And I thought Mary was a banger! Stephen King and I both agree--this is Nat's best work yet. OMG -- these characters. Instantly fell in love with them. Jess is an incredible lead. AN ABSOLUTE MUST READ!!

Oh my goodness! This book scared the living daylights out of me—more than the sum of all the horrifying horror movies and books I’ve ever devoured. And it’s not because of gore, gruesome imagery, or jump scares. It’s the raw, emotional terror of the situations these characters face… the slow, creeping fear that grows deeper every time a character you’ve connected with meets a haunting end.

This isn’t just a horror story—it’s about facing your own fears head-on. It triggered a level of anxiety and panic in me that I wasn't prepared for. It’s not about fictional villains or monsters under the bed; it’s about grief, trauma, feelings of inadequacy, fractured family dynamics, personal guilt, and the ugly truths we bury deep inside ourselves. It’s about those inner demons that keep us from truly living.

I highly recommend reading the author’s note at the end. It will resonate with anyone who has a complicated relationship with their parents—or has encountered real-life shapeshifters. You might even be one yourself.

The story begins with a young boy witnessing his father’s violent outburst—an eruption of fury that forces the boy to run away from home.

Then we meet Jess, a failed actress who recently moved to LA. After rejecting a sleazy advance from her boss, she’s blacklisted from top-tier restaurants and now works the graveyard shift at a rundown diner. She’s still reeling from the death of her estranged father and struggling to open up emotionally to her mother, Cookie, who lives in senior care.

One night, after accidentally stabbing herself with a junkie’s discarded needle while cleaning a vomit-covered restroom, Jess decides to head home early—thinking nothing could possibly make her night worse. But she’s wrong. As soon as she returns to her apartment, sipping a beer and googling what she might have been injected with, she hears strange sounds outside.

She discovers the young boy from the opening scene and takes him in—only to hear screaming from her neighbors. That’s when she realizes two terrifying things:

The boy’s father is hunting him.

Something between a wild bear and a monstrous wolf is attacking people nearby.

They have to run.

During their frantic escape, Jess discovers the horrifying truth: the boy’s father and the monstrous creature are one and the same. And to survive, she’ll have to uncover the deeper secrets surrounding this boy she’s trying so hard to protect… if escape is even possible.

Overall:
This was mind-blowing—terrifying, yes, but also surprisingly emotional, introspective, and thought-provoking. I felt an unexpected connection with the author and the story’s themes. I’m giving it five shapeshifting stars and can’t wait to read more of his work!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group/Tor Nightfire for providing me with a digital reviewer copy of this unique and unforgettable horror novel in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I loved this book! So fast paced. I could not put it down. We follow Jess, a struggling actress, who discovers a five -year old runaway hiding outside her apartment. After a violent encounter with the boy's father, Jess and the boy find themselves on the run. The writing is both chilling and profound with jaw-dropping twists and gut-wrenching emotional depth.

The novel explores themes of fear, anxiety, and the legacy of parental failure, making it more than just a horror story. The character development is superb, particularly the relationship between Jess and the boy, which adds a layer of emotional complexity to the narrative. This is a must read for horror fans!

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review. These thoughts are my own.

Man this was such a fun book! The blending of horror and fairytales was so well done! But why was I crying?! 😆

I loved the whole concept of this book. I won’t go into detail so I don’t reveal any spoilers (though you find out early on), but somehow this gory book turns heartwarming and then heartbreaking all at once. The FMC was so relatable to me (hello anxiety, self-doubt and spiraling thoughts!) and even her reactions to the five-year-old MMC were relatable.

After finishing this book, I already loved it. But then the author’s note comes, and that definitely sealed the deal for me. I honestly want to say so much more, so if you’ve read this, I’d love to chat about it with you!

𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝑰'𝒅 𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐:
Fans of horror, dark fairytales, symbolism.
(And if you’re not a fan of horror but don’t mind a little gore, you should try this!)

What a heartbreaking read this was!

As you start the read, you absolutely know what the book is about...until you realize that you absolutely do NOT. There are some really terrific surprises here!

The book is violent, touching, and incredibly sad.

It's also fast paced and simply fun to read - and points to a bit of an homage to a very favorite Twilight Zone episode!

A fantastic read!

