What do you think?
Swarm
On a sunny September morning, the creatures first appear. Shur sees one of them hovering outside the window in history it looks like a giant butterfly, at first too beautiful and strange to seem like a threat. But when emergency alerts light up everyone's phones around her, she realizes something very, very wrong is happening outside. These… things are everywhere. By the time Shur makes it back to her house with her brother, Keene, and their two best friends, it's clear they must face whatever comes next on their own. A terrifying species the world's never seen before has suddenly emerged, and few living things are safe. As the creatures swarm and attack outside, life for Shur and her friends becomes a survival game. They board the windows, stockpile supplies, and try to make sense of the news reports for as long as the power stays on. Yet nothing can prepare them for what follows. The butterflies are only the beginning. The next onslaught will be deadlier, and even closer to home.
336 pages, Paperback
First published November 7, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 348 reviews
July 23, 2023
I have to say, this was an exhilarating read. Dark, moody, kind of gross in parts. I really liked it. There was a bit in the way of language that may not jibe with my 6th graders, but it was just so cool the way it all went down. Part survival story, zombie story, reanimated dead story (not really zombie, something more sinister actually), and of course love story (not outright though). Shur was a capable heroine and I appreciated her narration, anxiety, and other aspects of growing up that kids deal with. There were moments of true fear and stress. I will say, if possible I’d probably go with a 4.5 star rating based solely on the ending. And maybe not going far enough with the zombie stuff. It could have been really gory and gross. I suppose, when you have a character who is a teen and she is in charge of keeping everyone alive, there’s only so much one can do. All said, dope read and one I’ll definitely recommend to my more mature sixies.
November 7, 2023
Swarm
by Jennifer D. Lyle
YA Horror
NetGalley ARC
Publication Date: November 7, 2023
Sourcebooks Fire
Ages 14+
Instead of paying attention to her history teacher, Shur is looking out the window and sees the butterfly, but it was no ordinary insect, it was huge. Then she could see more of various sizes but all larger than the normal flower-loving bugs.
Even as the emergency alerts order everyone to stay put, Shur, her brother, and their two best friends leave the school to grab their little brother and go home. But on the way they watched as a butterfly attacked a woman on the street.
Within the first chapter, my curiosity was grabbed, but sadly by the middle the story slowed down and it became obvious what was going to happen.
But I loved the idea of turning beautiful, harmless butterflies into monsters whose only goal is to infect other creatures, though a little more detail (the cover is creepier than the descriptions) could have created a whole lotta of hibbie jibbies that would make me take a second glance at those colorful floaters come summer.
Shur, the MC, has a mental illness, and while it gives depth to her character to highlight her struggles and strengths, I feel that there wasn't enough on her illness to show readers who are struggling with similar issues that there are others who feel the same and there is help.
Even though it's aimed and written for young adults, there is violence and some gore, so it's suitable for mature 14+ readers.
3 Stars
by Jennifer D. Lyle
YA Horror
NetGalley ARC
Publication Date: November 7, 2023
Sourcebooks Fire
Ages 14+
Instead of paying attention to her history teacher, Shur is looking out the window and sees the butterfly, but it was no ordinary insect, it was huge. Then she could see more of various sizes but all larger than the normal flower-loving bugs.
Even as the emergency alerts order everyone to stay put, Shur, her brother, and their two best friends leave the school to grab their little brother and go home. But on the way they watched as a butterfly attacked a woman on the street.
Within the first chapter, my curiosity was grabbed, but sadly by the middle the story slowed down and it became obvious what was going to happen.
But I loved the idea of turning beautiful, harmless butterflies into monsters whose only goal is to infect other creatures, though a little more detail (the cover is creepier than the descriptions) could have created a whole lotta of hibbie jibbies that would make me take a second glance at those colorful floaters come summer.
Shur, the MC, has a mental illness, and while it gives depth to her character to highlight her struggles and strengths, I feel that there wasn't enough on her illness to show readers who are struggling with similar issues that there are others who feel the same and there is help.
Even though it's aimed and written for young adults, there is violence and some gore, so it's suitable for mature 14+ readers.
3 Stars
October 29, 2023
2.5/5 Stars
TL;DR - An interesting enough take on the end of the world, a little bit sci-fi and a little bit horror, but ultimately underwhelming. Not bad, not great, just average.
Big thanks to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for providing the ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review!
***Trigger Warnings for: insects, anxiety, death of a parent, panic attacks, mild gore and body horror, and brief suicidal ideation.***
‘Swarm’ by Jennifer Lyle is a young adult horror novel, told from the first-person perspective of a teenage girl named Shur. Her civics class is interrupted by an emergency broadcast, and the entire world descends into chaos as huge, carnivorous butterflies appear from nowhere en masse. Shur and her twin brother, as well as their four year old brother and two best friends, make it back to Shur’s house and begin to shelter in place, trying to make sense of their new reality. Enemies, both insect and human, besiege them as they fight to survive the swarm.
I don’t really have much at all to say about this book. The premise itself is actually really cool, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. There is no real plot other than, things happen, the kids react, something else happens, etc. There’s not a lot of ramping up of tension, the climax isn’t very climactic, and overall, I feel like the story lacked direction. Yes, there’s only so much you can do with being trapped in a house for weeks, and maybe that’s the problem - there just isn’t much that could happen. Either way, I was bored.
Other reviewers have said, and I agree, that this definitely reads on the younger side. This book is YA, but it reads more like middle grade in terms of language and complexity. Not a bad thing, there’s definitely readership in this range, but I was looking for something a bit more mature than what this book delivers.
