Holy shit. HOW is Nat Cassidy SUCH a good writer?? From the get-go I was squeamish. I mean, there's bugs. Lots of 'em. There's also gargoyles, vampires, and insectile appendages, so really, there's no shortage of grossness. Still, even with the gross factor, this book is incredible.

Our new parents finally win the housing lottery to live in the most coveted building in New York City. But there's little known about it, and delivery workers refuse to enter it. Regardless, it's enviable. Even if it feels a little...off. 

On top of being a new mother, Ana is recently disabled due to her labor. She struggles to cope and is frequently barraged by the ableism she faces. Reid, her husband, refuses to admit that he hated taking care of both his newborn and his wife and is so incredibly relieved that both parties are doing much better. Reid thinks that the Deptford is the chance of a lifetime. Ana is more pessimistic, though she'd argue it's simply realism. Still, it feels a little...off.

These characters are memorable and their flaws are integral to the book and equally integral to their successes and failures. This couple is far from perfect, and the differences between their internal lives and what they share are vast. 

Included within the horror is bugs, motherhood, blood, vomit, more bugs, antisemitism, and a cast of characters who are as fun as they are terrible. Love this book.

I'd like to thank the random bookshop who posted a picture on FB of a display of "Horror novels NOT by Stephen King."  I looked up a couple of titles, wondering "who is Nat Cassidy?"  A very good writer, that's who!  I loved the terror and humanity of this book.  It's essentially about dealing with misfortune and desperately wanting to belong.  The apartment building, the Deptford, is a character and although I don't want to be responsible for "spoilers" let's just say I want to research further about estries and the Jewish Vampire lore.  One of the best trigger-warnings I've ever read, which mentions various things including anti-semitism, depression and various other themes, but ends with "There's also a character who's a real racist, sexist piece of shit".  Frank is, unfortunately, so very believable.

Read this intriguing take on New York City, old buildings, family, disability, and Judaism from Nat Cassidy. Then read the afterword. Excellent book. 

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8uF6eQb/

Nestlings is my first read from the author Nat Cassidy and it’s definitely a decent into fear and creepiness. 

Here’s the setup the Mason characters are a married couple, Ana and Reid. They live in a crappy New York apartment, and Ana suffered from an accident during the birth of their young child and lost the use of her legs, potentially forever, while also dealing with some intense postpartum depression . 

Basically things aren’t going great for them when they get a call about winning an affordable housing lottery to move into a fancy loft apartment for cheap. They go to check it out and Reid is instantly in love with the views and historic architecture of the building. Ava is more skeptical or using her wheelchair there but decides their family needs a fresh start. 

It seems alright at first, but little things start seeming off, like the creepy doormen, they rarely see other people in a New York high rise, or the food delivery men refusing to come into the building. Things start getting creepier from there. 

I don’t want to get into spoilers but overall I really enjoyed the story it blends together horror elements with social commentary.  I actually recommend reading the afterword in this book where he talks about his personal story and inspiration for this book. 

The characters in this story are believable if a little caricature-esque at times. What I really like is that Cassidy really made the building feel like a character itself.  The pacing did meander at times but I never really felt out of the story. 

Like all horror books check your triggers, I may have inadvertently sent this rec to someone who can’t stand bugs and they play a role here. 
But other than the triggers this book tackles themes such as: the darker side of become a new parent, what it means to lose mobility, and how loss and grief can affect our identity and sense of belonging. 

I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by Cassandra Campbell and I think she did a great job really hitting the right tone for this story.  

Big thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with a chance to get in on this book early. I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review

"What does it mean to be a mother? But that was the trick. There was no one meaning." 

Reading Nestlings by Nat Cassidy was such an amazing experience. There were moments when I was scared to death and triggered by some of my biggest fears but the payout was so worth it. Cassidy managed to play on the readers' fears with the horror aspects while at the same time delivering such depth and substance. So many of these moments will live rent-free in my brain and still give me the creeps. I don't know about y'all, but creepy babies, bugs, gargoyles, and old, tall buildings with loads of secrets give me so much anxiety. When I finished this one, I literally exhaled and said, "Wow! This book was great!" 

The best part of this one was how Cassidy was able to weave in important themes to a NYC horror story without making it feel super heavy. The sweet spot was in the balance for sure. He showcased the horrors of the predatory housing system in NYC, the trauma of bed bug infestations, and the economic inequalities, especially in the healthcare system. I love how he explored Jewish identity and religiousness and wasn't afraid to challenge some longstanding beliefs or "curses." I could tell a lot of research and thought went into the representation of disability, motherhood, post-birth trauma and post-partum depression. It was handled with care and felt very personal. He really makes the reader take a deeper dive into ableism, grief from becoming disabled and parenthood based on one's own experiences with their parents. There was just so much to love about this one. 

If you love horror stories that are going to fill you with dread, make you feel uneasy in your own home and make your skin crawl then run and grab yourself a copy. Turn off the lights, light a candle, get a warm blanket and hot drink, and enjoy the ride. This is one of the best horror books I've read this year. Nat Cassidy is an official auto-buy author from now on. I've gotten to meet Cassidy on three occasions and he is such a genuinely nice person.

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Eerie. Apprehensive. Brave. 

🇺🇸 Set in a gothic-style Art Deco apartment across from Central Park in New York, USA 

POV: Told in third-person narration, we mainly follow a married couple grappling with the challenges of new parenthood and post-birth trauma. 

 

Mood Reading Match Up: 

-Infusions of grown-up Goosebumps vibes set against a gothic Manhattan backdrop. 

-Integrating folklore horror and mythological creatures into urban life 

-Strong, complex character studies (including the monsters) with gradually evolving atmospheric plots 

-Exploring themes and social commentary on luck, heritage, Jewish identity, the rawness of parenthood, birth trauma, and struggling with new parent identities. 

 

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🐺 Growls, Howls, and Tail Wags 🐕 

✏️ Writing: The writing style is direct and to the point, immediately drawing me in. 

 

🫥 Characters: The narrative provides a ‘fly on the wall’ perspective, mainly from Ana and Reid’s points of view, but also includes other characters when relevant. 

 

🗺️ Worldbuilding: The setting in Manhattan feels authentic and immersive, with sensory details that create a parallel universe feel. The lore around the building adds an extra layer of intrigue. 

 

🔥 Fuel: Suspense is masterfully built through scenes that lack context, keeping me guessing and engaged. 

 

🐇 Pacing: The pacing is well-executed, maintaining momentum even through intense scenes. 

 

🎬 Scenes: The novel has a cinematic quality, I want a movie/mini-series adaptation! 

 

💭 Random Thoughts: The portrayal of a parent struggling with bonding and resentment towards their child is handled with depth and realism, exploring the complexities and often unspoken aspects of parenthood. I love how this veers away from the typical mother-child bond, momma bear worship. 

 

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Content Heads-Up: Medical (birth injury). Disability (inaccessibility, paralysis). Ableism. Covid-19 (recall). Racist character (antisemitism). Anxiety, panic attacks (experienced, triggered). Toxic parent. Sexual content (consenting, relationship). Post-partum depression (recalled, insinuated). Unemployment. Suicidal thoughts, attempt. Sleep deprivation. Loss of a parent (recall, grief). Body horror (mutation, feeding, body fluids). 

Rep includes: Jewish American, differently-abled (wheelchair mobility) and White characters, delving into their experiences and traditions. 

 

Format: Library Digital via Libby. 

 

🤩 This was one of my Favourite Books of 2023

 

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