* ARC via Publisher

All of a sudden everyone seems to be raving about this book, Stephen King included, and while I enjoyed it well enough I was not as blown away by it as he seemed to be. It was undoubtedly an interesting premise, and it raised some interesting questions along the way, but something about it just fell a little short for me. Unfortunately I'm not really sure what that something is, just that it seemed to be lacking it. I liked out main character Jess, although she was vaguely impulsive and honestly made a few choices that didn't seem to make any sense, but she was young and in a tough spot, so I can't exactly fault her for that. I also liked the child character (mostly called Kiddo throughout the book), and felt that Cassidy did a good job writing through his eyes the handful of times we got to see it. The smattering of other character POVs we got were fine. As I said above the plot was certainly an interesting one, and the "twist" really ended up adding more to the story than I was expecting. All in all it really was an enjoyable ride, it just didn't knock me off my feet. Perhaps it was just a little too silly at times? Maybe I wanted there to be just a little more substance? Honestly I'm not really sure, and perhaps I never will be. Whatever it is that's missing for me does mean that I won't be fearlessly championing it to whoever will or won't listen, but I'll still be happy enough to suggest customers pick it up if it's something I think they might be interested in, and I might even whip up a shelf-talker for it. I'll also be keeping an eye out for whatever Cassidy puts out next, because despite not loving his books quite as much as some in the horror community his work is certainly solid and contains some good scares.

I want to start by giving a huge thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for allowing me to read this book & share my thoughts! I was so excited when I was approved!!!
How can I begin to describe the whiplash I experienced on this emotional rollercoaster?! This was filled with moments that were terrifying & creatures stepping right out of nightmares! We are given lots of gore, death, and intense sentiments of trauma/fear/loss of control.
The book is fast-paced, and I didn't feel that it dragged for me at all. Just when I thought I understood what was going on, there was a twist!
I was really drawn to the characters, and they tore my heart out! I loved the connection that Jess established with the little boy & how they bonded through similar relationships with their paternal figures.

The very end was alright but I significantly liked this book more than Nestlings, which I also made a review on. My favorite out of the two! Overall, this was a great horror read, in my opinion, with a great atmosphere of mystery!
Then, the Afterword from the author was very touching!

🐺🏡🩸No one will be spared🩸🏡🐺

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" - Franklin D. Roosevelt


Jess is a waitress/failed actress that is having the shittiest shift of her life, when she finally goes home, she finds herself as the new self appointed guardian of a terrified tiny human that is on the run fearing for his life from his Dad. The night goes bad to out of this world extremely wrong. On the run crazy shit keeps happening, and soon, they might find out what happens when the wolf comes home.

This book took off from 0-60 and forgot to put the brakes pedals on. It's brutal, visceral, and it tugs on your heartstrings. It's so morally complicated in more ways than one. A heartbreak and gut punch mixed perfectly with horror and thrill.

The relationship between Jessa and Kiddo and how she tries her best to be positive and uplifting while also dealing with her own personal shit, is the closest that you can describe being a parent, we don't know what we are doing, we just hoping not to fuck it up while trying. The "wolf" and other stuff happening in the book was insane! The descriptions, the sheer obliteration, and decimation without any remorse or discrimination was so refreshing to see. No one will be spared... when the wolf comes home...

This was true bone-chilling nightmare fuel.


I want to thank NetGalley for allowing me to read this e-book ARC and absolute masterpiece of horror!

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was my first Nat Cassidy book and it definitely won't be my last. I can see why so much people recommend their books! This was a great fix of supernatural thriller that explored fear and anxiety and family trauma in a way that kept me engaged.

I'm not going to say anything else because you just need to dive into this book.

this book was everything and then some.
It gutted me, it haunted me, and it left me sobbing!! The emotional grip this story had on me? Absolutely unreal.

The story shows the representation of fear and how it roots itself in our lives, how it controls us, and how it lingers long after the monster is gone. I’m still crying just thinking about it.

This book has everything: honestly five stars isn’t enough. This is a story that is going to be stuck with me for a long time!

Nat Cassidy is an auto-buy author for me! I love his writing and his books are always compelling and horrifying. When the Wolf Comes Home was another fantastic book by Cassidy. I loved the wild storyline, the characters, and the gory horror moments.

The story was a mix of a lot of different genres. It was part horror, action, drama, and a little sci-fi. It felt different than Cassidy’s previous work. There was a lot going on in the story, but it never felt confusing or disjointed. The story was so engrossing from the very beginning. It was action packed and exciting.

I loved the ending, even though it made me sad. I also loved the afterword by Cassidy. He has the best afterwords in his books!

I definitely recommend this book to horror lovers. I will definitely be buying a copy of When the Wolf Comes Home once it’s released. I can’t wait for Cassidy’s next book!

Wow. If you’re able to, go into this book knowing as little as possible about it. This will add to the shocking moments, along with the unexpected moments of humor.

Still want to know about it? Well, the book begins with a server called Jess getting poked in the finger by a used syringe while cleaning the bathroom. From there, the stakes become much, much higher. If you enjoy horror and fairy tales, this one should be right up your alley.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

Nat Cassidy knows how to do horror with heart! When the Wolf Comes Home had me feeling all the feels😭🫣🫠🤯

Late one night, Jess stumbles upon a scared boy outside her apartment. Just when she thinks she’s done something good, a werewolf shows up, in search of the boy and leaves bloody chaos behind. Talk about a quick plot twist! 🐺💥 So Jess and her new little friend take off from the monster and an emotional suspense filled adventure immediately begins.

