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I liked the beginning with the scary and creepy start, but it kinda felt off to me. maybe it's just a me thing and I'll pick it up again at a later time.

I LOVE apocalyptic novels and I loved the idea of an apocalypse started by an infestation of bugs. Ultimately, this one fell short for me. When it comes to horror, I tend to like an intentional and tense build up of the story, and this one felt unintentionally fast paced in a way that made it seem rushed. I would read more from this author in the future because I think this was a really creative idea for a story!

This unique work races forward with relentless momentum, packed with twists that genuinely surprise. The characters are vivid and flawed, making their struggles all the more gripping. The tension builds steadily, pulling you deeper into a dark and dangerous world. An unforgettable page-turner that satisfies both emotionally and intellectually.

* Thank you to NetGalley for gifting me this ARC*

Holy hell.. this is a horror in every sense of the word! I've always been terrified of cicidas, so naturally this book terrified my entire soul. From beginning to end, I felt like they were in the room with me. Andy Marino does such a good job at sucking you into this apocalyptic world. Some scenes could've been written a little shorter or more matter of fact, however the ending was exactly how a horror book should end!

The Swarm presents an intriguing mix of environmental themes and sci-fi elements, though it doesn’t always hit the mark. The story centers on a group of scientists who inadvertently awaken a terrifying, hive-minded entity in the ocean. Marino’s premise is compelling, and the initial tension grabs your attention, drawing you into a world where nature retaliates against human actions.

The character development, however, feels somewhat uneven. While the main protagonist has potential, supporting characters often lack depth, making it hard to fully invest in their fates. The pacing fluctuates, with some sections dragging while others move too quickly, leaving important plot points underexplored.

On a positive note, Marino's writing is vivid, particularly during action scenes, which adds a cinematic quality to the reading experience. The environmental commentary is relevant and thought-provoking, though it sometimes overshadows character arcs.

In summary, The Swarm has a gripping concept and strong moments but struggles with character depth and pacing. It’s an engaging read for fans of eco-horror and sci-fi, but may leave some wishing for a bit more substance.

Thank you so much to Redhook Books, Orbit, and NetGalley for access to this digital ARC. These opinions are my own.
3.25 stars (3 stars = I liked it!)

!! Check content warnings before reading !!

TLDR — Overall, I’m a bit conflicted about this book. I am glad I read it, and I definitely enjoyed the premise; that said, the book felt a bit too long, and I didn’t feel as engaged with the overarching plot as I would have wanted.
(Full disclosure: I did start this book toward the end of a reading slump, which may have affected how I felt about it, especially abt the pacing of the beginning.)

The cover and title immediately drew me in (I love how the font gives the letters little stingers/insect vibes), and the synopsis and premise had me INTRIGUED.

I really enjoyed the insect imagery, visceral horror, and action scenes. I felt absorbed in a lot of the faster-paced action moments [SPOILER REDACTED], and I legitimately gagged several times throughout the book as I read (compliment). Over time, though, I think this type of horror imagery did lose its effect on me, just because of how long the book is and how the plot progresses.

Unfortunately, the moments between the action lacked the psychological/intellectual suspense (for me) that I think is necessary for a story like this to really HIT. I didn’t feel the existential or cosmic horror or the pull of the overall plot, in the sense that I didn’t feel like we were desperately working to figure things out; things were just happening. I guess the distinction is in the focus of the characters’ and reader’s thoughts — I didn’t feel latched onto the plot as much as I was onto the immediate action. Of course, there were elements across the POVs that tied into the ending and the story overall, but it felt like we were making observations before eventually being told information. There weren’t really reveals that got to me beyond the visceral, and I didn’t feel locked into the plot, which I think was my primary issue. This is also probably why certain elements of the story (namely some cult things and the ending) didn’t really land with me either; sadly, they didn’t pack the punch I wanted them to 🥹.

While multi-POV stories allow for layered and wide-reaching narratives, they can also affect the pacing and the reader’s connection to the characters, especially in a standalone: the introduction/setup of the story takes longer, and we spend less time with each character. There were characters I really liked and none I disliked, yet I didn’t feel super attached to any of them — though there was definitely potential! [SPOILER REDACTED] I also felt like 40% of the way in (not insignificant since the book is like 500 pages), we were still setting up the story, which made me feel like I was waiting for things to ramp up, which in turn made the story feel a bit drawn out. Each character’s journey ends up being fairly short, which I think also makes the 500 pages feel too long. Shortening certain POVs (or maybe even removing one) and making more happen in the others may have mitigated this feeling.

Reading this as an audiobook may also have lessened some of my struggles with the pacing.

