Book Review of "The Nest" by Kenneth Oppel: An eerie, gothic fantasy for middle grade readers and up

Review of “The Nest” by Kenneth Oppel

                   An eerie gothic fantasy for

                 middle grade readers and up.

All he has to do is say “Yes.” But “yes” is a powerful word. It is also a dangerous one. And once it is uttered, can it be taken back?

Kenneth Oppell’s newest novel for middle grade (also young adult, also adult) readers, is stubbornly un-classifiable. It has been branded as fantasy, or even middle grade horror, but it’s lasting effect- the feeling which truly brands itself upon your mind- is more of a mysterious, fantastical gothic realism. Without giving too much away (as I think that the impact of the book relies upon the mysterious unfolding of events- the discoveries), the plot is undoubtedly rooted in fantasy. However, the tender realism of an anxiety-ridden boy who is navigating the stressful and terrifying event that has dislocated everyone in his family, is very poignant and resonates with true emotion. It is a haunting book of self-discovery- but a haunting book nonetheless.

For some kids summer is a sun-soaked season of fun. But for Steve,

it’s just another season of worries. Worries about his sick newborn

baby brother who is fighting to survive, worries about his parents who

are struggling to cope, even worries about the wasp’s nest looming

ominously from the eaves. So when a mysterious wasp queen invades

his dreams, offering to “fix” the baby, Steve thinks his prayers have

been answered.

“We’ve come to help,” assures the winged, slightly ethereal being

who offers a solution to Steven in a dream. “We come when people

are scared or in trouble. We come when there’s grief.”

As the action unfolds in this eerie tale, our courageous, honest, OCD and nearly friendless protagonist, Steve, finds himself trudging deeper into the solitary realm of believing the absolutely, positively unbelievable. It is a lonely place, this place of trusting the impossible, and even simply to enter and to trust his gut instinct takes courage. Steve has had a good deal of practice “talking himself off the ledge” , as his OCD and anxiety have led his overactive imagination to places of haunting darkness too often in the past. But this time it’s different. When the winged creatures come to Steve in a dream offering to help, he feels compelled to believe that they are real.

The mystery of the story is what keeps the pages turning deep into the night. The reader is frantically uncertain about whom- or what- to trust. A sense of desperate fear can lead anyone to believe in any sort of solution or help being offered- but the question quickly becomes “at what cost?”. Kids will love the book for it’s sheer readability and the heart-thudding mystery of it all, but anyone can relate to that timeless literary theme of struggling to be normal, whole and perfect, only to realize that the way you are is already just right. The way in which this book addresses issues of normalcy, mental wellness, and coping is incredibly tender and insightful.

YA New Arrivals for March and April!

 

Salt to the Sea

New York Times Bestseller! "Masterly crafted"—The Wall Street Journal

For readers of Between Shades of Gray and All the Light We Cannot See, bestselling author Ruta Sepetys returns to WWII in this epic novel that shines a light on one of the war's most devastating—yet unknown—tragedies.

World War II is drawing to a close in East Prussia and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom, many with something to hide. Among them are Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff. Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and trust in each other tested with each step closer to safety

Bone Gap

National Book Award Finalist

“Ruby’s novel deserves to be read and reread. It is powerful, beautiful, extraordinary.”—School Library Journal

Everyone knows Bone Gap is full of gaps.

So when young, beautiful Roza went missing, the people of Bone Gap weren’t surprised. But Finn knows what really happened to Roza. He knows she was kidnapped by a dangerous man whose face he cannot remember. As we follow the stories of Finn, Roza, and the people of Bone Gap, acclaimed author Laura Ruby weaves a tale of the ways in which the face the world sees is never the sum of who we are.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

William C. Morris Award Winner

National Book Award Longlist

Everybody is talking about Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda!

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he's pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he's never met.

The Keepers' Tattoo

What is the mystery that marks her? A lush, multi-textured fantasy introducing a captivating heroine, Nyssa, descendant of seers, vessel of their secrets.

