Yo, as if new motherhood isn’t terrifying enough!!

Nestlings is a story of grief, healing, and generational (and cultural) shared trauma.

Ana and Reid seem to have hit the jackpot after a rough labour of their daughter has left Ava in a wheelchair. They win an affordable housing lottery for a prestigious building called The Deptford. The Deptford is New York City royalty, a beautiful old apartment building full of the rich and famous. Of course, not everything is what it seems.

I’m going to go against the grain and say this is a mashup of The Strain and Archive 81 (both WONDERFUL shows)! You’ve got a NYC apartment building with a secretive and dark history, unsuspecting tenants, and gargoyles!!

I felt on the edge of my seat the whole time and I thought Nat Cassidy handled the issues of postpartum depression and the struggles of being a caretaker for a loved one really well. It really captured the fear of change and new chapters in life. Those additions made Nestlings wonderfully creepy and real!

Stick around for the afterword, it’s a really great note from Cassidy about his personal inspirations and struggles that come through in this novel.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Available October 31, 2023.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Nightfire for an advance review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Tor and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tw: antisemitism, ableism, postpartum depression, discussion of infanticide

The story follows young couple, Ana and Reid with their newborn baby Charlie. They win the lottery for a low income apartment in a historic high rise in Manhattan. Ana is in a wheelchair due to problems during childbirth. She struggles with postpartum depression so the couple thought a change of scenery would help. They soon realize the apartment is on the top floor of the building which makes Ana nervous considering her condition however, they take the chance and move in. Shortly after they settle in, strange things begin to happen… specifically with Charlie.

This book gave me a lot of feelings. I wasn’t a fan of the pacing as it started very slow and then all of the action happened halfway through and then it got super slow again until the end. The redeeming qualities would probably be the character development of Ana, the plot reveal, and the authors notes at the end that explain certain aspects of the story. I wish some of those things were more clear from reading the story.

Overall I liked the plot and the main character so I’m giving this book 3 stars.

I read a bit of an interview of the author, Nat Cassidy, and it helped me see more into this incredible work of horror. The idea of vampirism and how exactly it affects different cultures or religious groups other than Christianity. This put the book on a whole new level for me, and I was very impressed.

This book is short but very slow moving. It absolutely reminded me of the vibe of one of my favorites, an oldie, Salem's Lot. In that story, the whole town seems to be an entity, trapping the townspeople within. The same can be said of this story and the oppressive apartment building that seemed to be taking over.

Every line had a purpose, driving the point forward. I was on alert the whole time I was reading this.

Out October 31, 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

Ana and Reid win a lottery they entered years ago for a low-rent unit in the upscale apartment building, the Deptford. They now have a baby and Ana's legs are paralyzed from a complication from childbirth The building feels strange to them and baby Charlie becomes a sleepless, cranky, nightmare.

A book that explores motherhood and what it means. I really enjoyed the book and found it nauseating a couple of times. I liked both Ana and Reid though they both had traits that made them grey at times. I had a very good time with this but I can tell it isn't going to be rememberable after a while. A good read that reminded me of a cosmic Rosemary's Baby.

Like Rosemary's baby but if Rosemary was postpartum and in a wheelchair.

The subject matter of this one is dark and sinister. I am impressed at the author's ability to write from the perspective of a mother the way that he does. However, I think the subject matter of postpartum isn't my favorite to read.

“𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐧𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐝.”

After a horrific birthing experience, Ana and Reid need a lucky break. They think they’ve got it when they’re chosen to move into the Deptford, a prestigious apartment building in Manhattan, NY. But moving into this place is only the beginning of many nightmares to come.

Though I was not a fan of Mary: An Awakening of Terror, I really liked this one. It has been said to mirror the creepiness of Rosemary’s Baby (but not heavy on pregnancy/postpartum themes) and Salem’s Lot. I can’t agree more. However, it is still extremely original and unique.

The “haunted” building and “disturbed” child tropes were done well, whilst maintaining complexity with the main characters. And the gory descriptions? Disgustingly brilliant. Beware of all “creatures” at the Deptford.

I will say that this was a bit more of a slow burn than I would’ve preferred. Because of that, I didn’t always feel compelled to pick it up. For those reasons alone, it isn’t a new favorite.

