Honestly, if you struggle with relationships with your parents…please read this. This healed me in a way I can’t quite describe.

This book follows Jess who finds a 5 year old boy hiding in bushes outsider her apartment. He is hiding and running from his father. A truly scary man. So many WILD and bloody things happen on their journey. And when they wolf finally comes home, none will be spared.

Minus the fact that this helped heal my inner child a bit, it was seriously such a well written book with phenomenal characters. I also listened to this and the narrator did such a great job.

Highly recommend this book. Definitely put it on your list.

Jess, a struggling actress trying to live out her dreams of stardom in California, finds a boy hiding in the bushes outside her apartment. Then Dad shows up. From then on the reader is vaulted into a non-stop, anxiety inducing, thrill ride where deciding whether to fight or flee is a moment to moment occurance.

Having read and been properly horrified by two of Nat Cassidy's previous novels, I was confident going into When the Wolf Comes Home, yet wary of whether he could truly pull it off again. He did not disappoint. Once again, I felt all of the feelings and emotions one should have with a truly great horror read. I was terrified, panicked, confused, tired, and emotionally drained. I was lulled into a sense of calm that MUST signify the end of terror and destruction, right? And then I turned the page where madness and mayhem took the reins again.

Nat Cassidy has checked all of the boxes with this story. He has made relatable, profoundly human characters, created conversation that flowed realistically, has reimagined a classic horror villain and made it something else, and has become a master at setting a scene. He also has this crazy ability to describe a scene that terrifies but just when you think it's as awful as it can be, he doubles down and layers madness on top of madness until you actually feel the level of horror the character must be experiencing. And somehow, he managed to convince a few of my favorite villains from the 80's out of retirement to reprise their roles for a hilarious, horrifying, guest star moment that was completely unhinged and unexpected.

Without spoiling the fear and fun of the plot of this book, let me just say, go get it!

Ahoy there me mateys!  I first tried the author's nestlings and didn't finish it but I wanted to give his work another chance.  This new book sounded so interesting.  A young woman named Jess finds a five-year old boy near her apartment.  He is terrified of his father finding him.  Soon the father arrives to take back the boy.  Then a wolf creature ends up slaughtering the entire apartment complex.  Jess and the boy go on the run trying to keep ahead of the father.  Jess is also trying to figure out why the FBI is involved and what is the true nature of creature is.  Why is it determined to get the boy?

This was a very evocative read.  I was sympathetic to Jess who didn't ask for her life to go insane, to be on the run, and to deal with a five-year old and his mysteries.  She wants to do the right thing but it is hard and scary and Jess continuously wants the boy to be someone else's problem.  I loved Jess's mom Cookie and their loving if irregular relationship.  I appreciated Jess's negative relationship with her own father, her conflicted opinions, and how they influenced the story.

As for the boy, everything about him was fascinating and sad.  His attachment to a book he got from a Little Free Library was heart wrenching.  He has grown up isolated and terrified of his father.  I thought how his situation was introduced was completely effective and sobering.  I was rooting for him.  He is such a sympathetic character.

This book is not for the faint of heart.  It is bloody and gory.  There are some seemingly silly moments involving Who Framed Roger Rabbit or merchandise at Target that quickly becomes horrifying.  There is a feel of Dean Koontz's themes of young scared boy, special powers of a child, and monsters early on in the book which continue throughout.  The excellent author's note expands on these influences and other themes.

The only real negative for me was the ending.  At the 85% mark, I was a little less interested in how the plot was unfolding.  I didn't mind the unhappy ending as the foreword warned.  It made perfect sense given the context of the novel.  I was, however, not impressed by Jess's ending.  Personal preference as most of the crew loved it.

I am glad I gave the author's work another chance and will read more of his work.  Arrrr!

3.5 rounded up

As much as it irritates me when people say to go into various media blind, I really do recommend it for this book. Anything by Nat Cassidy is an instant read from me and so far he's 3 for 3 on five-star novels. Many horror authors seem to fumble child characters, either making them too childlike and thus a caricature or just small adults. Cassidy finds the balance between the two extremes and really gets into the mind of an anxious, isolated child with an overactive imagination (to put it mildly). The reveals throughout were satisfying and shocking, and the ending left me laying face down on the floor feeling despair and emptiness like a good horror novel should. I am still working through the message/takeaway because there are just so many nuances and layers, another good sign. And the child was right -- cartoons and cartoon violence ARE terrifying.

