Thank you to McMillan Audio and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. And to Nat Cassidy, happy pub day!

When the Wolf Comes Home is a twisty, genre-bending ride that oscillates between absurdist horror, military procedural, and psychological drama, often without warning. Nat Cassidy’s novel explores the fractured relationship between Jess and a reality-bending child, and while it features some emotionally powerful moments, the constant shifts in tone make it a challenging read.

What Worked:

The emotional core of the story is its standout. The growing bond between Jess and the boy, especially as they each work through their fears, is captivating. The relationship feels real, and in these moments, the book shines. The emotional punches, when they hit, really land, and there’s an undeniably tragic beauty to the ending.

What Didn’t:

Where the book falters is in its constant tonal shifts. At times it feels like three novellas stacked on top of each other. You’ll go from deep, intimate character moments to absurd and bizarre narrative turns (shout out Roger Rabbit. No, really). The shifts are jarring, especially when you get wrapped up in the emotional depth of the characters, only for it to be disrupted by the chaos that follows. And let’s not forget the overuse of “daddy,” which just hits the wrong note every time.

Overall Thoughts:

Despite its uneven pacing and whiplash so bad I'm going to need a neck brace. When the Wolf Comes Home manages to pull at the heartstrings when it matters most. Its ending is effective in closing out the story's emotional arc. There’s definitely a lot to appreciate, but it’s a bumpy road to get there. Still, if you’re into psychological horror with a dash of absurdism, it’s worth the journey, just get that neck brace ready.

3.2/5

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC!
Story: 🐆🐆🐆🐆 / 🐆🐆🐆🐆🐆
Narrator: 🐆🐆🐆🐆 / 🐆🐆🐆🐆🐆

Thoughts (assume minor spoilers): I really enjoyed this one. It felt a bit Firestarter, a bit Girl With All the Gifts, and even a bit Roger Rabbit. Jess’s struggle to deal with the care of this kiddo whilst also feeling a lot of her own family’s trauma was intense. Every time they encountered the boy’s father was insane, and the final act was just bonkers. One of the best horror titles I’ve encountered this year.

uggghhhh why are the 2025 releases not hitting for me!!! as a huge fan of Cassidy's Nestlings, I was sorely disappointed in this book. not only could I not really connect to the characters, but I didn't connect to the plot either. it's sort of a meandering, on-the-run story, which isn't really my thing. the plot just wasn't compelling to me, and although there were moments with some gore, there was a huge lack on tension in my opinion.

When the Wolf Comes Home is out now. thank you to Macmillan Audio Influencer 2025 program for a free copy of this audiobook.

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.

When The Wolf Comes Home is such a creepy story in the best way. It is so much more than a werewolf story. It’s your nightmares, waking up terrified in the middle of the night, your worst fears, and the darkest fairytale all rolled in to one! Go ahead and grab this one; however, be prepared to loose a little sleep whether from not being able to put it down or being creeped out 🖤

I enjoyed this wholeheartedly. It was not at all what I was expecting, in a good way! I will definitely look for other Nat Cassidy books!

When the wolf comes home, none will be spared….including the reader!

This book y’all! THIS. BOOK. Y’ALL!!!! It’s gritty, visceral, emotional and mind blowing. Not only does When the Wolf Come Home take the reader on a terrifying journey of grief, fear, and edge of your seat action, but it also takes you on a journey of self reflection. You get so much more than an insanely creepy horror story. You get a powerful novel that provides multiple layers, and be prepared for the Author’s note at the end because it sure packs a punch. Nat Cassidy is a masterful horror author and always imbues such emotions into his stories.

Creepy kid vibes with disturbing echoes of The Twilight Zone. This is what happens when your childhood fairy tales become your nightmare. This was a fast paced horror/thriller that will keep on the edge of your seat. The twist at the end was definitely not expected. Loved it! Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced ALC.

This is hands down one of the best books I’ve ever read. Nat Cassidy continues to knock it out of the park. I legitimately had nightmares about this book (in a good way). This book was so beautifully written and artfully crafted, I was questioning my reality at every turn. Any fans of the supernatural or mind-bending, fast paced, eat your heart out books should pick this one up.

Thank you so much Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ARC!

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!

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this alc.

