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The Brood
A fascinating blend of horror and magical realism, this spine-tingling thriller explores the complex relationship between women, their bodies, and the natural world.
Cutthroat NYC lawyer Mary Whelton just buried her problematic old mentor. But as she leaves the mourners and protesters behind, the press stays hot on her heels. Desperate to escape, she unwittingly barrels deep into a remote forest in upstate New York. Until a collision—with a buzzing, oozing throng of cicadas—stops her dead in her tracks.
She awakens in a crude cabin, held captive by Girl, a simple, hulking woman who mistakes Mary for her derelict mother and obsesses over a mysterious Brood. While tortured echoes from Mary’s past feed her growing sense of fear, it becomes clear that she’s destined to bear an unthinkable role in the cicadas’ cyclical reemergence. But when Girl’s grisly past comes back to haunt them both, Mary is thrust into a violent battle of wills.
Confoundingly creepy and atmospheric, The Brood peels back the hurt and pain of the female experience, laying bare the messy necessity for transformation and growth.
Cutthroat NYC lawyer Mary Whelton just buried her problematic old mentor. But as she leaves the mourners and protesters behind, the press stays hot on her heels. Desperate to escape, she unwittingly barrels deep into a remote forest in upstate New York. Until a collision—with a buzzing, oozing throng of cicadas—stops her dead in her tracks.
She awakens in a crude cabin, held captive by Girl, a simple, hulking woman who mistakes Mary for her derelict mother and obsesses over a mysterious Brood. While tortured echoes from Mary’s past feed her growing sense of fear, it becomes clear that she’s destined to bear an unthinkable role in the cicadas’ cyclical reemergence. But when Girl’s grisly past comes back to haunt them both, Mary is thrust into a violent battle of wills.
Confoundingly creepy and atmospheric, The Brood peels back the hurt and pain of the female experience, laying bare the messy necessity for transformation and growth.
207 pages, Paperback
Published October 28, 2025
121 people are currently reading
4725 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews
September 16, 2025
“Her entire adult life had been one long campaign to control and fortify the fortress of her body, dominate her feelings, deny her vulnerability, arrest time and decay.”
Mary is a shark of an attorney who defends folks accused of sexual crimes. She's GREAT at her job but is NOT a nice person. When Mary winds up held captive in a cabin by a hulking woman called 'Girl' who talks about a 'Brood' of cicadas and 'Her in the Cave', she's suddenly in a fight for survival.
Okay y'all, this was so creepy and gross. While repeatedly being horrified and thinking ewwwwww over and over, I had NO idea what would happen next and I could NOT. STOP. READING! This is NOT for the squeamish, especially given all the bugs, bodily fluids, and degradation. I was conflicted by these morally grey characters and didn't feel all that bad for either of them, at first.
Sara Sheckells narrates the audiobook and she is PHENOMENAL! Each voice is distinctive with tone, pitch and cadence. Her modulation is SPOT. ON. with pacing increasing in all the correct places to convey fear, tension and excitement. Rebecca Baum's vivid and taut writing combined with Sheckells raw emotive performance provides a wholly immersive experience I definitely recommend!
As the story progresses so does the complexity and depth with Baum brilliantly touching on themes of childhood abuse, abandonment, disordered eating, body image and acceptance, the lack of control women so often have, and the struggle to find inner peace. I was completely unprepared by the emotional impact it had on me. I found myself in tears. What a horrifying yet beautiful story of surviving and ultimately overcoming deeply ingrained trauma. THE BROOD is haunting, disturbing and mesmerizing all while championing the natural world, personal growth and new beginnings. This is an utterly unique and memorable journey you don't want to miss!
____
Thank you Rebecca Baum, Amazon Publishing and Brilliance Publishing for my gifted copies. All opinions are my own.
Mary is a shark of an attorney who defends folks accused of sexual crimes. She's GREAT at her job but is NOT a nice person. When Mary winds up held captive in a cabin by a hulking woman called 'Girl' who talks about a 'Brood' of cicadas and 'Her in the Cave', she's suddenly in a fight for survival.
Okay y'all, this was so creepy and gross. While repeatedly being horrified and thinking ewwwwww over and over, I had NO idea what would happen next and I could NOT. STOP. READING! This is NOT for the squeamish, especially given all the bugs, bodily fluids, and degradation. I was conflicted by these morally grey characters and didn't feel all that bad for either of them, at first.
