I need moments to process.
The setup - slow build, utter destruction of life. A bloody horror book with so much to offer.
Family relationships, child fear of parents and trauma. So much.
Complicated, yet simple.
A young boy is found by Jessa - and pretty much ruins her life. She doggedly protects him from his monster father. Intense.

Nat Cassidy does it again! After liking Nestlings last fall, I knew I had to give this one a shot. I loved how this book does so much but so subtly: challenges of parenting, fear, power, and accepting one's wrongdoings. I appreciated this story on father daughter relationships and the characters were so well crafted that I felt I really knew them. This seems to be one of my favourite things that Cassidy does. It was tense, propulsive, and also felt very real despite it being horror. Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan audio. The audio was well narrated and I would recommend this format!

Nat Cassidy does it again! Another fantastic and inventive read where I really appreciated the twists. Fans of Stranger Things and Supernatural will really like this book which explores what it means to be afraid and the affect it can have on the world around us.

I’m honestly not sure how I feel about this book. Nat Cassidy’s writing is strong, and the storyline itself is solid, but something about it just didn’t quite work for me. It was different—not necessarily in a bad way, just not my cup of tea.

That being said, the characters were a definite highlight. It was hard not to feel for them, and Cassidy does a great job making them compelling. The twists? Completely unexpected. I can definitely appreciate how the story kept me on my toes, even if it wasn’t my favorite read.

Overall, When the Wolf Comes Home is probably my least favorite from Cassidy, but I can still acknowledge the craftsmanship behind it. If you enjoy unique and unpredictable storytelling, this might be worth checking out.

This book is perfection.

While the audio didn't quite have that magic the print edition did (because it was a first read), the narrators were fantastic and the sound-editing was so cool. I'm really impressed with the recent uptick in cool uses of sound-tech in audiobooks lately.

When The Wolf Comes Home is an absolutely wonderful book at all levels. Nat gives us an incredibly vibrant story full of heart, gnarly gore, great characters, some ridiculously stunning visuals, and a pace that is absolutely relentless. This book blew me away, impressed the hell out of me, made me laugh, dropped my jaw... everything. It has everything. This'll be a "Stefon Recommends" book for sure. Even on a second read, I couldn't put it down. Even on a second read, it shattered my heart.

No one will be spared.

I seriously don't think I will ever stop shouting about this book. It's a true work of art. A masterpiece. It's an all-time favorite for me - it took my heart and soul; it does everything I love in books. When The Wolf Comes Home is just... fucking fantastic.

It's an easy 5/5 for me. I would give it all the stars if I could. Especially the ones that move around like fireflies. I will absolutely be reading this book again... and again... and again. I cannot emphasize enough how badly you need to get a copy and read it... and then come scream at me; with me.

This book was super spooky and entertaining. I loved all the plot twists and the characters were interesting. The narration was great too!

R E V I E W

oh. my. god.
this book is so well done. it is creative and exciting and left my heart racing. it is a horror filled, gore laden thrill ride that left me questioning all my guesses and hunches at every turn until the twist was revealed.

this horror thriller focuses on fear, safety, and what these concepts mean in the modern world. exploration of fear and its relationship to life and survival.

the characters were very well done. i loved the relationship between the main character Jess and her mother. the building relationship of Jess and Kiddo and how Jess grows as a person on their journey was really interesting.

our main characters are Jessa (a struggling actress) and Kiddo (an abused child with a dangerous secret). following a violent altercation with Kiddo’s father, who might be more monster than man, Jess goes on the run to save the boy… and herself. she seeks help from her friend Margie and her mother, Cookie.

the twisty turney, tense plot line led up to a satisfying ending. it was done very well and i didn’t expect it.

i received the audiobook arc of this novel and the narrator did SUCH an excellent job. she breathed life into each of the characters, no matter how small. it was also very cool that the author narrated some parts! he did a great job too.

*** thank you to Macmillan Audio, Nat Cassidy, and NetGalley for this advanced copy 🫶🫶🫶 i truly appreciate the opportunity. ***

cw: murder, gore, violence, spiders, abuse, alcoholism, and abuse.
rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~~~
🏷️: #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booktok #bookish #reading #books #readersofinstagram #booksta #arc #arcreader #ebook #thrillerbook #mysterybook #netgalley #whenthewolfcomeshome #NatCassidy

Just finished the audio version - which was absolutely perfect - and can honestly say I loved every minute of it!
Nat Cassidy himself is one of the narrators which was a pleasant surprise. I flew through this one in just a couple days and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I think the introduction to Cookie was my favourite, I loved her character so much. The ending tore my heart out although I kinda saw it coming.

If you’re a fan of action packed, chilling, emotional chase style thrillers with a touch of body horror don’t miss When The Wolf Comes Home publishing this April. You won’t be disappointed!!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Okay first of all WOW. Second of all WHAT. And third of all, I’ll be laying in the rain outside for the next 5-7 business days.

What I will say is that this story is filled with so much heart and emotion, it’s breathtaking. Secondly, this is not what you are expecting. Thirdly, Mr. Nat Cassidy wrote his own review with what this is his homage to. Read that first, and it all makes sense.

WHAT A STORY!! I can’t wait to own it for real for real.

Lastly, I’m reviewing the audio and it’s absolutely amazing. Thanks to NetGalley for this. This will be out in April y’all and it’s worth it, a million times.

This is a good one. Jess finds a young boy and they proceed to be on the run from his father. This one is packed with suspense, horror, gore, surprise and even some r election and grief. There is a bit of everything thrown into the fast paced and intense book.

Thank you Netgalley for this advanced audio edition of When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy.

