Absolutely loved this as it falls into the body horror/body transformation genre which is one of my favorites. The author did a great job at writing so that the reader can feel the main characters emotions, especially the fear.
4.5/5

Things I liked about this book: the characters! They were all SO flawed but somehow I was rooting for both Mary and Girl. I also loved the end and was so proud of them both for making such amazing changes to their lives. I enjoyed the mystery that framed the story and was really into understanding Girl’s motivations and the locust organization (if that’s the right thing to call it?)

But for me, I got a bit lost in the middle of the book. Mary’s various attempts to escape/getting locked up started to blur together for me. And I personally didn’t enjoy the bug infestation aspect (though I generally don’t like this horror element and I was intrigued enough in the story to keep going).

Overall, I’m glad I read the Brood and found it compelling the way Mary’s backstory was interwoven with her current struggles. I think this is a book that will stick with me.

I really liked this and I am giving it a solid 3.5 ⭐️. And I won’t round up because I am not giving an A for solid B work. That said, I thought this was a nice blend of elements from Misery, the Metamorphosis, with some Hills Have Eyes and the Descent mixed in there along with several other stories we have admittedly heard before. But, this is still a fun, feminist take on the held captive in the woods/body horror/culty supernatural element worship genre.

I read the book in like 3 days because I just needed to know what was going to happen. And truth be told, body horror isn’t my thing at all — it makes me more queasy than it keeps me in fearful suspense. And there’s quite a bit of it in the book. I also have a strong personal pet peeve for any kind perversion that involves breastfeeding and I actually don’t think that part added to the storyline at all and really didn’t even make any sense. Personally, I would love if artists and writers would stop drawing on that theme for shock value because it is so incredibly upsetting and obscene to me that I have a visceral reaction the moment I sense that things could be going in that direction. Anyway, I skipped those pages.

I also really hate super detailed descriptions of scenery when the author is trying so very hard to make you imagine a space but some of us just cannot imagine physical dimensions in that way, and it ends up being a lot of fluff. The very long description of the cave and all of the different routes that Mary took to try to escape and all of the different directions they entered the cave from was just lost on me. Trying to decipher how this cave was supposed to look took me out of the store quite a bit.

Aside from all that, I think this was a really effective horror novel and an engaging story. I would easily recommend it to anybody who likes this genre and I would also add that I think it was well written. The author is clearly very smart and well researched on the subject of cicada life cycles so the discussions felt authentic aside from the magical realism aspect.

I liked that it ended on a positive note and that the main character was able to benefit from this horrifying experience, even if I thought the ending was sort of far-fetched. I think it was more of a favor to the readers after having endured pages and pages of having the rug pulled from underneath us whenever Mary seemed to have been able to make her escape but was ultimately thwarted. Or having things go from bad to worse when RM showed up.

So yes, we lived through it when Mary was violently dragged down from the pinnacle of wealth, respect, and sophistication to not only place where she thought she had escaped earlier in her life, but straight to the hyper-marginalized intersection of extreme poverty, lack of education, occult worship, antisocial isolation, and a fear of modern society — into the dirt. It was a harrowing experience for all of us. A positive ending was very much needed and I am glad that’s what we got. It also worked to tie in together all the random interludes about Mary’s earlier life. And I admit that if that storyline didn’t wrap itself up and was simply there to demonstrate Mary’s will of character, I probably would’ve found the story less satisfying.

All in all, a solid read.

** and Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy.**

Mary Welton, a success-driven lawyer who seems to lack general compassion and emotional availability is unexpectedly met with people and concepts well outside her comfort zone, while at the same time facing buried childhood trauma. After a vehicle accident in a remote area, she is "rescued" by a person in which she refers to as "Girl". Girl is an uneducated and unsocialized grown woman who mistakes Mary for her mother, which immerses her into the life Girl abides by; the life cycle of the cicada. Girl's involvement (and ultimately Mary's), in the birth and life of the cicada brood is hauntingly disturbing and poses challenges and struggles within each character.