Sara Sheckells narrates the audiobook and she is PHENOMENAL! Each voice is distinctive with tone, pitch and cadence. Her modulation is SPOT. ON. with pacing increasing in all the correct places to convey fear, tension and excitement. Rebecca Baum's vivid and taut writing combined with Sheckells raw emotive performance provides a wholly immersive experience I definitely recommend!
As the story progresses so does the complexity and depth with Baum brilliantly touching on themes of childhood abuse, abandonment, disordered eating, body image and acceptance, the lack of control women so often have, and the struggle to find inner peace. I was completely unprepared by the emotional impact it had on me. I found myself in tears. What a horrifying yet beautiful story of surviving and ultimately overcoming deeply ingrained trauma. THE BROOD is haunting, disturbing and mesmerizing all while championing the natural world, personal growth and new beginnings. This is an utterly unique and memorable journey you don't want to miss!
____
Thank you Rebecca Baum, Amazon Publishing and Brilliance Publishing for my gifted copies. All opinions are my own.
April 14, 2025
Okay… The Brood seriously freaked me out — in the best way. It’s this weird, creepy blend of horror and magical realism that had me side-eyeing every cicada I saw for days. I usually love horror movies, but I haven’t read a ton of horror novels, and this one fully delivered the body horror vibes I didn’t know I needed.
We follow Mary, this sharp-edged NYC lawyer who’s not exactly easy to like. She ends up stranded in the woods after an accident and wakes up in a rundown cabin with “Girl” — who’s giving intense Misery vibes. From there it just spirals into a disturbing, bizarre ride involving bugs, obsession, and twisted motherhood themes. I was hooked, even when I was cringing (seriously, some of the imagery had me physically wincing).
I really loved how the story leaned into the gross, campy side of horror while still hitting deeper themes around womanhood, trauma, and transformation. There were so many eerie, atmospheric moments where I was just like… “WTF is happening?!” but in a good way. That said, the beginning and ending didn’t totally match up — it kind of felt like two different books bookending the real story.
Still, this was such a unique read.
Thanks NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC — I need a shower and a bug zapper now.
We follow Mary, this sharp-edged NYC lawyer who’s not exactly easy to like. She ends up stranded in the woods after an accident and wakes up in a rundown cabin with “Girl” — who’s giving intense Misery vibes. From there it just spirals into a disturbing, bizarre ride involving bugs, obsession, and twisted motherhood themes. I was hooked, even when I was cringing (seriously, some of the imagery had me physically wincing).
I really loved how the story leaned into the gross, campy side of horror while still hitting deeper themes around womanhood, trauma, and transformation. There were so many eerie, atmospheric moments where I was just like… “WTF is happening?!” but in a good way. That said, the beginning and ending didn’t totally match up — it kind of felt like two different books bookending the real story.
Still, this was such a unique read.
Thanks NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC — I need a shower and a bug zapper now.
October 30, 2025
"The cicadas drowned her screams in an explosion of song. But it was too late. His mouth hung open. His joyful expression had twisted into horror."
☠️ Listened to the single-narrated audiobook narrated by Sarah Sheckells whilst also reading the ebook version.
Her performance elevates the written text: strong voice work, vivid sound imagery, and emotional dynamics make it immersive.
She greatly emphasizes dread, discomfort and atmosphere.
☠️ A tense, 'confoundingly' creepy and atmospheric read rather than a straightforward jumpscare thriller. Combines real-world horror with surreal or fantastical elements.
☠️ Possible discomfort: graphic or intense imagery, body-horror elements.
☠️ It is well-written though I reckon I'd enjoy it more if it had different POVs than just Mary's. Didn't really like the MC for the most part but she had redeeming qualities and character development. 'Girl' on the other hand I find interesting from the start. She's one of the novel’s most striking and unsettling figures — part captor, part child, part force of nature.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and Brilliance Audio for the audiobook and digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
4.5✨
☠️ Listened to the single-narrated audiobook narrated by Sarah Sheckells whilst also reading the ebook version.
Her performance elevates the written text: strong voice work, vivid sound imagery, and emotional dynamics make it immersive.
She greatly emphasizes dread, discomfort and atmosphere.
