Who's the Real Monster?

What if humanity is the real monster of the story? That is the question that is asked in Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell. Shesheshen is a shapeshifting monster living in an abandoned manor. She feeds on the villagers of Underlook. While hibernating, three human monster hunters attack her. Shesheshen eats the leader of the group, while his minions run off. To Shesheshen's great dissatisfaction, she is injured in the process by a bolt drenched in rosemary (poisonous to her species). Shesheshen disguises herself as a human to try to sneak into Underlook and feed among unsuspecting victims. However, the monster hunters from before spotted her and caused the villagers to chase her into the night. Shesheshen lost her footing and fell off a cliff. She awakes to find a woman, Homily, taking care of her by offering her food and tending to her wounds. Will Shesheshen resort to killing her newfound savior, or will she learn that humanity might be the greatest monster of all?

I think when people think of monsters, they think of the boogey man, vampires, and demons. However, Shesheshen discovers an unexpected monster. Shesheshen finds Homily’s kindness very enchanting and wants to always be near her. As the two become closer, Homily reveals her deep secret: she has been continuously abused by several family members. Her sister, Epigram, used to carve scars into Homily’s neck, and her sister Ode and her own mother verbally and mentally abused her. The entire staff knew that Homily was being abused constantly, but no one stepped in because they feared Homily’s mother. Shesheshen discovers that humans can be quite monstrous to each other and wants to protect Homily from her abusers with everything she has.

As with any monsters, their victims who survive are not just left with physical scars, but emotional and mental scars as well. Shesheshen watches as Homily shrinks herself in front of her family and allows herself to be a mental and literal punching bag. Shesheshen fights for Homily however she can in front of her family. However, Shesheshen realizes that Homily needs to fight back in her own way as well. One of the things that I liked in the book is that it never suggests that abuse victims can always be healed. Shesheshen realizes that it takes patience, listening, and offering support whenever the person needs it. She realizes that Homily won’t automatically be fixed, but she knows that Homily will get to the point of healing and vows to remain with Homily throughout the entire process.

While Homily is processing various aspects of her life, Shesheshen is considering things about herself as well. Does she follow her monstrous instincts? That is something that Shesheshen deeply considers throughout the book. The more that Shesheshen gets to know Homily, the less and less she wants to kill her. However, her body is getting in the way. Shesheshen’s species reproduces by planting its eggs in humans and watching the hatchling devour its host. Shesheshen thought that was normal until she realized what that would do to Homily. Shesheshen realized that she didn’t want Homily to die. She wants to build a life with her, and doesn’t want her instinct to ruin that.

In regard to building a life together, Shesheshen and Homily have different ideas when it comes to romance. Usually, romances in these types of stories are heavy with lust, desire, and sex. While both Homily and Shesheshen value being physical insofar as being near each other and touching, they are not interested in the other physical aspects of the relationship, like kissing and sex. It illustrates that people are in charge of what romantic relationship they want to have. They don’t have to follow the norms. They just need to be true to themselves.

Overall, I really did like the novel. It really makes you think about what a monster truly is. Through Shesheshen and Homily, we learn that not all monsters are obvious. While some monsters can change for the better (like Shesheshen), we need to learn how to protect our boundaries from monsters that relish in their cruelty towards others. Protecting your peace is more important than trying to change a monster into a decent being. Change can only happen if the person wants it. In the spirit of the book, I have the following question: Is humanity the greatest monster out there, or is there something else more sinister?