“Know you’re home. Know your home.” This might be one of the most entertaining, smart, and enjoyable horror novels I’ve read in years. Days out, I wanted back in. There’s a lot packed in here and it’s weaved together effortlessly, with a gothic-style NYC building at the center of it all: parenting struggles, managing marriage under duress, ableism, disability, postpartum, gas-lighting, creepy ongoings, strong and believable characters, vivid city backdrop, capitalism, the need to feel successful or part of, tough choices, bugs! It’s billed as a cross between Rosemary’s Baby and ‘Salem’s Lot, and it certainly ticks those boxes. But this is a novel all its own, with its distinct and original horrors, and touches on important social and economic issues people face everyday. It’s a snapshot of NYC, where you can exist among millions of people but also go completely unseen. Baked in is a little bit of The Shining, in which characters unravel under the shadow of an impressive and alluring building. But at what cost? Add a dash of Twilight Zone to that as well. There’s a million things to say about this book and they are all good. It’s fast-paced, never feels stale, and contains some great horror scenes that’ll make you wince. It’s capped by an afterword by the author that’ll get you in the feels.

Nat Cassidy's newest horror novel, NESTLINGS, is the best modern horror novel I've ever read in my life. Hear me out before you clap back, but I'm so excited for horror fans to read this book.

When Ana and her husband Reid win the NYC housing lottery, they're given the opportunity to move to the luxurious Deptford—a beautiful pre-war luxury apartment building with beautiful views of Central Park. Ana and Reid need this opportunity as they've been struggling with their own trauma recently. Ana has recently given birth after many failed attempts to their daughter Charlie. After giving birth, Ana was left paralyzed and is wheelchair bound and has resentment toward her husband and daughter due to her immobility. This new apartment is a fresh start for this family. However, when they move into the Deptford, Ana and Reid begin to notice that its residents are very peculiar in more ways than one. Things just aren't making sense, especially when they start noticing needle-like bite marks on their daughter.

THIS BOOK IS INCREDIBLE. A horror masterpiece—I said what I said! This story has it all: family drama, horror, psychological thriller, and suspense; and it's done so well and organically. I loved every character, the Greene family (Ana, Reid, Charlie) and all of the Deptford's unique residents. This book dives into many different types of storylines, but has many triggers, including parental trauma, child endangerment and abuse, postpartum depression, suicide ideation, ableism, antisemitism, racism, and sexism. That being said, they're necessary for the messaging that happens in this book. Also to note, this book has major Jewish representation, which I haven't seen in much modern horror lately (I can't say more, but IYKYK by the end what I mean). I really hope Nat ventures back into this universe in some capacity because my only regret is that it's over. Nat Cassidy, you are a genius.

Nestlings by Nat Cassidy is a work of art here!
She writes such captivating horror stories! And this gothic literature was freaking perfection.
If you’re looking for something to read during spooky season this one would be such a great choice. It’s dark, macabre and pretty damn creepy but it also had a really unique plot and a main character that I thought was so interesting.
Quick paced and filled with thrilling twists, this horror novel captures a reader's attention and refuses to let go.
This is a clever, fun, well-developed tale to add to your horror collection.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

5/5 Stars

TL;DR - Haunting, Gothic-esque horror unlike anything I’ve ever read - a fresh take on the “something is wrong with my baby” brand of spooky. Not only is it unsettling and then downright terrifying, it’s also a very grounded exploration of trauma, grief, disability, parenthood, and just the straight-up horror of being human. There is so much heart in this book, and as much as I loved the horror, I loved the humanity more.

Big thanks to Tor/Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for providing the ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review!

***Trigger Warnings for: death of a parent, marriage troubles, birth trauma, becoming disabled traumatically (mentioned and on-page), paraplegia, child endangerment, mentions of infanticide, postpartum depression, suicidal ideation, bodily harm, ableism (including the c-slur), antisemitism (including the k-slur), claustrophobia, gaslighting, insects (so much bug ick), racism, sexism, panic attacks, homophobia (including the f-slur), mentions of intravenous drug use and addiction, and mentioned death of a child.***

(I really appreciate that the author/publisher included trigger warnings at the start of the book! I would love to see more authors follow suit!)

