Katie Colson's Reviews > Nestlings

Having really enjoyed Mary, by the same author, this was an unexpected flop for me. I really like the take this author puts on classic horror stories. So I'll continue to pick up their books. This one just didn't work in any way for me.

I learned, after reading, that this book is meant to be a retelling or reimagining of Rosemary's baby. Admittedly, I've never read the book or watched the film(s) for Rosemary's Baby. Maybe there is much to be gleamed from that material?

Without that knowledge, I felt it drew heavily from Lock Ever Door by Riley Sager. Especially with the gargoyles and NYC setting and mysterious but somehow also legendary vibes. But I've since been told that book is also a Rosemary's Baby reincarnate. So, who's to say?

[VERY MILD SPOILERS COMMENCES...]

What I can say, with no care to what it may or not be in-homage-too, is this...
1. What point did Frank serve? What singular point did he lend to the story?? Na Da.
2. Only one book has any recorded evidence of the buildings history? But, somehow, every single delivery driver in all of New York City knows it's bad news and refuses to enter? But our main characters have never heard a single ill-word/thought/superstition about the place? Um...?
3. Very heavy-handed. No subtlety. I knew every twist well before it happened.
4. Reid can suck a d*ck, then choke and die on it. What a useless sack of man-meat. A poor-man-with-a-guitar-and-a-dream just trying to show the world that scrawny white men deserve recognition too?? Noooooo, I'm full up, thank you!
5. I respect that Jewish take on vampires. But I wish it had been more focused on and further executed. I respect this author. Especially because of the work they did in Mary. But this just didn't hit the mark in any of the ways I had anticipated.

So sorry to break anyone's hearts. I will be picking up anything this author comes out with next. Because Mary was such an eye opening horror-read for me. Nestlings just flopped catastrophically for me, sad to say.