Ten years ago, Alaric, leader of the Shadowmen, killed most of the Keepers--teachers of ancient knowledge that threatened his barbaric rule. Young Kit was captured, but his twin sister, Nyssa, escaped. Only later will she learn that both she and her lost brother bear the secret words of their people: three lines each of strange, unintelligible writing tattooed on their scalps. Now the Shadowmen are on the attack again, determined to quell a growing rebellion. Nyssa must find her brother, and together they must unlock the meaning--the power--behind the mysterious words.

Everything, Everything

The Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He's tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.   

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster

Either the Beginning or the End of the World

For sixteen years, it's been just Sofie and her father, living on the New Hampshire coast. Her Cambodian immigrant mother has floated in and out of her life, leaving Sofie with a fierce bitterness toward her and a longing she wishes she could outgrow. Then she meets Luke, an army medic back from Afghanistan, and the pull between them is as strong as the current of the rushing Piscataqua River. But Luke is still plagued by the trauma of war, as if he's lost with the ghosts in his past. Sofie's dad orders her to stay away; it may be the first time she has ever disobeyed him.

The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin

Read the fourth book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series, perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent. The first and second books, The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials, are now major motion pictures featuring the star of MTV's Teen Wolf, Dylan O’Brien; Kaya Scodelario; Aml Ameen; Will Poulter; and Thomas Brodie-Sangster! Also look for James Dashner’s newest novels, The Eye of Minds and The Rule of Thoughts, the first two books in the Mortality Doctrine series.

Mosquitoland

“Top-notch” —USA Today

“Illuminating” —Washington Post

“A breath of fresh air” —Entertainment Weekly

After the sudden collapse of her family, Mim Malone is dragged from her home in northern Ohio to the “wastelands” of Mississippi, where she lives in a medicated milieu with her dad and new stepmom. Before the dust has a chance to settle, she learns her mother is sick back in Cleveland.

So she ditches her new life and hops aboard a northbound Greyhound bus to her real home and her real mother, meeting a quirky cast of fellow travelers along the way. But when her thousand-mile journey takes a few turns she could never see coming, Mim must confront her own demons, redefining her notions of love, loyalty, and what it means to be sane.

Pandemonium (Delirium Trilogy)

The second book in Lauren Oliver’s remarkable New York Times bestselling trilogy about forbidden love, revolution, and the power to choose.

In this electrifying follow-up to Delirium, Lena is on a dangerous course that takes her through the unregulated Wilds and into the heart of a growing resistance movement. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.

Requiem (Delirium Trilogy)

A New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestseller, this exciting finale to Lauren Oliver's acclaimed Delirium trilogy is a riveting blend of nonstop action and forbidden romance in a dystopian United States. With lyrical writing, Lauren Oliver seamlessly interweaves the peril that Lena faces with the inner tumult she experiences after the reappearance of her first love, Alex, the boy she thought was dead. Named an Amazon Best Book of the Year, this sophisticated and wide-ranging novel brings the New York Times bestselling Delirium trilogy to a thrilling conclusion.

The Crown of Embers (Girl of Fire and Thorns)

The second book in Rae Carson's award-winning The Girl of Fire and Thorns fantasy trilogy, perfect for fans of Game of Thrones and Kristin Cashore. Tamora Pierce called the first book, The Girl of Fire and Thorns, "A unique and engrossing read!" A seventeen-year-old princess turned war queen faces sorcery, adventure, untold power, and romance as she fulfills her epic destiny.

The Bitter Kingdom (Girl of Fire and Thorns)

The New York Times‒best-selling series!

"Carson joins the ranks of writers like Kristin Cashore, Megan Whalen Turner, and Tamora Pierce as one of YA's best writers of high fantasy."—Locus

In the deeply satisfying conclusion to the bestselling Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy, seventeen-year-old sorcerer-queen Elisa travels into the unknown realm of the enemy to win back her true love, save her country, and uncover the final secrets of her destiny.

Youth Non Fiction New Arrivals for March and April!

The Care and Keeping of You: The Body Book for Younger Girls, Revised Edition

By Valorie Shaefer

Our best-selling body book for girls just got even better! With all-new illustrations and updated content for girls ages 8 and up, it features tips, how-tos, and facts from the experts. (Medical consultant: Cara Natterson, MD.) You'll find answers to questions about your changing body, from hair care to healthy eating, bad breath to bras, periods to pimples, and everything in between.

