It's not that this is bad, per se, in fact that are some delightfully creepy moments, but why are we still letting men tell these stories in 2022? Partner that with an ambiguous name and it's giving Riley Sager, Taylor Adams all over again.

<b>TW: Language, bullying, ageism, toxic family relationships, cancer, smoking, child abuse, death of parents, toxic friendships, depression, anxiety, violence </b>

<b><big>*****SPOILERS*****</b></big>
<b>About the book:</b>Mary is a quiet, middle-aged woman doing her best to blend into the background. Unremarkable. Invisible. Unknown even to herself.But lately, things have been changing inside Mary. Along with the hot flashes and body aches, she can’t look in a mirror without passing out, and the voices in her head have been urging her to do unspeakable things.Fired from her job in New York, she moves back to her hometown, hoping to reconnect with her past and inner self. Instead, visions of terrifying, mutilated specters overwhelm her with increasing regularity and she begins auto-writing strange thoughts and phrases. Mary discovers that these experiences are echoes of an infamous serial killer. Then the killings begin again.Mary’s definitely going to find herself.
<b>Release Date:</b> July 19th, 2022
<b>Genre:</b> Horror
<b>Pages:</b> 405
<b>Rating:</b> ⭐

<b>What I Liked:</b>
1. Ohh I like the cover

<b>What I Didn't Like:</b>
1. Some parts rambled on and on
2. Nadine
3. The story felt so unbelievably pointless
4. Book was too long

<b>Overall Thoughts:</b>
I found it odd that Mary never reads in this whole book. She worked at a bookstore, so she clearly liked books but why is she not reading.

How does Mary's reflective thing work that she is scared of mirrors but she looks at her reflection on other items?

I'm confused why Mary at the last minute decided to go take care of Nadine. She just lost her job and rent is getting raised so why would she waste what money she has left to take care of someone that is abusive to her.

God, Nadine is so annoying and vulgar.

It got on my nerves how much you're reminded that Mary is weird and there's something off.

The rambling makes me stare off and want to dnf every 50 pages. How can things happen but I feel so bored.

Oh Mary finds the word Azazel and all I thought about was Supernatural.

How did Carol know that the Mary that had handprints in the concrete was the Mary in the house.

I am soooooo sick about how weird Mary is.

I swear to God this is the longest book.

The way the book was written it felt like it was the 90s. Mary has an answering machine. Eleanor suggested going to her house to use the computer but what teenager doesn't own a laptop or even her phone? Mary doesn't own a mobile, but why? It's never mentioned or explained.

So the ending is that the town is a cult. The William is actually running this cult like it's Hostel the movie and that people can come to torture and abuse people. Okay 😒 I should have dnfed - I missed nothing.

<b>Final Thoughts:</b>
I got zero vibes of Carrie in this book. But this book and Carrie have two things going for them; I hate them both.

I seriously had to power through to finish this book. I don't know why either. I wasn't having a good time reading it at all. I think I wanted to know why everyone talks and loves this book so much, but now I feel even more confused.

This book spends a copious amount of time talking about things that don't matter. The action scenes are over described and confusing when trying to picture them. I felt like there was no focus.

I feel like I understand 10% of what was happening and why.

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<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Nightfire for this gifted copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Not really my kind of story but it was well written. It is a perfect story for a spooky season. It does have quite a bit of gore and disturbing imagery.

This was definitely a well written horror book that I think many horror lovers will enjoy. Many parts of this book make me want to throw up. The Carrie going through menopause comparison is definitely accurate. I do think this could have been cut down a little, and ultimately this was too much of the graphic horror that I just don't enjoy.

*4 stars* Thank you Netgalley for the audio arc. The Author's Notes in the front and back of this book were excellent. It might be the best author's notes I have ever read. The story itself was fantastic although lost me a b it in the middle. Highly recommend.

This is the story of Mary—who returns to the town she grew up in after getting a call from her aunt. Her stay is the rural town is far from normal. Its all eccentric. Mixed with female centric topics and bizarre horror, Mary is a very creepy, interesting, and horrifying story!!

Thank you Macmillan audio via Netgalley for the alc.

Lovvedddd this. SO inlay creepy and truly and original story. Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ARC for my honest review.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This was a really great read, certainly scary lol something i would read again and recommend!

this book was a wildddd ride. i thoroughly enjoyed it!! it was shocking, gruesome and very unique. i would recommend if you are craving a twisty horror/thriller with a female protagonist that you love but mostly really hate.

This book had me enthralled the entire time. I could not put it down. I totally binged it in a day and a half.

This one was quite the ride and touched on subjects such as perimenopause and the declining treatment of women as they age in a way that worked super well, and I enjoyed the authors explanation of what he was trying to do in the foreword and afterword.

Nothing super glowing or negative to say about this one, I just think it was a bit too long and at times felt a little all over the place. There were body horror elements that really got me throughout and the descriptions were perfectly done. I really enjoyed the “good for her” ending and how he wrapped up the various storylines, but overall was a middle of the road read for me.

