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adventurous
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Blood, Death of parent, Abandonment
Moderate: Addiction
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
This book could have been subtitled Daddy Issues (complimentary)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Vomit, Car accident
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” - FDR
This was INSANE and so unlike anything I’ve ever read before. I loved every single second.
This was INSANE and so unlike anything I’ve ever read before. I loved every single second.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Alcohol
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
y'all... I finished this days ago and forgot to update because I was so blown away by this story, especially after the authors note... I want to do this book justice by writing a well thought out review but I need some time to process... I will say this for now...
If you haven't read this book yet.... What are y'all doing!? Absolutely my TOP favorite horror book I've ever read. It's sitting up there with IT by Stephen King. Yes, it's THAT good, and it's THAT gory! Nat Cassidy is the horror author we have all begged for but don't deserve. Maybe it's because I resonated with it to my absolute core. Idk y'all... Just please go read it! And if you have already devoured The Big Bad Wolf... Tell me, did you love it as much as me!?
If you haven't read this book yet.... What are y'all doing!? Absolutely my TOP favorite horror book I've ever read. It's sitting up there with IT by Stephen King. Yes, it's THAT good, and it's THAT gory! Nat Cassidy is the horror author we have all begged for but don't deserve. Maybe it's because I resonated with it to my absolute core. Idk y'all... Just please go read it! And if you have already devoured The Big Bad Wolf... Tell me, did you love it as much as me!?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
A real ripper of a horror novel. I'm a little burned out on "escorting a kid across the country" type stories but this was a real solid one packed with original imagery and fast pacing. Nat Cassidy continues to be an easy recommendation!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
When the Wolf Comes Home follows an aspiring actress in LA who works part time at a bar. In the midst of a slight medical scare, Jess returns home to find a scared and traumatized little boy in her yard. And things are basically downhill from there.
I think the narrator for this book, Helen Laser, was amazing. And the author's note in the beginning about TWs was enough of a glimpse into their brain to let me know I would like him as an author. And I was right. This was my first Nat Cassidy book and I can't wait to read more.
Readers coming into this book should know that there's elements of physical and psychological horror that the story is woven around. But the core of the book centers on parental connections and how they can impact a child.
Jess, who has recently lost her father, feels immediately protective of the young boy. Even with the sudden appearance of this wolf/bear creature who attacks her neighbors, she puts the boy's safety first. And that's a constant theme throughout the story even at points where she begins to weigh the risks of protecting him versus herself.
And for me, the more I read, the scarier the story seemed to feel. The small chain reactions that continue to build around Jess and the little boy while running away from the creature chasing them end up having such a big impact, I was really just hoping for certain parts to just be a character's dream.
And for me, the more I read, the scarier the story seemed to feel. The small chain reactions that continue to build around Jess and the little boy while running away from the creature chasing them end up having such a big impact, I was really just hoping for certain parts to just be a character's dream.
The closest relationship Jess has in the book is with her mother who can be eccentric and dramatic but man is their foundation strong. Even without knowing all the details of why Jess is on the run, she helps and protects her. There's a moment in the story where Jess learns some new information about her estranged father regarding his absence in her life. I liked the closure she gets from this information, but I didn't think it changed much for Jess and her natural intentions.
She wasn't a parent but understood that the young boy needed protection and was scared. And understanding that as a 5 year old just how scary the whole world may seem to him. As we age, some of those fears fade or go away. And sometimes, they're just replaced by other things.
There's a lot that I can't say without spoiling the book for other readers. So I will just ask this question: who do you think is the villain in When the Wolf Comes Home?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Drug use, Vomit, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Alcohol, Dysphoria
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fuck.
I hadn't read a book by Nat Cassidy yet, but the description spoke to me so I picked this audiobook up. Oh man, oh man, oh MAN. This is an incredibly tense, evocative, and complicated book. Before I say anything else: PLEASE NOTE THE TRIGGER WARNINGS INCLUDED AT THE START OF THIS BOOK. Including some I'll list here: violence, gore, body horror, death of parent, child death, child abuse, medical content, needles, stalking, and kidnapping. And that's just a start.
"When the Wolf Comes Home" is about fear. Largely, it's about being a parent, what that means, the choices we make regarding our children, fears we have/fears they have, etc., but it's also about control. Control is something of an antonym of fear, because we use control to navigate said fears: we control our emotions, our reactions, our actions. Even with a phobia, we exist in a world made of pure fear, and we have to find our own ways to survive all that.
But there is no controlling a child. You can try, as characters in this novel do, but when it comes down to it: that child has their own autonomy. If you try to "control" a child, they will likely have one of two reactions: acquiescence or resistance. They will learn to adapt your behaviors/lessons, or they will oppose you and defy your attempts. Ultimately, we can only control our own actions and reactions. We cannot foist our will upon another, even if they're too young to understand different.
The lessons in this book reflect back on control often. Although you get little of his perspective, the boy's father tried to control him prior to the inciting incident that opened the book. Jess, the protagonist, picks up his baton and tries to teach/control the kid thereafter. But they both end up at the same conclusion: he cannot be controlled. And what does that mean?
Fear is too big a thing to ever control. You can heal the symptoms, but can you ever fully relieve yourself of fear? And a child fears most of all, because they have no prior experience, no context with which to understand the world. For instance, I have 30 years of life to help me navigate new challenges daily. Kiddo had five. Less, considering memories aren't exact when you're too young for words. So he, rightfully, feared everything. And what happens when your fears are a trigger for even scarier things? Well, that's what this book is about!
