Rosemary's Baby + Salem's Lot + The Blob + Arachnophobia.

WOW.

I love Rosemary's Baby. The book, the movie, the lore, everything. Nestlings just may be as good, and I can only hope that someone turns this into a movie because just the visuals created in my head while reading aren't enough.

Reid and Ana are ready to move. Their (racist) landlord constantly harasses them and makes living in Brooklyn a nightmare. Ana, in a wheelchair after a 1 in a million incident during the birth of their daughter Charlie, needs more accommodations. After winning a housing lottery, the family moves into The Deptford, one of New York's most beautiful and most famous buildings (think: The Dakota).

From day one, Ana isn't comfortable in the new home. Despite The Deptford making a ton of accommodations for her, they are still on the top floor of the building, and now their daughter constantly crying and uncomfortable.
--------
This is where I'm going to stop. I think the description of Rosemary's Baby + Salem's Lot is enough of a hint where the story is going......but then again, it's on the tip of the iceberg that is The Deptford. This is not to discount the discussion of religion, of politics, or of postpartum depression or the idea of home, but it's all overpowered by the monolith of The Deptford.
-------
Nat Cassidy has written a terrifying story of family; of motherhood; of fatherhood; of being Jewish in today's world.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Nat Cassidy has written a strong follow up novel after his impressive debut with Mary. He has a unique ability to balance a well-plotted narrative, strongly defined characters, and difficult topics with grace, complexity, and humor while building dread and horror.

Man, what a solid book. Cassidy creates some wonderfully realized characters. Both Reid and Ana are deeply flawed, but their arcs spin out and collide and separate. They were great, rich individuals and it was intriguing to see them develop. Cassidy managed to create a new take on an old song in the villain that resulted in some (un)wanted feelings of disgust.

This book was amazing! Rosemary's Baby meets Salem's Lot indeed! I greatly enjoyed the sort of classic horror feel combined with the more modern elements (cell phones, audiobook narration as a career, etc), also enjoyed the Jewish aspect. It is also well done that the creature threat is not the only major plot line; the struggle of a deteriorating relationship plays heavily into the narrative. Definitely will be looking to add it to our collection.

Thank you Netgalley and Tor Nightfire for this arc.

In 2022, I had my jaws dropped by Mary which was written by the same author. Mary then became one of the best books I read that year. So I was very curious about Nat Cassidy’s new book and it did not disappoint me.

The story starts with a couple, Anna and Reid, moving to this older historical landmark building in New York City that has been renovated. This is clearly an apartment they couldn’t afford had they not been selected on the affordable housing program. The couple has a baby, Charlie, who is almost one year old. And since of Charlie’s birth Ana has become paralyzed from her waist down.

After they move in to this new apartment things started to change. The baby cries all the time, and sleep deprivation wreaks havoc on their lives and routine. But Anna also starts hearing weird sounds coming from the baby monitor, and starts seeing weird things on Charlie’s bedroom window. Their lives become very dysfunctional and things get creepier and creepier.

While all that is happening, Reid becomes obsessed with the building. Reid is a character I disliked immensely because he dismissed what is going on in the building and dismissed Ana’s anxiety and instincts attributing them to the stress of urban life and parenting a child. This novel had me turning the pages completely blind, not guessing what was going on and the end of the story was a complete shocker to me.

The narrative traps you with one creepy situation after another and another, and another. This story was even freakier than anything I could have possibly imagine. The author’s writing is compelling. Nestlings is a deep dive into the darkest corners of the horror abyss. If you are a a horror aficionado or if you read Cassidy‘s previous book I highly suggest you read this one too.

I'm sure it's just me but I did not like this book. I felt the pacing was off and that it was unflinchingly sad not scary. I wanted to like it - I love Rosemary's Baby but I just couldn't get into it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Nat Cassidy and Tor Publishing Group for a digital ARC of The Nestlings in exchange for an honest review. This review is wholly my own (except for any quotations) and may not be reproduced.

“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.”

Despite the synopsis leaving a lot to be desired, it still intrigued me enough to want to give it a read.

As the author stated, this is the perfect marriage of Rosemary’s Baby & Salem’s Lot. This was a fabulous Horror read that will be perfect for the upcoming “Spooky Season.”

This story had my stomach in knots and full of fear and dread with each turn of the page. This story was fully immersive and downright frightful. I will be having nightmares and thinking about this one for quite a while to come.

I definitely recommend to anyone who loves horror and wants a 5-star read!

Nat Cassidy's Nestlings presents an old but new kind of horror. The amount of hidden secrets/the potential danger we tend to ignore behind the mask of 'Not my problem' in NYC is real! How much do we really understand about the history of buildings we work and live next to? How much do we know about the current building we live in (I know I moved in to my current apartment only knowing it was a great deal!)? Do we just accept the norm as given to us because everyone else also accepts it as it is? There are creepy moments, the relatable feelings that we never speak of, and elements of horror that are just so perfectly timed. I absolutely could not put this book down and I would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. But please do remember, you will not look at those NYC buildings the same way.

Cover? Amazing. Blurbed as Rosemary’s Baby meets Salem’s Lot? Yes, yes, yes! I’ve actually had Cassidy’s Mary on my TBR since it released and I’ve heard nothing but good things about his writing. I’m happy to report this was just as good and spooky as I wanted it to be.

