Someone You Can Build a Nest In

Alex Brown of Reactor noted the following regarding the novel's exploration of neurodiversity:

Shesheshen is a monster both literally and metaphorically. Her very existence violates social norms. She can "pass" as "normal", or mask, if you will, but only by mimicking other people and practicing their behaviors. I’m neurodivergent and so much of Shesheshen’s experiences felt eerily familiar. The pragmatism, the frustration at not being able to figure out what someone actually wants versus what they say they want, the feeling like you’re pretending at being a certain kind of person when you’re really something else entirely. At times, she is overwhelmed by sensations that humans don’t seem to notice, and she reacts to things in a way that some humans would find cold and emotionless but is for her just the logical response to an illogical situation.^[1]

Brown, who is asexual and aromantic, also notes that the novel explores the concept of romance through an asexual lens. The review states that while "Someone You Can Build a Nest In is romantic, it’s an aromantic version of romance rather than an alloromantic one. I might even call it queerplatonic."

Kristi Chadwick of Library Journal gave the novel a starred review, recommending it for fans of T. Kingfisher. Chadwick wrote that "Wiswell raises the bar on the outcast as protagonist." According to the review, "Wiswell's debut is the ultimate monster slayer story, if the monster is just a misunderstood creature searching for love."^[2] Liz Bourke of Locus also compared the novel to the works of Kingfisher, but noted that "Wiswell has a voice and an energy all of his own: The novel is an absolute bloody delight." Bourke praised the characters of Shesheshen and Homily as well as the novel's thematic content, noting that "issues around parenthood and families and reproduction are a serious theme that runs through this work."^[3] Lisa Tuttle of The Guardian wrote that the novel offers "an outsider’s critical view of human attitudes and morality." Tuttle concluded that the novel "is a heartfelt fable about disability and the possibility of reconciling conflicting needs through love and understanding."^[4]

Kirkus Reviews found that Shesheshen is an "interesting narrator", writing that "seeing her find ways to describe and parse new emotions like friendship and love is often more interesting than the romance itself." The review found that the novel was inventive and boundary-pushing, but would not appeal to all readers. It concluded by stating that Someone You Can Build a Nest In is a "wonderfully weird horror romance that requires an acquired taste and a strong stomach."^[5] Publishers Weekly wrote that the novel "confronts familial abuse, otherness, and healing from trauma." The review criticized the "occasionally shaky worldbuilding [which] muddles the message," but concluded that "there's a potent emotional core to this blood-soaked tale" and "readers looking for dark and distinctive romantic fantasy will want to check this out."^[6]

Alex Brown of Reactor wrote that the novel is "weird and unsettling, and it plays with elements of horror and romance without fully committing to those genres," which in Brown's opinion would make the novel challenging to sell. The same review felt that the plot and epilogue were weaker than the novel's premise, but concluded that the novel was a "winner".^[1]