Ultimately, I have mixed feelings about The Swarm, but I am happy that I read it, and I am definitely interested in trying other works by this author!

Title: The Swarm by Andy Marino
Genre: Horror
Pub Date: November 5, 2024
📖 503 pages

Multiple POV
Cult Rituals
Apocalyptic/Plague Vibes
Body Horror
Swarms of Cicadas
90s Grunge Vibes

The Swarm is a must read for anyone who loves books that give early 90s horror movie vibes! What an appropriate time to publish a spooky book about a massive, deadly swarm of cicadas considering 2024 is a double brood year in real life! If you're a fan of Stephen King, I think you'll enjoy this one!

Thank you so much, NetGalley and Redhook, for the #gifted review copy!

What to say about The Swarm. It was a fantastic book that 100% invaded my mind. I loved it. I did find it a bit long winded at some parts. Like some of it wasn’t fully needed for the plot, but that just may be me. The idea is totally original and incredible. It does have some yucky stuff, but nothing too gory. I very much enjoyed this book and recommend it!

THE SWARM is the most disturbingly addictive book about an insect apocalypse I have ever read. Marino effortlessly explores a horrific occurrence and intertwines it with diversely fascinating characters.

I will not lie. This book has a lot going on. However, the layers of intrigue, chilling events, and various storylines converge as this world-defining insect infestation takes hold. Somehow, all the players come together to figure out the cause of the apocalypse and how they can try to stop it. I will not get into all the intricate details because I couldn’t do the plot justice. However, I will say that the relationship between Vicky and her daughter is a grounding and emotional element needed for an otherwise disturbing and fear-inducing narrative.

For horror lovers, this one will no doubt check off all the boxes. It has freaky bugs, gruesome deaths, fringe groups (aka cults), and an origin that will make you want to re-read the ending a few times to get it all. All in all, THE SWARM delivered a creeptastic apocalyptic read.

I thought the first couple of chapters in this book were very strong. The imagery was fantastic, with a potential serial killer on the loose, an absolutely bizarre crime scene, and that warehouse scene gave me serious chills.

However, as I kept reading, the story started to feel overly wordy and drawn out. There was an excessive focus on internal monologues and not enough dialogue between the characters to keep the interactions engaging.

I also felt there were too many POVs, which made it difficult to see their necessity or fully connect with the narrative.

By the end, while I found the cicadas undeniably creepy and fitting for a solid creature feature, the story lacked a sense of urgency or dread to leave a lasting impact.

This book is pure nightmare fuel – and I loved every second of it. Andy Marino crafts a relentless, skin-crawling horror that blends apocalyptic terror with detective mystery in the most unsettling way. Cicadas as the harbinger of humanity’s end? Absolutely chilling. The characters – from the tough-as-nails detective to the dysfunctional PIs – add depth and grit to the chaos unfolding around them.

The story doesn’t let up, balancing eerie atmosphere with moments of pure, unfiltered dread. If you like your horror fast-paced, disturbing, and unforgettable, this one will stay under your skin long after you’ve finished reading.

This book was just really sluggish and hard to get through. There was a lot of descriptions of the bugs and other things but there just wasn’t enough dialogue to keep me interested in reading this book. Disappointed.☹️

I want to thank NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

Okay, this was so up my alley, and I could not stop reading it once I started. Was it perfect? No, and maybe it went a little long. But from the beginning, when we first saw the evidence of the damage done by the insects, this was an exciting ride. We follow a few people who get caught up in the chaos as we realize that this cicada infestation could mean the end of the world. Don't get too attached to anyone, because this is a horror novel going at full speed to the apocalypse unless it's stopped.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.

The nitty-gritty: The Birds and Alien but with giant cicadas, The Swarm is not for the faint of heart and should be read indoors with all the windows firmly closed.

If you’re not a bug person, you might want to think twice before picking up The Swarm. On the other hand, if you’re a fan of scary, end-of-the-world stories and you can handle some very graphic, bug/body horror scenarios, then you’re probably the right reader for this book. I’m terrified by most bugs, although since I’ve never encountered a cicada, I wasn’t bothered by the premise of a cicada uprising—at first. But wow, this book ended up scaring me to death! Andy Marino knows how to bring the tension to his bug apocalypse horror story, and I guarantee you’ll think twice about getting anywhere near a swarm of flying insects after reading it.

