Nestlings is a weird, dark, and complicated book, running its entire length with a feeling of claustrophobia. I think anyone who has ever tried to establish life in a city where everyone lives on top of one another will feel this tangible dread creeping in.

"Nat Cassidy is at his razor-sharp best again with his horror novel Nestlings, which harnesses the creeping paranoia of Rosemary's Baby and the urban horror of Salem's Lot, set in an exclusive New York City residential building.

Ana and Reid needed a lucky break.

The horrifically complicated birth of their first child has left Ana paralyzed, bitter, and struggling: with mobility, with her relationship with Reid, with resentment for her baby. That's about to change with the words any New Yorker would love to hear - affordable housing lottery.

They've won an apartment in the Deptford, one of Manhattan's most revered buildings with beautiful vistas of Central Park and stunning architecture.

Reid dismisses disturbing events and Ana's deep unease and paranoia as the price of living in New York - people are odd - but he can't explain the needle-like bite marks on the baby."

This year is THE YEAR for all the Rosemary's Baby pastiches.

A truly engrossing horror novel.

This propulsive story is about a couple and their infant child winning an apartment lottery, allowing them access to a beautiful apartment in a historic high rise building. Reid is instantly enamored while Ana is unsure, but they leave their tiny Brooklyn apartment for Manhattan. The Deptford is their new home.

Very quickly, Ana is unsettled by their new home and the other inhabitants. Maneuvering through the building with her wheelchair is clunky and awkward. There is something off about their daughter, Charlie, too. And the worse it gets, the more Reid denies anything wrong. Unlike Ana, Reid is enamored with The Deptford, making acquaintances with neighbors and finding himself more intrigued by the whole thing each day.

What happens in the pages of this book was so freaking wild and unhinged. The anticipation of what was going to possibly happen next had me reading this in one sitting. There is some content in here that was appalling, but in the way you want horror to feel. It tests your limits. Definitely read the content warnings in the front of the book!

I thought the story was written so well, the danger and fear palpable. There are some really strong underlying messages here in this book as well. How far would you go to protect the ones you love? Ultimately, this was a fantastic read and I enjoyed every sickening moment.

Oooh. I really liked this one.

If you check out my recent review of Adriana Chartrand's An Ordinary Violence you'll see me venting about how poorly she handled the set up and suspense of the strange goings-on in her novel. She should take a look at Nat Cassidy's Nestlings to see how it's done right!

OMG does this man know how to keep his readers creeped out the entire way through the book. He teases us with this delicious sense of dread right from the very first pages and manages to stretch it out forever without it feeling old or tiresome. That oh-no feeling, that nagging question of what in the holy fucking fuck is going on, it never goes away, even when you think you've started to figure out what's happening. Heck, even AFTER the big reveal, he still manages to keep that nail-chewing, anxious feeling going and going and going.

The only thing I could have done without was the spiders. Yuck! But everything else... yasss queen!

I liked that this book was a lot like Rosemarys baby, and that the setting was in New York City, but I ended up not really enjoying the vampire story line.

A couple jumps on what seems like a life-changing opportunity to live in a historic building in New York City, but what they don't know is that it is just the beginning of their problems. It features the rich and empathetic characters we have come to expect from Nat Cassidy, along with the shocking turns that will delight horror readers.

Wow - this book.

Ana and Reid are a couple who move into a luxury building in NYC after winning the affordable housing lottery. Ana is disabled, having been paralyzed during the birth of their daughter. Strange things begin to happen to Ana and Reid, but what is really happening at the Deptford?

This is best going in blind. It's so fast-paced, scary, mysterious, and just a ton of fun. Nat Cassidy gorgeously weaves a story of paranoia, grief, triumph, and fear, and I cannot recommend it enough.

Wow, this was...wow. I really enjoyed the concept and where it was going. I did find it to be predictable at times but most definitely did not see the end coming! Nestlings was more than a little bit creepy and beyond disturbing. I felt an overwhelming sensation of dread the entire time. There are Gargoyles and bugs, a fascinating building with a macabre history with extremely dark, eccentric and unsettling residents. Nestlings made me itch, twitch and want to jump in a ditch. After reading Mary by Nat Cassidy, I knew one thing for sure, this author does weird and they do it well! Nestlings was no exception. This book is creepy, crawly and pushes boundaries. It's a slow decent into insanity that is more worth the spiral.

Get ready for a series of unsettling events in "Nestlings." This gripping story takes you through spine-tingling situations that push the boundaries of your darkest fears. Cassidy's writing is compelling, drawing you deep into the world of horror. At the start, we meet a family of three who win a lottery for a dream apartment that seems too good to be true. Cassidy's vivid descriptions make this a captivating read for anyone seeking a good scare. However, there's a minor issue – some might feel the ending is rushed. Still, I highly recommend reading "Nestlings." It's an unrelenting journey into terror that will leave a lasting impact.

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group, Tor Nightfire for the chance to review this ARC!

Man, this is the second time in the last few months that I've been floored by a Nat Cassidy story. I absolutely loved Mary – it was super weird and scary and hit just the right notes of everything I love about horror. Nestlings is every bit as good.

