I don't always read the synopsis of a book. I like to go in with a certain level of blindness so that I don't build up unreasonable expectations. I read Nat's previous books so I knew I would get a unique bit of horror. Going off the title and the cover, I assumed this is a werewolf story. I was wrong! And pleasantly surprised! The twist to the story with the little boy's abilities took me a moment to enjoy. I was worried it was going into a more fantasy/scifi/magical theme. But I'm glad I stuck it out!

Jess is my dream main character. She is smart and clever while also being extremely human. She wants to do the right thing but also wants to take care of her own peace. Helen Laser's voice went so perfectly with her personality. It was sweet at times while being sarcastic in the next.

The afterword was probably my favorite part which I know is weird to say about a book like this, but Nat clearly poured his heart out when writing this. I encourage readers to actually read the foreword and afterword of books because you get some insight to the story and author like never before. I loved reading how this book is inspired by the many faces of his father. I think so often, horror gets tossed aside as being trash. But horror books like this help us navigate through tough emotions in a way that doesn't try to remain pretty.

Thank you to NetGalley, Nat Cassidy, Helen Laser and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read When the Wolf Comes Home. I have written this review voluntarily and honestly.

Daaaaaammmmn. This book is next level, old school, gory horror. Here for it. Perfect spooky season book. Great narration.

If Daddy Issues were embodied into a whole horror novel with a sprinkling of fairytales, you'd get When the Wolf Comes Home. A young boy finds his way into the life of Jessa, a waitress and struggling actress, and the chaos that ensues as she tries to rescue him from his monstrous, abusive father threatens to harm everyone around them. With a wonderful supporting cast including Jessa's mom, Cookie, this book bring up a host of new deep-seated fears and explores the shape-shifting nature of our fathers.

I really enjoyed this one, but definitely prepare yourself by checking the content warnings because it is a ride and at times, deeply upsetting. I also very much appreciated Nat's afterward where he goes into the shapeshifting nature of his father and his grandfather that in part inspired the novel as a whole. I don't necessarily expect to be left contemplating my relationship with my own dad after reading a horror novel, but was left pondering it after his tribute.

I also listened to the book as an audiobook and whole-heartedly recommend - the narrator, Helen Laser, does a fantastic job of bringing everyone to life including Jessa, Kiddo, and Cookie. She really brings something extra to the whole experience.

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

The beginning of this book was really interesting but then it felt like it dragged on a bit which made me lose interest. I feel like the pacing was a bit slow with not much payoff. The overall premise was interesting and it was a good balance of funny and serious moments. The narrator was really good though! She did a great job with voices and making the story flow a bit better than just reading it would have.

The first chapter grabs you by the heartstrings with the introduction of "the boy" from his POV, who we learn is living with his abusive/neglectful father - he's never even had a storybook read to him 😭
With the next chapter we are introduced to Jess, who promptly experiences the worst night of her life, punctuated by her discovery of the boy and subsequent introduction to "Daddy" (not in the fun way, sorry Booktok)

The chase begins in short order, with much splashy insides-become-outsides, where Jess (and the reader) learns about the secret that the boy and his father have been hiding; the cause for this whole gory misadventure.

I thought this started off really strong and intriguing, though my interest wavered a bit in the middle in some less serious parts - picturing Doc Brown locked in my bathroom, for one - which dampened the horror experience I was expecting. I'm not as familiar with pop horror.
The rest of the book was fairly predictable, but still worth listening aaallll the way to the end.

Loved the content warnings at the beginning, I really appreciated knowing what to expect in order to make an informed decision to continue listening!
Helen Laser did a wonderful job of narrating and voicing each character distinctly.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the free advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review!

This book was beautifully monstrous. The writing was poetic as horrible things happened, making it mystical and somehow, beautiful. The plot was so unique, as were the characters. There is a lot of bloodshed and many fatalities, but the author did it all so tastefully in an artist’s rendering, the goriness did not bother me. This could easily be a movie, as that is how vivid it played in my mind. I am awestruck by the talent of Nat Cassidy, and bereft at the loss of this story as it came to an end. Just a lovely horror book. Thank you to the Tor Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book was absolutely fantastic. I listened to the audiobook (which is incredible) and I could NOT stop listening to this story!! Dark fairy tales, daddy issues, generational trauma, Stranger Things vibes… oh my. The horror descriptions are vivid and grotesque but also beautifully written??? (Wtf) this book comes out in April and I highly suggest reading it.