We follow several groups of characters in alternating chapters. First we meet Detectives Vicky Paterson and Kenny Grimes, who are investigating the odd case of a dead woman with her fingernails, hair and teeth removed. Vicky is puzzled by the lack of insect activity at the crime scene. The body should be crawling with maggots and flies, but there isn’t a single insect anywhere near the body. Although there is a very loud humming sound that seems out of place…

Will and Alicia are private investigators who have been hired to find a young woman named Violet, who supposedly ran off to join a cult. They have tracked her to a secluded warehouse, where Will witnesses a strange scene that appears to be ritualistic. Afterwards, Alicia notices Will is acting strange, muttering things about “the true bug” and “the Order of Hemiptera.”

Anton Hajek owns a company called Lacuna which boasts a revolutionary way of communicating and transferring information, but when his New York City highrise building is attacked by swarms of giant cicadas, he realizes his life is about to change.

Finally, we meet Rebecca Perez, a forensic entomologist who is teaching a college course when her building is attacked by the swarm.

All over the world, swarms of cicadas are emerging from the ground, even in places where they don’t usually live. The cicadas are larger than normal, and they’re attacking humans. As people start to die, panic sets in. Vicky’s daughter was attacked, and Vicky will do anything to save her. Will seems to have a connection to the swarm, but what does that mean for Alicia? Rebecca is a scientist and only believes in facts, but she’s never seen anything like this before. And Anton is afraid he may have set the apocalypse in motion.

The horror in The Swarm is on point. Andy Marino has tapped into a fear that many people have—bugs—and turned it into the worst apocalypse ever. I won’t go into too much detail, but let’s just say there are parts in the story that reminded me of Alien and leave it at that. I loved his descriptions of people being trapped in buildings as the swarms of giant cicadas try to get in. And yes, they do indeed manage to find their way inside through vents and cracks. And heaven forbid you’re outside when the swarm emerges, because there's nowhere to go that’s safe.

I was also surprised by the way the author developed the lifecycle of this horrible cicada. If I counted right, there were three main stages of growth, and in each one the bugs get bigger. I was especially horrified by the “nymph” stage (and I googled “cicada nymph” and I sort of wish I hadn’t!). Take a look at a photo of a nymph and imagine it the size of cat, and you’ll get an idea of what everyone is up against. Yuck!

This is an ambitious story that mostly works, but I do have a couple of issues. First, it’s just too long. With so many point of view characters, and very long chapters between each one, it was easy to forget what a particular group was doing before the story switched to another POV. Marino spends a lot of time on character development and backstory, which is fine, but some of it could have been trimmed for a more streamlined reading experience.

There are several theories about why the cicadas are acting the way they are, which sort of muddied the waters for me. One storyline involves a cult of worshippers who “become one” with the bugs (icky and gross), and the author goes back eighty years or so to try to explain it. I honestly could have done without the whole cult angle, since the killer cicadas themselves were scary enough. The other idea involves Anton—who had the least page time of any of the characters—and while it was an interesting theory, it didn’t make that much sense.

My favorite character was Rebecca, not only because she is a scientist and sees the swarm from a different perspective, but I loved that her dead sister Mari “talks” to her as she’s trying to figure out how to save herself and her students. I kind of wish the author would write a book about Rebecca and Mari, I really loved their dynamic.

So how does one end a story about a cicada apocalypse? Marino does it perfectly with an epilogue that takes place several months after the explosive conclusion and explains what happened to the cicadas and those characters who survived. I thought it was the perfect ending, with a dash of hope after a rather bloody and (at times) depressing saga.

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.

I would not recommend this book if you are squeamish or have a dislike of the creepy crawlies. The beginning really caught my attention but as I got deeper into the book, it started to feel unreasonably long and drawn out. At the 30% mark, the book goes from 2 POVs to 2 completely different POVs. Then it merges and you are left with 4 separate POVs, which felt unnecessary to me. Some of the characters were less interesting and confused me more than anything. Once I got pass the halfway mark, I felt like the story should have been wrapping up and instead had 250+ more pages to go. There was just too much going on, between the cicada apocalypse, murder investigation, and cult involvement. The author does do a good job at making your skin crawl and the book is pretty gruesome and full of gore. The vivid imagery and audio saved me from DNF'ing the book but overall, I just wasn't a huge fan of this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Man, what is up with all the entomophobic books lately? Not sure, but l'm digging it. This is a dark, long book. It starts off strong right out the gate but does tend to lull a bit in various parts. The Swarm contains a small-ish but important group of POVs in the same vein of The Stand. Similarly as with SK's epic work, I struggled a bit with the characters blending together at times. They're very distinct and don't fit into typical stereotypes, but my aforementioned stoner goldfish brain can mix details up at times. But overall, the characters were dimensional and often their actions were completely unexpected (that ONE death 😟).