Characters are average in terms of depth and impact. Not a lot of difference between all of them personality-wise. No one really undergoes a character arc of any kind. I wouldn’t even call this character-driven, either, because there’s sort of a middling amount of both plot and character.
I did like that Shur deals with anxiety (I’ve lived with anxiety my whole life and I love to see it represented), but it was, again, lukewarm at best. She’s anxious, her brother and friends try to coddle her, she keeps herself busy to avoid panic attacks, that’s about it. It feels surface-level and not very well-developed, which is a shame - I would have loved to see a deep discussion of how living with anxiety can feel like being trapped in a house with a dangerous world outside, how isolating it can be, etc, but this book didn’t go even close to that level of introspection or character exploration. Honestly a bummer of a missed opportunity.
I wish we could get to learn more about the butterflies, but there isn’t a whole lot explained or resolved. It’s just, they’re here, we think this is why, and that’s that. Thinking about it, I really feel like this story would have been better served if the characters were older and were more connected to the outside world, biologists or medical personnel or something, who would’ve been in a position to really get into the nitty-gritty of what these things are and what they can do. As I said in the TL;DR, a really interesting take on the apocalypse, but a shallow and bland execution.
Final Thoughts:
I think this might be a great book to introduce younger teens to the sci-fi and horror genres, but as an adult, it was lacking. Good enough for one read, but not enough for me to consider purchasing a physical copy.
TL;DR - An interesting enough take on the end of the world, a little bit sci-fi and a little bit horror, but ultimately underwhelming. Not bad, not great, just average.
Big thanks to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for providing the ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review!
***Trigger Warnings for: insects, anxiety, death of a parent, panic attacks, mild gore and body horror, and brief suicidal ideation.***
‘Swarm’ by Jennifer Lyle is a young adult horror novel, told from the first-person perspective of a teenage girl named Shur. Her civics class is interrupted by an emergency broadcast, and the entire world descends into chaos as huge, carnivorous butterflies appear from nowhere en masse. Shur and her twin brother, as well as their four year old brother and two best friends, make it back to Shur’s house and begin to shelter in place, trying to make sense of their new reality. Enemies, both insect and human, besiege them as they fight to survive the swarm.
I don’t really have much at all to say about this book. The premise itself is actually really cool, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. There is no real plot other than, things happen, the kids react, something else happens, etc. There’s not a lot of ramping up of tension, the climax isn’t very climactic, and overall, I feel like the story lacked direction. Yes, there’s only so much you can do with being trapped in a house for weeks, and maybe that’s the problem - there just isn’t much that could happen. Either way, I was bored.
Other reviewers have said, and I agree, that this definitely reads on the younger side. This book is YA, but it reads more like middle grade in terms of language and complexity. Not a bad thing, there’s definitely readership in this range, but I was looking for something a bit more mature than what this book delivers.
Characters are average in terms of depth and impact. Not a lot of difference between all of them personality-wise. No one really undergoes a character arc of any kind. I wouldn’t even call this character-driven, either, because there’s sort of a middling amount of both plot and character.
I did like that Shur deals with anxiety (I’ve lived with anxiety my whole life and I love to see it represented), but it was, again, lukewarm at best. She’s anxious, her brother and friends try to coddle her, she keeps herself busy to avoid panic attacks, that’s about it. It feels surface-level and not very well-developed, which is a shame - I would have loved to see a deep discussion of how living with anxiety can feel like being trapped in a house with a dangerous world outside, how isolating it can be, etc, but this book didn’t go even close to that level of introspection or character exploration. Honestly a bummer of a missed opportunity.
I wish we could get to learn more about the butterflies, but there isn’t a whole lot explained or resolved. It’s just, they’re here, we think this is why, and that’s that. Thinking about it, I really feel like this story would have been better served if the characters were older and were more connected to the outside world, biologists or medical personnel or something, who would’ve been in a position to really get into the nitty-gritty of what these things are and what they can do. As I said in the TL;DR, a really interesting take on the apocalypse, but a shallow and bland execution.
Final Thoughts:
I think this might be a great book to introduce younger teens to the sci-fi and horror genres, but as an adult, it was lacking. Good enough for one read, but not enough for me to consider purchasing a physical copy.
April 23, 2025
give me a post-apocalyptic survival story any day. add in monstrous butterflies (and butterflies are already creepy enough) and societal breakdown, and I was intrigued throughout. 3.5
February 20, 2024
I have so much beef with this book.
The characters did NOT change through this book. I cannot tell you how anything is different at all by the end of the book and it goes for every single character.
Also no one died. It felt like there was no pressure or deadline to the story. It felt unrealistic that things would still be operational at all beyond the first few days. There are still news broadcasts? Netflix? Why is no one contacting their loved ones if the power is still on and their data still works? How are people putting up quarantine encampments when butterflies are blocking out the sun? Maybe most importantly, how is someone leaving comments on an instagram story????
On top of it all, I felt like I straight up did not know these characters. Like not a single thing beyond the bare facts. I had to keep reminding myself that they were different people and I would constantly mix up who was who because their dialogue all kind of blended together. Also, the middle grade writing does not do it for me, and I was constantly reminding myself that these were not 12 year olds but supposedly 16-18 year olds. Dialogue was stilted at times and it felt like reading a script or something every moment felt over rehearsed and perfect. Nothing bad happens almost at all despite it being a novel about an apocalypse? No one important die’s like not even a tertiary character.
The first event that isn’t listed on the back of the book happens on page 200, more than halfway through the book. ??????????????????? If I didn’t have to read this for a class I would not have made it past page 50.
Anyway. I didn’t like this one. Maybe my heart is full of hate or something, but this was just not it for me folks.
