The Brood is a horror novel with a mix of magical realism. the premise is intriguing, and the writing builds tension well, but the pacing is uneven. the themes of transformation, the female experience, and motherhood definitely stood out. i would’ve liked the main character, mary, to be fleshed out a bit more.

i would’ve appreciated a bit more lead up to the main plot of the book for more consistent pacing. it felt like we were learning who mary is and then suddenly it was a different story. maybe this was intentional but it didn’t work for me. but because of this, the middle chunk of the novel drags on a bit. the ending was satisfying but it felt a bit out of place, especially when it came to mary’s relationship with Girl.

overall, it was a good read. i’m not the biggest horror reader so i may not have the best authority but it was pretty solid in terms of the genre.

thanks to netgalley for an ARC of The Brood in exchange for an honest review :)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Thomas & Mercer for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

The Brood by Rebecca Baum is a gripping psychological thriller that explores motherhood, guilt, and identity. The story follows a woman dealing with the fallout of her past while her present begins to unravel. Baum creates a tense atmosphere, with twists that keep you guessing what's real and what’s not. Mary's emotional struggles are very raw, making her super relatable. It's a chilling and suspenseful read that will stick with you long after finishing. It blended aspects of horror, thriller, and magical realism seamlessly. This novel was so unique among the many horror books I’ve read. Warning if you’re squeamish or don’t like bugs, but I still would highly recommend this one!

This book is a very interesting take on how you can shed skins and become a whole different person. Mary, a big big lawyer who grew up in an orphanage becomes stranded on the side of the road and “Girl” finds her to bring her home. Mary finds new ways of forgiveness not only for herself but for others. The cicadas open Mary’s eyes when it comes to shedding your tough outer layer and becoming soft but not weak.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer. And NetGalley for this arc. Going into this book, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised. It has a little bit of everything in it and I really enjoyed it.

This book has you saying what? What? What? It’s an experience for sure and will be a perfect October read!

Definitely not my normal genre, but I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. This would be a perfect spooky read for October and the fall season. Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc!

This is definitely a horror book. The first encounter with Girl had me feeling "Misery-like," but even more off-balance. I was put off by the body horror and the breast representations although I understand the concept.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC for an unbiased review.

Mary has a high-powered career as an attorney, who has repeatedly helped powerful men put their “indiscretions” behind them. In other words, she sold out the women. When she gets a few days away, she heads off but gets into a car accident.

At this point, she meets Girl, and her life will be the same again. A lot of wild stuff happens, but if I mentioned them, it would spoil the book for you. I will say, though, that Mary wasn’t much of a sympathetic character, even after you learn her backstory. She chose to drag various women through the mud to get her boss a clean slate.

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I just want to say that it made absolutely zero sense for Mary not to consider that Girl was breastfeeding something. I mean, I don’t have kids either, but breasts that keep changing size and two wet spots on Girl’s shirt should have more than clued her in.

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

This was one of those books where throughout you keep asking wtf, wtf, wtf, and after it's finished you stare at the wall contemplating what you just read and what you just experienced. That's the experience with this book.

It's well-written. A whole lot of thought, research and insight went into this novel. It's not a bad read...it's...well I have no words. True to its name it's a horror. If you don't have a fear of bugs before this, then you'll definitely have one after this. It made my skin crawl, it grossed me out in more ways than a book has grossed me out before, and yet I didn't hate it.

I was bored for the first chapter, it didn't draw me in but as soon as Mary was kidnapped it went from interesting to confusing to oh my goodness and was difficult at times to put down. At other times I forcefully set it doen and surprised myself by coming back, but I had to know the mystery behind everything.

I liked the ending, but my only disappointment is that tge mystery still isn't solved. I wanted to know more about Her in the cave and this confusing magical brood, but I felt like I was just left with more questions than answers.

Not my favorite and won’t be reading again. O was not a fan of the Metamorphic style writing. If I had known this before I would not have read this.

I was not entirely sure what to expect from “The Brood”, and was surprised at almost every juncture. Successful lawyer Mary Whelton is on her way to an isolated location to wrap up her preparations for an upcoming, high-profile court case when face intervenes and knocks her off course. Finding herself the captive of a strange woman called Girl who seems obsessed with what she calls “the brood”, Mary will need to call on all of her skills to make it through the encounter.

The pacing of the story was quite fast and did not lull, for me, at any point. I did find some aspects of Mary’s escape attempts to be repetitive, but I think that served to highlight the inescapability of some events in our lives. There are multiple discussions of traumas the characters have experienced, as well as a good amount of body horror, which I struggled with a little. While I do not typically enjoy body horror elements, what was included in this story was well-placed and helped to move the plot along in a meaningful way.

The Brood is fascinating, horrifying, beautiful and disgusting all in one. Body horror is not an easy genre but this book is great display of how to give just enough horror without forsaking an truly compelling plot. At first, it feels like a new Misery but with a 57 year old waspy woman instead of a depressed male author. But pretty quickly, the true story starts to poke its way through these assumptions. I found myself often times not wanting to know what would happen next, while being too transfixed to put the book down. A few parts did feel rushed, especially in the third act, but over all this is a great read.

