I Am the Swarm

Gr 10 Up–A powerful novel in verse for readers who enjoy magical realism. Nell Strand’s 15th birthday arrives with a price: magic. While it is often said to be a gift, magic has been nothing but a curse for the women in her family. Her mother’s volatile personality changes daily between a careless teenager and a responsible adult. Her sister, Mora, is in a mental hospital to protect her from cutting the music out of her veins. Nell is often left to her own devices. When her magic comes in the form of insects dependent upon her feelings, she is forced to feel all the things she kept locked away. Chewins’s beautiful verse is skillfully done, and her words will evoke many emotions among readers. Teens will identify with the chaos of Nell’s life and feelings and her need to control them. Nell faces many of her problems without guidance or support from her parents, until she realizes she does have people she can ask for help. Fans of Elizabeth Acevedo’s The Poet X will find this title just as compelling. This coming-of-age tale tackles difficult topics, including self-harm, sexual harassment, and suicide; the book begins with a content warning. Nell’s father is described as an English man and her mother and grandmother speak Afrikaans.