The characters did NOT change through this book. I cannot tell you how anything is different at all by the end of the book and it goes for every single character.
Also no one died. It felt like there was no pressure or deadline to the story. It felt unrealistic that things would still be operational at all beyond the first few days. There are still news broadcasts? Netflix? Why is no one contacting their loved ones if the power is still on and their data still works? How are people putting up quarantine encampments when butterflies are blocking out the sun? Maybe most importantly, how is someone leaving comments on an instagram story????
On top of it all, I felt like I straight up did not know these characters. Like not a single thing beyond the bare facts. I had to keep reminding myself that they were different people and I would constantly mix up who was who because their dialogue all kind of blended together. Also, the middle grade writing does not do it for me, and I was constantly reminding myself that these were not 12 year olds but supposedly 16-18 year olds. Dialogue was stilted at times and it felt like reading a script or something every moment felt over rehearsed and perfect. Nothing bad happens almost at all despite it being a novel about an apocalypse? No one important die’s like not even a tertiary character.
The first event that isn’t listed on the back of the book happens on page 200, more than halfway through the book. ??????????????????? If I didn’t have to read this for a class I would not have made it past page 50.
Anyway. I didn’t like this one. Maybe my heart is full of hate or something, but this was just not it for me folks.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2024
After millions of giant, murderous butterflies hatch and descend hungrily across the world, three siblings and their two friends hunker down in their home, trying to fill the days in the hopes that their mom will find her way home, or the butterflies will die out. As the butterlfy bites start turning people rabid, the tension increases.
This is set almost entirely in one house, and it was so realistic. Unlike other post-apocalyptic style books, for a while the found family still has the internet, and TV, so many scenes of them doom scrolling and trying to find ways to pass the time were reminiscent of the COVID 19 lockdown in the UK.
I did think this was going to be on my best of 2024 list and a easy 5 stars, but the ending let me down, suddenly switching to months later and quickly telling us the information we were waiting for, and I really wanted that moment where they find out if their mom made it home, so I was disappointed I didn't get that.
This is set almost entirely in one house, and it was so realistic. Unlike other post-apocalyptic style books, for a while the found family still has the internet, and TV, so many scenes of them doom scrolling and trying to find ways to pass the time were reminiscent of the COVID 19 lockdown in the UK.
I did think this was going to be on my best of 2024 list and a easy 5 stars, but the ending let me down, suddenly switching to months later and quickly telling us the information we were waiting for, and I really wanted that moment where they find out if their mom made it home, so I was disappointed I didn't get that.
September 14, 2023
This is a book about twins name Shore and Keen they’re best friends Jennifer and Nathan and their toddler brother Sean who they call “little. “ while the teens are in first period sShore looks out of the window to see a humongous monarch butterfly and what she brings it to her friend Jenny’s attention she alerts everyone to the butterfly out of the window. Soon they’re telling everyone to go to the gymnasium but instead of doing as they say Keen his sister and their best friends decide to leave school and go to their house after stopping to pick up Little. It’s while making their way home that they see some people just standing around, some people are panicking and before they make it to the neighborhood they see the local bakery owner being attacked by one of these “butterflies.“ when they finally make it home Shore is trying not to let her anxiety get to 10 and she’s also prepping to batten down the hatches. Keen Who doesn’t take it as seriously as his twin spends his time playing games and entertaining toddler Little it seems even though ever since the death of their dad, Shore’s anxiety can be crippling but even win infected people try to get in the house even after Jenny is bitten by a zombie butterfly it seems to always be her who saves the day. There is so much more to this book they even have a gang of black clad individuals who go around in the truck shooting at the butterflies the days until the butterflies fight back bite them and infect them. Shore has a lot to deal with The power has gone out the food is running out and she has no idea how long this will last the only bright side is her brother‘s best friend Nathan says as soon as it is over he wants to bring her out on a proper date so there’s always a silver lining isn’t there? I have said many times that teen horror is my favorite genre and although this was a little sparse when it comes to action and in the beginning I did get tired of all her talk about prepping not that it was a lot but it doesn’t take much for me to be over reading about list and meal prep but having said that I still really enjoyed this book it has a definite solid four star read the monsters are believable and the eye rolling is definitely at a minimum… If any? I have never read a book by Jennifer Lilly but I will definitely be on the lookout for more of her books. Not everyone can be great at riding teen horror but it seems Miss Lily definitely has the nak and the talent. I want to thank SourceOfBooksFire a andnet Galley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
February 9, 2023
Okay, this one was super cool. I've never read a book about giant man-eating butterflies and I can honestly say I was not disappointed whatsoever. Our heroes being cooped up in their house gave me quarantine vibes and a bit of ptsd BUT man-eating butterflies made up for it.
This doesn't come out until November, so I won't give too much away yet, but I highly recommend this one!
This doesn't come out until November, so I won't give too much away yet, but I highly recommend this one!
April 18, 2024
Reads like a Wattpad fanfic from 2016
October 28, 2024
Who knew butterflies could be this terrifying?
While this story is mostly set in MCs house, it doesn't mean it's boring. Quite the contrary, the teens have to survive all kinds of dangerous situations - starting from the "swarm" itself. These killer butterflies were truly terrifying to read about. They had extra limbs, sharp teeth, huge mouths...disgusting but intriguing as well 😂 Imagine those giant bugs trying to enter the house. You can hear their wings flapping on the windows and the roof. You can see the shadows their bodies create while creeping around the house. If there's even a tinies crack, they will try to get inside.