Thank you to Netgalley for this arc. This has elements of horror, magical realism, and thriller. Everything I love in a book. This was a really good book. I would recommend reading this.

The Brood is an eerie mix of horror and magical realism with a haunting atmosphere. The concept is intriguing, and the writing effectively builds tension, but the pacing feels uneven at times. While the novel explores compelling themes of transformation and the female experience, the characters—especially Mary—can be frustratingly detached. The horror elements are unsettling in a good way, but the plot’s surreal nature sometimes muddles the impact. Overall, it’s a unique, thought-provoking read, but it didn’t fully deliver on its potential

Rebecca Baum's upcoming novel, The Brood, blends horror and magical realism to explore the deep connections between women, their bodies, and the natural world. Set for release in October 2025, the story follows a New York City attorney seeking refuge from intense media scrutiny after the death of her controversial mentor. Her escape takes her into the forests of upstate New York, where she has a strange encounter with a swarm of cicadas that leaves her unconscious. When she wakes, she finds herself held in a remote cabin by a mysterious woman who believes she is her long-lost mother. As unsettling events unfold, the protagonist is drawn into an eerie world tied to the cyclical emergence of the cicadas.

With a strong atmospheric presence and a haunting narrative, the novel delves into transformation, identity, and trauma. The setting enhances the sense of isolation and mystery, while the psychological tension keeps the story gripping. Baum weaves a chilling and thought-provoking tale that lingers long after the final page.

This novel stands out for its ability to intertwine elements of folklore, psychological horror, and feminist themes. Readers looking for a dark, immersive, and intellectually engaging story will find it a compelling addition to contemporary horror fiction.

I love horror, but I find myself a little picky about which horror books I read because I always am left wanting more. In the case of this book, I quite enjoyed the pacing, but I still found myself wanting more.

Mary, our protagonist, finds herself on some backroads when she has a car accident. When she awakes, she’s in a small cabin with a grown woman who thinks Mary is her mother. And then a lot of cicadas come and start acting weird.

Like a lot of horror, it gets a little gross. But it’s also a horror that causes lots of thinking. Not everything may be as it seems, or at the very least, Mary doesn’t seem to know what’s real and what isn’t. She serves as a bit of an unreliable narrator because she’s having a hard time accepting her reality and seeing things for the way they are.

Like a lot of horror, there’s some underlying messages. But overall, it’s horror.

Thank you very much to Thomas & Mercer, Rebecca Baum, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Review of The Brood by Rebecca Baum

Rebecca Baum’s The Brood is a haunting and poetic novel that weaves themes of family, trauma, and transformation into an eerie and immersive narrative. Baum’s prose is rich and evocative, painting a world that feels both intimate and unsettling. The novel’s atmosphere is one of its greatest strengths, creating a sense of unease that lingers long after the final page.

While the book excels in mood and symbolism, its pacing is uneven. Some sections are deeply engaging, while others move too slowly or feel abstract to the point of confusion. The protagonist is compelling, but some supporting characters remain underdeveloped, making it harder to fully connect with their roles in the story. Additionally, the dialogue at times feels stilted, which can disrupt the emotional flow of interactions.

Despite these challenges, The Brood remains a striking and thought-provoking read. Baum’s talent for crafting an unsettling yet lyrical narrative is undeniable, making this novel a fascinating exploration of the darkness that lingers within and around us.

The Brood was an intense horror thriller that is more than what it seems at first glance. When the book starts, we meet Mary a wealthy high-powered attorney who has achieved her success by less than moral means. Mary is tough, confident, and driven if not exactly likable. While trying to evade the press that is following her due to some of those less-than-moral things I mentioned, she gets hopelessly lost in the backwoods of New York and after being in a single-vehicle car accident wakes up in a rundown cabin in the woods with the woman that "rescued" her being the only other person around. Think "Misery" Annie Wilkes vibes. Once Mary realizes she isn't exactly free to leave the story picks up the pace hurtling toward its surreal conclusion.

The tone throughout The Brood is tense, oppressive, and eerie which adds to the horror vibes. And, make no mistake The Brood is definitely a horror novel, but there are also much deeper themes being touched on throughout the story. The author explores abandonment, grief, motherhood, and women's relationships with themselves, bugs (yeah that's all I'm saying on that to say more would spoil the surprise), and each other.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time with The Brood. It's a solid addition to the horror/thriller genre and I'm looking forward to seeing what the author brings us next. Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Rebecca Baum for the opportunity to read this ARC of The Brood.

Very atmospheric and creepy read! It’s going to be perfect for spooky October season. Thank you NetGalley and publisher for early arc of this book!

A really solid thriller! The characterization of Mary as a headstrong, confident woman (despite her many flaws) was a refreshing departure from the naive protagonists that so often populate these kinds of books. Her decisions and thoughts actually made sense, and weren't just convenient plot devices masquerading as action: trying to escape, trying to logic her way out of impossible situations, her moments of empathy towards Girl. The cicadas were very viscerally described, with certain moments making my skin crawl as much as Mary. Fast=paced and intense, I basically finished this book in one sitting. Would definitely recommend for horror and thriller fans!

[Just a quick note -- I think there's a minor typo on page 97 ("bonified" should be "bona fide").]