 
The Care and Keeping of You 2: The Body Book for Older Girls By Cara Natterson

This thoughtful advice book will guide you through the next steps of growing up. With illustrations and expert contributors, this book covers new questions about periods, your growing body, peer pressure, personal care, and more! Written by Dr. Cara Natterson for girls 10 and up, The Care & Keeping of You 2 follows up the original bestseller with even more in-depth details about the physical and emotional changes you're going through.

National Geographic: The Photographs (National Geographic Collectors Series)

This stunning volume was the gift book of the year when it first published, and the images that grace its pages remain iconic. From the famous Afghan girl whose haunting green eyes stare out from the book’s cover, and her poignant story that captured the world’s interest, to award-winning photography culled from the Society’s vast archives, The Photographs offers readers an inside look at National Geographic and a sharp-eyed view of the world.

Destinations of a Lifetime: 225 of the World's Most Amazing Places

National Geographic takes you on a photographic tour of the world’s most spectacular destinations, inspiring tangible ideas for your next trip. Hundreds of the most breathtaking locales—both natural and man-made—are illustrated with vivid images taken by the organization's world-class photographers.

Little Humans

Street photographer and storyteller extraordinaire Brandon Stanton is the creator of the wildly popular blog "Humans of New York." He is also the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Humans of New York. To create Little Humans, a 40-page photographic picture book for young children, he's combined an original narrative with some of his favorite children's photos from the blog, in addition to all-new exclusive portraits. The result is a hip, heartwarming ode to little humans everywhere.

PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives

New York Times Bestseller

The project that captured a nation's imagination.

The instructions were simple, but the results were extraordinary.

You are invited to anonymously contribute a secret to a group art project. Your secret can be a regret, fear, betrayal, desire, confession, or childhood humiliation. Reveal anything -- as long as it is true and you have never shared it with anyone before. Be brief. Be legible. Be creative.

Fruits

By Shoichi Aoki

Now a cult classic, this is a collection of 45 Tokyo street fashion portraits from Japan's premier fanzine. Fruits was established in 1994, by photographer Shoich Aoki, initially as a project to document the growing explosion in street fashion within the suburbs of Tokyo.

Middle Grade New Arrivals in Fiction for March and April!

The Keepers: The Box and the Dragonfly

By Ted Sanders

Artifacts. Miseries. Mysteries . . .

From the moment Horace F. Andrews sees the sign from the bus--a sign with his own name on it--everything changes. The sighting leads him underground to the House of Answers, a hidden warehouse brimming with peculiar devices. But there he finds only questions. What is this curious place? Who are the strange, secretive people who entrust him with a rare and immensely powerful gift? And what is he to do with it?

Art2-D2’s Guide to Folding and Doodling

By Tom Angleberger

Stick figures to the dark side only lead! To doodle like a Jedi you must learn! With this companion to the blockbuster bestselling Origami Yoda series, beloved author Tom Angleberger—with the help of the kids from McQuarrie Middle School—presents young Padawans with dozens of activities from the Star Wars universe.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

In this funny, uncannily wise portrait of the dynamics of a sixth-grade class and of the greatness that sometimes comes in unlikely packages, Dwight, a loser, talks to his classmates via an origami finger puppet of Yoda. If that weren’t strange enough, the puppet is uncannily wise and prescient.

Darth Paper Strikes Back: An Origami Yoda Book The hilarious, clever, and much-anticipated follow-up to the breakout hit, "The Strange Case of Origami Yoda!"It is a dark time at Ralph McQuarrie Middle School. After suffering several Origami Yoda related humiliations, Harvey manages to get Dwight suspended from school for being a troublemaker.

Secret of the Fortune Wookiee: An Origami Yoda Book With Dwight attending Tippett Academy this semester, the kids of McQuarrie Middle School are on their own no Origami Yoda to give advice and help them navigate the treacherous waters of middle school.

