Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was absolutely nothing what I expected it to be, and in the best way possible. It was fun, it was scary, it had a lot of heart - and for the first time in a long time, I was actually crying by the end.

There aren't a lot of men who can write female characters well, but Nat Cassidy does a fantastic job. I felt like Jess was so relatable, with her struggles and anxieties. She was flawed, but did the best she could in her situation, even at the expense of her own health/wellbeing. I had no idea how this story was going to end, and how it shocked me was an understatement. The ending dialogue in Part 3 between two of the characters (which I won't say for spoiler purposes) had me in tears. It was heartbreaking and thought-provoking. I will definitely be thinking about this book for a long time; it hits close to home, actually, with some of the things I've been dealing with in my personal life, which makes this book all the more meaningful to me.

Nat Cassidy writes from the heart, I always also look forward to his author's notes. They are so vulnerable, and I love hearing about how his stories are connected to his own personal experiences. It's not something that's easy to share, but he does such a great job with all of his stories. I still need to read a couple of his other books, but he is surely becoming an auto-buy author for me.

I highly recommend this book, just in general. It had tons of action, scary creatures, and a bit of a "Stranger Things" vibe to it. The hype for this one is well-deserved!

Nat Cassidy took what I thought would be just another werewolf horror and turned it upside down. I LOVED this book! The horror elements with a 5 year boy and his father was so creepy and gory that I couldn't put this book down. The relationship that was built between Jess a struggling actress and the boy was very endearing and the struggles that Jess when through internally during the story when dealing with boy and his violent father was so well written. Nat Cassidy of course writes another author's note that had me in tears, he is quickly becoming a favorite horror author of mine! My only complaint was the pacing and ending weren't a perfect 5 star for me.

◇Author: Nat Cassidy
◇Genre: Thriller, Horror
◇Pages: 304
◇You might enjoy this if you like
-Chase novels
-When a wish becomes reality
-Twisty plots

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Synopsis: 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, horrifying incidents of butchery follow them. At first, Jess thinks she understands what they're up against, but she's about to learn there's more to these surreal and grisly events than she could've ever imagined.

This is a chase novel that is petal to the metal from the first page until the very last sentence.

This story is twisty, entertaining, funny, and weird in only the way Nat Cassidy can. I’ve read all his other releases up to this point, and I truly appreciate how imaginative his mind is when it comes to horror. Strange monsters and characters, quirky powers and abilities, he writes a story that always sucks me in.

The best part about this book is that it continuously asks the question, who’s the real monster? And that answer changes several times throughout the book, and you never know what will happen next.

I absolutely ate up the ending, and enjoyed the thrilling journey to get there. It’s hard to describe this one without giving away some of the fun surprises, so like most of Nat’s work, you just gotta pick this one up for yourself to see.

Thank you @tornightfire and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

A big thank you to Tor Publishing Group and Netgalley for the eARC!

I am a big Nat Cassidy fan, I have enjoyed every book he has put out. I love his writing, even though this is my least favorite book he's written so far. To start with the things I enjoyed, there were some absolutely brutal werewolf / killing scenes at the beginning that were awesome. Cassidy is a pro at weaving humor in with his horror that isn't overwhelming or obnoxious. And I think he is great at touching on a lot of issues that people can really relate to--in this case, it's the relationship between parent and child and the trauma that can follow you through life based off those childhood experiences/lack of love. Also, MAN can Cassidy write an afterword that will punch you in the gut.

I think the main issue for me always comes down to children main characters that I just don't tend to enjoy. I especially don't like when women who aren't mothers and aren't really interested in having children are thrust into a situation where they suddenly have to care for one and find their "nurture" instinct. I don't think Cassidy was aiming for that as a point of the story at all, but it's just not something I enjoy in general as a storyline.

I also felt like as the story went on, it was more just following these two characters on the run without much of the werewolf action, and a lot of things started to feel repetitive. Something just didn't connect for me like Mary and Nestlings, but I did still enjoy the book in all and will of course look out for Cassidy's next work!

The first 40 pages of this book absolutely sunk its fangs into me and would not let me go. This book was such an adrenaline rush, I was just as anxious as Jess and the boy were. This story was such a creative twist that I absolutely did not see coming.

This book gave me such joy and appreciation of beauty with descriptions of stunning phenomenon and lovely settings. There were also so many laughable moments with the characters. However, this book was also not afraid to horrify, upset, and discomfort- which is what it did most often. I was most often filled with feelings of shock and anxiety, an audience to unintentional horror and brutality. Cassidy does an amazing job with finding the balance in his writing with art and terror.

