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.

I feel that this is very heavily influenced by Rosemary's baby and some other cult horror classics. I love that it makes me uncomfortable; I find that I am not a fan of situations in which parents are distanced from their children and experience murderous intent or have severe post partum symptoms. I appreciate those trigger warnings at the beginning because they make it clear what the goal is as far as the direction of the horror you're walking into as a reader. The atmosphere gets more and more frenzied and chilling as you read on as if the story begins crumbling and psychosis is shared. If you love cult vibes and tension that builds and multiplies this family style horror is going to leave you very satisfied. The author deserves a 4.5/5 objectively; I give this a 3/5 because I have found this was not to my personal enjoyment.

Absolutely loved this book. I enjoyed Mary by the same author but enjoyed this one even more. Well written, interesting and realistic characters, tough relationships and of course monsters, make for a captivating, fun, spooky story filled with twists and turns.

As a parent, this book wrecked me. I don’t want to spoil anything but parents especially moms beware. This book with rip your heart open.

I read about 70% of this and did not finish. I felt like a lot of the book was building up to just nothing.

"Their sleep was deep and pure. So much so that neither registered the noises from the baby monitor . . .

The squeal as the window slid open."

The possibility of someone opening a window and creeping into your baby's room is chilling enough, but when your baby's room is located on the 20th floor of a NYC apartment building, that thought is mind-bogglingly terrifying. Cassidy brings it with this nerve-racking, well done urban nightmare. You'll be up late turning the pages, then unable to sleep due to what you just read.

I went in blindly to this book, as I do with a lot, tbh, as it was my book clubs pick for the month so I just agreed to read it not knowing what it was about. I’m glad I did because based on the synopsis I might have been out off because I’m a scaredy-cat. However, now having finished the book, I can safely say that it’s not as scary as I would have expected. Yes it’s creepy, but I handled it just fine. Not to say they it didn’t suck me in from the beginning and left me wanting to turn the pages until I was done, because it definitely did that. I enjoyed the ride.
Ana and Reid get the call that the never thought they would. They’ve won the affordable housing lottery at the Deptford, one of the most prestigious buildings in NYC, and they hoped that maybe things would start looking up for them after the rough few years they’d been having. They struggled with infertility until expensive rounds of IVF finally led them to the birth of their long awaited miracle baby girl Charlie. However the delivery had one in a billion complications and left Ana’s legs paralyzed and in a wheelchair. That left Reid not only caring for Ana but the baby as well. All during the worldwide pandemic. Ana struggled with postpartum depression as well as resentment towards Charlie for causing her to be in the wheelchair and Reid struggles with resenting his wife for needing so much and not doing as much as she could do their daughter. This bitterness starts to erode at their marriage. When Reid loses his job after he blows up at work, a chance encounter with one of the residents of their new building gives him an opportunity he never thought he’d have, especially for him and his fascination with the history of the building. Meanwhile Ana is at the end of her rope with erratic Charlie, and it becoming more apparent that something is seriously wrong.
The building itself was a character unto itself and that was what helps to set this story apart from so many other horror stories. Yes there are creepy characters and things that go bump in the dark, but you don’t expect the building to take on a life of its own. And that added an element that might have been otherwise missing from this story.
Thanks to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

For some reason this book was super confusing to me. It wanted to be a horror - but the horror elements took a really long time to develop. Try it if you like a really slow burn and don’t bore easily. I think some people will find this book very atmospheric.

The religious theme seemed a little random to me, and don’t know that it was necessary. I did love the small amounts of body horror and use of insect-like behaviors. I think I would have loved this if there was a bit more woven into the duration of the story. There was a lot packed into the end so if you trust the process, you will be rewarded.

I loved the disability rep. I thought that was really well done- all of the realistic struggles and relationship difficulties that come with taking care of someone in a chair and BEING the one in the chair with a very difficult baby.

I can see the comparisons to rosemarys baby. I think I was hoping to see a bit more of the baby being creepy.

Overall an enjoyable slow burn horror. I would read more by this author. I really enjoyed the writing style. The pace just didn’t work as well for me.

I was so excited when I got approved for this arc! I read this book in one day! I had to know what was really happening in the Deptford! I wasn't expecting this story to be equally devastating and terrifying! The author nailed the atmosphere and the mystery! I also had to buy a copy of this immediately and got to meet Nat Cassidy this past weekend!

Thank you, net galley!

Damn this book was GOOD! Nat Cassidy is now an auto buy author for me. I will read anything he comes out with.
I love how he incorporates his life situation into his books which makes his character more real and relatable. He definitely knows how to write a woman and all the emotional but also physical things we tend to go through but also incorporates horror in the an unique, creepy way. This is definitely in my top books of the year and this is a book I will recommend and reread in the future.

*Full Review on Blog -- https://theinklingspodcast.blogspot.com/2023/11/nestlings-nat-cassidy.html *

Ana and Reid really, really needed a break. Their landlord is an absolutely garbage bag of a human being and Ana has just gone through a terrifying change after delivering their daughter, Charlie: she's paralyzed and wheel chair bound. It's something that would hurt anyone, but especially impacts Ana's mental stability as she is someone who had made a career being fit and active. Now she's bitter and struggling in her relationships with both Reid and Charlie, relearning her body, and, on top of that, dealing with postpartum depression. And just as things are looking their worst after one horrible night, they win the lottery = a room in the rich and luxurious Deptford Apartments. As they move in, though, is Ana becoming more unhinged and unwell? Sure, Reid can try and explain away most of it; of course Charlie is acting differently. She's a baby and they just made a big move. Can he explain the needle-like marks on her skin? That one's a little more tricky.
There were a few moments in this book that did feel slow to me, but I personally enjoyed the slow burn, creeping feeling. While it was a slow burn, I didn't really feel as if there were any scenes that weren't needed aside from two chapters. This book often switches perspectives, which I really enjoyed, but there were two that had me questioning why they were there and, honestly, I'm still not sure. They did give relevant information, I'm just not sure a full chapter from that person's perspective was necessary. It seems like it could've been given in another way. I've already touched on this a bit before, but I really enjoyed the way that Nat utilized this kind of horror story to explore the topics that are in this book. Early in the book, he says, "But mother can handle a lot of sensations at once, can't they? It's of the the job: to be torn open and persevere." I always appreciate when the topic of motherhood is discussed in a complex way, because it's a complex thing in and of itself. It isn't 100% sunshine and rainbows, but mom's are often dehumanized for feeling any negative feelings towards their children.