This was my second read from Nat Cassidy after being pleasantly surprised by Nestlings. I was a little nervous at the beginning - this book started with a lot of action and gore, which isn’t really my thing. As the story went on and we learned more about the situation, though, I started to really enjoy the plot. One of the big themes was the power of fear, and the way it manifested was very interesting. I really appreciated the author’s note at the end. I will say - check trigger warnings. The narrator of the audiobook did a great job.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this ARC! I am a big fan of this Author’s books such as Nestlings and Mary but this book didn’t give me the same horror vibes as the others. This book was well written and I did enjoy the characters and the plot, however, I think this book would be enjoyed by a younger audience such as teens . This book wasn’t scary for me or unsettling as I thought it would be. It was more of a dark fairytale with a dose of humor sprinkled in. Even though this book wasn’t my favorite from the author I will definitely continue to read his books..

A scared lost 5 year old boy is found by Jess, a struggling actress.outside her apartment. His father comes looking for him and the scene becomes a blood bath. Jess finds herself and the little boy on the run while she is trying to figure out what she is up against.

This was a wild ride and I absolutely loved it!! I had no idea what to expect which made it even better. This story took such an interesting turn and had so many delicious pop culture references. Those references were the cherry on top of a violent, action packed, bloody sundae. Do yourself a favor and check this one out—great story, well paced, lots of scares and a serious moral dilemma.

The audiobook was well narrated and made the story even better. The authors note at the end is worth a listen, some insight into his thoughts!!
5 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review,

3 out of 5 stars.
I have read books by Nat Cassidy previously and loved it. Pretty atmospheric. This book also had that atmosphere but the horror elements were lacking for me. I liked the pretty unique approach with werewolves in this book and the adventure of Jess and the kiddo. I enjoyed my listen but I wanted something more. Still pretty good book

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

I'm not sure what I was expecting but this definitely wasn't in, DEFINITELY in a good way! Gave me the creepy-crawlies at times. Very well written and suspenseful throughout.

Holy smokes. I went through a rollercoaster of emotions while reading this. This was a strange supernatural thriller which explored maybe heavy topics such as trauma, grief, abandonment and so much more. Probably my favourite Nat Cassidy book so far.

Following an horrible shift at her diner job, actress Jess doesn’t expect to find a little boy in the hedges outside her apartment. When his father comes looking for him, Jess immediately realizes that something isn’t quite right with the boy or his father. Jess and the boy hit the road, but his father and the destruction he seems to bring is only one step behind them. Jess is quickly running out of places to hide and people she can trust.

Nat Cassidy has easily become one of my favorite horror writers and When the Wolf Comes Home was easily another five star favorite. I went in assuming this would be just another werewolf book (no shade!), but this book was so much more and went in directions I could not even begin to anticipate. There are some truly gruesome scenes and lots of moments of body horror, so content warning for that if you need. One of my favorite things about Cassidy’s books is the way he writes his female main characters. We learn a lot about Jess in this book as she navigates who she can turn to for help, and she ended up being quite easy to root for.

This book was very tense and I think the audiobook narrator did a great job with their narration. The action starts pretty much immediately and the pace doesn’t really slow down until the very end. The narrator really captures the fear and frantic desperation main character Jess feels as she’s forced to think on her feet time and time again.

5/5 stars and I’m already salivating for Nat’s next book.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for a review copy.

OMG. LOVED is an inadequate word to describe my feelings about this tale.

Okay. If you're a Supernatural (the show) fan and are still wondering, "Whatever happened to the Niflheim kid?" or kids like him? Then the Wolf Comes Home might shed some light, though it's still originally independent from that story.
If you have no idea what I'm referencing, no worries, just buckle up and enjoy the ride.
I'm not even sure how to describe what I listened to. It was funny, sad, scary, gory, hilarious, relatable, and more. My emotions got whiplash, and I'm saying, "Thank you."

P.S. I'm glad we're not pretending like R. R. and Toon Town wasn't anything but a bat-shit, fevered nightmare for children.
P.P.S. Helen Laser was PERFECTION, no notes.

Narrated by Helen Laser aaaand Nat Cassidy

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook!

💥💥 Book Review 💥💥

When the Wolf Comes Home
By Nat Cassidy
⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars
🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺

I received the audio from NetGalley to listen to and it was definitely an interesting read for sure. This horror novel was a wild ride that started in one direction and swerved and took a whole different route all together. I did like the audio because it heightened the suspense of the overall storytelling. I do think the ending was a let down and left the reader in the cold.