While my last bug feature starred wasps, The Swarm involves cicadas. And they can be *terrifying* at times. The book has solid apocalyptic vibes and there is a LOT of body horror and gore. It’s a book where I’d recommend not getting too attached to any characters. The story comes together really nicely in the last third of the book. The ending felt appropriate and I could even imagine a sequel for this one.

I definitely enjoyed this one and look forward to reading more from Marino in the future. Some of the science-y bits lost me and I still didn’t totally grasp the origin of the invasion, but the story was solid. It’s a dope read and definitely one I won’t forget for a while.

What a deliciously disgusting little book! I have been interested in insects since I was a kid, and I absolutely love horror, so this felt tailor-made for me. There's a healthy dose of body horror here, so if that isn't your thing, you've been warned. This book follows multiple characters through the first days of a worldwide swarm of cicadas, bursting from the earth a year ahead of schedule, that quickly prove themselves hostile to humanity. The story didn't go the way I expected (in a good way!), and I was really surprised by the direction the author chose to take this. I do wish the cicada invasion had been explained a little better; after finishing the novel, I still wasn't entirely sure of the WHY, but it really didn't keep me from having the best time with this book. The story morphs rather quickly from a localized creature-feature horror novel to something else entirely, something much bigger and scarier. Marino does an excellent job at cranking up the tension and permeating the novel with such an acute feeling of hopelessness and despair. The characters, while not all entirely likable, are easy to sympathize with, and I enjoyed the multiple POVs that gave readers different aspects of the invasion (we even get a forensic entomologist!) I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and can't wait to dive into Marino's backlog of horror.

Thank you to Netgalley and Redhook for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

No one likes bugs. Maybe entomologists I guess, but not you or me. And you'll hate them even more after reading The Swarm! Without giving too much away, there is an invasion of cicadas, and again, no one likes them. Because cicadas. Except they are not just a minor annoyance, they are legit killing people. And if they don't die, they're left in some kind of coma-like state, and no one knows what is happening. The only thing they do know is that there seems to be no end in sight, and the world is losing its collective mind.

There are several POV characters who come from very different walks of life, but they'll all soon find their lives upended by the cicadas. And as you can imagine, their stories are likely to converge in one way or another. I was very invested in this story from the start, because what the heck are these bugs doing!? And then I was also quite invested in most of the characters, too. It was clear that no one was safe, and the stakes were insanely high, so that added to the excitement of the story.

Now, I will say that it did drag a bit in the middle. Not an unbearable amount, but it could have been pared down a tad. I also have to say that the epilogue made my day. The story as a whole, despite the slower bits, really kept my interest. The vibes were fully on point and certainly desperate, and I was very eager to know what the heck caused this particularly hellish apocalypse, so definitely recommend!

Bottom Line: The cicada apocalypse is not one you'd want to be in. Ever.

I had a hard time getting into this story. I almost never enjoy book from a detective's POV. The writing style didn't flow well. I have read a previous novel from this author. It seems that he is not the author for me.

The Swarm
by Andy Marino
Sci-Fi
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2024
Redhook Books
Ages: 16+

Vicky Paterson and her partner find themselves investigating a disturbing murder. Then after being out all night investigating the murder, Vicky heads home to relieve the babysitter but before the pancakes are done, her partner calls telling her that there's another murder. But outside she hears a scream and running she finds her daughter swarmed by cicadas, them suffocating her. Freeing her daughter and rushing her to the hospital, Vicky finds that her daughter isn't the only person swarmed by the cicadas.

In an investigation of their own, private investigators Will and Alicia are looking for a missing girl, and tips lead them to a warehouse where they witness a bizarre ritual, Will becoming entranced.


With the blurb sounding like this would be a creepy crawly tale, I had high hopes, and when I started to read, I was drawn right into the story.

But... that was only during the first quarter; then it started to ramble and drag on and on. It didn't help when suddenly two more characters were introduced. At first, one of those added characters didn't seem as if they had any reason to be included, then, with an eye roll, I guessed, and was right. The second character was a given, but why they weren't introduced earlier I don't know, it would've made more sense, but at the same time the reasoning why they were needed wasn't really used.

At just a little over halfway, I stopped caring and started to skim. The story was going at a good pace, but it started to drag on and on and on and started to be more telling than showing. And some of the reasons were so far-fetched.

Along with cutting out at least a hundred pages of some of the inner dialogue, exchanging those far-fetched reasons with more depth to the characters and the cicadas would give the story more substance.

Sure, there were some WTH moments, but nothing that gave me the crawlies.

Because there is violence, and some tad gory descriptions, I feel that it's only suitable for readers over sixteen.

2 Stars