Right out of the gate I knew this book was a little different than my "norm", but have recently started enjoying more fantasy books and thought I may find enjoyment in this unique sounding story as well. The book starts off strong with the introduction of Mary, whose way of life leaves you wanting to know more. When Girl was introduced, I knew the book was taking a different turn, but found her character to be fascinating. However, I felt as though the book took a very drastic turn in a shocking and somewhat disturbing manner, which left me reeling a bit. I feel as though a more gradual introduction into the "quirks" of Girl's way of life would have softened the oddities a bit and may have given it a more realistic feel. I also really wanted to know more about the characters themselves, especially in reference to Mary's tragic childhood. I am still not sure how it tied in, but feel it could have been played off more.

Overall, I feel as though the book had a lot of potential, but found myself feeling confused and detached from the characters at times. However, it is very possible someone who is more accustomed to sci-fi genres would enjoy this book more.

Review of The Brood by Rebecca Baum

A beautiful, terrifying hymn to the wilderness—both without and within

In The Brood, Rebecca Baum crafts a dark, surreal plunge into the haunted, humid heart of nature—and womanhood. We follow Mary Whelton, a razor-sharp Manhattan lawyer used to skyscrapers and boardrooms, who finds herself literally and metaphorically dragged into the primordial forest by Girl, a feral and enigmatic captor. What begins as a survival story rapidly becomes something far more mythic and monstrous: a visceral dissection of the female experience told through the lush, terrifying lens of body horror.
Baum’s prose is hypnotic, lush, and bristling with menace. Every page pulses with life—cicadas buzz incessantly, roots twist with intent, and the forest hums with ancient hunger. The style holds the reader in thrall, even when the characters remain opaque or unrelatable. Sympathy isn’t the point. Rather, the novel insists we witness transformation and listen to the unspeakable voice of the wild.
At the core of The Brood is the abject. In line with Julia Kristeva’s theory of abjection, Baum plunges us into a space beyond the symbolic order—a world ruled not by logic or law, but by fluids, flesh, and instinct. Motherhood, reproduction, and the grotesque beauty of female biology are portrayed not as gentle or nurturing, but as sublime and savage mysteries from which modern life has tried—and failed—to distance itself.
Relationships between women, especially between Mary and Girl, are marked by power, violence, fascination, and a strange, undeniable intimacy. Their dynamic is not about solidarity in the traditional sense, but about a deeper reckoning with female inheritance, trauma, and transformation. As Mary’s body begins to betray her, we see her slide into the realm of the Brood—a realm where the natural world reasserts itself, uncaring and all-consuming.
Cicadas are the avatars of this unknowable realm. Revolting yet mesmerizing, they symbolize the raw, unfiltered force of nature that the novel champions: ancient, cyclical, and beyond our control. It is this return to the savage, to the womb of the world, that feels both terrifying and necessary.
The Brood is not an easy read—but it is an essential one. It forces us to confront the things we would rather not think about: our bodies, their decay and function, and our place within a natural world that does not bend to us. In the end, Baum has given us a beautiful, terrifying hymn to the wilderness—both without and within.

This book was fast paced and really addictive. I’m really glad I read it, and I found it hard to put down once I started. I wasn’t expecting any of the twists, and it was brilliantly written. I will be buying a physical copy as soon as I can

This was an ok read for me !!! I liked it I would recommend for those that are looking for a book of this nature

Mary Whelton, a cutthroat NYC lawyer with questionable ethics, crashes her car while fleeing the press and wakes up captive in a remote cabin with a strange woman she only knows as "Girl." What begins as a Misery-like hostage situation quickly turns bizarre when Mary discovers Girl mistakes her for her missing mother and has an unhealthy obsession with a local cicada population and something called "The Brood" which has disturbing (and that's an understatement!!) plans for Mary. Baum's uncomfortably and unpleasantly detailed descriptions of women's bodies - their secretions, transformations, and functions - made this a challenging read that had me physically, squirmingly ill at times. The constant focus on breasts, feeding, and the grotesque manipulation of female biology created a visceral horror whether bugs freak you out or not. I found myself both repulsed and weirdly captivated by the twisted mother-daughter dynamics and the increasingly strange body transformations. A revolting read that I desperately wanted to put down, yet somehow could not.