Thanks NetGalley & MacMillan Audio for the ARC audiobook.

5 stars

Readers who enjoy fairy tales, fairy tale theory, and horror as a glorious mashup will be in absolute bliss while engaging with this newest effort from Nat Cassidy. I expected to enjoy this but ended up LOVING it.

Jess is in her 20s and having a lot of age-specific drama connected to familial relationships, her own identity, and her future. When a young boy - a truly unusual one at that - seems to fall into her sphere, she can't help but wonder not only what's up with him but also what's up with herself. What ensues is absolutely wild and incredily engaging from the perspectives of horror, lore, and characterization.

The narration of the audiobook makes this narrative even more powerful, so I highly recommend this modality when and where accessible.

I enjoyed this so much that I'm planning to dip back into Cassidy's past works next.

A woman finds a five year old boy in the bushes outside her apartment, leading the two of them on the run from what at first appears to be an abusive father but is actually so much more. What makes a monster? How much room should we allow fear in our lives? This is the wearwolf book I never knew I needed! It’s classic horror, it’s funny, it’s deeply moving and emotionally intelligent. I’m honestly stunned by how good this was.

“Love is a shapeshifting monster.”

Wow did this book take me on a wild ride and I loved it! This was my first book by Nat Cassidy and now I must read his backlist. I really enjoyed his storytelling in this book. I loved how he weaved the horror with the supernatural with small nods to classic fairy tales. It was a very immersive story. I enjoyed our characters in this book and honestly when a few characters got killed I have to say it had me tearing up. I thought I was going to find Jessa annoying, she’s your typical failing actress working a dead end job, miserable 30 something year old, but she really grew on me. Her character really evolved in this story and she got braver and braver as the story unfolded. I enjoyed “kiddo” in the story, he was a very complex five year old and quite frankly terrifying. Some of the scenes in this book were so terrifying, but so gripping. I couldn’t stop listening. I needed to hear how this story ended.

I loved the narrator of this book, she did a fantastic job with the various characters in this book and really put her all into this story making it a very enjoyable read. I also liked hearing from Nat Cassidy at the end and how his own dad was the inspiration for this story.

Overall this book was really fantastic. I haven’t read anything like this and I think that’s what I enjoyed the most. This is an original story written very well. Add this to your 2025 horror reads!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to like this one but I felt kind of duped by the synopsis. No spoilers but it was not what I was expecting.

"When the Wolf Comes Home" is an absolute whirlwind of a read! Nat Cassidy masterfully crafts a gripping narrative that starts in one place and evolves into something entirely unexpected by Part Two. His writing is immersive, drawing readers in with an effortless flow that makes it impossible to put the book down.

I especially loved the homage to the classic Twilight Zone episode "It's a Good Life", a personal favorite of mine, which adds an extra layer of eerie nostalgia to the story. Cassidy’s ability to write a believable and compelling female protagonist is truly impressive (as he shows time and time again), making the psychological depth of the novel even more engrossing.

I did listen to the audio book version and I have to say that this narrator belongs in a hall of fame. Her voice acting is second to none!

This book is packed with classic horror tropes, but rather than feeling overdone, they’re expertly woven into a chilling cosmic horror experience. If you love smart, unsettling horror that keeps you on your toes, this is a must read!

My thanks to NetGalley, Nat Cassidy, and Macmillan Audio for the Audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan audio for an early listening copy of this amazing novel.

Can you say daddy issues? Both main characters have them! This was the perfect chase style thriller/horror novel mixed with total 80's vibe monster movie feel. It was an interesting take on how fear can take control of your life.

I listened to this in one sitting on 2x speed and loved every minute of it.

I don't know how I missed that this was a horror thriller. It wasn't written in the description, unfortunately horror just doesn't do it for me. I tried but I am not getting into it at all. I couldn't continue and had to DNF.

This has been a highly anticipated read for me and it lived up to that hype!! I it kept me so hooked that I couldn’t stop listening to the audiobook until the moment I finished it. An excellent read for fans of classic horror!

When The Wolf Comes Home
Nat Cassidy
Publication Date: April 22

5 / 5

This book hits on so many things, (identity, acceptance, ancestral trauma) but most of all it's amazing.
A woman and a boy are on the run from his "daddy" who changes when he's angry.
But this is no ordinary little boy either.

Nat Cassidy writes flawed characters so perfectly. I enjoyed every moment I spent running with these characters.