Then of course, they have to survive living on their own. I have to admit, I loved how smart these teens were, but also realistic. They tried cooking on their own and cleaning the house which shows they know what they have to do, but teens being teens, they didn't know how to do it properly and some of them were on the lazier side 😂 In any case, they showed great strength and they took care of each other.
There were lots of other complications which I won't mention because I don't want to spoil the story for you, but the point is - the teens were resourceful. Especially Shur who also deals with a mental illness. They made tough choices, they fought with everything they had and tried to keep sane in this crazy situation.
While this story is mostly set in MCs house, it doesn't mean it's boring. Quite the contrary, the teens have to survive all kinds of dangerous situations - starting from the "swarm" itself. These killer butterflies were truly terrifying to read about. They had extra limbs, sharp teeth, huge mouths...disgusting but intriguing as well 😂 Imagine those giant bugs trying to enter the house. You can hear their wings flapping on the windows and the roof. You can see the shadows their bodies create while creeping around the house. If there's even a tinies crack, they will try to get inside.
Then of course, they have to survive living on their own. I have to admit, I loved how smart these teens were, but also realistic. They tried cooking on their own and cleaning the house which shows they know what they have to do, but teens being teens, they didn't know how to do it properly and some of them were on the lazier side 😂 In any case, they showed great strength and they took care of each other.
There were lots of other complications which I won't mention because I don't want to spoil the story for you, but the point is - the teens were resourceful. Especially Shur who also deals with a mental illness. They made tough choices, they fought with everything they had and tried to keep sane in this crazy situation.
August 24, 2024
I think this book did an amazing job with keeping you on edge through the entire book. When they first leave the school and see a woman getting her arm eaten by one of these huge butterflies, you’re already feeling nervous. As other reviews have said, this book reflects COVID anxiety, with them all being trapped in the house and actually having Wi-Fi for a good portion of the story. It definitely takes a scarier turn though. I think one of the scariest parts hasn’t really been talked about yet. Emmanuel. Emmanuel was probably the scariest thing just because he’s ill, physically and mentally, and is unfazed when the guards begin firing at the butterflies. He’s barely in control of his body and can’t put coherent thoughts together. It gave me big-time heebie jeebies. I think the idea that these things turn anything they bite into a hybrid is terrifying, because we’ve all seen zombies and things like that, but these are different. They can be literally anything! When they first thought Jenny was infected and there was that spat about it they should kill her or not… scary. SO SCARY. Imagine having to get into an argument with your friends or family about if you should kill a loved one! That’s insane! The ending was a little out of place from the rest of the book, being more cheery and upbeat, but overall… this book was amazing! One of my best reads of 2024.
July 28, 2023
On a sunny September morning, the creatures first appear. Shur sees one of them hovering outside the window in history class: it looks like a giant butterfly, at first too beautiful and strange to seem like a threat. But when emergency alerts light up everyone's phones around her, she realizes something very, very wrong is happening outside. These… things are everywhere.
By the time Shur makes it back to her house with her brother, Keene, and their two best friends, it's clear they must face whatever comes next on their own. A terrifying species the world's never seen before has suddenly emerged, and few living things are safe. As the creatures swarm and attack outside, life for Shur and her friends becomes a survival game. They board the windows, stockpile supplies, and try to make sense of the news reports for as long as the power stays on.
Yet nothing can prepare them for what follows. The butterflies are only the beginning. The next onslaught will be deadlier, and even closer to home.
This is an example of one of those hidden gems. Great plot, great characters, great pacing… great book.
This was a book that I read in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down… I was hooked from the get go and Lyle created an unlikely band of characters that I was immediately drawn to and connected with. I genuinely was on the edge of my seat in panic and worry, frantically reading on to make sure everything turned out okay.
An amazing disaster/sci-fi story, with coming of age tropes and a whole lot of heart, definitely would recommend this as much as I can.
By the time Shur makes it back to her house with her brother, Keene, and their two best friends, it's clear they must face whatever comes next on their own. A terrifying species the world's never seen before has suddenly emerged, and few living things are safe. As the creatures swarm and attack outside, life for Shur and her friends becomes a survival game. They board the windows, stockpile supplies, and try to make sense of the news reports for as long as the power stays on.
Yet nothing can prepare them for what follows. The butterflies are only the beginning. The next onslaught will be deadlier, and even closer to home.
This is an example of one of those hidden gems. Great plot, great characters, great pacing… great book.
This was a book that I read in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down… I was hooked from the get go and Lyle created an unlikely band of characters that I was immediately drawn to and connected with. I genuinely was on the edge of my seat in panic and worry, frantically reading on to make sure everything turned out okay.
An amazing disaster/sci-fi story, with coming of age tropes and a whole lot of heart, definitely would recommend this as much as I can.
August 15, 2025
This book was SO GOOD!! I haven’t really read a thriller/scary book before and this one was perfect. I loved all the relationships between the characters. Definitely would recommend to anyone!!
December 26, 2023
Overall, I really liked the pace of this book. It was a weird concept at first but it’s nice to read an apocalyptic book without zombies for once. I liked the characters a lot. I couldn’t relate to Shur too much but I liked her more towards the end.
April 24, 2025
not entirely sure if the author has ever met a small child
January 7, 2024
it’s ok i guess. one of those books you don’t mind finishing but also will forget completely by next week. the premise (which is basically king’s “mist” but with kids) was intriguing, not much of interest happens after.
May 27, 2025
3.5 stars, not bad! very nerve wracking, and it felt pretty realistic! didn’t LOVE the end but still a solid book!
October 23, 2023
4.5
I was a little worried this was going to be too YA for me but I found this to be perfect and on the darker end of YA. I'm going to be looking at butterflies a little funny after reading this book. It was interesting, emotional, and at times gross but I enjoyed it.