The Brood is a wild ride; think Misery meets Marino’s The Swarm. I really enjoyed this suspenseful kidnapping / eco-horror story that explores womanhood, specifically our relationships with each other.

Mary Whelton is a wealthy & infamous lawyer who has never let ethics stand in her way. But when she crashes her car far from civilization, she finds herself in a situation she won’t be able to talk her way out of. Taken hostage by a woman known only as “Girl”, Mary soon finds herself in a fight for freedom and survival. But Girl is not the only danger in the woods; deep in the forest, the Cicadas prepare for an unnatural cycle.

I loved how this book balances genre-horror with thoughtful, emotionally resonant themes. I already mentioned the Misery comparison; The Brood seemed to pay homage to the classic kidnapping horror, while still being its own fully unique story. My favorite thing about this book was the exploration of womanhood and women’s relationships with each other, and of course, the scary, scary bugs. I love that cicada horror stories are becoming a thing; I read The Swarm earlier this year, and now The Brood. Cicadas are mysterious insects, and while I never would have thought they worked so well in horror before this spring, I may in fact fear them for life now. The cicadas in The Brood are creepy, but the reason they are present is much worse, and that’s all I’ll say to avoid spoilers.

I would recommend The Brood to readers who love women-centered stories and themes, insect horror, body horror, and plots that take you on a wild ride!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the arc! All thoughts & opinions in the review are my own.

The Brood is beautiful despite being so terrifying! It’s wonderfully written, with vivid scenes and magical language that jumps off the page.

Mary, our main character, is a high-powered New York City lawyer who ends up in the backwoods of all backwoods and is being held against her will by Girl, a seemingly simplistic but actually very complex character. Girl believes Mary to be her long-missing mother, returning for the latest cicada brood. From there, the horror is intense! Each punch, bite, ingesting of gross concoctions, and desperate attempt to get away is action-packed. A chapter ends, and it’s nearly impossible to stop reading. It takes some interesting turns, and without spoiling the ending, there’s great character growth.

Generally, the horror genre is not one that I flock to, but The Brood is way more complex, with themes much deeper than a gory story that will enthrall any reader.

This book sent me on a journey, albeit unforgettable and uncomfortable it was gut turning with vivid imagery. This was body horror in the strictest sense and some scenes were leaving me trying to do anything to get comfortable. I enjoy horror so trying this sub genre was fun for me. The characters were wild but I did find Mary our protagonist a little 1D. Overall enjoyed this thoroughly!

Having read Rebecca Baum's "The Brood," I found it a novel that makes a distinct and unsettling impression. The premise itself—placing a lawyer in a state of captivity linked to ecological horror involving cicadas—is certainly unconventional and establishes a pervasive sense of unease right away. Baum is quite successful, I think, in cultivating an oppressive and eerie atmosphere throughout the narrative.

What particularly stood out to me was how the narrative seemed dedicated to exploring the female experience through this intense, genre-bending lens. It appears to leverage its elements of body horror and surreal situations purposefully, using them to explore complex themes regarding trauma, womanhood, bodily autonomy, and fraught connections between women and the natural world. The commitment to the horror elements feels clear and seems directly tied to examining these challenging ideas.

The book fully commits to its horror identity, requiring a strong stomach for its visceral intensity. This intense focus is clear in the narrative, which I found prioritized building its potent atmosphere and exploring psychological dread through its unconventional developments, making those aspects feel more central than, perhaps, the unfolding of intricate plot mechanics.

Ultimately, "The Brood" strikes me as a challenging and atmospheric piece of horror fiction. It employs its visceral elements with intent, aiming to probe uncomfortable themes. While its particular narrative structure might not resonate with everyone, those drawn to unconventional horror that emphasizes psychological and ecological dread, particularly one centered so strongly on female experience, will likely find it a potent and thought-provoking work.

An absolute knockout blend of horror and fantasy! This book had me hooked from the eerie opening scene to the chilling, bittersweet end. The world was darkly enchanting, filled with ancient magic, terrifying creatures, and a creeping sense of dread that never let up.

