this is a really, really special book. And an unusual one, too. This just didn’t feel like anything else I had read. It’s profoundly heartfelt & even with a literal monster as its protagonist, SOMEONE YOU CAN BUILD A NEST IN is also achingly human. This is a book that fully embraces the messiness of life and love and loss. It’s queer, and really explores asexuality in a very thoughtful way. I also found the book to be extremely fat-positive, something you don’t see a lot of in fantasy. It’s also fucking hilarious, too. Just an incredibly unique & charming book, and something I think would appeal to all fantasy readers.
I also borrowed the audiobook from library & I was about 1/4 of the way through this when the Audie Awards nominations were announced & OF COURSE this was nominated. Carmen Rose is the narrator & from looking around, it seems like she’s mostly narrated period romance books, but hopefully she’ll work on some more fantasy books I’m the future. She’s got one of the most captivating voices I’ve ever heard & gives an incredible performance here. Absolutely cannot recommend this one enough if you’re an audiobook fan!
So, yeah. I loved this one so stupid much. It’s weird & super gnarly & had me feeling all the feelings.
And as I mentioned, Blueberry is a bear, she has blue fur, and she’s very important to me.
Big thanks to DAW for sending this one my way!
Grimdark Dad 