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

Another well-executed horror (but has some elements of a mystery/thriller)from Nat Cassidy. While the storyline is not necessarily new it was an interesting take on what fear and trauma does to us as humans. It was fast-paced and the writing drew you in completely. I read the digital ARC along with listening , the experience was phenomenal and added to the terror of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC.

After Jess, a struggling actress, wraps up her diner shift early, she returns home and discovers a disheveled little boy hiding in the bushes outside of her apartment. She gently coaxes the boy out, and using her distinctive humor, gets him to trust her enough to tell her he's in serious danger, and now, she probably is too. That's when the stuff hits the fan and all heck breaks loose in the form of the boy's viciously-violent father.

Jess has no choice but to run with the boy in tow, but is anywhere going to be safe from the one hunting them, who seems to have preternatural skills? Initially, Jess believes she knows the precariousness of their situation, but it gets way more perilous and downright crazy than she could have ever predicted.

Wow, wow, wow; that was my initial reaction upon finishing When the Wolf Comes Home. I hadn't looked at any reviews prior, so I wasn't sure how others were receiving it, but I immediately knew it was a top contender for my favorite book of 2025. I cried actual grown-ass lady tears for the last 1/2-hour of the audiobook, which is fabulously-narrated. There were minutes, legit continuous minutes, towards the end where I had full body chills after a big reveal, when I realized what had actually happened.

This was the first time I've read from Nat Cassidy, and I'll be honest, this wasn't what I anticipated. He incorporates much more dark humor than I expected, and I was living for it. I thought I was getting one type of story when I picked this up, but it went in a wildly different direction and I loved the creepy-creativity behind that turn. The thought of these events actually happening IRL, like what would you do!?

In spite of the gruesome nature of this story, I still managed to connect to it in a deeply-emotional way. It took me by surprise. I felt so many different things, for example, a protective love for Jess and the kiddo. Why did you do this to me Cassidy? I don't like to feel things!

((j/k: I love it))

Please be sure to read the Afterward from the author if you pick this one up. It's beautifully done, straight from the heart and I feel like it gave me an even deeper understanding and appreciation of what he achieved with this story. Thank you to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I loved this so much and am looking forward to going back and reading Cassidy's entire backlist now.

Thank you so much to MacMillan Audio for the complimentary ALC!

This book was alllll over my bookstagram page leading up and after it came out and I made myself prioritize reading it. I just had to see what all this hype was about. I have been trying to explore the horror genre more to find out what I enjoy and between the hype and expanding my reading, I was excited!

This book is such a wild ride from start to finish! Just like with any suspense book, you think it's going to go one way but then the author goes and surprises you! I am not going to get into detail about all the specifics of the book because where is the fun in that. As the description says, the FMC Jess befriends this little boy (we are not provided a name) who is scared of his father. Though some of the moments as a reader you have to suspend reality but the way Cassidy wrote made it all seem SO real since it was real in the reality of the book. Cassidy does provide a list of content warnings in the beginning of the book and to me I did not think it was bad at all. Perhaps my tolerance is high but it felt like just the right amount of gore.

The main point of view is Jess but throughout the book you get to meet different characters and we get their point of view through what is happening. There was a twist that happened that I didn't see coming but I need to read some other spoiler reviews and maybe some podcasts because I have some logistical questions that my brain just can't comprehend.

Helen Laser did such a great job with the narration! She did such a great job with altering her voice to the different characters but especially between our FMC Jess and the little boy. She made the listening experience fun and easy to follow along.

This was my first Nat Cassidy and I definitely would read him again! Plus I think he is local to PA which I love supporting local authors.
I would definitely recommend if you love a fast past thriller that keeps you on your toes with a little gore.

4.5

Nat Cassidy’s When the Wolf Comes Home is a powerhouse of horror fiction — raw, fearless, and emotionally resonant. With his trademark blend of dark humor, sharp prose, and unrelenting tension, Cassidy delivers a story that digs deep into fear, identity, and what it means to protect something — or someone — at all costs.
The novel centers on a woman haunted by past failures and present anxieties, suddenly thrust into a terrifying situation that grows more surreal and dangerous by the page. Cassidy balances intense, fast-paced horror with rich character work, crafting a tale that’s as emotionally devastating as it is terrifying. It’s not just about surviving monsters — it’s about confronting the ones inside us.
Brutal, heartfelt, and wickedly smart, When the Wolf Comes Home cements Cassidy as one of the most compelling voices in contemporary horror. Fans of emotionally charged, high-concept horror won’t want to miss this.