This sci-fi-thriller comes in hot and stays fast-paced right til the end. I didn’t see half of what was coming and I loved the ride.

*thanks to #netgalley and @tordotcompub and @catnassidy 👊🏻for this arc opportunity. Pub date is April

This was a wild ride of a horror novel that I thought was going in one direction, and then swerved into a whole other direction that I didn't see coming. But Cassidy mostly pulled it off, with lots of suspense, lots of gore, and some really effective beats of pathos to boot. I will say that I was left a bit cold by the ending, but overall it was a pretty good horror ride, even if it wasn't what I was expecting.

𝑶𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔, 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒔. 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆. 𝑯𝒂𝒕𝒆. 𝑭𝒆𝒂𝒓. 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒓. 𝑨𝒃𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒓. 𝑨𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒓. 𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓. 𝑴𝒊𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒓. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒑𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒎𝒖𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒚 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔.

I barely skimmed the synopsis, not really sure of the plot, but I wanted to know why so many of my book friends said this book made them cry. When I finished the author's notes, I understood. When the author wrote, "My father was a shapeshifter" I understood that to my very core.

If the Supernatural episode "Bedtime Stories" had a baby with early Dean Koontz, this book would be the result. After a brutal prologue that immediately piqued my interest, I settled in with Jess, a struggling actress working a dead-end job at a diner. She's cleaning the restroom when it happens...the moment that changes the trajectory of her life. Shortly after arriving home, she finds a five-year-old boy hiding in the bushes outside her apartment. After a horrific, bloody encounter with the boy's father, she's forced to go on the run to save herself and this mysterious boy who understands so little of the modern world.

Part creature horror and part grief horror, the tension was unrelenting, and I was not prepared for the sucker punches of soul-shattering grief. It's absolutely unreal how complex and layered this story is while at the same time communicating an almost ancient simple wisdom that everyone at some point will face.

Many thanks to Tor Nightfire for this early read. This title is expected to publish April 22, 2025.

"All dads are mother fuckers." With that opening, you had me hooked Nat. I devoured this story from the start to the end and I greatly appreciated the epilogue. If you didn't know, I love epilogues where the author explains their thought processes behind their writing. It's a top tier aspect in a book that I will always appreciate. Also, thank you for your take on content warnings. I appreciate it!

The boy, the wolf, the dad, the fmc all had me in their grips and wouldn't let me go. The plays on memory, creation, imagination and fear all made for lots of moments and thoughts that will stick with me.

There were moments of pure grossness ala Rest Stop (think eyes) and some straight up whacky turns of events. But the real kickers are the moments that punched me in the gut with how brutal the events played out. "No one will be spared when the wolf comes home."

Anytime I feel a prickle on the back of my neck, I'll think of that thread. It played on a very real fear of mine while adding to it - the fear of losing myself to my own mind.

Huge thank you to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for the advanced E-book!

Just preorder it. Don’t read the back. Don’t look into it at all. Go in blind and trust Nat Cassidy’s clinical attention to detail to destroy your reality.

This book sent my OCD on a rampage and gave my nightmares more fuel than I’ve ever known. At times it felt like reading my childhood journal in ways that were absolutely panic inducing. And it’s a horror novel, so that means it’s doing a damn good job. And that is all the information you need.

Go feel the fear.

This is SO MUCH MORE than what the synopsis gives. I was settled in for a werewolf book, but pretty quickly I was left reeling when the story's true nature was revealed. What I assumed was going to be a quirky, dark, creepy (this is Nat Cassidy, after all) retelling of the Big Bad Wolf became something much deeper and more striking.

This is a story about fear, itself. About loneliness and connection and facing demons, real and imagined, external and internal. I loved it. Cassidy fills these pages with action (essentially it's The Terminator?) and emotion, with humor and horrors. This is his strongest work yet.

Holy shit this was amazing. I loved it. At first I wasn’t sure if I’d like it as much as NC’s others but by 35% I couldn’t put it down. This was so unique and literally bonkers.

I'm starting to think that Nat Cassidy is scared of public restrooms.

No part of this book was what I expected and that's not a bad thing. When the Wolf Comes Home kept me on my toes the whole time- I can honestly say I had no idea what was going to happen next. There was a lot happening in this book and I think that made it feel a bit long. While I don't really think this was a book for me, I do think it was extremely well written, fast paced and entertainingThe characters were great and I quite enjoyed the bit with Who Killed Roger Rabbit.

*The trigger warning at the beginning of this one might just be my favorite part of the whole book!