And happy book birthday to NESTLINGS by @catnassidy ! Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publisher @tornightfire for the e-ARC.

This book is a perfect amalgamation of the phrases, "Nothing in life is free" and "Too good to be true." You think to yourself, should these people really take the "lottery" they just won for the penthouse apartment in a fancy but old NY building that they could never afford on their own without a generous discount? With a new baby and new medical needs and expenses, this could be a real lifesaver financially. And then you think, if you were in that position, would you be able to say no to such an offer either??

As the characters start to fall into the abyss of horror that they just willingly walked into, you can't help but feel like you are watching the beginning of a trainwreck that you will not be able to look away from because you have to know, in the end, what is the root of it all. The story draws you into a familiar creature horror story with a very unfamiliar flair. In the end, the punches kept coming and I read fervently to the horrifying yet satisfying conclusion.

This was an atmospheric book much like Cassidy's last, (Mary: An Awakening of Terror - those desert vibes were strong!), in that you could smell the old New York apartment mold, feel the breeze through the old, worn construction, and hear every spine-tingling creek and bump in the night! I found my stomach clenching at times, wanting to scream to the characters to run/roll away from their "neighbors" who seemed so kindly and welcoming, and so very old.

I thought Cassidy did a great job of showing the constraints of a wheelchair user (definitely added to the trapped feeling) without allowing the tropes of helplessness and pity to enter the room.

This was a visceral experience and I am so excited to see what Mr. Cassidy cooks up next as I have really enjoyed these last two!

THIS ONE IS ON SHELVES TODAY! So get out there and get yourself a treat for Halloween!

Right off the bat, you get Rosemary’s Baby vibes from the very first chapter – but if you have read Riley Sager’s Lock Every Door, then you’ll also feel like the gargoyles are vaguely familiar (although here they have a bigger role).

Ana and Reid with their baby Charlie, win some kind of apartment lottery and happen to get one at one of the most luxurious buildings in Manhattan – however there’s a catch 22, as the building is rumored to have brought upon much bad luck to the tenants that live there. The building is wrapped in mystery as not many books are written about it, safe for one that Reid finds in a used book store that he quickly becomes obsessed with.

The novel is gripping, chilling, and with a very unexpected ending (although I do love that Cassidy went down the route he did). Nestlings captures you with a claustrophobic clutch and doesn’t let go until you reach the very end. My only tiny gripe with the novel is that between the major reveal and the end, it kinda began to move slower, but I kept on reading because I wanted to know how it would end for these characters.

This a must-read if you love creepy horror, verging on the terrifying. The images are really dark, and at times downright sickening – which I loved, so if you’re into that sort of horror you will love this too.

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I was hooked from the first page. A very relatable and engrossing story about a copule whom after a series of unfortunate events, hit an exclusive apartment lottery many can only dream off. Get ready for major scares and incredible writing by “Mary’s” Nat Cassidy. Absolutely recommend.

Thank you Tor Nightfire #partner for gifting me a copy and @macmillan.audio @netgalley for the audiobook! Shoutout to @cassandracampbell for the amazing narration!🙌
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Ana and Reid can’t seem to catch a break with life from a series of unfortunate events that happen to them. So when they win a housing lottery for the Deptford Apartment, a high rise building in New York City, they can’t believe their luck…almost. Ana keeps hearing a voice that 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒... but Reid dismisses it and Ana goes along with Reid. After all, they’d do anything to get away from their racist current landlord. However once they move to the new apartment with baby in tow, a chain of events tornado through their lives testing their marriage, parenthood and sanity.

I want to start off saying that I’ve read quite a lot of reviews that (unintentionally, I think) reveal a major plot point/spoiler on what really goes on at the Deptford. So do yourself a favor and go in blind to experience the reveal yourself.