Going into this one blind, I wasn't sure what to expect -- but damn, did I love every last moment of this one. I gasped, I laughed, and I even teared up a little. Besides a bit of a found family story about a different type of boy and a troubled young woman, there were so many layers to this horror and its commentary on fear that will stick with me for a very long time. I loved how creative the visuals were, making this feel like an action packed thriller film in my mind, filled with little twists and turns. The shift of POVs was also done seamlessly, making it impossible not to wonder what you would be doing if you were in the character's situations. And that ending? Ripped my heart into shreds in the best way. Bonus points for an awesome afterward by Cassidy that I found just as captivating to read.

This is my first Nat Cassidy book and I'm counting it as a success even if at first I wasn't really sure how to feel about it. 3.5 stars.

At first, I thought this would be a werewolf book, but the werewolf element is barely even there. It's more about daddy issues and facing your fears with some amazing horror imagery. The writing is simple yet gripping, and I was entertained throughout. I just wasn't amazed, and I expected to be, but I'm leaving this book with a good impression and a desire to read Nestlings and Mary.

The audiobook narration is great and the narrator did a good job at conveying emotions and changing her voice when it suited. It was also cool to listen to Nat Cassidy read the author's note!

Nat Cassidy has been writing great books for a while, of course, but When the Wolf Comes Home knocks it out of the park. Equal parts terrifying and thrilling, Nat creates a wholly enthralling story that runs headlong into chaos and danger and pulls the reader along with him. The titular wolf is hunting for his son, who has hidden himself away with the help of Jess, a struggling actress who didn't ask for any of this mess, but can't turn her back on this five-year-old who might be more powerful than he seems.

This felt so reminiscent of 80s King, with magical boys, relentless monsters, and an everyday person just trying to stay alive one more day. Really enjoyable, with an underlying poignancy that lingers.

Wow. Wow. Creature feature meets grief horror. This book was terrifying. Emotional. Tense. It kept me on my toes and I was second guessing what was actually happening throughout. Also make sure you read the authors note at the end as it really explains a lot and you’ll get all emotional again. I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time.

This was the perfect slump-buster, it was a very quick read, highly entertaining, and kept me guessing till the end. I was very impressed with where Cassidy went with it and how he handled the concept of coping with fear. This is the third absolute winner for me from Cassidy and I absolutely can’t wait for what he comes up with next.

He writes such captivating horror stories! And this his newest novel was freaking perfection.
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 pulse-pounding, this horror novel captures the 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.

I’ve read all of Nat Cassidy’s books and I’m consistently blown away by his ability to take a real life experience or a relatively simple premise and turn it into the most entertaining, memorable, and terrifying story I’ve read. Each of his books conjure a specific memory – like, being unnerved anytime my shower curtain was closed after reading MARY or regretting having a house with so many windows while reading NESTLINGS – and WHEN THE WOLF COMES HOME won’t be an exception.

As one of my auto-buy authors, I went into this book completely blind though I’m not sure if any synopsis could have adequately prepared me for what I read. It started strong, and though there were a few chapters that made me wonder if this would be a rare miss – some of the sudden tonal shifts and special effects didn't quite land for me – by the end I was pleasantly proven wrong. WHEN THE WOLF COMES HOME is so different from anything I’ve read before, with themes that are heavy but handled with care and elements that feel like big risks that push the boundaries of this genre. His talent is undeniable and I can't wait to read whatever he comes up with next.

There has been so much buzz about this book and I’m here to tell you - it’s worth the hype.

Be prepared: this is a horror novel with gore. There’s a page of trigger warnings provided by the author at the beginning. If you’re able to get past that, When The Wolf Comes Home is an adrenaline-fueled, emotionally-driven, Twilight Zone-ish story. This is horror with heart. I went into the book not reading the blurb, trusting that author Nat Cassidy would not do me wrong; I suggest you do the same. When The Wolf Comes Home is a wild ride worth taking! I already know it will be one of my top (if not top) horror novels of the year. Mr. Cassidy, well done 🏆

P.S. Be sure read the author’s “Afterword.”

Thank you for the opportunity to read in advance!

Nat Cassidy has done it again! When the Wolf Comes Home was a wild ride full of the most unhinged terrors and deep emotions. Nat is an auto-read author for me, so I didn't so much as read the blurb before diving in. I expected a werewolf story and got that and so much more. The turn this book took was the absolute best surprise. If I had to pick two favorite things:
1) The bits with the weasels and the toon-man. I think that was the only movie to actually ever give me nightmares, and those scenes in the story worked SO WELL, especially on the tail end of the absolute social panic from the preceding events.
2) Jess's response to the boy was so well-written. I don't have children, but I could absolutely see myself responding the same way in this situation. Her feelings throughout the book felt so real. I loved her as the protagonist.

