I Am the Swarm coming March 25th, 2025 from Viking Books for Young Readers; 336 pages
Content Warning: Self-harm, violence, sexual harassment, abuse, depression, attempted suicide, disordered eating, dysfunctional family dynamics
About the Author: “Hayley Chewins is an award-winning author of middle grade fantasy and a published poet. Her debut novel, THE TURNAWAY GIRLS (Candlewick, 2018), received starred reviews from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly, and was named a Kirkus Best Book of 2018 as well as a 2019 Amelia Bloomer List pick. Her second novel, THE SISTERS OF STRAYGARDEN PLACE (Candlewick, 2020), also received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus, and was chosen as the 2020 Foreword Indies Gold Winner for Juvenile Fiction and an Amazon Best Book of the Month. Hayley is also the author of LOKI: SEASON ONE NOVEL (Marvel Press, 2023), a middle grade novelization of Marvel’s LOKI television show starring Tom Hiddleston. Her YA debut, I AM THE SWARM, is forthcoming from Viking Children’s Books in March 2025. Hayley lives with her family in Johannesburg, South Africa. When she isn’t writing books, she sings and writes music for her alt-pop band, EIGHT THOUSAND BIRDS. Her literary agent is Patricia Nelson at Looking Glass Literary & Media” (Bio from author’s website).
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Like all the Strand women before her, Nell is aware of the strange power that courses through her veins—one that keeps her family trapped in an endless cycle of misery. In comparison to the haunting melodies of her older sister’s blood and a mother who can shapeshift into many ages, Nell Strand’s ability to display her emotional world in the form of ladybugs and dragonflies initially seems like a blessing. However, she soon learns that even her seemingly beautiful shell can break when her rage and resentment is no longer allowed to hide. Finding herself torn between rising tensions in her household and unwanted advances from those around her, Nell seeks comfort through a heated, unexpected love—one she calls her antidote.
I Am the Swarm’s verse writing drew me into Nell’s heart immediately, unveiling her deepest scars and her desire for the normalcy that she has been robbed of. Through an emotionless father and a mother that frequently seeks to escape from the horrors of her shape-shifting self, readers can see exactly how magic has divided the Strand family and destroyed the protagonist’s relationship with her sister, Mora. Witnessing the personalized and cruel nature of each of the Strand women’s magic, however, was the most interesting aspect of the book for me. In Nell’s case, she is forced to deal with the physical manifestation of emotions that she feels numb to, which causes her to embark on her own healing journey as she navigates her strained relationships with her family members. This parallels her experiences with the boy she loves and her piano teacher who threatens her sense of control, forcing her to confront her feelings of isolation. Throughout the course of the book, I found myself wanting to know more about the boy and I wished Chewins had leaned a bit more into the romance to push Nell’s development. Besides that, the pacing was exceptional, as I felt that all the necessary pieces of information fell together like a puzzle at the end as Nell recounts past moments, leading to her slowly mending her family’s rifts. Similar to her other slice-of-life stories, Hayley Chewins’ I Am the Swarm masterfully captures the struggle between a girl and her cursed magic amidst the typical troubles of one’s teenage years.
I Am the Swarm releases on March 25th, 2025.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and Viking Books for Young Readers for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Alysa Jacob, Pine Reads Review Writer & Social Media