Surprise Attack of Jabba the Puppett Dark times have fallen on McQuarrie Middle School. Dwight’s back—and not a moment too soon, as the gang faces the FunTime Menace: a new educational program designed to raise students’ standardized test scores.

Poop Fountain!: The Qwikpick Papers

By Tom Angleberger

This hilarious, highly original series, which so astutely captures the odd preoccupations of middle schoolers, will appeal to the many fans of the Origami Yoda series and such gross-out classics as How to Eat Fried Worms and Freckle Juice.

Half a World Away

By Cynthia Kadohata

A beautiful middle grade novel from Cynthia Kadohata, winner of the Newbery Medal (Kira-Kira) and the National Book Award (The Thing About Luck).

Eleven-year-old Jaden is adopted, and he knows he’s an “epic fail.” That’s why his family is traveling to Kazakhstan to adopt a new baby—to replace him, he’s sure. And he gets it. He is incapable of stopping his stealing, hoarding, lighting fires, aggressive running, and obsession with electricity. He knows his parents love him, but he feels...nothing.

The Secrets of Solace

From Jaleigh Johnson, the acclaimed author of the New York Times bestseller The Mark of the Dragonfly, comes another thrilling adventure in the magical world of Solace.

Lina Winterbock lives in the mountain strongholds of Solace. She’s an apprentice to the archivists, the wise men and women whose lives are dedicated to cataloging, studying, and preserving the objects that mysteriously fall from the sky in the scrap towns.

I am Princess X

By Cherie Priest

Once upon a time, two best friends created a princess together. Libby drew the pictures, May wrote the tales, and their heroine, Princess X, slayed all the dragons and scaled all the mountains their imaginations could conjure.

Once upon a few years later, Libby was in the car with her mom, driving across the Ballard Bridge on a rainy night. When the car went over the side, Libby passed away, and Princess X died with her.

Once upon a now: May is sixteen and lonely, wandering the streets of Seattle, when she sees a sticker slapped in a corner window.

Princess X?

The Cats of Tanglewood Forest

By Charles De Lint

In this whimsical, original folktale, written and illustrated throughout in vibrant full color by two celebrated masters of modern fantasy, a young girl's journey becomes an enchanting coming-of-age story about magic, friendship, and the courage to shape one's own destiny.

 

Goodbye Stranger

By Rebecca Stead

“Masterly. . . . Sensitively explores togetherness, aloneness, betrayal and love.” —The New York Times Book Review

A NYT Editors' Choice and NYT Notable Children's Books of 2015

This brilliant novel by Newbery Medal winner Rebecca Stead explores multiple perspectives on the bonds and limits of friendship. Bridge is an accident survivor who’s wondering why she’s still alive. Emily has new curves and an almost-boyfriend who wants a certain kind of picture. Tabitha sees through everybody’s games—or so she tells the world. The three girls are best friends with one rule: No fighting. Can it get them through seventh grade?

The Keepers #2: The Harp and the Ravenvine

IN THE WORLD OF THE KEEPERS, IT'S BEST NOT TO SPEAK IN TERMS OF THE IMPOSSIBLE.

Horace F. Andrews, Keeper of the fabled Box of Promises, knows that nothing is impossible. After all, he has the ability to see into the future, and his friend Chloe can walk through walls. But before either of them can master their Tan'ji--their talismans of power--a new threat looms over all Keepers, and they must prepare to battle their eternal enemies--the Riven.

Comet in Moominland (Moomins)

By Tove Jansson

“We need Moominland for its gentle pace, its sense of beauty and awe, and its spirit of friendliness and empathy―now more than ever.” ―The Horn Book

“These charming fantasies are propelled by a childlike curiosity and filled with quiet wisdom, appealing geniality, and a satisfying sense of self-discovery.” ―School Library Journal.com

 

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy

By Karen Foxlee

“Magic is “messy and dangerous and filled with longing,” we learn in this brave tale of grief, villainy and redemption that borrows from the story of the Snow Queen. Set in a vast, chilly museum, the tale brings together a valiant girl, a charmed boy, a magical sword and a clock ticking down to the end of the world.”—The Wall Street Journal