All that being said, I’m sure this will be a favorite for many horror lovers. It would be a great fall/spooky season read.

Frustration is real world horror. Everyone is frustrated, pining for something more. Yes, there are terrible monsters in this NY city, but they almost seem the backdrop to highlighting all the ways Anna and Reid are truly unhappy in their lives at this current moment and just the mechanism that brings it to light once they move into the Deptford with their baby Charlie. They weren’t always unhappy, but that is where they find themselves together as a family and yet why they each - Anna, Reid and even Charlie are left alone to navigate the Deptford and the monsters calling to each of them within.

There are so many unique elements to this story that I don’t want to give it away, so I’ll just say that it touches well on the emotions of fear, isolation, loss, guilt, envy, anger, repulsion, and grief.

I really enjoyed how uncomfortable the book made me at times and how unsettled I was with the ending. Appreciated the author afterword as well. Highly recommend checking this out once it is released on Halloween.

A family has the chance to move into a highly coveted building after winning a housing lottery. But despite their incredible luck somethings off. The building staff is super creepy and where are all the neighbors? What are those marks on the baby?

This book is described as Rosemary’s baby meets Salem’s and while it does pay homage and brings that ominous creepy factor it’s also so much more. The story brings a different, fresh perspective and unique premise. I loved everything about this. I love when an author has a love for what they are paying homage to. Love that it explores the idea of “the residents” from a Jewish lore perspective. Loved the atmosphere, liminal spaces and the personality of the Deptford itself and the mysteries surrounding it and its residents.

The buildup of the story is exquisite and the feeling of claustrophobia and dread that builds as small hints of what’s to come and as we uncover new horrors adds to the readers unease. The escalation of each new horror is also super intense! The characters are flawed and complex and the exploration of the of relationship between the characters of Ana and Reid and of motherhood and birth trauma and what it means to survive was really well done.

The Halloween release date for this is perfect. This is for all the horror lovers out there and the perfect spooky season, late night read.

I received an advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

Summary:

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.


My Thoughts: This is my second book by Nat. I LOVED it! This books was bingeworthy. Nat has become an auto read author for me.

OMG. I owe all of my appreciation to Macmillan Audio, Tor Nightfire, Nat Cassidy, and Netgalley for digital and audio access before this wickedly delicious treat hits shelves on October 31, 2023 -- the perfect Halloween fright.

This is my first Nat Cassidy book, but it definitely won't be my last for obvious reasons.

Ana and her husband, Reid, are relatively new parents. After a devasting labor & delivery-related injury, Ana is paralyzed from the waist down and even more disconnected from her baby girl, Charlie. This family can't seem to catch a break. That is until they win the affordable housing lottery in a gorgeous and historic apartment building draped with gargoyles, buttresses, and a whole bunch of secret rooms deemed for selective entry.

Charlie simply won't start crying and can't seem to sleep through the night, leaving Ana restless and resenting her baby, feeding into her post-partum depression. But it's not long until something eerie knocks on Charlie's window to quiet her screams, transforming her into something else entirely with an appetite for sugar and blood!

Ana begins to spiral further into her state of insanity while Reid loses his job and begins to work for his building's tenants in some cryptic manner. It's only a matter of time until the truth comes out about this building's monstrous origins, and this tiny family will likely be unable to make it work.

DNF @ 37%. Look….. I can’t do bugs! I wish I had known that was going to be a component of this going in - because I would not have picked it up at all. :/

That aside, from what I’ve read so far this was right at the border of tense and unrelentingly grim. I guess it’s a taste thing - my personal preference would be for this story to be, like, one episode of Buffy/Angel/The X-Files/Fringe/whatever. Although it was objectively well-written, I really didn’t enjoy reading it.

I felt quite torn by this book, it was full of old school horror tropes and vampires and nothing felt particularly surprising, but I liked the central couple who had numerous real life issues to contend with as well. At its core the thoughts on how to manage being a survivor, and if one would actually want to be one were quite profound. Unexpectedly, reading it also made me really thankful for the NHS and care being free at the point of need
Thank you to netgalley and Tor publishing group for an advance copy of this book

Nestlings by Nat Cassidy is listed as the most anticipated horror book of the year and trust me it lives up to all the hype! This fast-paced creepy read follows Ana, her husband- Reid, and their one-year-old baby, Charlie. Ana is suffering from post-partum depression while experiencing her new reality of becoming recently paralyzed from the waist down. Throughout this book, I really felt for the characters and the traumatic life events that are happening to them.