I’ll never forgive Cassidy for humanizing the hell out of his characters and making everyone so understandable with their intentions and actions. It makes it so hard to try and pin the title “villain” on anyone because everyone is so flawed and human. It also makes it absolute agony when you have to take time to mourn and grieve some of the characters.

My main criticism (why I removed one star) is that the plot stagnates in the middle and is the typical “on-the-run” roadtrip storyline that serves to give time to develop the characters more, but does not move the plot along as quickly as you’d like. I also had an idea about Jess (the main character)’s improv background and how it could be used more with managing the kiddo’s abilities, but it was not the direction the story was taken in and I was confused about why it was not utilized. (I can’t be the only one who had this thought).

Overall, I loved this story and hate Nat Cassidy for making me ugly cry.

This one was a little bit too weird for me, but I always really appreciate Nat Cassidy's writing. I will continue to read his books, but this one was not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Nat Cassidy and Tor Publishing for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Nat Cassidy almost always guarantees a good thriller/horror story packed with gore. When the Wolf Comes Home is no exception, adding a superb story guaranteed to keep you up all night!

Simply put, an astonishing read that continued to dodge expectations. That it manages to morph from what you think it's doing as early as it does is commendable. Not what I was expecting and I could not be more pleased.

There is so much more that I would love to say about how it zigs when you expect it to zag, though if I'm not careful, I'll spoil one of the best reveals I've read in some time. Even saying that there is a reveal to be had might be saying too much! Read it. If you enjoy good writing, especially excellent, contemplative horror, this book absolutely deserves your time and energy.

I can be pretty stingy with my five stars ratings but this one deserves it for the emotional bomb it dropped on me.

The premise of this one is honestly not particularly new or revolutionary. However this novel takes a familiar simple plot and executes it so well. I can be a black hearted reader so I always appreciate a book that can make me feel something. This one nearly had me in tears several times.

I will admit that part of my rating of this book is reading it on a particularly vulnerable day. I have a connection to the story that made it much more personal than other stories. I can't guarantee that every reader will love this one as much as I do, but I highly recommend this one to horror readers and anyone who loves stories about complicated families.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

I hate writing short reviews, but if you’ve managed to avoid details about this book’s plot, I’m not going to ruin that now.
Nat Cassidy is a must-read author for me. There are old-school King qualities to his stories and the way he combines the horrors of regular life with the genre scaries. When the Wolf Comes Home feels like a gruesome and chilling homage to “It’s A Good Life,” the Twilight Zone episode, but with huge emotional punches.
Side note: Cassidy writes women so freaking well, and I’ve been impressed every single time.

Every single review I’ve seen on here says this is a fantastic story.

They are all correct.

5 out of 5 ⭐️, no notes.

I am so thankful to TorNightfire, Netgalley, Libro.fm, and Nat Cassidy for granting me advanced access to this title before publication day. This was a harrowing tale that will resonate with me for some time.

Solid thriller/horror! Fast paced for most of it, but there were moments during the end where things could have been cut to avoid dragging. The themes were a bit on the nose, but I was still interested in their exploration. The humor bits didn’t always work for me (ie. Things we were told were funny weren’t actually funny). Fun book overall, but not my favorite!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group as well as Mr. Cassidy himself for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley @NetGalley #TorPublishingGroup @TorPublishingGroup #Macaudio2023 @MacAudio2025 #HelenLaser @HelenLaser #NatCassidy @NatCassidy #WhentheWolfComesHome #Horror #Fiction #BookReview

Title: When the Wolf Comes Home
Author: Nat Cassidy
Narrator: Helen Laser with Nat Cassidy
Format: eBook/audiobook
Publisher: Macmillan Audio/Tor Publishing Group
Publication Date: April 22, 2025
Themes: Fear, Father/Son relationship, grief, paranormal, monster, chase, survival,
Trigger Warnings: GORE, violence, loss of parent, child in danger, child abuse and endangerment, child death, drug use, profanity, depression, dark humor

My favorite read of the year, horror or otherwise. I always love reading Nat Cassidy but this one…..he really outdid himself. Please be sure to read the content warnings, as they are everything! The story follows Jess, an out of work actress, who’s having a really tough night at her graveyard shift at a diner in LA. First, she has to clean up the vomit of a strung out, homeless guy in an already vile bathroom. During this delightful task, she accidentally pricks herself on a used hypodermic needle. Jess runs out of the diner and straight into a nightmare. She finds a five-year-old boy in the bushes outside her apartment hiding from his monstrous father. When she takes him in, Jess is pulled into a nightmare beyond her imagination, but not beyond this little boy’s imagination. Nothing is that far…or is it?