Yes, he did it again. Nat Cassidy is consolidating his name among the big horror writers. He is definitely a must buy author and a must read author for me. In this story we follow Jess, a struggling actress who works in a diner, and who through a serious of unfortunate events ends up taking care of a mysterious boy.

Jess finds this boy outside her apartment and he seems to be running from something or someone very dangerous, or scary. However, the more Jess spends time with this boy the more she realizes something is not quite right. Is she safe with this kid? Is there something wrong with him?

The audiobook is narrated by Helen Laser and by the author, Nat Cassidy. They do a spectacular job, giving the story depth and giving the reader some chills. This book has some amazing reviews and they are very deserved. If you haven’t read Nat Cassidy yet, pick any of his books. I’m pretty sure you won’t regret it.

Fear doesn’t start with the monster. It starts with the moment. The tiny crack in your life where everything shifts—permanently. In “When the Wolf Comes Home”, that moment is a dirty needle in a diner bathroom. Jess, a struggling not-yet-anything actress stuck in the purgatory of what-could-have-beens, gets stabbed while cleaning up someone else’s mess. It’s humiliating. It’s a full-body “I’ve had enough” kind of day. So she quits.

She goes home, bleeding and pissed off—and that’s when she finds him. A five-year-old boy. Alone. Barefoot. Hiding in her bushes, being attacked by birds. Because why not add Hitchcock to the trauma cocktail.

What Jess doesn’t know is that this boy isn’t just a lost child—he’s the beginning of something worse. He’s a walking consequence. And then there’s the naked man now claiming to be the kid’s father. But that man is not right. There’s a wrongness to him that hums beneath the skin. Something designed, then discarded. It’s not supposed to exist. But it does. And Jess, because she’s broken in a very specific, deeply human way, decides to make a run for it with the boy anyway.

This book is not about cheap scares. It’s about fear as inheritance. Fear that morphs. That becomes generational. That redefines your identity in real time. The kind of fear you internalize before you even know how to name it.

Jess is so raw, so vividly real. She’s not a badass. She’s not even functional half the time. She’s grieving a father she didn’t really know and definitely didn’t understand, and that grief is sticky. It’s not sad—it’s complicated. And when you’ve lost someone who wasn’t there for you, you don’t know if you’re mourning them—or the version of them that never existed in the first place.

When she takes the kid in, it’s not heroic—it’s instinct. Maybe guilt. Maybe a desperate need to finally be needed. But once the man shows up and the chase begins, you realize this isn’t just a road trip thriller. It’s a psychological and supernatural pressure cooker. The kid? He’s not just scared. He’s unsettling. And the things he’s afraid of? They start appearing. In the real world. Bloody, brutal, impossible. Jess is trying to protect him, but from what? His father? The world? Herself?

And that’s when the book really takes off—part road trip horror, part emotional exorcism, part cautionary tale about how trauma lives and breathes in the people we become.

And then there’s Cookie. Jess’s mother. She is chaos and hairspray and love so deep it turns into fear. Cookie doesn’t know how to protect Jess from the world, so she tries to protect her from herself. She loves her—truly, to her core—but love has made her blunt. Sharp. She’s scared the truth is going to break her daughter. And that fear? It colors everything. Their relationship is messy, but it’s full. It’s fierce. It’s real.

Cassidy doesn’t just give us monsters. He gives us trauma. Guilt. Rage. Grief with claws. This book simmers in dread, refusing to name the thing outright because that’s what real fear does—it hides until it’s already inside the house.

Is it perfect? No. The story meanders. The metaphors get heavy. The pacing stumbles in the middle like it’s trying to catch its breath. But the emotional weight? The specificity? The sense of dread crawling under your skin? Unforgettable.

Four-and-a-half stars. For grief with no good answers. For the terror of raising or protecting something you don’t understand. For the people who love us so hard it hurts.
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Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced audiobook.

I’ve never cried while reading a thriller or horror novel, until this one. From the beginning, I was hooked. It’s tense, haunting, and emotionally raw in a way I didn’t expect, but what truly resonated with me was the theme of fractured father-child relationships The exploration of that emotional distance hit hard and felt incredibly personal.