The family hopes their luck will change when they win an affordable housing lottery for an apartment in Deptford, one of Manhattan’s most obscure and legendary buildings. However, strange things begin happening at Deptford once they move in. Charlie begins to act oddly, and something is off with the people in the building. Ana and Reid try to uncover what’s going on, why locals won't enter the building, and what caused the building's gruesome history- including the "plummet" when 20 residents jumped simultaneously to their deaths from the rooftop. Then they discover bite marks on Charlie . . . and all is set in motion.

This book is an original mashup between Salem’s Lot and Rosemary’s Baby, but you’ll never see what’s coming in this completely epic ending. I could not put this book down and I highly recommend it!

Nestlings is a weird, dark, and complicated book, running its entire length with a feeling of claustrophobia. I think anyone who has ever tried to establish life in a city where everyone lives on top of one another will feel this tangible dread creeping in.

"Nat Cassidy is at his razor-sharp best again with his horror novel Nestlings, which harnesses the creeping paranoia of Rosemary's Baby and the urban horror of Salem's Lot, set in an exclusive New York City residential building.

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."

This year is THE YEAR for all the Rosemary's Baby pastiches.

A truly engrossing horror novel.

This propulsive story is about a couple and their infant child winning an apartment lottery, allowing them access to a beautiful apartment in a historic high rise building. Reid is instantly enamored while Ana is unsure, but they leave their tiny Brooklyn apartment for Manhattan. The Deptford is their new home.

Very quickly, Ana is unsettled by their new home and the other inhabitants. Maneuvering through the building with her wheelchair is clunky and awkward. There is something off about their daughter, Charlie, too. And the worse it gets, the more Reid denies anything wrong. Unlike Ana, Reid is enamored with The Deptford, making acquaintances with neighbors and finding himself more intrigued by the whole thing each day.

What happens in the pages of this book was so freaking wild and unhinged. The anticipation of what was going to possibly happen next had me reading this in one sitting. There is some content in here that was appalling, but in the way you want horror to feel. It tests your limits. Definitely read the content warnings in the front of the book!

I thought the story was written so well, the danger and fear palpable. There are some really strong underlying messages here in this book as well. How far would you go to protect the ones you love? Ultimately, this was a fantastic read and I enjoyed every sickening moment.

Oooh. I really liked this one.

If you check out my recent review of Adriana Chartrand's An Ordinary Violence you'll see me venting about how poorly she handled the set up and suspense of the strange goings-on in her novel. She should take a look at Nat Cassidy's Nestlings to see how it's done right!

OMG does this man know how to keep his readers creeped out the entire way through the book. He teases us with this delicious sense of dread right from the very first pages and manages to stretch it out forever without it feeling old or tiresome. That oh-no feeling, that nagging question of what in the holy fucking fuck is going on, it never goes away, even when you think you've started to figure out what's happening. Heck, even AFTER the big reveal, he still manages to keep that nail-chewing, anxious feeling going and going and going.

The only thing I could have done without was the spiders. Yuck! But everything else... yasss queen!

I liked that this book was a lot like Rosemarys baby, and that the setting was in New York City, but I ended up not really enjoying the vampire story line.

A couple jumps on what seems like a life-changing opportunity to live in a historic building in New York City, but what they don't know is that it is just the beginning of their problems. It features the rich and empathetic characters we have come to expect from Nat Cassidy, along with the shocking turns that will delight horror readers.

Wow - this book.

Ana and Reid are a couple who move into a luxury building in NYC after winning the affordable housing lottery. Ana is disabled, having been paralyzed during the birth of their daughter. Strange things begin to happen to Ana and Reid, but what is really happening at the Deptford?

This is best going in blind. It's so fast-paced, scary, mysterious, and just a ton of fun. Nat Cassidy gorgeously weaves a story of paranoia, grief, triumph, and fear, and I cannot recommend it enough.