This story is a masterpiece of horror. It combines horror, humor, and heart seemingly effortlessly. Nat Cassidy is a master at combining humor and horror. He always has been. This story is the finest example. Every word I read of his makes me want to befriend him and we’d tell each other disgusting and delicious stories.

As a reader who both read and listened to this book, I really loved the audio version. I loved the printed version too, but the narrator of the audiobook, Helen Laser (along with Nat Cassidy, brought so much feeling and nuance to each character. It really made an already amazing story really come to life.

The heart in this story is what really makes it special. Cassidy is a master at characters that endear themselves, even the villains. Each character has a fully established personality and backstory. Each is made up of good and bad. This is what makes this story exceptional. The “villain” of the story is not one person. It’s everyone, as is the hero. How do you protect?

The terror and tension in this non-werewolf novel (read it to find out what that means) is most effective of any of Cassidy’s publications. He has a knack for building up the tension a little at a time without sacrificing the content or the detail. Cassidy’s imagination brings each terror to life from monsters to the perils of celebrity with heart, humor and care.

All in all, this is my favorite read of 2025 so far and definitely my favorite Nat Cassidy publication. I recommend this book with all of my black little heart. Also, be sure to read the content warnings AND the Acknowledgments. Both are equal parts entertaining and heart-warming and endear the author to the reader.

W H E N T H E W O L F C O M E S H O M E ~ @catnassidy ~ @tornightfire

TBH, I didn’t know much about this book before I started it. I knew Nat Cassidy, and I knew I’ve liked everything of his that I’ve read previously, and that was all I needed.

I was a bit uncertain at the beginning when the story starts out from the boys perspective, but after Jess is introduced the tension never really stops, and that hooked me! I loved who Cassidy created with Jess. She was quirky and quick-witted…very much reminding me of my oldest daughter. The fact that Cassidy created a horror story that keeps you on the edge of your seat while also adding in bits that make you chuckle without sacrificing any of the suspense speaks volumes!

I would 100% recommend this to anyone who can handle horror…and any of the content warnings that Cassidy so craftily mentioned before the story begins.

Giant thanks to Tor Nightmare for the opportunity to read the ARC!

This book was an unexpected wild ride, gory, darkly funny, and laced with adventure throughout. When Jessa unexpectedly finds a young boy, alone and scared, she makes the decision to help him. Before she knows it, a giant wolf-like creature is hunting them down, and things quickly take a turn for the worse.

This is unlike any other “big bad wolf” story, it’s far more interesting and complex. Nat Cassidy does an excellent job portraying the emotional rollercoaster Jessa and the boy, “Kiddo,” experience on their journey together. I appreciated the creativity woven into the story, and the unexpected twist at the end was absolute perfection.

While this differs from Cassidy’s usual work, I thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end. I recommend it to anyone looking for an unpredictable, heart pounding horror story.

Many of the reviews are mixed, and I agree. I don't think I'm the right audience for this, so I decided to give a middle ground eval.

A painful DNF at 75%. I don’t hate this. But I don’t like it either? I was intrigued from the beginning but the further I got the more it dragged and the less I looked forward to reading it. I love the idea of it and the way fear affects the kid but not enough to finish this.

By 60%(?) I was so bored and just wanted it to be over but it wasn’t. It’s been my before bed book so I tried reading it during the day and even then I got through a page and put it down. This is just not for me.

With 3 certified bangers in a row, Nat Cassidy is one of my favorite horror authors and this book is a must read. When the Wolf Comes Home is complex, breakneck paced, and full of surprises. Cassidy’s writing style hooks you with relatable and realistic protagonists- I laughed and cringed in equal measure. THANK YOU to Tor Nightfire for the ARC in exchange for my review of When the Wolf Comes Home, which is available now! This is one of my top reads of the year so far- go read this now so we can talk about it!

Nat Cassidy is now an automatic purchase author. His writing is detailed and fast paced. His characters are well developed and you can tell he puts himself into everything he does. I bought a copy for my home library and have been enthusiastically recommending.