Read this if you wanna have a great time and also be forced to feel things.

Oh man this was wild! I thought things were going to go a certain way, but was pleasantly surprised at how it all started to shake out. Without giving too much away, I love when a book doesn't just rely on "because I said so" to explain bizarre things. When there is a legit reason for things, it makes me a million times more invested. Add to it, Jess is a very sympathetic main character, especially because she is just an average person, living her mundane life when everything goes off the rails. She could be any of us, which makes it that much easier to put ourselves in her shoes. And then when there is a kid involved, it creates all kinds of mixed feelings!

I also love how the author delved into other issues like trauma and loss and grief, even in the middle of all the chaos. It really helped to make the story feel well-rounded, and like the reader could connect with all the characters- even those you kind of didn't want to feel sympathetic toward. And the ending was absolute perfection, there were absolutely mind-blowing twists and turns, and whew. I agree with Tammy when she said "Nat Cassidy’s best book yet". Extra especially when you take the author's note into consideration, how can an author make me love the author's note almost as much as the book itself?! Anyway, you do not want to miss out on this one, that is for certain!

Bottom Line: Blending horror and emotion and amazing characters, this is one of my favorite books of 2025!

What is this author's fascination with bathrooms? At the beginning of the book, readers are plunged into a dirty bathroom and held inside for two whole chapters while the main character reminisces about her life. I don't know what it was about the main character, but she made me cringe with her forgetfulness and life story. I know this is dubbed a horror, but the story line was too unbelievable for my taste and I didn't like any of the characters.

HOLY COW. I am absolutely speechless at this book. This was an absolutely incredible read. Cassidy is a genius and this is a masterpiece.

I loved every single second of this book and found myself immediately wanting to re-read it when I finished. Speaking of when I finished it, let me tell you the way I was sobbing and simply could not stop. I'm not much of crier, but I absolutely lost it.

This is a gorgeous tale of fear and the ways it controls us. But it's also about family, friendship, trust and love. This is my favorite book of the year so far and I truly cannot imagine anything topping it.

All the stars. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Wow! This was my first read by this author, and I'm immediately adding their backlist to my TBR. This book uniquely melded some great horror tropes and kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved the multiple POVS, but I got more attached to Jessa and the initially nameless boy she rescues and goes on the run with. The pacing was great with persistent danger, and I enjoyed how it all played out.

Jess is a struggling actress who finds her apartment complex under attack one night, after a young, scared boy shows up outside. Suddenly on the run from the boy's father and law enforcement, Jess must outrun the savagery following her and protect her young charge - at all costs.

This was a fun, bloody riot. There is gore galore but also a lot of heart, as the book examines the effects of child abuse and neglect and how that shapes us. Some of the scenes are laugh out loud funny and some had me feeling emotional. Cassidy's writing is accessible and he makes Jess a fully-formed, perhaps overly sarcastic leading lady.

This book is objectively good, but I just couldn't immerse myself in it fully. That's got to be a "me problem" but I still enjoyed myself. This was my first Nat Cassidy novel (I know, I'm a fraud) and I will definitely be reading his other books.

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CW gore, death, child abuse

Thank you Tor Nightfire for my free ARC of When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy — available TOMORROW, Apr 22!

» READ IF YOU «
❤️‍🔥 are a sucker for horror stories with heart
🐺 have ever been accused of having an overactive imagination
📝 love when the author's note makes the book even better

» SYNOPSIS «
I recommend going into this book relatively blind, so I'll only provide the briefest of synopses: Jess stumbles upon a runaway little boy on night, and her world changes drastically in an instant. Running from danger together, Jess will be forced to wonder if her reality will ever be the same again.

» REVIEW «
This book blew me away. I didn't know what to expect, really, but what I got was one of my favorite reads of the year! Nat's characters are always really impactful for me, but the ones in this particular story will not leave my brain for a loooong time. And don't get me started on the author's note!!! I recommend never ever skipping an author's note in any book, but this is one case where you actually MUST read it—no exceptions.

This book continues my favorite trend in recent horror stories, which I think we're calling "horror with heart," but which actually just means they leaves me a sobbing mess at the end. I'd be surprised if anyone could read this book without getting emotional by the closing few chapters. And? Just when you think it's over, you get hit with a concept that kind of gave me an existential crisis. An amazing piece of fiction that I think everyone, including non-horror readers, should pick up this year.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much for giving me an arc of this! This book was spectacular. It was emotional, terrifying. I cried and I was also terrified. I will now side eye every Halloween mask. I did not expect the deep level of emotional trauma that this touched. It was just amazing.