This book hit the ground running, then shifts and shifts again, disorienting you and making you dizzy with enjoyment.

This book is adventurous. This book is scary. This book is funny.

I've loved both 'Mary' and 'The Nestlings', but When The Wolf Comes Home is by far my favorite.

I can't wait to hear everyone else's thoughts on this fantastic book that's so much more than a werewolf story. There's darkness. There's light. There's horror. And, importantly, there's hope.

I loved it.
Highly Recommend
5 stars

I can say confidently that Nat Cassidy’s When the Wolf Comes Home is one of the best horror books of the year. This is a fast paced, thrilling, and imaginative story that will hit you in the feels. It is best to go in blind, but be prepared for a ride with a very poignant ending.

This was a fantastic audiobook, narrated beautifully by Helen Laser (with a very impactful section by Nat himself and of course, his beautiful afterword).
Laser brought this story to full vibrant life. Her pacing and characterizations were spot on, with great production by @macmillan.audio. I strongly recommend this one!

3.5 rounded up. Audiobook version.

This is a very interesting, and heart wrenching, take on the big bad wolf. Through a horror lens, we examine the complicated relationships children have with their parents and the manifestations of those relationships.

We follow Jess, a young aspiring actress, as she finds herself on the run with a young child who has secrets of his own. The magical realism element was a welcome surprise, which kicked off around 31% in.

As with all of his books, Nat is excellent at bringing his characters to life and making you truly care about them, their motivations, and the things they experience.

The narrarator did a wonderful job bringing Jess and the boy to life.

I can't quite put my finger on it, but this one just doesn't reach 5 stars for me. I think this will very easily find its audience of fans and is a good additional to Nat Cassidy's publication list.

This is my second Nat Cassidy book, and after loving Nestlings, I knew I’d be in good hands going into this one. It absolutely did not disappoint.

As always, Nat brought the classic horror element but also gave us so much depth in this book with the deeper themes of parenthood-especially fatherhood and fear. This really is a story about fear itself in all of its forms. He crafted such a clever and thoughtful story utilizing fear as our horror theme here in both metaphorical and literal uses within this book that I just know I’ll be thinking about it long after finishing. I enjoyed the high stakes, chase-style plot, along with the character development. Several moments, I found myself taken aback with visceral fear from what was developing on the page and that’s such a testament to his writing. I honestly have no notes, this book was utter perfection.

The audiobook was narrated by one of my very favorites, Helen Laser, and as always she did an incredible job with her voice work and with bringing these characters to life. I also looked forward to the author’s afterward, as it’s always insightful and adds an even more meaningful layer to the story upon finishing. Thank you so much to Tor and NetGalley for this early copy.

Cassidy is a well known name on my personal bookshelf. His supernatural, psychological, dystopian short stories are all such a treat, and now I can add creature feature to the list. This is also my first time experiencing one of his books in audiobook form and it did not disappoint. Helen Laser does a wonderfully immersive job of pulling you into the story with some surprise narration from Cassidy himself and when the 2 read in tandem...its just finesse.

Jump into the disappointing world of Jess, a 30 something failing actress with a stranger for a roommate, working shitty restaurant jobs after getting blacklisted by a sex driven manager now cleaning gross bathrooms only to get stabbed by a dirty needle. She goes home in a panic induced state only to stumble across a lost 5yo in her backyard who turns her world upside-down. The bloody scenes Tarentino would be proud of, stack sky high from here.

This fast paced monster filled novel takes on a journey dictated through the eyes of a very frightened child. The only thing Jess can do is try her all to keep him away from the one person he fears most...his father. Dad isn't just some ordinary scary dad, but something that most are terrified being under the bed after they read the novel children's tales of the big bad wolf. No mater what she does, things just keep getting worse and people end up dead. Part way through, Jess discovers a very dark secret that perhaps she can use to save the kid and hopefully herself from the monster in tow. Little does she know daddy isn't the only one causing bodies to drop. The ending is a sucker punch in a daring way. Hat off to Cassidy for that curve ball.

Nat Cassidy spends some time with his afterward discussing his purpose for the story and his personal relationship with his father. There is so much important content in this that the story flew through my head again and all carefully crafted character elements and the pivotal story points made all the more sense. All of his stories have a raw element to them and that's him drawing from his personal storyline for us readers to get that even deeper connection. I'm thankful for all things this brilliant mind writes and look forward to the next creation.