The author masterfully balanced the fantastical elements with genuinely unsettling horror—every twist felt earned, and the suspense was relentless. The protagonist's journey was both haunting and heroic, making me care deeply about their fate even as the stakes spiraled into madness.

Perfect for fans of gothic vibes, morally gray magic, and stories where the monsters are both literal and metaphorical. A stunning, spellbinding read that lingers long after the last page.

This book was freaky and heartbreaking all at the same time. The magical realism is beautifully on display and hit on body horror in a way that had me on edge

Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for allowing me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own.

Mary is leaving the funeral of a person she had a mixed relationship with. She gets into an accident and finds herself in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. The only person there is another woman who only goes by Girl. Girl is holding Mary captive when lots of strange things happen. Girl is off her rocker, but it’s unclear on whether that is based on how she was raised or if there’s something more sinister happening. Girl is obsessed with the next brood of cicadas and she believes keeping Mary is what’s needed for the brood’s survival.

Brood is part thriller/horror with some magical realism. It sets a creepy atmosphere throughout and the feeling is very ominous. The dialogue is stilted, but that might be due to how unhinged Girl is. The plot gets a little convoluted in the middle and the ending was underwhelming, but I don’t know what would’ve made it any better. It’s weird through and through. It is an interesting read, but keep an open mind. I still recommend this book if the synopsis sounds interesting to you.

Magic Realism is not usually my jam, and yet I devoured this book. The magic is grounded in discomfort and fear, with the reality of being a woman and the expectations and impossible demands it requires. A compelling world is built up that forces you to reflect and look inwards, whilst not being able to look away from the fire.

I did not know what to make of this book at first. The main character seemed so unlikeable and Girl seemed so lost. However as the book progressed you learn more about what happened to each of them. Then came the bugs. At first I was disgusted and then intrigued. I wanted to find out more about what they were after and who was controlling them. I won't put spoilers here, but this is definitely worth the read even if you hate bugs. I honestly would even like an update say 17 years later to see where the characters are in their lives.

4 stars

Creepy, gross, and weirdly beautiful — The Brood is pure body horror meets folklore. I wouldn’t lie, I tore through it in def not in one sitting. But the more I deep into story more I felt that vibe. Like cicadas that crawling under my skin — that book crawl into my mind. The vibe is Misery meets The Descent, with cicadas, obsession, and twisted motherhood thrown in. Some parts felt a little off, especially the ending, but overall? Wild, eerie ride. I had so many theories and that lead me to re-read book in future. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

2.25/5 “The Brood” is a disturbing horror novel that will make you feel very uncomfortable at some points.
When I read the description of this book, I was intrigued! A lawyer named Mary is held prisoner by a crazy woman who mistakes Mary for her mother, and there’s something strange about the cicadas living in the area. The first third of the book hooked me. I liked the author’s writing style and reading about how Mary experiences being held captive by this seemingly crazy woman. Also, the strange encounters with cicadas and the descriptions of them grabbed my attention.
However, as the story progressed, it all felt too repetitive and monotonous to me. I found scenes that are essential for the plot to be rather dull and sometimes too random. I always waited for something big and unexpected to happen. This was especially the case at the end of this book.
Overall, I liked how the author managed to depict body horror, making me as a reader feel very uncomfortable and even disgusted. But I expected more from both the plot and the character developments.

By about 50% of the way in I was honestly so tempted to DNF despite knowing it would affect my rating on NG. I decided to stick with it and the second half of the book really turned it around for me!

I really struggled with the two main characters at first and found myself not really caring about either them until further into the story. I found some of the storyline a bit repetitive (runs away, gets caught, runs away, gets caught, etc). In the end, I liked the way the characters turned out and felt like the story wrapped up quite nice.

I’m typically more of a supernatural horror girl and this was much more body horror but I really appreciated how descriptive the author was. I had a very clear picture of everything going down. If you don’t like bugs and you don’t like body horror, skip this one. Probably worth a read for anyone that doesn’t mind those two things though!

I sure won’t be looking at or hearing cicadas the same ever again.