Nestlings had so many layers to unpack on physical disability, caregiving, postpartum depression and living with constant trauma with an awful landlord and barely getting by all while raising a toddler. Nat Cassidy, the genius that he is, handled all these heavy subjects with flair. I also enjoyed reading about the Jewish rituals and went down the rabbit hole of googling words mentioned in the book and related folklore! His afterword was an emotional rollercoaster in and of itself. I cannot recommend this book enough to all horror fans out there. This book is definitely making it to my top 10 list of fav books I read this year. Now I just need to pick his backlist, 𝑀𝑎𝑟𝑦.

"Oh you like Rosemary's Baby? 'Salem's Lot? Just wait until you read Nestlings by Nat Cassidy. It's about the curse and revelation of survival. About the intense emotional complexity of family. It's also about super weird superstar vampires. And it's just so funny and smart. This is the horror book of the year."-Erika T. Wurth, author of White Horse

After struggling for months, Ana and Reid receive their lucky break when chosen for the New York affordable housing lottery. Not only were they chosen, their new apartment is in the beautiful and mysterious Deptford building. A building with a rich history of beautiful architecture and celebrity residents. Ana and Reid have been struggling since the complicated birth of their daughter Charlotte left Ana paralyzed - so this is just the fresh start their new family needs, right?
As Ana and Reid move into the Deptford we get a glimpse into their daily struggles adjusting to their new normal since Ana's injury. This is all told while building a creepy atmosphere of bumps in the night, a neighbor that is deeply unsettling, and most disturbingly the strange behaviors of Charlotte. I felt such parental dread reading this book, in fact, one night I jolted awake from a nightmare that was directly related to the happenings in this story. (Well done, Nat Cassidy)
This story is so well told. I love how we learned the history of Ana and Reid without compromising the pacing of the story. This story got in my head and under my skin. I was hooked from the very beginning and couldn't stop reading.
The author's note at the end of the book is so raw and beautiful. It made me love this book even more, please read it.
If you enjoy a creepy story, this one is not to be missed.

Thank you to @netgalley @tornightfire and @macmillan.audio for the gifted copy of this book.

“We don't belong here.” The opening line to Nestlings, by Nat Cassidy, sets the tone for everything that's about to follow.

Ana, Reid, and their newborn are living in New York. They entered a housing lottery as a joke but have just won. This means they're able to move into The Deptford, one of the most upscale apartment buildings in New York City.

This feels like it's exactly the lucky break they need. Childbirth was excruciating, it left Ana in a wheelchair. They're adjusting and coping but truth be told they're barely making it through.

They and their city are trying to heal after having survived the pandemic but there's loss and grief and the weight of what they've gone through hanging over every place, everything and every person.

If this is the place to help turn things around, it will need some adjustments to make it more accessible.

Accessibility isn't their biggest problem though, they just don't know that yet.

The Deptford has its secrets. Some you'll find in a book that was published then forgotten about. Others behind rumours that make the news in one way or another. And other secrets are there, waiting for you, in the darkened staircases, the quiet hallways, the uncanny smiles and looks from the front desk and from the elevator operator, the gargoyles that the building is known for, perched outside, watching, taking it all in.

Nestlings is an unnerving and well crafted exploration of what it means to belong. When you live at the Deptford, there truly is no place like home, and clicking your heels together won't wake you up in your safe space.

I don’t understand why I don’t see this one all over booktok, because it’s amazing. It’s horrifying and the writing is brilliant. Highly recommend if you are in a spooky mood.

This book is definitely going to be in my top reads of 2023!!

Ive been having great luck this year with thrillers and horror- I rated this 5 stars! I did it completely on audio- the narration was great. It’s unsettling not because it's in your face gore the entire time- because it’s modern horror set in a recognizable world, it feels like the things that happen here could really happen. Great read by an author to watch.

This book blew me out of the water. I LOVED this unique story. When I wasn't reading, I was thinking about this book. I was obsessing over the characters and plot.

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into Nestlings, but there’s really not much fun if you know what to expect going into a Nat Cassidy book.