‘Nestlings’ by Nat Cassidy is a truly unique horror book that tackles so many real-life things, while also being a wholly unique horror experience. We follow Reid and Ana Greene, a Jewish couple who win an affordable-housing lottery and move into a top-floor apartment in the illustrious and mysterious Deptford Building in New York City. Ana is still struggling to come to terms with becoming paraplegic during the birth of their daughter, Charlie, and Reid is coping with his own trauma and grief from the ordeal. They think this is a new beginning, a fresh start for their family, but they quickly learn something is very wrong with their new home, and those who reside within it.

Before we start, I have to put special caution out to any wheelchair users, especially those who were forced to become wheelchair-bound in a traumatic way - this book is probably going to be rough for you. One of the main characters deals with this throughout the book, and we see this in deep third person POV, so we’re in her head in an extremely intimate way through her struggles, and her disability is a major theme throughout the book. She contends with a lot of ableism (internal and external) over the course of the story, and there is one character we get intermittent POVs from that calls her “Roller Bitch”, among other things, so be prepared for that. There is also a scene approximately 83% of the way through the book where her bodily autonomy relating to her use of a wheelchair is egregiously violated by someone in a high-stakes and dangerous scenario. I’m not currently a wheelchair user, but as a disabled person who has trauma surrounding violations of bodily autonomy (and who has needed various mobility aides in the past and likely will again), this was extremely and viscerally horrifying for me, so if you have trauma surrounding this, please exercise caution.

I also need to talk about one of the POVs, even though we (thankfully) only get a few sparse chapters. Reid and Ana’s former landlord, Frank, is just a straight-up piece of shit. Like the full-on racist/sexist/ableist/homophobic/antisemitic right-wing raving lunatic we all know and hate. His chapters were pretty rough to get through as someone who belongs to a number of groups he goes on tirades about. Please pay close attention to the trigger warnings and know that most of the -ism/-ist/-phobia triggers mentioned above are very prevalent in his POV.

That out of the way…

Holy. Shit.

I can’t even put into words how much I loved this book. It’s my literal job to pick apart books and lay out what worked and what didn’t, but here I am, staring at my laptop with nothing, like I just didn’t go on a mind-blowing emotional and psychological roller-coaster.

Let’s start with atmosphere. This book is so subtly insidious from page one. Obviously, it’s horror, so you go into it knowing something is wrong, but the way it just drips slowly through the narrative like cockroaches crawling out in the dark is just so masterful. I completely understand why the author has won awards for the things he writes because jeeze, it’s both insane and insanely well-written. So many moments of going “oh shit” when the pieces fall together and I know something bad is going to happen. And the monsters themselves! I am HERE for creepy shenanigans inspired by Jewish folklore - so original and refreshing, I need more, please and thank you. And then the building itself being a character and an entity (again, in a really unique and intriguing way) is just so cool. Definitely one of my favorite horror tropes, and the reason I classify this as a good ol’ Gothic horror.

All of the characters in this book felt like real people (even the ones who, you know, aren’t real people). Reid and Ana are complex, nuanced, living-and-breathing people, and they are messy, and I loved every minute of it. I found myself relating to them, even in their struggles that I can’t personally relate to from my own life, because the author just does such a good job of making them into believable people who I want so badly to succeed and get good things. I mean, it’s horror so they mostly don’t, but still.

Did I expect a horror novel to also be a beautiful exploration of the highs and low of processing grief and trauma? Nope, but here I am, and I loved it! Horror - good horror - is quickly becoming one of my favorite genres because of just how gorgeous the juxtaposition between the messy, beautiful, painful reality of life as a human and the horrific, dramatic, otherworldly elements can truly be. This book is a perfect example of that, of how much sharper the details of real life become when painted over with the broad brush of the unknown.

I appreciate the author taking time to explore not only birth trauma through the birthing parent’s lens, but also through the lens of their partner. I don’t have personal experience with either scenario, but I do know that traumatic births affect all parties involved (obviously in different ways), and I think this book has a very real and visceral conversation around partner trauma that goes undiscussed, especially when the partner happens to be a man.

And then there’s Ana and her personal journey. Though our disabilities aren’t the same, I related on a deep level to her struggles. I was younger than her when I became disabled, but to this day, going on 20 years later, I still struggle with what it means to be disabled. The author mentions in his author’s note that he wanted her to be a “bad” disabled character, one who’s “cranky, depressed, confused, stubborn, in mourning for her life before”, and honestly? That’s all of us at some point. I so appreciate that he wanted to portray the “ugly truth” of disability, to not water it down and turn it into inspiration porn. Ana has a fucking rough time of it, and I am so heartened to see it, because it is fucking rough, and while yes, stories of people finding happiness despite their struggles are needed, the raw, screaming-yourself-bloody stories need to be told, too, and this one does that artfully.

