I Am the Swarm

Praise

★FIVE STARRED REVIEWS ★

★ “Written in delicate, sparse, almost fragile verse . . . Chewins examines each of Nell’s emotions as if it’s a butterfly preserved in amber, held up to the light for careful study. The elements of magic interwoven with the very real cruelties of girlhood is a case study in successful fabulism. A beautiful, introspective slow burn of a book.” —Kirkus, starred review

★ “This cutting novel in verse is fearless, biting, and raw…there is a painful, sharply realistic thread that zeroes in on the way that girls are often stifled, silenced, coerced, or used…though there is a tender, quiet hopefulness that finds purchase in each of the women’s stories.” —BCCB, starred review

★ “In this deeply felt verse novel, Chewins expertly leverages evocative language . . . for a moving tale of self-discovery and healing through connection.” —PW, starred review

★ “In verse that flies across the page, Chewins weaves multiple apt metaphors with sensory detail . . . themes of music as a powerful tool for self-expression and anger as an important self-protective measure in this one-sitting read. —Booklist, starred review

★ “Vividly and fluidly written verse sets a gradual pace that allows readers to immerse themselves in Nell’s complex reality and her path to womanhood in a world both harsh and hopeful.” ––The Horn Book, starred review

“I feel like Hayley Chewins looked directly into my soul and wrote I Am the Swarm just for me. But this astonishing book is going to resonate for so many readers. Brilliantly crafted in raw, unflinching verse threaded through with delicate magic, Nell’s heart-wrenching journey is both harrowing and hopeful. I am madly in love with this book.” –Joy McCullough, New York Times bestselling author of Blood Water Paint

“I Am The Swarm dances along your skin like the insects depicted in its pages. Beautiful, dangerous, and just a little bit deadly. I’ve never read a book quite like it before.” – Rena Rossner, author of The Sisters of the Winter Wood

“With prose that is both as fierce as a hornet’s sting and as the delicate as a butterfly’s wings, I Am the Swarm examines girlhood, family, and adolescence in a vivid, honest, and wholly original light.“ — R.M. Romero, critically acclaimed author of The Ghosts of Rose Hill