Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell is a creepy yet charming monster-slaying fantasy romance, told from the monster’s perspective. While the idea of humanizing the creature isn’t entirely new, this take feels fresh, featuring an amorphous shapeshifter trying to pass among humans and unexpectedly finding companionship. That twist alone hooked me.
What really made it resonate, though, is how deeply relatable Shesheshen’s perspective is. As an ace reader, I appreciated the way her relationship with Homily unfolded. It was tender, complicated, emotional, but not built around physical attraction. It was validating to see a romance where intimacy takes other forms, and where connection doesn’t have to follow a set script.
The action hits hard, the twists land well, and the themes of surviving abuse are handled with care. It’s a story about monsters, yes, but also about trust, vulnerability, and what it means to choose companionship in a world that doesn’t always feel safe.
Someone You Can Build a Nest In is both unsettling and heartwarming, a book that balances claws, teeth, and tenderness in equal measure.
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