"When the Wolf Comes Home," follows stressed-out, mid-crisis Improv-wannabe, Jess, as she finds a scared young boy and attempts to protect him from the real world (and fantasy) dangers that follow them. Among said dangers are wolves, monsters, animated characters, and hat-bats. Levels of danger vary. Soon enough, she comes to realize that the danger might not be "after them," after all, but running alongside them. The boy has powers. Jess, an ill-equipped waitress and reluctant caregiver, is thrown into a helluva situation. She adapts by using the number one rule of improv: Yes and.
Nat Cassidy's writing is full of visually complex ideas and creations. It's never hard to picture what's on the page (or spoken through the radio, in my case), because Cassidy is so descriptive and exact. Every confusing notion is followed by a simile or metaphor that knocks you right back into the world of Jess and her charge. The characters and set-ups are if not perfect, then sooo satisfying when they pay off. The characters are fully realized, fully themselves. They could walk off the page and you wouldn't bat an eye (not just because of the fantasy powers depicted).
The ending is dark. Shocking, and hard to read. This isn't a happily-ever-after story. But if you read this, you'll understand that there really couldn't be one? The themes of the story are too complex, too real for this book to end anywhere close to happy. This story contains a lot of death. As depicted on the cover, no one will be sparred. I enjoyed this book a lot, but it was very hard. Very difficult and heavy. And I say all this with the disclaimer that I do not have/want children. I do not feel the maternal instincts indicative of my gender, feelings that may affect many audience members. Be warned, this is a heavy book.
Thank you to Netgalley for the digital audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.
I hadn't read a book by Nat Cassidy yet, but the description spoke to me so I picked this audiobook up. Oh man, oh man, oh MAN. This is an incredibly tense, evocative, and complicated book. Before I say anything else: PLEASE NOTE THE TRIGGER WARNINGS INCLUDED AT THE START OF THIS BOOK. Including some I'll list here: violence, gore, body horror, death of parent, child death, child abuse, medical content, needles, stalking, and kidnapping. And that's just a start.
"When the Wolf Comes Home" is about fear. Largely, it's about being a parent, what that means, the choices we make regarding our children, fears we have/fears they have, etc., but it's also about control. Control is something of an antonym of fear, because we use control to navigate said fears: we control our emotions, our reactions, our actions. Even with a phobia, we exist in a world made of pure fear, and we have to find our own ways to survive all that.
But there is no controlling a child. You can try, as characters in this novel do, but when it comes down to it: that child has their own autonomy. If you try to "control" a child, they will likely have one of two reactions: acquiescence or resistance. They will learn to adapt your behaviors/lessons, or they will oppose you and defy your attempts. Ultimately, we can only control our own actions and reactions. We cannot foist our will upon another, even if they're too young to understand different.
The lessons in this book reflect back on control often. Although you get little of his perspective, the boy's father tried to control him prior to the inciting incident that opened the book. Jess, the protagonist, picks up his baton and tries to teach/control the kid thereafter. But they both end up at the same conclusion: he cannot be controlled. And what does that mean?
Fear is too big a thing to ever control. You can heal the symptoms, but can you ever fully relieve yourself of fear? And a child fears most of all, because they have no prior experience, no context with which to understand the world. For instance, I have 30 years of life to help me navigate new challenges daily. Kiddo had five. Less, considering memories aren't exact when you're too young for words. So he, rightfully, feared everything. And what happens when your fears are a trigger for even scarier things? Well, that's what this book is about!
"When the Wolf Comes Home," follows stressed-out, mid-crisis Improv-wannabe, Jess, as she finds a scared young boy and attempts to protect him from the real world (and fantasy) dangers that follow them. Among said dangers are wolves, monsters, animated characters, and hat-bats. Levels of danger vary. Soon enough, she comes to realize that the danger might not be "after them," after all, but running alongside them. The boy has powers. Jess, an ill-equipped waitress and reluctant caregiver, is thrown into a helluva situation. She adapts by using the number one rule of improv: Yes and.
Nat Cassidy's writing is full of visually complex ideas and creations. It's never hard to picture what's on the page (or spoken through the radio, in my case), because Cassidy is so descriptive and exact. Every confusing notion is followed by a simile or metaphor that knocks you right back into the world of Jess and her charge. The characters and set-ups are if not perfect, then sooo satisfying when they pay off. The characters are fully realized, fully themselves. They could walk off the page and you wouldn't bat an eye (not just because of the fantasy powers depicted).
The ending is dark. Shocking, and hard to read. This isn't a happily-ever-after story. But if you read this, you'll understand that there really couldn't be one? The themes of the story are too complex, too real for this book to end anywhere close to happy. This story contains a lot of death. As depicted on the cover, no one will be sparred. I enjoyed this book a lot, but it was very hard. Very difficult and heavy. And I say all this with the disclaimer that I do not have/want children. I do not feel the maternal instincts indicative of my gender, feelings that may affect many audience members. Be warned, this is a heavy book.
Thank you to Netgalley for the digital audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Gun violence, Alcohol
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
This book is about FEAR. Hugely about familial relationships, violence, and the harm we do to one another. Very heavy topics dealt with.