On that note, the author’s note had me in tears, because while this author is, from what I can tell, able-bodied, I really feel like he gets it, and that care comes through in the story itself and the author’s note. I wholly appreciate how much research and thought clearly went into respectfully portraying the disabilities represented in this book. I was sitting there through the whole book thinking “there’s no way an able-bodied author could write the nuance of disability this well”, but fuck, here we are. The author clearly did a lot of research (and drew on the experiences of close family members while they struggled with health issues), and honestly, as someone who is disabled and has trauma and ebb-and-flow grief surrounding that, I felt incredibly seen by this book. It may not jive for everyone, but it really did for me. Thank you, Nat, for putting so much effort and thought into representing disability so well.

I really don’t know what else to say about this book other than I was genuinely afraid for everyone involved, and that the tension starts at 100 and only ratchets up from there, until the very last pages.

Final Thoughts:

This book is easily one of my favorite horror books of all time (I’m pretty new to the genre, but still). I will definitely be buying a physical copy for my shelves and displaying it with prominence!

3 / 5 ⭐️'ˢ

“Nestlings” By Nat Cassidy

📕 Edition: Audiobook & eBook

While I enjoyed the overall narrative, I was not a fan of the ending. The baby 💩 scene though… omg you go from 😂 to 😱!

My main gripe, other than the ending, was with the audiobook format. The chapter structure was confusing, with numbered sections that the narrator referenced. I often found myself lost, thinking these were chapter titles. It forced me to switch to the ebook to understand the layout.

Despite these issues, Cassidy's ability to weave a tale of unease and paranoia is impressive. The subtle, needle-like bite marks on the baby added a chilling element to the plot, leaving me with a sense of lingering dread.

In the end, "Nestlings" is a captivating read, albeit with some structural challenges in the audiobook format. The storytelling is unique, and if you can overlook the minor hiccups, you'll be in for a mysterious and unsettling journey.

Thank you @NetGalley, Nat Cassidy and @Macmillanaudio for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Nestlings releases October 31st!

This book chilled me to the core. Like its really disturbing and I had a hard time reading it without literally jumping out of my skin. I love scary books, but this one was wild.

I don't quite think the ending stuck the landing as much as I wanted it to, but this was an insanely entertaining thrill ride with some creepiness, some spookiness, and a prevailing message on how we deal with different types of grief (and the changes that come along with it).

This is the first horror book in a good long time that genuinely scared me. Very wary of reading this one too late at night, and that's such a good thing. The atmosphere and slow-burn mystery was so well executed that my mind went wild trying to guess the endings and twists. I was right on a couple, but that is rarely something that "ruins" a book for me.

I really enjoyed the relationship dynamics between all the characters and watching how our protagonists evolved. The characters and their motivations were all realistic and it made some of the choices they made easy to empathize with even if I hated the character themself. The inciting incidents leading up to the climax were some of the most haunting things I've read recently, and I found myself gasping and talking out loud while reading, which doesn't happen often.

I will say that once everything was revealed and the climax was occurring I found myself getting a little more bored and confused, but it didn't do a lot to mar my overall enjoyment of the book. Nestlings is being marketed as Rosemary's Baby meets Salem's Lot and while I haven't consumed either piece of media, I can totally see where they're pulling from and I think it's brilliant.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to my fellow horror lovers and I can easily see Cassidy becoming one of my favorite authors in the horror space today.

Nat Cassidy has done it again! He’s written another creepy, chilling, mysterious horror story that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I loved Nat Cassidy’s book ‘Mary’, so I was so happy to get the chance to read ‘Nestlings’ on NetGalley. This was such a chilling read and I definitely need to own a physical copy. This story felt like watching an episode of American Horror Story or Creepshow. There’s icky bug moments, an old, posh hotel with strange residents, Rosemary’s Baby vibes, and very creepy babies. I love Cassidy’s writing and his books are just so interesting and enjoyable. I also loved the author’s note at the end of the book.

There’s always a deeper meaning to Cassidy’s books, and Nestlings tackles serious issues (that are mentioned in a note at the beginning of the book) and mixes in horror (and lots of disgusting bugs!).

I highly recommend Nestlings, especially if you are looking for a new horror book to read this year.