Wish we explored more of what happens when a person is bitten by the butterflies but I feel like the story holds attention and is wrapped up nicely.
A story of love, survival, reanimated dead, apocalypse-type vibes, and friendship.
I was a little worried this was going to be too YA for me but I found this to be perfect and on the darker end of YA. I'm going to be looking at butterflies a little funny after reading this book. It was interesting, emotional, and at times gross but I enjoyed it.
Wish we explored more of what happens when a person is bitten by the butterflies but I feel like the story holds attention and is wrapped up nicely.
A story of love, survival, reanimated dead, apocalypse-type vibes, and friendship.
December 27, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of Swarm by Jennifer Lyle.
I really enjoyed how Swarm started. We are thrust straight into the story, which when reading a standalone book of a few hundred pages, I like. The first 25% of the book was fast paced, nail-biting, and action packed- but once Shur and the gang got home- that's all it really was.
The rest of the book to follow was essentially a really long babysitting story (the little boy in the book was never really fully aware of the extremity of the situation, and was just interested in watching Disney movies). There were a couple of moments where sh*t hit the fan, but I never really felt the intensity I felt at the beginning of the book.
I still liked the story, and read through it pretty quickly. I think Swarm would have made a great duology, or even trilogy, rather than the rushed end with questi9ns left unanswered.
I will say, there was a part of the book where the author says the little boy will 'develop ADHD if he watched TV for too long', and I implore the author to remove that line. Excessive television can cause some concentration difficulties, but the kid watched a few Disney movies and the MC is worrying about ADHD, which is not genuine and respectful towards those who do live with ADHD and similar diagnoses.
I really enjoyed how Swarm started. We are thrust straight into the story, which when reading a standalone book of a few hundred pages, I like. The first 25% of the book was fast paced, nail-biting, and action packed- but once Shur and the gang got home- that's all it really was.
The rest of the book to follow was essentially a really long babysitting story (the little boy in the book was never really fully aware of the extremity of the situation, and was just interested in watching Disney movies). There were a couple of moments where sh*t hit the fan, but I never really felt the intensity I felt at the beginning of the book.
I still liked the story, and read through it pretty quickly. I think Swarm would have made a great duology, or even trilogy, rather than the rushed end with questi9ns left unanswered.
I will say, there was a part of the book where the author says the little boy will 'develop ADHD if he watched TV for too long', and I implore the author to remove that line. Excessive television can cause some concentration difficulties, but the kid watched a few Disney movies and the MC is worrying about ADHD, which is not genuine and respectful towards those who do live with ADHD and similar diagnoses.
November 4, 2024
I have to be honest; I judged the book by it's cover. I didn't think that this would be such a moving story that questioned how to move on and how to cope with such intense struggles; I didn't realize it would speak directly into my anxiety and give it a purpose. When Shur discussed her anxiety being what helped her to keep surviving with the butterflies everywhere, I felt like I was being so seen because her experience so closely resembled some of mine. I love the conflict that she goes through near the end of the novel between protecting one part of your family over the other part. I am a sucker for a happy ending though, so I'm happy with what happened to wrap it all up (I won't be specific because it might spoil it).
June 10, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️.6 ik this is a rlly random rating but i couldn’t decide between a 3.5 and a 3.75.😭 I liked this book, it had me hooked in the first chapter with a quick opening. I enjoyed the majority of the book but the ending was a little weak and there were things that could have been done/explained better. This is Jennifer D. Lyle’s debut novel and is a very good one! I will be reading her other novel.
July 13, 2023
I was captivated and hooked from the first sentence of this book when the mutant butterflies first appear. I love survival stories and the creepier they are the better. Shur, her brother Keene, their toddler little brother (who you will love), Nathan (Keene's best friend), and Jenny (Shur's best friend} make it home from school and soon realize that they are trapped and on their own. They learn from the news that when people are bitten by the butterflies, they become infected, and their body begins to decompose as they turn into something zombie like and not of this world. Lyle does a beautiful job painting a vivid picture of the terror with well detailed descriptions of the monsters (those that fly and those infected on the ground). It's a fast-paced story full of adventure and those that love apocalyptic stories will greedily devour this one.
October 15, 2023
3⭐️
I found reading this book that I really love this genre of story as young adult. Teens going thru a dystopian event together and trying to figure out how to survive/take care of eachother.
I really enjoyed the majority of the book. It was a solid 4. The beginning started off with a bang. Throwing the reader straight into the beginning when the wild butterflies started showing up. That was wild. The shear panic and getting to shelter.
Then the majority of the book is inside he house as they learn to keep safe and take care of a preschooler at the same time. Taking calculated risks of getting plywood and boarding up the windows. I do also really appreciate the representation of mental health with Shur. How her family and friends look out for her.
The book lost me though at the end. It felt like it abruptly just ended. That I was missing 2 or 3 more chapters. The epilogue was even used as a device to wrap everything up in pretty package. This happened, then this, oh and these people are miraculously ok. That was really upsetting to me because I really was enjoying the book until then.
Thank you to NetGalley and Source Books Fire for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.
I found reading this book that I really love this genre of story as young adult. Teens going thru a dystopian event together and trying to figure out how to survive/take care of eachother.
I really enjoyed the majority of the book. It was a solid 4. The beginning started off with a bang. Throwing the reader straight into the beginning when the wild butterflies started showing up. That was wild. The shear panic and getting to shelter.
Then the majority of the book is inside he house as they learn to keep safe and take care of a preschooler at the same time. Taking calculated risks of getting plywood and boarding up the windows. I do also really appreciate the representation of mental health with Shur. How her family and friends look out for her.