It’s completely different from Mary, but is written in the same way, with a sense of unease right from the beginning, humming with a tension that builds in smart and unexpected ways. When things start to escalate, it gets terrifying and so, so good. He really does a good job writing characters who you’re rooting for who are facing unbelievably fucked up situations.

Going into this one as blind as possible is the best way to go, so I won’t say much more. I cannot wait to see what Cassidy does next.

It’s a very, very enthusiastic ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me.

This one drops on 🎃HALLOWEEN🎃, which is just **chef’s kiss**.

Gadzooks! What a creepy read!

Ana and Reid and their baby girl, Charlie, win a lottery to be eligible to move in to the famous and secretive Deptford Apartment Building in Manhattan.

The family has had a rough year, Ana is wheelchair bound after Charlie’s difficult birth, Reid lost his mother and hates his job, the pandemic hit hard and their landlord is a harasser. They jump at this opportunity of a new and exciting life.

But HOLY MOLEY, the Deptford has its secrets and weird AND CREEPY shit starts to happen.

Cassidy is incredibly skilled at layering the creep factor. Readers can see how Ana and Reid and Charlie are each experiencing the little multiplying horrors of their new home, but are they paranoid? Over-reacting? In denial? Hallucinating? The story builds and builds and does NOT. LET. GO.

The synopsis states Nestlings is a little Rosemary’s Baby, a little Salems Lot. And this is true.

This is one of the most anxiety-inducing, tense, creepy and thrilling books I have read this year. It comes out on Halloween and I recommend reading it ON THAT DAY.

I recently read Nat's book 'Mary' & I LOVE both of them. Focusing on 'Nestlings,' the monsters are interesting - I think they would look cool in film. Ana & her husband are inexplicably human, capable of being terrible as well as wonderful. I like how they were at the end but it's crazy how it happened. I have an easier time wrapping my head around the monsters than the choices one of them made. Such is life. Did I mention I devoured this in 2 days? This book could definitely be triggering for some people, but trigger warnings are in the beginning. The nature of horror IS to trigger, & maybe I'm biased - but I think things relating to motherhood can be especially triggering. It's all so incredibly fragile. The desire to have a baby, your mind & body working against you, society working against you, the medical system working against you, the reality of caring for a child, relationship problems.... Fortunately, Nat & the people in his corner did a great job with the topic.I can't wait to see what he does next

If anyone was going to pull me out of a months long reading slump, you KNOW it was gonna be Nat Cassidy!

I have been so excited to read Nestlings and I was lucky enough to receive a review copy from @netgalley, so shout out to them and @tornightfire. That being said…let’s get into it.

Nestlings follows two new parents as they move into a very bizarre apartment building in Manhattan after winning a housing lottery. Though the accommodations for wife and mother Ana’s disability are lacking, her husband Reid is is enamored with the historic building and they ultimately move in with their soon-to-be one year old daughter, Charlie. Reid feels as though he’s on top of the world. And while his interest in the Deptford building slowly devolves into obsession, Ana is left at home with an increasingly agitated infant and a lot of questions. Who keeps opening Charlie’s bedroom window? Why does the floor they live on seem to be empty? And is it all in her head?

This book was incredible. Obviously. You knew I would say that. It’s difficult for me to put into words why except that Cassidy can capture the pain and beauty of womanhood in a way that I have never experienced from a male author. Ana experienced a horribly traumatic birth after a difficult conception and is not settling into motherhood very easily. I think a lot of mothers can relate. I know I can. And even though Ana’s issues with postpartum depression were at the center of the story, so was her fierce dedication to her daughter.

This book was gross and weird and unsettling, but it was also so much fun. Especially towards the end. The comparisons to Rosemary’s Baby and Salem’s Lot are apt, but the whole time I was reading it I was reminded a lot of the movie The Society and that only became more true the longer I read.

There are really gross things described in this book, but I feel that it’s on the cozier end of horror. It reminded me of all of my favorite comfort scary movies and I think it would be a great book to keep your heart rate slightly elevated during the colder fall nights. I can’t wait for my physical copy to come so I can re-read it!

5/5 creepy stone gargoyles.

Nestlings releases 10/31.

A solid New York City horror novel by the author of Mary, Young parents Reid and Ana have won a housing lottery to get an apartment in a legendary dream building. After birth complications left Ana paralyzed, it’s perhaps a sign of good luck. However, once they move in, weird things start to happen making Ana wonder what is really going on at the Depford. Delivery drivers won’t enter the building, there are strange sounds, their daughter beings tobec9me more fussy than ever, and Ana is convinced she saw someone outside their daughter’s window.

This novel does have echoes of Rosemary’s Baby and has a 70’s horror movie feel to it. However, unlike Rosemary’s Baby, the couple in this story are Jewish and Judaism infuses the book, creating a different kind of vampire novel. There is more Jewish horror coming out and it’s a welcomed trend. Reframing vampires outside of their usual Christian frame work makes for a refreshing change.

A book that would please horror fans as well as those who are fans of psychological suspense, there is an increasing sense of unease and dread that builds as you read. The reader begins to share Ana’s fears which also makes the book hard to put down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the advanced copy of this book!

