Have you ever felt your nightmares transpire in real life? For Steve, the novel͛s young protagonist, the answer is yes. Upon the arrival of his new baby brother who has a mysterious sickness, Steve is visited by an unusual wasp claiming to be 'fixing' the baby inside a nest attached to the family's house. The first-person narrative takes readers deep inside Steve's mind where pieces of an unsettling puzzle begin to add up; he sees shadows staring at him from the end of his bed, he is exceptionally anxious, and a wasp convinces him to help swap the sick baby for a new one. Is Steve crazy?

The Nest navigates complexities in life that are often overwhelming for young readers, and it does this in a real way with a story full of disconcerting moments. Uncertainties about the health of a family member are not treated with reassurance of lasting life, but instead manifest in a dual narrative that goes back and forth between nightmare and reality until the two eventually blur into one. The skillful writing offers readers a mirror and window into the lives of young people who live with anxiety and fear, and what Steve thinks it means to be 'broken.' Finally, the heart-racing climax of the story draws upon the built-up tension in Steve's life until readers begin to question his reliability as a narrator.

Accompanying the novel are beautiful yet dark drawings from award winning illustrator Jon Klassen. His illustrations often highlight what may appear to be small details in the narrative (taking off a pair of socks before bed, but stopping after one foot), but ultimately give readers an intimate look at how a family copes during arduous times. Together, Oppel and Klassen create an unapologetic and haunting story that keeps readers hanging on until the very end to see whether Steve's story is real or imagined.