A review by ikandree
The Queen: A Novel by Nick Cutter

dark emotional sad tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

4⭐️

Thank you to Gallery Books, Nick Cutter, and NetGalley for an opportunity to preview this title in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. Or yikes. I can't necessarily decide. On one hand, Nick Cutter did it again by weaving a tale that is both haunting, touching, and, at times, gross. For anyone that has read a Nick Cutter book, you will know that he does not shy away from body horror and this time that body horror was mixed with insects, quite literally.

This book follows a teenage girl, Margaret, as she goes on a scavenger hunt of sorts from her best friend who has been missing for weeks and was presumed dead. One of the characters mentions that this scavenger hunt has a "13 Reasons Why" feel and I could not have described it better. The story is told through the protagonist visiting different areas of her town, and thus hearing the story attached to that place. This helps the reader to understand how Margaret comes to be locked in a country club kitchen fighting off giant, killer wasps, which is exactly how the novel begins.

There were many times that I was like "What did I just read?" in both the literal and metaphorical sense. This story describes a lot of insect parts, and at its climax also how those parts are mixed with the human form. For me, that was often difficult to imagine (which might be a good thing?). This book is quintessential Nick Cutter so his fans will definitely not be disappointed!