You’re left to confront a lot within these pages - what it means to be a parent (especially a mother), how you’d feel when your basic safety isn’t taken into consideration, what you’re supposed to do when the one person you should be able to depend on starts to see you differently. These are very watered down questions that come up. It’s a heavy book that needs to be read at the right time.

All of these emotions are wrapped in the seemingly perfect Deptford, a luxurious apartment building with more than a few mysteries surrounding it. The horror elements are part traditional part social commentary, showcasing that it doesn’t have to be a supernatural bad guy to be blood-chilling.

This is yet again another book where you just have to read it. It’s an emotional book with timely topics that doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable topics. Be sure to read the acknowledgments!

Ahhhh so good. I just love the atmosphere and tension that Nat Cassidy creates. I felt like I really got to be with the characters as they navigated the crazy. Cassidy's books have a way of going off the rails while also not loosing the logic and groundedness of the novel. Loved it For my full review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUQNPqiFN2c

I read lots and lots of horror in the month of October, so probably just burned myself out as I typically don't read scary stories all year round. I was very intrigued by Nat Cassidy's "Mary" (which I ultimately liked but thought fell a little below my expectations) so wanted to try this one as well. I decided to wait and read it at a better time so as not to judge it too harshly.

A family thinks they have finally gotten lucky, getting an apartment in an exclusive building after winning the housing lottery. However, things start to get weird and they notice changes in their baby.

I was just missing the suspense and horror here. I do think the last 1/4 of the book picked up on that front, but I think it would have been more successful as a novella. There was a just a lot that didn't feel relevant in the long run.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars
Wow, this horror book was definitely spooky and this is my first book by Nat Cassidy and I am excited to read more book by Nat. This book is perfect for October and early November where the weather is cold and the sun is setting so early and you want a chilly creepy haunted house read that makes you have goosebumps. I see Rosemary's Baby inspo in this book which made me creeped out even more and I definitely enjoyed this rollercoaster ride read.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I'm a little late in getting this review up, but for a book this good I think better late than never is perfectly apt here.

Nestlings is a supremely dark, creepy, and intelligent story that builds up tension in such a slow burn manner that I felt constantly on edge and unsure of what was lurking around the next page. I'd been looking for a horror that would leave me feeling uneasy and disturbed, and Nestlings is the book that did just that and more.

We follow Ana and Reid, new parents who have been having an exceptionally rough go of things since Ana's complicated and traumatic birth that left her physically paralyzed. Since then, it's been a struggle for the two as they not only have to go through the process of learning how to live with a newborn and be parents, but also must learn how to adapt to a brand new way of living for Ana. Ana also begins to struggle with feelings of resentment towards her new baby as a result of everything going on, which leaves Ana and Reid struggling to care for one another as well as they work through these many different struggles.

It looks like their luck may have improved when they win a lottery for the chance to live in one of the luxury apartments at the famed Deptford building, known for its rich inhabitants. Unfortunately for Ana and Reid, life at the Deptford doesn't end up being as idyllic as they'd hoped, as their baby has been more upset than ever, their new neighbors are... odd, and things in the apartment have been putting Ana on edge in ways she can't quite describe. Reid's been digging into the Deptford's past with an interest almost bordering on obsession and has discovered it has quite a colorful past. And if old gargoyles perched on the tops of buildings have ever freaked you out, then this book is not going to make you feel better about them.

Ana is an excellent character, especially for a horror novel like this. She's a bit of a badass for how she's managed to carry on with her life through all the traumas and struggles that have been thrown at her. Although she is now confined to a wheelchair, she really doesn't let this stop her and has adapted incredibly well to her new way of life--there's really nothing she can't do. Ana and Reid both have their own respective mental struggles, though Ana's postpartum depression has hit her hard and really led to some dark, scary moments for her. It's hard to watch Ana struggle through all of this sometimes, but I think the difficult journey that we follow her on is an important one that Cassidy handles with care and effectiveness.