I was completely invested in Jess and the boy. Their bond, their fear, their desperation, it was all so tangible. Jess, in particular, is written with such emotional depth, and I found myself aching for her.

The narration elevated everything. The narrator, including Nat Cassidy at the end, delivered such a powerful performance. I could feel Jess’s angst, her fear, and her relentless drive to protect and understand.

This was my first Nat Cassidy book, but it absolutely won’t be my last. It’s rare to find a horror story that blends dread with genuine heartbreak so seamlessly, and this one will stick with me for a long time.

Didn’t see this one coming, but it clawed its way into my heart and left me teary-eyed, shaken, and completely impressed.

BRILLIANT. From the content warning all the way to the final word of the author’s afterword.

The writing is thoughtful and engaging, and the story unfolds in such a unique way that I was hooked from the very beginning. The narration? Absolute perfection.

There’s a steady feeling of unease throughout the book. I wasn’t terrified, but I was deeply engaged. My heart raced. I cared about the characters, especially Jess, who felt so real and relatable. Her journey kept me rooting for her the whole time.

And then the author’s note at the end? Wow.
I already thought the book was great, but hearing the personal story behind it made me love it even more. Cassidy’s ability to turn pain, identity, and transformation into something so bold and moving really struck me.

I’ve crossed paths with a big bad wolf here and there and was able to shape-shift my way out of it. So, I not only got emotional when the book ended, but the author’s note left me breathless.

Until the next one… Nat Cassidy. I for one can’t wait.

Thank you Macmillan audio, Net Galley and Nat Cassidy for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

It’s a yes for me!!🖤

DeAnn @deannsreadingriot

📖 Book Review 📖 Who says that fairy tales are for little children? Nat Cassidy is here with a brand new story that will make your skin crawl and your stomach turn…and might even make the Brothers Grimm a bit uncomfortable. The classic horror elements are modernized in the grime and grit of Los Angeles as struggling actor Jessa grapples with the death of her estranged father. One dark night she encounters a lost boy outside of her apartment, and the true nightmare begins. When the Wolf Comes Home is a chilling fairy tale that will have you questioning who the real monsters are in life.

The premise of this story was amazing and it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout but what was that ending though?? Also, the audiobook narration was expertly done. Definitely worth a read/listen.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

Whelp. Binged that in a day! This was a total ode to early King at his horror heights mixed with Twilight Zone. Action packed, gore, a kid, special powers and a woman trying her best to stay alive. If you like a classic horror read this is the one to read!!

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. The narration really brought the story to life.

"Sometimes Daddy says I'm too bad to be alive...I don't mean to be bad, and I don't want to not be alive so I get scared."

"...You get to be a certain age and they stop calling it scared and start calling it anxiety."

"Nobody hides like tears. We could learn a thing or two from them."

"Maybe the true horror of the werewolf is the change is never permanent. Maybe the true beauty of the butterfly is that it is."

There's so much to unpack in the sure to be a modern horror classic, When The Wolf Comes Home, by new master of horror literature, Nat Cassidy.

First, it isn't the werewolf story you think it is; in fact, though there are terrifying gory violent attacks of a wolf like creature ripping humans apart, that's almost a sub plot in this twisty, dig deep raw emotional horror masterpiece.

There's a scared 5 year old boy hiding in the bushes. Jess tries to help him but a monster comes after them. Jess runs with the boy leaving dead bodies wherever they go. Everyone she cares about, who tries to help, is torn to pieces. As the truth of the boy and monster comes to light Jess is gutted; because there's just one way it all ends.

Voice actress Helen Laser has reached a new level of acting with Jess. To keep up that level of frantic fear, while calming a child, and finding humor in the crazy of it all, is a super human ability.

Fear is the theme; what happens when all your fears come alive?! It's also about how our parents shape us, genetically and emotionally. Please listen to this dynamic writer's afterward, a tribute to his Dad. It's where the quote about the butterfly is from and it left me in tears. When The Wolf Comes Home is more than horror. It's brilliant literature.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from Macmillan Audio via #Netgalley for a fair & honest review. Opinions are my own.

Thank you Macmillan Audio 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. And in addition to the excellent narration of the audiobook by Helen Laser, Nat reads the author’s note himself, which really makes it special.

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.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️