Reviews

Nestlings by Nat Cassidy

camrob318's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

decadesparrow's review against another edition

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2.5

Perhaps the least frightening book I’ve ever read. The only reason this isn’t a 2 is because of the sapphic vampire hockey player B-plot.

michaelaviles's review against another edition

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5.0

Stay loose

bitchesgottaread's review against another edition

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5.0

Another absolute banger by Nat Cassidy. 

Superficially, Nestlings is an exquisitely well-written and entertaining horror novel. Cassidy pays homage to "The Shining," "Salem's Lot," and  "Rosemary's Baby" and does them complete justice while still crafting a story that is uniquely his own. 

Yes- "Nestlings" has all of the significant elements of a modern horror novel. It has a perfectly atmospheric location (easily considered a character itself), horrific visuals, suspense, creepy characters, and monstrous evil. 

"Nestlings" ALSO integrates the genuine everyday horrors of ableism, racism, xenophobia, grief, and just basic survival in a world that can be absolutely brutal and indifferent. 
The marriage of both notes is seamless- neither distracts from the other but rather strengthens the whole experience. 

Cassidy has an undeniable talent for creating contextually layered stories that reach the depth of the human experience with incredible empathy and emotional intelligence while maintaining the integrity of entertainment value and escapism. 

I absolutely love this book and this author. 

The audiobook narration is brilliantly done and hits all the right notes.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Nightfire, and Macmillan Audio for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

i_blamebookit's review against another edition

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dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

loosejac's review against another edition

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5.0

No one seems to do horror like Nat Cassidy does horror. This book was so enthralling, and I’m so impressed by the skill with which the characters were written. Usually in horror books, the characters fall flat as the plot becomes the main focus of the writing. But this book, like his other book Mary, is driven by both compelling characters and compelling plot. Also for good measure touches on grief, identity, disability, and motherhood.

finedanddandy's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

doctoracula's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

yourmiscreant's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

I had been wanting to read Nestlings for awhile, and when I finally got the chance I couldn't stop. The characters in the story are fallible and real. The author does a great job of giving a creepy and mysterious vibe going throughout the story. It's a great twist on a very old concept. (ps read the afterword, it's just as beautiful and touching as the story)

oopsadaisy's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25