Oh my goodness, this tight, terrifying psychological thriller will have kids squirming in their seats as they read. Back in the day when creepy little fairytales horrified and tantalised young minds, parents thought: Good, that’ll stop little Susie wandering into strangers’ houses or dark woods. Disney is often the main storyteller now, so today’s children are a bit more protected and sanitised.

The Nest, however, is more Hitchcock than Disney! It explores a sensitive young boy’s anxiety when his baby brother is born with a range of congenital problems. His mum and dad are tired and worried and, of course, as parents are wont to do, only give him scant details, so Steve’s imagination and dreams fill in the blanks. How a child’s mind works is deftly depicted in The Nest, and Steve’s fears and obsessions ring true.

Reminiscent of David Almond’s sad and beautiful Skellig, Kenneth Oppel’s taut and masterful story builds to an electrifying climax that centres around a summer infestation of wasps. While I couldn’t put The Nest down, there were times when I was a tiny bit keen to do so. Ideal for robust readers who have moved on from Goosebumps but aren’t ready for the likes of Charlie Higson’s The Enemy series. For age 9 and up.

Alexa Dretzke