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.

A very creepy story that had me from the very beginning. This young couple that moves into a new apartment that seems fraught with bad omens considering their situation. But trying to make the best of everything, they move in even if it's on a top floor and the main character is in a wheel chair. Then when all the strange happenings are going on, things continue to ratchet up in the creepy-ness!

3.5 rounded up. I have mixed emotions about this one. The book was well written with an eerie setting and a unique plot. It was fast paced enough to keep me reading and I actually did enjoy it. However, maybe it's been too long since I read an actual horror book, but I thought it was extremely weird and almost laughable at times. It lost some shock value there and made a steep dive into ridiculousness. Maybe I should stick to thrillers. My thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Not sure how I ended up reading so many “modern retellings of ‘Rosemary’s Baby’” this year, (I mean, technically I choose what I read so it’s my fault.) But this one is probably the closest thing to the original story but also absolutely it’s own creative thing.

This book was very different from the author's other book, "Mary." So much so that they kind of feel like two different authors wrote them. (Personally, I enjoyed this one a lot more.)

There is a moment early on that legit gave me the creeps. The horror overall in "Nestlings" is very effective, from the ever present, growing dread to the threat that is very clearly there in the building. (There’s never any question about whether or not the characters are actually in danger. Even if Ana is being gaslit about it, we the reader know for a fact that she and her daughter are fucked.) And the monsters in this book are something I haven’t really seen before! Scary, gross, refreshing. Very cool. Also loved and appreciated the Gremlins 2 reference. Technically, there are two references if you think about it. I read a review or two that said the in-between, story stuff was boring but I disagree. There was plenty of horror mixed in consistently that I was never left wondering when something creepy was going to happen again. The wait was never long.

The husbands in these types of stories are always  so irritating. Even when they’re mostly written to be understanding and mostly likable, (which is RARE), they still have to gaslight and irritate the protagonist. I think it’s required by law. In this case, we actually get Reid’s POV from time to time. And it was handled in such a way that it could have been both the influence of the building AND the stress of his actual life that changed him from an okay guy to an actual piece of shit. (I said what I said.) I did appreciate that aspect of the characterization, but damn was he infuriating. I think the only thing keeping this book from being a five-star read for me was that I struggled a lot with him. It made parts of the experience unpleasant. That was probably the point, but I was already stressed about other things in my actual life and I didn't need to be annoyed on top of all that.

The ending is a bit disturbing but also interesting and weird I liked the decisions that the author made. Just a quick aside, I don't know if it will be included in the final version or not, since this is an advanced reading copy, but I appreciated the detailed explanation of trigger warnings from the author at the beginning. It was a thoughtful touch. I did write my own for this review, though. I also never see horror books in which the main character is in a wheelchair for the entire story!

TW: Postpartum Depression, Imagery of child death, sexism, a very racist character, gross things involving fluids and viscera

Weird, unsettling story that takes the vampire creature feature and infuses it with New York atmosphere and Jewish folklore. I enjoyed the undercurrent of themes about parenting, loss and grief. So good!

Another absolute banger by Nat Cassidy. 

Superficially, Nestlings is an exquisitely well-written and entertaining horror novel. Cassidy pays homage to "The Shining," "Salem's Lot," and  "Rosemary's Baby" and does them complete justice while still crafting a story that is uniquely his own. 

Yes- "Nestlings" has all of the significant elements of a modern horror novel. It has a perfectly atmospheric location (easily considered a character itself), horrific visuals, suspense, creepy characters, and monstrous evil. 

"Nestlings" ALSO integrates the genuine everyday horrors of ableism, racism, xenophobia, grief, and just basic survival in a world that can be absolutely brutal and indifferent. 
The marriage of both notes is seamless- neither distracts from the other but rather strengthens the whole experience. 

Cassidy has an undeniable talent for creating contextually layered stories that reach the depth of the human experience with incredible empathy and emotional intelligence while maintaining the integrity of entertainment value and escapism. 

I absolutely love this book and this author. 

The audiobook narration is brilliantly done and hits all the right notes.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Nightfire, and Macmillan Audio for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Nat Cassidy is creating a niche for himself with effective, entertaining, gross horror novels that serve as allegory for human conditions. I'm hooked. His writing is fresh, funny and, yes, horrifying. While this one may not be quite as original as his first (noted homages to Salem's Lot and Rosemary's Baby), it is full of surprises and thought-provoking moments. Cassidy is that rare man that can write women I understand and relate to.

Nat Cassidy is a master of tone and setting. I loved the majority of this book, but the narrative was frustrating at times.

ALC REVIEW: NESTLINGS

Pub date: October 31, 2023

“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.”

You ever get really scared to read an author’s second book because you are so obsessed with their debut?! That it’s not gonna live up to the first?! Well I am ecstatic to report that is not the case with @catnassidy second book Nestlings!The characters in this book are top notch. You feel for Ana and Reid and are so happy that they are moving into a new place. The neighbors are “quirky” to say the least, but you can’t help but kinda fall in love with their oddities. You know the creepiness is gonna get ramped up when nobody wants to come in the building unless they live there 👀 And you know that whatever is going on with the baby has something to do with their new digs. The atmosphere in this book is just ✨chefs kiss✨ I loved that it was set in New York and was the perfect backdrop for this story. I seriously could NOT stop listening to this one because I NEEDED to know what happened next. This book will definitely be in my top reads of the year right next to Mary

Thank you to @netgalley @tornightfire and @macmillan.audio for this perfect, spooky audiobook

Nestlings was the perfect creepy horror pick for the fall. I loved the setting of a desirable apartment building with secrets set in NYC. Will be recommending this!

Firstly, I would like to extend my gratitude to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this work as an e-ARC. Having read the masterpiece that is Cassidy's Mary, I went into Nestlings with high expectations. The author delivered via tonality and ambiance. However, I felt the story fell flat in some aspects. I particularly didn't like how our main character Ana didn't have agency over her story, her decisions, until her world literally crumbled before her. I think it was all very convenient how she was able to get out of being a wife and a mother in one full swoop, and she was able to live her life how she wanted. Also, Georgia deserved better than what little acknowledgement she received after her "disappearance."
I will most likely read more of Cassidy's works in the future. However, this work wasn't for me. Thank you, again, for the opportunity to read this work in advance! 2.5/5 rounded up to 3.

DNF after the 'Neighbor' chapter. A woman clearly having a mental health crisis and nothing is done. A "detective" brushes the whole thing aside? Not realistic, too frustrating to continue.