4.5/5 stars

This is a must read book, especially during the spooky season! It’s marketed as a blend between Rosemary’s Baby and Salem’s Lot and the author delivered just that! The writing felt well-researched, I loved the cast of characters, and the horror of it all was done exceptionally. This book feels very timeless and classic as a horror read.

I loved the New York setting, and the atmospheric gothic building, that felt much like a character in and of itself. I also appreciated that this book had so much emotion at the heart of it. It explores marriage, motherhood, parenthood, and postpartum expectations. The main character, Ana, is struggling to come to terms with her new life as a paraplegic in a wheelchair , as a result of childbirth. Her husband Reid, is struggling with life as his wife’s caretaker on top of taking care of a newborn. But when they get the chance to move into the luxurious Deptford building, they think their luck has finally changed...but has it?!

Filled with tension, dread, hauntingly detailed visualizations, and pure classic horror, this is one I won’t soon forget! I will absolutely be reading more from this author. Thank you to Netgalley, Tor Nightfire for this #gifted ebook!

Immediately when I read the synopsis for this novel I thought it sounded like a sort of feminine rage story meets paranormal/haunted house horror. While it is that, in a way, I think the actuality of this narrative is far more unexpected. Whether that is a good or bad thing is entirely up to you, and what type of horror you find gratifying.
There are certain horror story archetypes that rely on reactionary characters. Characters who find themselves in situations where they are accepting of the terms being laid out to them by either the world building, or another character’s false assurances. Think of horror movies like Mother or Midsommar, where the protagonist pretty much does nothing to advance or stall the plot, and all the horror elements kind of move forward on their own. That is basically how this book plays out. It is a slow discovery as opposed to a mystery that’s being solved piece by piece.
For myself, I’m not particularly fond of this type of horror as it more-so frustrates me than creeps me out. However, that is a personal preference. Objectively, Nestlings is extremely well-written and has some very interesting theming in terms of gentrification, community, career culture, gender roles, and postpartum anxiety and depression. I also very much liked the reveal at the end and the horror imagery was top tier unsettling at times, especially in regards to the “monster” element.
While I might not have enjoyed this, I can certainly see it being someone’s cup of tea. So, if you like horror movies like Barbarian, Midsommar, or Rosemary’s Baby then I would recommend this whole heartedly.

This was such an intriguing read. Ana and Reid win the housing lotto. They get to create a home in the Deptford Building, a gorgeous skyscraper that stops tourists in their tracks. Ana is still struggling for the birth of their daughter, Charlie. Reid, well he's just struggling. When strange things start to happen to Charlie, Ana becomes upset while Reid assumes Ana has completely lost her mind. Nestlings follow this family as they are consumed by the inhabitants of the Deptford Building.

I'm not really sure what to say on this one. It was eerie and spooky but also made you second guess yourself. Nat Cassidy wrote a book that will make your skin crawl and leave you with nightmare images in your mind. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.

There is so much to love about this book. On one layer, it's a terrifying story of motherhood on par with Rosemary's Baby. Beyond that, there's an extreme level of humanity shown through the struggles of a mother who is stuck in an apartment that's too good to be true. There's also the additional fear of being wheelchair-bound in an apartment way up. I wasn't sure if Nat could write a better book than Mary, but he absolutely did. I highly recommend it for a dose of scares and humanity.

I knew by the look of this cover and the title of this book, it was going to give me the best horror/thriller vibes for the Halloween season and I was not disappointed in the least. I give this book a solid 4.5* but rounded it up to 5 because I will be recommending this to my audience and friends who love a good creep-fest.
A bit of a summary without spoilers: Sometimes when life has been crappy, you just need a break. That's especially true for Reid and Ana whose lives have been through the wringer since the birth of their first baby. So imagine their excitement when they win an affordable housing lottery in a gorgeous luxury apartment building in Manhattan. However, just when things should be getting better for the couple, things seem to go from bad to worse.
I was sucked in so quickly to this story and I think I finished it in about 3 days. I could not put it down. There's conflict, there's chills, and there's so much mystery about what is going on. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves the spooky harvest season, but also anyone who loves ghost stories and scary movies. Perhaps after you've put this book down, you'll start checking your windows too for a watching face or mysterious goo.