Oh wow, Cassidy had something to say, and he said it loudly.

This is a novel full of monsters and violence, but it's really about fear, and how it manifests.

When Jessa finds a little boy hiding in the bushes, she afraid of what has made him so afraid. She never would have guessed that soon they'd be running for their lives after witnessing bloody attack after attack, and finally Jessa is able to crack the code on why there are so many scary creatures chasing them, but does she have the ability to stop it?

This book comes with built in trigger warnings, but I'll still warn you, it's a grizzly read. However, I see what Cassidy was trying to do, and he did it really well. I thought it was clever and thought provoking, and the more I got into it, the more I enjoyed it.

One night, Jess finds a five-year-old boy hiding in the bushes outside her apartment. After a violemt encounter with the boy's father, she and the boy find themselves running for their lives.

As they attempt to evade the boy's increasingly desperate father, carnage follows their every move. This is my first book from Nat Cassidy. I listen to the audio book, and it fleshed out all the characters. I could not stop listening to the story, and it kept me up all night. This book is bloody, and full of gore. The plot was fast paced and action paced.

Me. Give me a horror book, but also make me cry.
Nat: Hold my beer.

A horror/thriller that uses magical-realism to explore our deepest fears.

This book hit especially close to home because our main character Jess is dealing with the death of her absent father, and isn't sure how to approach the grief. I recently went through a very similar thing, so I was hooked immediately to Jess' journey.

Jess finds a young boy wandering alone and quickly realizes his father is a monster, maybe even a literal one. Together her and the boy go on a road trip as they try to evade the monster/father, only for Jess to realize the little boy is hiding a secret too.

This book was hard to put down, I constantly needed to know what was going to happen next. The ending was not at all what I expected it would be, and I loved it.

Read this book if you want
🐺 Gore and violence
🐺 A good cry
🐺 Unhinged road trip
🐺 Magical realism
🐺 Emotional storytelling mixed with grief
🐺 An ending you'll never see coming

This book is best read after taking your anxiety meds, your heart will need it.

Audiobook/Book Review 📖🐺🩸🎧

Thank you so much partner @tornightfire @macmillan.audio for the gifted ARC + ALC.

When the Wolf Comes Home
by Nat Cassidy
Narrated by Helen Laser; Nat Cassidy

About the book 👇🏽

One night, Jess, a struggling actress, finds a five-year-old runaway hiding in the bushes outside her apartment. After a violent, bloody encounter with the boy's father, she and the boy find themselves running for their lives.

As they attempt to evade the boy's increasingly desperate father, Jess slowly comes to a horrifying understanding of the butchery that follows them—the boy can turn his every fear into reality.

And when the wolf finally comes home, no one will be spared.

🐺 My thoughts:

I don’t even know where to begin… this might be my favorite book by Nat Cassidy yet. He had me crying and really internally struggling and that was just not on my bingo card for 2025. To say I was unprepared is an understatement and truthfully I am not even sure I will recover. I was literally at the edge of my seat as soon as I started and thanks to my impatience I was able to request the audiobook when I wasn’t able to sit and read. Both versions were absolutely incredible and I would recommend them both. I finished this book a few days ago and I just haven’t been able to shake it. This is a story about chase, fear, family and emotions I was just not ready for! You’ve probably read this far and thought to yourself… “ma’am I thought this was horror..” and you’re right, it is. So not only did it make me feel all of the things… it’s brutal, terrifying, and f*cking RELENTLESS. Hands down one of my favorite books of the year… and quite possibly a new all time favorite. I guess Nestlings has to scooch down a bit to make room for When the Wolf Comes Home!! Make sure you’re ready to get wrecked 4/22/25, because that’s when it hits shelves!

Happy reading 📖 🐺🩸🎧

I would read Nat Cassidy’s grocery list if given the opportunity. This man knows how to hook me in a not let go. When I first heard about this I thought it was going to be a werewolf story but man it is so much more! If you want something fast paced action packed with killer body horror and as always with Nat a touch of heart this is for you. I would highly recommend the audiobook version because the narrator is fantastic at really fleshing out the characters and bringing another level of anxiety to it. Also loved that the author also narrates at times as well, love hearing and reading about his experiences and the behind the scenes look he gives. Thank you NetGally and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to experience this audiobook before release for my honest review.

A poignant and powerful story with an exciting plot and likeable characters, that lingers long after the final page. Cassidy's ability to blend suspense with deep emotion is masterful, and the found family trope adds a heartwarming layer to the narrative. The afterward left me in tears – a testament to the book's impact. Another fantastic read from Cassidy. Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The first thing I loved about this audiobook was the beginning & the end messages from Nat Cassidy. The ending explanation was so interesting and really helped visualize how this story came to fruition.

This story was unique, creepy, and claustrophobic. The thought that sometimes our minds create our monsters is something that I truly understand. This story didn’t have a happy ending so don’t expect one. With that said, it was real and raw.

I love stories with deeper meaning & it was pretty clear there was a lot of that in this book.

Thank you Netgalley for the early copy! This was highly anticipated for me and lived upto my expectations. This book blended all sorts of horror into a cool chase type thriller. I enjoyed the relationship built between the two main characters and I've gotta say, it gave me Firestarter vibes in the best way. This was so unique I loved it and I think it's my favorite of Nat Cassidy's work now.

I got the audiobook and I could not stop listening. The story moves at a brisk pace and the characters are great.

My first Nate Cassidy! While I don’t typically love a “chase” style thriller, this one was engaging, exciting, and well-paced throughout. Thanks to Netgalley for this audio e-galley!