I loved the rich narrative around a young, damaged couple with a year old baby girl moving into a historic NYC building after winning a housing lottery. They’ve had a tough year and this was just the blessing they needed. Or is it? I felt incredibly unsettled and tense the whole read and got goosebumps reading some of the gruesome scenes. It’s always great when a setting is also a character, it was just super well done. On top of all that, this book was just really fun. It’s ultimately a book about motherhood and grief and if that’s the type of themes you enjoy in horror then I just can’t recommend enough.

I really enjoyed this story! I love books about historic buildings that may or may not be hiding something sinister. The atmosphere was creepy and filled me with dread throughout the whole book. The description of this book is a mix of Rosemary’s Baby and Salem’s Lot and I think it was spot on!

Thank you to @tornightfire and @netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

There were some things I really liked about this book. The main character's relationship to her disability is nuanced and evolves throughout the narrative, and the way it impact's the reader's awareness of the physical space in which the action is taking place is excellent. The Jewish take on monsters is interesting and a welcome departure from Christianity-focused vampire/monster lore. The real standout though is the theme of motherhood. Ana's mixed feelings about being a mother, the claustrophobia of caretaking, the literal physical toll that motherhood has taken on her, and most of all her decision at the end are all thoughtfully woven into a cohesive whole.

However, my problem with the narrative overall is that there is a lack of cohesion of the dramatic/horror elements. In terms of the horror, it feels like there are too many thematic elements that don't quite gel. Reid's turn, as well, despite being forecast by his ingratiation into the monsters' social circle and his growing resentment toward Ana, still feels extreme. I think all of this affects the pacing, as no one scene felt overlong but it still felt at times like the action was stalled. I had a good time reading this but I was left wishing that it hung together better.

Nestlings is a dread inducing and creepy read and I loved every second of it! Right after I read Mary I knew Nat Cassidy would be an author I would continue reading and I wasn't wrong. This book is EXCELLENT!

The description of this book states that it’s like a combo of Rosemary’s Baby with Salem’s Lot and that is absolutely true!

I loved this.

The book gives you this sense of palpable dread from the first few pages and doesn’t let up. Instead, it amps up into an intense and creepy read!

Oh, I felt for Ana! Not only is everything that happens so dreadful and scary for her, but her paralysis just adds to the horror.

Honestly, you need to read this one. It’s a sharp horror novel that just hits!

Five well deserved stars!

• ARC via Publisher

I have mixed feelings. The book did a really good job of creating atmosphere and building a sense of unease, but the pacing felt a little weird to me. Some chapters had my eyes glued to the page and others were a slog to get through.

Thank you to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for the digital ARC!

Incredible spin on the vampire mythos. Claustrophobic with an escalating sense of dread. I’ve come to appreciate Cassidy’s ability to have flawed characters that blare harsh truths about ourselves. A fantastic follow up to ‘Mary’!

Thank you Netgalley and Tor publishing for the opportunity to review this book

This was my first Nat Cassidy book and it did NOT disappoint. The representation- Judaism, disabilities, motherhood, grief etc.. in this book is on point, and it adds to the horror very well. The amount of trauma the characters went through made me feel for them and they were written exceptionally. Nat wrote this book from experience and it shows.
He wrote the setting perfectly and made me literally shiver. The explanations for how and why things were the way they were.. it was very intriguing and unsettling.
The most taboo things of motherhood was implemented incredibly and spot on. It was validating to say the least and reading “glorified” motherhood.

I definitely will be reading Mary and I am so happy to have read The Nestlings

I received Nestlings by Nat Cassidy (@catnassidy ) via NetGalley.

I was a huge fan of Mary:An Awakening Of Terror, so when I saw this pop up in my NetGalley feed I jumped on it so fast. And I thankfully got approved 🙌🏻

Nestlings is a mix of Rosemary’s Baby and Salem’s Lot.

Reid and Ana have been through a lot, so when they win a coveted apartment in the famous Deptford building, they hope their luck has taken a turn for the better. But not all is as it seems. Ana and Reid’s worst nightmare May just be getting started.

This book is horrifying in all right ways. Let me tell you that the bug aspect of this book was seeping into my real life. I kept feeling like things were crawling on me.

The book also features such an original take on vampires. I’ve never seen them portrayed this way. I think it made them even more horrifying.

This book is definitely gory, so keep that in mind before starting it. I would highly suggest looking up content warnings (the book nicely has them at the beginning) before picking this one up.

I gave this book five creepy gargoyles out of five.

Catch this book when it releases on October 31, 2023 (Halloween 🎃)

A truly horrifying novel from an author to watch.
When Ana and Reid win a lottery to move into the Deptford, they think it’s fate. Their young child, Charlie, could use the extra space to grow up in, and it certainly helps that they won’t have to live with their awful landlord anymore.

However, their excitement turns to dread when they realize the place isn’t exactly what they had anticipated it to be. Instead of a saving grace, it’s a living nightmare.

Told from a Jewish perspective of vampire lore, this was a really intriguing read. I hope Nat has many more books to come! His afterward was especially moving.

I have almost no idea how to review this book. The writing is exceptional, and I appreciated the disability representation, Jewish rep, and other elements very much. Some of the plot choices left me with my eyebrows raised all the way to my hairline, though. It's a weird book, in the end, that harks back to vintage Stephen King (minus the sexism, tacit racism, etc.). Content warning for intense antisemitism (very challenged/punched), postpartum depression, and a lot of other stuff (that IIRC is mentioned at the beginning of the book, which is much appreciated).

Step into the Deptford, if you dare! Equally parts ROSEMARY’S BABY and ‘SALEM’S LOT, NESTLINGS takes the vampire trope and spins it on its fangs! I was squirming with shivers and reading this from behind the safety my fingers!