The book lost me though at the end. It felt like it abruptly just ended. That I was missing 2 or 3 more chapters. The epilogue was even used as a device to wrap everything up in pretty package. This happened, then this, oh and these people are miraculously ok. That was really upsetting to me because I really was enjoying the book until then.
Thank you to NetGalley and Source Books Fire for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.
August 14, 2025
4.5
Bro. This reminded me of TMR (the flare aspect of tmr) and it was SCARY IN CERTAIN PARTS.
It was so good tho, I love a good disaster movie and this was just that but in book form which I loved.
Anyways I was expecting this book not to be that good for some reason but it was actually great.
Read it.
Bro. This reminded me of TMR (the flare aspect of tmr) and it was SCARY IN CERTAIN PARTS.
It was so good tho, I love a good disaster movie and this was just that but in book form which I loved.
Anyways I was expecting this book not to be that good for some reason but it was actually great.
Read it.
November 12, 2025
4.5
Started this because I thought it’d be a fun laugh, ended it being terrified. Was so good and so fun, an actual thriller book that made me want to read more alien thriller books.
Started this because I thought it’d be a fun laugh, ended it being terrified. Was so good and so fun, an actual thriller book that made me want to read more alien thriller books.
July 10, 2024
Loved it, I was engrossed from the very beginning. Originally got the audiobook to listen to on a flight and got so sucked in I got the ebook so I could finish it while on vacation. I don’t want to wait until the flight back to listen again. The terror and the trauma that Shur, Jenny, Nathan, Keene and Little went through and the resilience they found within themselves made the story captivating.
August 23, 2026
This book was recommended by Litbydom. I was drawn to this book because, around April to May at the beginning of this year, we had a sudden surge of big brown moths (Lyssa zampa) in Malaysia. It wasn't common everywhere, but in my area, there were quite a lot of them everywhere. My cat was so happy hunting them down, but after a day or so, even he was hesitant to go outside. At one point, there were six of them just flying around in my front yard. These moths were huge, and they sometimes liked to fly right at you when you had your back turned. These moths are harmless, but I am not fond of them. During those two months, there were even some moths flying inside the mall because that was how bad the "infestation" was. Then, suddenly, they just died off.
Reading this book brought back those memories, but of course, the butterflies mentioned in the book are horrible monsters. Gosh, I can't imagine them being so huge, let alone having crab-like legs and huge mouths with sharp teeth. Not to mention their bites are infectious, and you can turn into a maggot zombie... ewwwww.
I really enjoyed this book, but I will highlight that this book is not really a blow-by-blow, action-packed story, especially during the first half of the book. The five main protagonists are all kids, four teens and one child. So you can already predict that there isn't going to be a very scientific reveal about what caused this butterfly plague or why it happened. It's more about experiencing the plague and seeing it happen from a teenager's point of view.
I liked Shur very much, but I was also conflicted about her characteristics. Shur has crippling anxiety. You cannot tell me someone with high anxiety need to take pills daily. Shur has crippling anxiety that requires her to take pills every day, and throughout the story, we learn that she has been hospitalized multiple times. She also freezes when she is overstimulated. However, in this book, Shur seems like the most level-headed and cautious person compared to the five of them.
I know that for someone like her, being in a dire situation like the one in the premise of the book would be highly stressful and anxiety-inducing. Yet, in the book, Shur is the one who thinks on a mature level. She thinks on a very security- and safety-driven level. I feel like she is almost like me in this book. I have anxiety, and sometimes I get very overwhelmed by it, but not to the point where I need pills or therapy (or maybe I should, LOL). But honestly, Shur seems like someone who is highly precautionary and very focused on safety, almost normal, really.
Meanwhile, the others, who are deemed "normal," are the ones showing very traumatised and out-of-control tendencies. I thought this was very odd, especially when it was Shur who was on medication for her mental illness. It as though the story was trying to tell us, if you have crippling anxiety, you can survive because it makes you think on a different level?
I also loved the relationship between Keene and Shur, her twin brother. I actually feel like Keene and his best friend Nathan seem to display a very normal reaction from teenagers being trapped in a house with a swarm of killer butterflies and not knowing what or when it will all be "resolved." They seem to show fear and anxiety of normal teenager, yet sometimes it seem Shur is fearless and the only one willing to take a huge risk?
I also liked Jenny, and she seemed like a typical teen obsessed with social media and forum updates about the killer butterflies. While Jenny was intelligent, she didn't suddenly become a scientist who had answers to everything. She was more focused on researching and understanding the butterflies while trying to relate whatever she already knew about non-killer butterflies and insects to make sense of their situation. She seem like the most sane person who wants to know the worse happenings but not to scare herself silly but to understand their situation.
The story was mostly about Shur trying to keep their very well-stocked, huge house functioning normally while trying to maintain hope that their mother would come back to them safe and alive. She keeps up a normalised domestic routine to ease everyone's fears and worries. I greatly appreciated that about Shur but again i felt it conflicted with what the author is trying to convince about Shur's illness.
I also believe the kids leaving school and taking their baby brother, Little (Shawn), with them was the best solution instead of just staying at school. The reason being that the school is huge, and there will always be a chance of some kids trying to escape or trying to be a hero, which could leave the rest of them in danger. The safety of a home that you know like the back of your hand is also a good thing, since you know where and how to defend yourself and your friends in your own home. It's also the comfort of home, which is usually a sign of safety.
While the story stalled slightly in the middle, it also gave us some glimpses of whatever was happening in the USA as well as the rest of the world. We are also exposed to a few updates about what happened to people who were bitten and how they were progressing over the weeks. We also learn that some kids who are stuck in school have survived and are making video updates about their survival.
