A spoiler-free review of Nestlings by Nat Cassidy.
My Synopsis
Ana and Reid have nearly survived their first year of parenthood, but not without challenges.
Ana is learning how to navigate life in a wheelchair after a rare complication from childbirth has left her without the use of her legs. Reid is struggling to cope with his new role as a caregiver to his wife and baby, while dealing with the grief of losing his own mother.
Reeling from an incident they refuse to acknowledge, and in need of a change, Ana and Reid reluctantly accept an affordable housing apartment on the 22nd floor of the Deptford building. While Ana struggles to feel like they belong in the upscale apartment building, Reid becomes obsessed with its history and celebrity inhabitants. Their infant daughter Charlie, affectionately referred to as “baby bird” is acting strange and odd bite marks begin to appear on her body.
Tension builds between Ana and Reid leading up to Charlie’s first birthday, as they struggle with their roles as parents and partners. When it becomes clear that there is something very wrong with the Deptford building and its creepy crawly inhabitants, it may be too late to keep their family intact.
My Review
Nestling’s was a truly creepy and unexpected horror, I had the privilege of having access to the audiobook through Netgalley, thanks to Macmillan Audio and Tor Nightfire, prior to its October 31 release.
The Audiobook, which was narrated by Cassandra Campbell was engrossing and well paced, the production, along with the content held my attention fully and I listened to it whenever I had the chance. Campbell does a good job of using accents, without it being annoying or too over the top. Frank may be the only exception here, but he was a completely odious character to begin with.
Which brings me to appreciate the fully fleshed out characters, specifically Ana and Reid. The subject matter is sensitive, as it deals with postpartum mental health, disability, life as a caretaker and just the insecurities that new parents face in general. I think the author did a thorough job with the research and taking the time to get these things right and it shows through the character’s. That being said, I myself have not experienced any of these things, so I can’t day for sure that they were done right. However, considering the length for this book (just over 300 pages), I was surprised how detailed the characters were and how real they felt.
I really felt for both Ana and Reid, because as terrifying as this story is, it was also kind of heartbreaking. As with most horrors, and I guess it depends on which way you look at it, there’s not really a happy ending here. Even as someone who is not a parent, I felt their insecurities, their reluctance to give up the people and the couple they once were and their ever looming fear of parental inadequacy.
For me, Ana proved to be the most complex and more transformative of characters. Yes, she is bitter, exhausted and struggles with feelings of inadequacy and the resentment towards her infant daughter that keeps rearing its ugly head, but in the end she really takes control of her disability and becomes the hero. We watch a struggling new mother, realize exactly what motherhood is and claim it, all of it. With all of its sweet loving moments and all of its horror.
Throughout the progression of the story, I started to like Ana more and Reid less. Their entire dynamic flips.
This is admittedly the first Jewish horror I have read, and that added layers upon layers to this story for me. Ana and Reid’s identity as Jewish New Yorkers affects their relationship with certain characters, such as their scumbag ex landlord and Isaac, the Hasidic Jew who Reid consults regarding their supernatural issues at home. Their identity also plays a role in how they approach the horror that threatens to possess their infant daughter, as they ultimately take a Jewish approach towards understanding the ancient monsters that plague them and towards defeating them.
In a big way this horror speaks on the Jewish history of suffering and surviving. Ana is often wondering if their family is cursed, while Reid is determined to force their luck to change. In the end this dynamic is flipped, allowing us to see them each as the survivor and as the sufferer, throughout the course of the story.
Cassidy’s identity as a Jewish author lends a dynamic approach to the way we conceptualize traditional horror tropes as well. You’ll find that your crucifixes and silver bullets don’t work here. This, along with its ties to the parental and psychological aspects of this story, created a uniquely devastating horror.
There were honestly a few scenes that gave me AHS vibes, most of them involving the extravagant occupants of the Deptford. Thing’s certainly got that AHS brand of WEIRD. There were one (or two) feeding scenes that made me feel positively ILL and a certain ceiling mural (and kind of the story as whole) that reminded me a bit of Clive Barker’s The Midnight Meat Train. Even before we get down to the true horror lurking within the building, the Deptford is full of eerie chill, sure to leave you covered in goosebumps.
Nat Cassidy’s author note proceeding the story, is well worth the read, and fully explains how personal this book was for him. As I develop as a reader, I find myself really appreciating a well thought out author’s note and always try to wait until I’m finished with the book before reading it. Usually, it changes the way I feel or think about the book, and typically in a positive way. In this case, I loved the book and after the author’s note loved it even more. I will say that I think I like the original book title, a bit more than Nestlings, which they settled on.
I’m very happy that I can say my final horror read of October was a 5/5 stars.