I have to say that Nestlings is not for the faint of heart because things do get really weird and really disturbing in ways that I'm not entirely sure I'd be able to adequately describe. This book is not only full of things that'll make you scratch your head and wonder what the hell you're reading, it's also got some pretty gnarly and gross moments that suited the ton and story perfectly. There are also some really intense moments where I found myself sitting extremely tense as I rooted for Ana to get away from something or someone and I felt so incredibly creeped out watching it all unfold. Cassidy is truly an excellent horror writer who I think will only continue to write great things to shock us all.

Something I also wanted to touch on was how well I think Cassidy managed to capture the rough, raw edges of grief and depression. Nestlings is horror and obviously very obviously dark in tone and subject matter regarding the Deptford and its internal happenings, but it's also very dark with regards to mental health and the dark places our minds can take us. I found myself highlighting an excessive amount of areas that I felt really captured my own feelings about many difficulties in life and that really set this book apart from others in its genre for me. There's a lot of thought and discussion around life and everything it throws at us, whether we are meant to look for signs that may help us, if there's ever hope for something more, and whether we as people can ever do enough or be strong enough to be who want to be and live how we want to. Based on the author's note at the end of the book, it sounds like he had some really rough times over the past couple years, and I think this is really reflected in the story and the sheer realness and rawness of the descriptions, and I appreciated his dedication to telling this story.

Overall, I've given Nestlings 4.75 stars! I've still yet to read Nat Cassidy's previous horror novel, Mary, but I think my experience with Nestlings is going to be the kick in the pants I need to finally get around to it.

Between Mary and Nestlings, it’s easy to say I’ll read anything Nat Cassidy writes. I did have a more visceral reaction to Mary, but the commentaries on parenthood, specifically motherhood, resentment, and coping with life changes are things I’ll be thinking about for a long time. I love that the real horrors in Cassidy’s writings are always more nuanced and layered than what meets the eye.

Brilliant, unique horror novel! I loved “Mary” by the same author, and this was just as good. I thought it was an interesting take on the genre, with some really creepy moments. The house practically becoming its own character was so well-done. I can’t wait for the author’s next book! Thanks for the opportunity to read!

Nat killed it with this one. I was on the edge of my seat start to finish. The perfect haunted house, blood sucking horror set in NYC. Such a wonderful blend of mystery and intrigue. And after everything, I left this book in tears. I truly believe Nat Cassidy will be remembered as one of the greatest horror authors of all time.

Thank you to Tor Nightfire for providing me with an ARC.

This is easily the greatest horror book I've ever read. I am absolutely blown away. This was chilling and exactly what I was looking for. Have you ever read something that you loved SO much, you just couldn't put it into words?

I suggest going in blind!

This is an interesting and unique book for many reasons, and while I didn't LOVE it I still enjoyed it very much and will be happy to recommend it to shoppers looking for horror titles. I think that one of the things this book does really well is looking at the strain having a kid can put on a family in all the different little ways, and considering the fact that I thought Nat Cassidy was a woman (he is in fact a man) I think he does an excellent job doing what he sets out to do. There's also a great look at wanting to belong and all of the things that you can push out of your mind because you really need things to work out. So often in horror there are rather glaring red flags that the characters ignore because they just don't want to see them, but I feel like this book did a good job of having the main characters see them, but have to decide to live with them anyways because they don't really have a choice. I think the biggest things that kept me from absolutely loving this book were the husband, who I didn't care for all that much, and then the random inclusion of small bits in the story that seemed to break the fourth wall. For the most part it felt like we were just experiencing the story along with the main characters, but all of a sudden from time to time it would be like the main character was actually telling the story as if it had already happened and they were reflecting on it, which I felt was rather jarring. That being said, those were both relatively small things and as a whole I really did find myself enjoying this book. I wanted to keep flipping pages and there were some truly unsettling elements included. I'll certainly be checking out Cassidy's previous title, along with whatever he comes up with next, and I won't hesitate to give this book a thumbs up if anyone asks me about it, as well as pointing it out to anyone I feel like might be interested.