But like any "apocalypse" or dystopian world, there is always a danger that is closer to home: humans!
My God, the number of books, TV shows, and movies that remind us that humans will always be the biggest danger to our survival. There will always be a bunch of idiots who think they can solve things by going "all out" and shooting at things. Because of these bunch of idiots, Shur and the gang were in danger of windows and doors breaking and allowing the butterflies to enter their home. I don't understand why they thought shooting randomly at butterflies and risking someone hiding in the home is the best idea. The flying bullets were not just at risk of breaking windows but it could have seriously hurt anyone hiding in their homes. STUPID STUPID!!
Thank God for the quick thinking of the kids. They were able to make some sort of makeshift barrier for the windows and doors to protect themselves from the breaking glass. Which came real handy when the infected started to attack them at their home, imagen an infected entered your house and you're not being able to run outside for safety because then you will be attacked by killer butterflies. Gosh!!!
The story picked up pace and action towards the last few chapters when the infected started to become a danger to the kids. This is when the story progress quickly and you feel nervous about one of them getting infected.
I enjoyed the story but I think my conflict is always Shur. She is like the most grounded and level-headed teenager I've ever met. She is able to think ahead of time and come up with plans to extend their survival. These don't seem like the behaviours of someone who has crippling anxiety. Another thing is that Shur takes it a step further. She stays behind to fight the infected and constantly volunteers to keep going outside to dispose of the bodies. She also thinks ahead about how to safely dispose of the infected bird and desensitise the house from possible contamination.
She is also the most calm when Jenny gets bitten. She is able to safely instruct Keene and Nathan on how to remove the butterfly from her arm without just yanking it out in a panic. She also volunteers to go outside and check for infected while being exposed to danger. Very functional teen if you ask me lol. The only time she ever comes close to losing control is when she is nearly attacked by the infested bird and is being clawed to death by her scaredy-cat.
The author tried to remind readers that Shur tries to keep busy and occupied to prevent her from succumbing to her mental illness, yet she is also the bravest and most level-headed person in the group. The author could have just made Shur a very proactive or foresighted person instead of trying to convince readers that she is someone who is suffering from mental illness. The author also made her into a motherly figure towards almost everyone in the book, which is another thread that I thought didn't reflect how severe her anxiety was supposed to be.
I understand that Shawn is a kindergarten child, but everyone around him is trying their level best to shield him from the killer butterflies, and I also felt like they were overdoing it. While it was vital not to scare a child to death with the knowledge of the killer butterflies, it is also vital to make them understand whatever is happening outside so that they will not panic and start running outside thinking it is safe because everyone is busy telling him everything is okay.
They do tell him it's dangerous, but they also shield him too much. Hence, Little feels that it is safe to walk around the house unsupervised. I think this part kind of annoyed me a little, my nieces are slightly older, but I would let them know the actual situation and coach them through an automated safety plan if anything goes wrong, so they won't just try to run out of the door during dire moments.
Otherwise, the story was really engaging. I loved the last few chapters of the book because it was very intense, and I also enjoyed the conclusion. If you are expecting the story to tell us in detail about the killer butterflies, you are going to be disappointed because the story does end rather abruptly and focuses more on Shur's family.
The story ends with an open-ended vibe, which could be an opening for a second story if the killer butterflies ever return again.
Reading this book brought back those memories, but of course, the butterflies mentioned in the book are horrible monsters. Gosh, I can't imagine them being so huge, let alone having crab-like legs and huge mouths with sharp teeth. Not to mention their bites are infectious, and you can turn into a maggot zombie... ewwwww.
I really enjoyed this book, but I will highlight that this book is not really a blow-by-blow, action-packed story, especially during the first half of the book. The five main protagonists are all kids, four teens and one child. So you can already predict that there isn't going to be a very scientific reveal about what caused this butterfly plague or why it happened. It's more about experiencing the plague and seeing it happen from a teenager's point of view.
I liked Shur very much, but I was also conflicted about her characteristics. Shur has crippling anxiety. You cannot tell me someone with high anxiety need to take pills daily. Shur has crippling anxiety that requires her to take pills every day, and throughout the story, we learn that she has been hospitalized multiple times. She also freezes when she is overstimulated. However, in this book, Shur seems like the most level-headed and cautious person compared to the five of them.
I know that for someone like her, being in a dire situation like the one in the premise of the book would be highly stressful and anxiety-inducing. Yet, in the book, Shur is the one who thinks on a mature level. She thinks on a very security- and safety-driven level. I feel like she is almost like me in this book. I have anxiety, and sometimes I get very overwhelmed by it, but not to the point where I need pills or therapy (or maybe I should, LOL). But honestly, Shur seems like someone who is highly precautionary and very focused on safety, almost normal, really.
Meanwhile, the others, who are deemed "normal," are the ones showing very traumatised and out-of-control tendencies. I thought this was very odd, especially when it was Shur who was on medication for her mental illness. It as though the story was trying to tell us, if you have crippling anxiety, you can survive because it makes you think on a different level?
I also loved the relationship between Keene and Shur, her twin brother. I actually feel like Keene and his best friend Nathan seem to display a very normal reaction from teenagers being trapped in a house with a swarm of killer butterflies and not knowing what or when it will all be "resolved." They seem to show fear and anxiety of normal teenager, yet sometimes it seem Shur is fearless and the only one willing to take a huge risk?
I also liked Jenny, and she seemed like a typical teen obsessed with social media and forum updates about the killer butterflies. While Jenny was intelligent, she didn't suddenly become a scientist who had answers to everything. She was more focused on researching and understanding the butterflies while trying to relate whatever she already knew about non-killer butterflies and insects to make sense of their situation. She seem like the most sane person who wants to know the worse happenings but not to scare herself silly but to understand their situation.