Creepy, fast-paced, and totally original. The concept—a child whose fears manifest in terrifyingly real ways—is chilling and incredibly effective. Jess is a compelling protagonist, and the tension builds steadily as the danger escalates. It’s a wild, unsettling ride with some truly haunting moments. If you like horror with a psychological twist, this one delivers.

✨ B O O K R E V I E W ✨ WHEN THE WOLF COMES HOME by Nat Cassidy

Jess, a struggling actress waitressing tables, has a horrific life changing moment one evening at her place of employment. Everything in her life spirals completely out of control after this one mishap. She is on the run from someone, no- from something, and it is truly unimaginable. 🤯

I listened to the audiobook of When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy. This was my first book by Cassidy. It was filled with twists that had me continuing to listen to “one more chapter” so I could figure out just what in the world was going on with Jess’ circumstance, and the boy, oh that cute little boy…

I absolutely loved the author’s messages included in the audio. Give it a listen or a read! I would love to hear what you think!

🎧 Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for giving me the opportunity to listen to the audiobook of When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy. Out for publication! All opinions are my own.

#whenthewolfcomeshome
#natcassidy #netgalley #audiobooks #listentobooks #twistyread #creepyread

This is my first Nat Cassidy book and I'd say it's time for me to read more of his books.

I feel like this book is a love letter to fathers, specifically bad and/or absent fathers. And it's a love letters to the children who are born to them. Surrounding this sentiment with monsters is so appropriate. I very much enjoyed the FMC, Jess and found myself relating to her. Not just the job waitressing while struggling to get her foot in the door of her preferred career (though I can't say I've ever wanted to be an actor) but also that what drives her is wanting to be kind to people, even to her disadvantage. So when a child falls on her doorstep (almost literally) her first instinct is to help him which leads her on this crazy path of trying to survive while also trying to protect him. And struggling with these huge dilemmas on the way that seem to have cosmic repercussions. But throughout it all she leads with kindness, love, and humor.

The writing and twists and turns of this book kept me engaged and needing to know what happens next. The narration was great and also helped with keeping me enthralled in the story. I enjoyed how the story would slip between narrators throughout which kept it going. It was done in a way that I didn't find confusing. And there was body horror that was so well done! I recommend!

Thank you Macmillan Audio for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I stopped listening to the audiobook and switched to the print version. I don't think the book is very suited to audio - it has a few but very effective typographic tricks that don't come across - and I didn't like the narrator. The print version is excellent!

Firstly, the narrator knocked it out of the park for this one. It was sooo well done. I can confidently say that for all the Nat Cassidy books I've read, they performance is incredible.

This was not really what I was expecting, but not necessarily in a bad way. His other books have been more atmospheric, introspective, and tackling socioeconomic issues with horror. This does that as well but at a much more breakneck speed and quirky characters. I think it's important to go into this with the right expectations, because it threw me at first! Part 1 was so confusing but very intriguing, part 2 was my least favorite where things got weird, and it took me a while to decide if this was in a good way. Part 3 got into the deeper nature of the story which I really enjoyed, and part 4 brought it home! I loved the relationships between Jessa and kiddo, and thought that even though it was pretty isolated to the 2 of them, it did a great job with character development, and I was never bored. Nat Cassidy remains an autobuy author of mine, and NEVER SKIP THE AFTERWORDS.

4.5 stars

Great audiobook. I was locked in! The narration was wonderful. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this audiobook.

This book got me so good.

We follow our protagonist, a diner waitress named Jess, as she finds a runaway boy hiding in the bushes outside of her apartment complex. Soon they're running from a monster that's trying to hunt the boy down and Jess starts to realize that there's more to him than meets the eye...

This novel had me in a choke hold from the first page. It was so well-written, with richly vivid descriptions and just the right amount of gore. The characters were extremely three-dimensional and I loved the developing relationship between Jess and the boy (aka Kiddo). While I was able to guess most of the twists, I really didn't care because the journey was so wonderful. BRB, have to go read Nat Cassidy's entire backlog now.

The audio version of this book was also incredible. The narrator had so much emotion and really held my attention. I loved it!