When Reid and Ana put their names in the lottery for an affordable luxury apartment they never dreamed they'd win. They also never dreamed that their lives would be so different from the time they entered the lottery to the time they finally got called.
When they are shown the apartment it seems perfect for most people, but Ana has misgivings right away. She is confined to a wheelchair these days and can not get down the stairs from their upper floor apartment if there is ever an emergency. Ignoring her unease, and buoyed by her husband's excitement over their win. she agrees to take the apartment. After all, it will do them good to get away from their obnoxious antisemitic landlord.

It's not long after moving day when Ana knows something is wrong with this building. Her baby seems to sense it too, constantly screaming and crying as if she knows this is a bad place to be. Reid becomes obsessed with learning the history of the building, to the point that he loses interest in all else, even gaslighting Ana when she points out the tiny bite marks on the baby after having seen a face at their top floor window.

Not since The Sentinel or Rosemary's Baby has an apartment building had such an unsavory past or housed such sinister tenants. I can't say much else about the plot without spoilers, but I loved the domestic drama as much as the scary parts. The psychological fear mixed with the supernatural terror combined to make Nestlings into an exquisite horror that was perfection from start to finish. This book will land firmly on my best horror of the year list.
5 out of 5 stars.

My thanks to Tor Nightfire.

3.5 out of 5 stars

This was an interesting read. While I felt like it was a rather slow start, there was loads of creeping dread and a general oppressive atmosphere. That atmosphere and the initial meeeting of the morose main characters made it a bit difficult for me to connect to them and the story initially but I actually really enjoyed the characters development throughout the novel. The ending surprised me in the best way. Nothing quite turned out like I assumed it would and yet I thought it fit so well. I'd definitely be interested in checking out more by this author.

Wow. I don't even know where to start with this one. This is probably one of the best horror novels I have read in a long time and probably one of the darkest ones too. This is not a story for the faint of heart.

Ana and Reid have just moved into the infamous Deptford apartment building in New York with their nearly 1-year-old daughter Charlie. Ana is still adapting to her new life in a wheelchair after suffering complications during Charlie's birth. But the Deptford is more than just an apartment building, it holds a far darker secret. Within days of moving into the Deptford, everything changes and they begin to experience unexplainable personality changes and utter feelings of dread.

I don't want to give too much away, but this was a fantastic, albeit horrifying story. This story is described as 'Salems Lot' meets 'Rosemary's Baby' and that is 100% accurate. I could not put this story down and I have a feeling I will be thinking about it for a long time to come. Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Nightfire for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ana and Reid, a young couple struggling after Ana’s difficult childbirth has left her paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair, actually ‘win the lottery’ (the apartment lottery, that is) in New York.
They are offered an apartment at the Deptford, an old and revered Manhattan building. Beautiful views, luxury finishing, could this mean their luck is turning around or is it too good to be true??
As sinister and strange events start happening to them, and especially to their 1 year old daughter (who seems to hold an unhealthy attraction for the building’s long-time odd residents, they begin to realize they may have made a mistake accepting this apartment.
Strange bite marks on the baby, delivery people who refuse to enter the building and strange noises in the apartment next door only heighten their fears and feelings of dread.
The truth about the Deptford, its residents, and what they want from AnaReid and their baby turn out to be more horrific than anything they were imagining.
Wow wow wow. I’m a huge horror fan and this book gave me NIGHTMARES!! A good thing, in my opinion. Highly recommend this book - it’s been a long time since any horror novel seeped into my consciousness like this one did. A+++

This is the first book that I have read by Nat Cassidy. What a book it is! I wouldn't recommend reading this at night however if you do have all the lights on and lock your doors and windows! This books follows Ana and Reid and Charlie thier infant daughter. Ana and Reid enter into a lottery for reduced rent in New York city. They never thought that they would actually win. When they view the apartment at the historic building the Deptford it is on the top floor of the building, Ana knows that it wil work out since she is in a wheel chair. They are given just a few days to take the apartment or it will go to the next family on the list. Once they move in their personalities start to change and they can't remember what is truly bothering them about the apartment, the staff, and the building itself. This book is has a lot of twists and turns and not for the faint of heart. I found the concept of the book facsinating. What would it be like to live in a historic building that had some kind of paranormal activity happening inside.

Nat Cassidy's second novel is a creepy story about a family with a new baby and new apartment in a mysterious building. Wife Ana is still adjusting to life in a wheelchair while husband Reid, once an aspiring musician, struggles in a job he loathes. They soon find themselves in increasingly frightening and dangerous situations as they learn more about their neighbors. Exciting, terrifying, and yet balanced by Cassidy's insights into relationships and grief.