I started my Halloween reading early this with this creepy "wtf is going on with this building and our neighbors" novel. A couple wins an apartment lottery and moves into a fancy building in the city with their almost one year old child. The view is great, but after they move in more and more unsettling things start happening. Did the gargoyles move? Who left the window open in the baby's room? Why is the elevator operator so creepy? Things are made more complicated by Ana being in a wheelchair after an accident during the birth. While everyone is trying to adjust to life in the new spot, Ana becomes increasingly suspicious of the place and its residents, Reid becomes obsessed with the building and its history, and baby Charlie... has stopped crying but just sort of sits and stares now.

It was a very fun read, and I had absolutely no idea where it was going to go. It felt like an episode of The Twilight Zone or X-Files in the best possible way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for this ARC! This is was a highly anticipated read for me and Nat did not disappoint. I love how Cassidy writes horror and I was a huge fan of his other novel Mary.

I loved how creepy and unsettling this book was! Definitely similar in ways to Rosemarys Baby, but personally I liked this story more.

Can’t wait to read more horror from Nat in the future!!

While it's definitely played out, I think Cassidy handles the "husband doesn't believe their wife that something weird is going on" trope expertly. It's never dragged out too long, and resolves itself in a way that makes the whole thing actually work. Beyond that! This is so creepy and disturbing. It reminds me a bit of some of Stephen King's really good horror novels. I can't wait to see what else Cassidy publishes.

After a particularly complicated birth with her first child, Anna finds herself paralyzed, bitter, full of resentment and stuck in a wheelchair. To make matters worse, her landlord is a class A jerk. So, when an opportunity comes to get an apartment in one of Manhattans most revered buildings, they take it very quickly. However, it isn’t long before strange things start happening. Anna’s husband, Reid dismisses the events, but Anna is paranoid. When their baby has needle like marks, they can’t help but wonder what really is going on. Can they figure it out before it’s too late?

I loved this book so much. It took me a few days to get my review together because I enjoyed it so much, I needed to gather my thoughts and form coherent sentences. This book was the horror book I didn’t know I needed but did. This book was so creepy, and unsettling, but so enjoyable. I loved pretty much everything about this book and wouldn’t change a thing. The plot, the pacing, the writing style, all great.

This is one that has some trigger warnings, and I loved how the author handled them. For me the biggest one to be aware of is dealing with children. I also loved the inclusion of the authors list of books that helped influence this one.

This was my first novel by this author, but it won’t be the last. Thank you @catnassidy for writing an amazing book.

If you are looking for a very creepy and entertaining horror book for spooky season, then check this one out.

Thank you so much to the publisher Tor Nightfire, @tornightfire, and Netgalley, @netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Publication Date: October 31, 2023

When I heard that this was a cross between two of my favorite books, "Rosemary's Baby" & "Salem's Lot", I just had to check it out. I did not regret it at all!

Stephen King is one of my favorite authors and reading this book, I definitely saw similarities. That's one of the highest compliments I can give to a horror author.

The feel of this book from the beginning was dark and dismal. There was already so much going against the main characters of this book but the author manipulated my emotions so skillfully that the more I read, the more I wanted everything to work out alright in the end. And what an ending it was (that's all I'm going to say about that).

If this book is any indication of the author's talents, I've found another favorite to add to the list. I suspect I'll be talking about this book quite a bit in the upcoming months. This is a solid addition to any horror reader's collection.

Thank you Tor Publishing Group for the opportunity to review this book!

In an uncharacteristic streak of good luck. Reid, Ana, and their baby girl Charlie find themselves offered an opportunity of a lifetime: a luxury apartment in the historical Deptford building of New York City. Despite Charlie's traumatic birth that left her confined to a wheelchair and a harrowing postpartum experience, Ana is determined to let their apartment at the Deptford pave a new way forward for their family. It's stunning, it's elegant.

But there's something else she can't quite put her finger on.

As Reid and Ana settle into their new home, mysterious happenings begin to unearth themselves--but what's real? What isn't?

Echoing silence throughout the building day or night.
Unexplained night terrors from Charlie that soon give way to unnerving apathy.
The sounds of a woman softly crying in the apartment next door.
A gnarled, ghastly face pressed against the glass of Charlie's bedroom window.
The story of a mass suicide nearly a century ago at the Deptford.

Described as a combination of "Salem's Lot" and "Rosemary's Baby," "Nestlings" is a tour-de-force horror novel that just shot up to a book of the year contender for me. Though that description is intriguing enough, I found this book to be much more Ryan Murphy than Stephen King; that's right, lovers of "American Horror Story" (specifically "Hotel"): I'm looking at you.

From very early on, this book was downright terrifying. While I was initially wondering if Cassidy's strong social commentary--while commendable--would end up overshadowing the actual story, I ended up being wrong. "Nestlings" is wonderfully-descriptive, beautifully-crafted, and harrowing in the darkest of ways. For dedicated horror readers, I cannot recommend a spooky season book more highly than this. Proceed with caution, and enjoy the ride.