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

Enjoyment: 4.5
Total rating: 4.57

Mary is one of those people who blend in the background. She was raised by her aunt and bullied at home and school. She left her hometown as soon as she could. Her life remained unremarkable until now.

At 49, her body changes; with the hot flashes and body aches came bizarre symptoms her doctor chucked up to menopause. Mary is sure that the voices in her head and the horrible things she sees in the mirror are not that simple. When her aunt calls her asking for help and bound by a sense of duty, Mary returns to her hometown, the last thing she wants.

Mary is such a compelling and authentic character. I honestly thought Nat Cassidy was a middle-aged woman using real-life experiences to give her more dimension. Nope, he is a man. One whose writing is as compelling as his mind is wicked.

I find it impossible to talk about Mary without spoiling it. Cassidy indeed took us on a journey that became scarier and more twisted as it went. The atmosphere is superb, albeit dark and intensely gloomy. Mary manages to be unlikeable and endearing. While reading the book, I wanted to hug and yell at her intermittently.

An incredible debut that will haunt you for weeks after reading it. Even more so if you listen to the audiobook - Susan Bennett's narration is as haunting as Mary and the way she told the story draws the listener in.

Disclaimer: In exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to the publishers and NetGalley for providing a copy of Mary: An Awakening of Terror.

This was my first read fully in the contemporary horror genre, and it was a lot fun. Imagine of Stephen King's "Carrie" was about perimenopause and was about the patriarchy's voice constantly in your head. My only criticism is it seemed to drag a bit in the middle, but so much happens I would not know what to take out. The voice actor's portrayal really brought out her character's multifaceted personality in her mean snide comments to her true love for Mary, and true fear of being alone. The action and gore was so well described and disturbing, without feeling gratuitous. Cassidy manages to make Mary, a character so heavily flawed with her odd behavior towards her figurines, having no stable relationships, whose prone to angry outburst and bouts of anxiety, feel really relatable to the reader and portrays her with kindness. The ending of having Mary exorcise Damon from her head was perfect. The addition of Cassidy's thoughts in the beginning and the end were insightful and sweet. 4 of 5 stars

This story was so creepy and descriptive, and I couldn't stop listening to see what was going to happen. I really like that the protagonist was a menopausal woman, because that is a rarity, at least from my reading experiences. Mary was a complex character that you got small glimpses of when she would say a quick line that was unexpected. It was a foreboding feeling throughout and it really delivered something special. I can see the influence of Stephen King for sure. I really enjoyed thar there was a forward and afterward from the author in his own voice discussing the book and why he wrote it. The narrator was fantastic as well. Well done! I'll be reading more from this author.

MARY
Nat Cassidy


Mary is middle-aged or rather old and getting older by the day. And one day, like no other day, she begins to experience unexplainable things. Things that don’t happen to women like Mary.

This was a lot of fun. Mary was a fun character. At first I thought she was going to be written as a deviant and she was nothing of the sort.

There is a meandering quality to the storyline. And for a horror book that doesn’t have a big story structure it feels long. I think they could have trimmed it down.

Imagine falling asleep in the bath and having an out-of-body experience. That is this book in a nutshell. And it is as scary as the day you stop being carded at the bar.

Overall though, for me, MARY was a mix. I think the book was a great concept and Mary as a character was well articulated and very clear. However, the story itself lacked the clarity and succinctness I like in horror fiction.

As a side note, I listened to this on audiobook and thought that Susan Bennett, the narrator, did a fantastic job. She added authenticity to her character and her voice is now forever intertwined with Mary in my mind.

MARY…⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire for the advanced copies!

To say this book was fucked up and weird is an understatement. I went into this blind, not knowing what I was going to get into and I definitely recommend doing the same. Just hop on the wild, crazy story that is it and enjoy the ride. This is definitely a slow burn horror story and I did feel a little bored but that could’ve been because I listened to the audiobook version of it. If I read the physical copy I may have been less bored by it at times. I had no idea what to expect after every chapter and it constantly made me say “wtf” more than once. Overall, if you enjoy a messed up horror novel then this is the one for you.

Nat Cassidy doesn't disappoint, the book opens with a murder scene and the momentum keeps going throughout the entire book.

It is creepy, eerie and descriptive enough that you feel the terror.

I was given an advanced copy of this audiobook from the publisher and Netgalley for free and am leaving this review voluntary. These are my honest options of the book.

Wow. Mary is an absolute clusterfuck of a novel. The first half of the story was physically draining, reading this woman falling into the despair of an isolated life. At some times, it almost felt a little unbearable in its misery, but the authors writing prowess really excelled.
The last half of the novel was so unhinged. Suddenly turning paranormal and metaphysical. My personal preferences in horror don’t tend to stray to the outlandish side; however, the social commentary in the novel was enough for me to enjoy it.
Also, the narrator was amazing!

I didn’t really know what to expect going in, but Mary had me engaged from start to finish. If you are looking for a slow burn horror, with an unreliable narrator, that will make you feel anxious throughout, definitely check this book out.