The story was mostly about Shur trying to keep their very well-stocked, huge house functioning normally while trying to maintain hope that their mother would come back to them safe and alive. She keeps up a normalised domestic routine to ease everyone's fears and worries. I greatly appreciated that about Shur but again i felt it conflicted with what the author is trying to convince about Shur's illness.
I also believe the kids leaving school and taking their baby brother, Little (Shawn), with them was the best solution instead of just staying at school. The reason being that the school is huge, and there will always be a chance of some kids trying to escape or trying to be a hero, which could leave the rest of them in danger. The safety of a home that you know like the back of your hand is also a good thing, since you know where and how to defend yourself and your friends in your own home. It's also the comfort of home, which is usually a sign of safety.
While the story stalled slightly in the middle, it also gave us some glimpses of whatever was happening in the USA as well as the rest of the world. We are also exposed to a few updates about what happened to people who were bitten and how they were progressing over the weeks. We also learn that some kids who are stuck in school have survived and are making video updates about their survival.
But like any "apocalypse" or dystopian world, there is always a danger that is closer to home: humans!
My God, the number of books, TV shows, and movies that remind us that humans will always be the biggest danger to our survival. There will always be a bunch of idiots who think they can solve things by going "all out" and shooting at things. Because of these bunch of idiots, Shur and the gang were in danger of windows and doors breaking and allowing the butterflies to enter their home. I don't understand why they thought shooting randomly at butterflies and risking someone hiding in the home is the best idea. The flying bullets were not just at risk of breaking windows but it could have seriously hurt anyone hiding in their homes. STUPID STUPID!!
Thank God for the quick thinking of the kids. They were able to make some sort of makeshift barrier for the windows and doors to protect themselves from the breaking glass. Which came real handy when the infected started to attack them at their home, imagen an infected entered your house and you're not being able to run outside for safety because then you will be attacked by killer butterflies. Gosh!!!
The story picked up pace and action towards the last few chapters when the infected started to become a danger to the kids. This is when the story progress quickly and you feel nervous about one of them getting infected.
I enjoyed the story but I think my conflict is always Shur. She is like the most grounded and level-headed teenager I've ever met. She is able to think ahead of time and come up with plans to extend their survival. These don't seem like the behaviours of someone who has crippling anxiety. Another thing is that Shur takes it a step further. She stays behind to fight the infected and constantly volunteers to keep going outside to dispose of the bodies. She also thinks ahead about how to safely dispose of the infected bird and desensitise the house from possible contamination.
She is also the most calm when Jenny gets bitten. She is able to safely instruct Keene and Nathan on how to remove the butterfly from her arm without just yanking it out in a panic. She also volunteers to go outside and check for infected while being exposed to danger. Very functional teen if you ask me lol. The only time she ever comes close to losing control is when she is nearly attacked by the infested bird and is being clawed to death by her scaredy-cat.
The author tried to remind readers that Shur tries to keep busy and occupied to prevent her from succumbing to her mental illness, yet she is also the bravest and most level-headed person in the group. The author could have just made Shur a very proactive or foresighted person instead of trying to convince readers that she is someone who is suffering from mental illness. The author also made her into a motherly figure towards almost everyone in the book, which is another thread that I thought didn't reflect how severe her anxiety was supposed to be.
I understand that Shawn is a kindergarten child, but everyone around him is trying their level best to shield him from the killer butterflies, and I also felt like they were overdoing it. While it was vital not to scare a child to death with the knowledge of the killer butterflies, it is also vital to make them understand whatever is happening outside so that they will not panic and start running outside thinking it is safe because everyone is busy telling him everything is okay.
They do tell him it's dangerous, but they also shield him too much. Hence, Little feels that it is safe to walk around the house unsupervised. I think this part kind of annoyed me a little, my nieces are slightly older, but I would let them know the actual situation and coach them through an automated safety plan if anything goes wrong, so they won't just try to run out of the door during dire moments.
Otherwise, the story was really engaging. I loved the last few chapters of the book because it was very intense, and I also enjoyed the conclusion. If you are expecting the story to tell us in detail about the killer butterflies, you are going to be disappointed because the story does end rather abruptly and focuses more on Shur's family.
The story ends with an open-ended vibe, which could be an opening for a second story if the killer butterflies ever return again.
May 28, 2026
4 ⭐️ Swarm follows Shur and her brothers after massive butterfly-like creatures suddenly begin appearing and attacking while the world around them slowly starts collapsing into panic and confusion. Most of the story takes place with the kids trapped at home trying to survive while having no real understanding of what is happening outside or how bad things are becoming.
I liked that this felt different from a lot of YA horror books. It had this weird unsettling atmosphere the entire time and almost felt apocalyptic without turning into a typical end of the world story. The whole book felt like watching society slowly unravel while the characters were stuck inside trying to figure out what was even happening. The isolation and confusion made everything feel way more tense.
I liked that this felt different from a lot of YA horror books. It had this weird unsettling atmosphere the entire time and almost felt apocalyptic without turning into a typical end of the world story. The whole book felt like watching society slowly unravel while the characters were stuck inside trying to figure out what was even happening. The isolation and confusion made everything feel way more tense.
July 27, 2026
I was surprised at how much I liked this one. Huge killer butterflies are just the inciting incident to drive a really interesting ‘adolescent’ family dynamic. I felt a connection to the characters and cared about their outcomes.
February 13, 2025
Don't sleep on this one. Excellent.
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