☠️ A tense, 'confoundingly' creepy and atmospheric read rather than a straightforward jumpscare thriller. Combines real-world horror with surreal or fantastical elements.
☠️ Possible discomfort: graphic or intense imagery, body-horror elements.
☠️ It is well-written though I reckon I'd enjoy it more if it had different POVs than just Mary's. Didn't really like the MC for the most part but she had redeeming qualities and character development. 'Girl' on the other hand I find interesting from the start. She's one of the novel’s most striking and unsettling figures — part captor, part child, part force of nature.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and Brilliance Audio for the audiobook and digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
4.5✨
September 19, 2025
I was initially drawn to this book by its beautiful cover, but the story inside is far from beautiful. This story was fantastic, I honestly didn't want to stop listening.
Weren't Cicadas creepy enough already? Oh they don't bother you? Well.... that opinion might change.
Is it a bit gross at times? Absolutely. I've read books 100 times worse but I still think those who are squeamish should go in expecting bugs and a lot of bodily fluids.
I didn't really care for the characters at first, Mary is kind of a b*tch and girl is obviously not a great person either. They definitely both flirt the line at being morally grey at best. But as I listened and learned who they are and why... it's hard not to at least feel some pity.
This book deals with some heavy topics such as but not limited to child abuse, eating disorders, degradation and body image issues. There are also bugs and so much fluid. I urge you to keep that in mind before going into this one.
As far as it goes as an audiobook, I have absolutely no complaints. Your ears are in for a treat. The narration was done beautifully and each character was unique and done perfectly. I really felt like the characters themselves were speaking to me. It wasn't just a narrator reading me a story anymore. I was right there inside the story with Mary and Girl.
I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Weren't Cicadas creepy enough already? Oh they don't bother you? Well.... that opinion might change.
Is it a bit gross at times? Absolutely. I've read books 100 times worse but I still think those who are squeamish should go in expecting bugs and a lot of bodily fluids.
I didn't really care for the characters at first, Mary is kind of a b*tch and girl is obviously not a great person either. They definitely both flirt the line at being morally grey at best. But as I listened and learned who they are and why... it's hard not to at least feel some pity.
This book deals with some heavy topics such as but not limited to child abuse, eating disorders, degradation and body image issues. There are also bugs and so much fluid. I urge you to keep that in mind before going into this one.
As far as it goes as an audiobook, I have absolutely no complaints. Your ears are in for a treat. The narration was done beautifully and each character was unique and done perfectly. I really felt like the characters themselves were speaking to me. It wasn't just a narrator reading me a story anymore. I was right there inside the story with Mary and Girl.
I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.
October 13, 2025
This is one of those books that makes your skin crawl. Literally!
Mary Whelton is driving through the forest one day until she has a collision, a throng of cicadas stops her dead in her tracks. She wakes up in a strange cabin. A horrible looking woman is holding her captive.
The insane woman talks to her about a brood and the babies. Mary decides this woman is out of her mind!
There were times I was literally squirming. Not for the faint of heart and it’s definitely insect horror. If bugs make you ill, do not read it 🤣.
The narrator was fantastic! I was hooked in and finished audiobook in two days. She definitely did a great job setting the creepy atmosphere.
I enjoyed this horror novel as it is definitely different. I loved the ending!
Trigger warnings of child abuse.
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to Rebecca Baum for my gifted copy, Brillance Publishing and NetGalley for the ALC.
Pub Date- 10/28/25
Mary Whelton is driving through the forest one day until she has a collision, a throng of cicadas stops her dead in her tracks. She wakes up in a strange cabin. A horrible looking woman is holding her captive.
The insane woman talks to her about a brood and the babies. Mary decides this woman is out of her mind!
There were times I was literally squirming. Not for the faint of heart and it’s definitely insect horror. If bugs make you ill, do not read it 🤣.
The narrator was fantastic! I was hooked in and finished audiobook in two days. She definitely did a great job setting the creepy atmosphere.
I enjoyed this horror novel as it is definitely different. I loved the ending!
Trigger warnings of child abuse.
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to Rebecca Baum for my gifted copy, Brillance Publishing and NetGalley for the ALC.
Pub Date- 10/28/25
June 20, 2025
A feminist horror novel with insects, body horror, and lots and lots of pus and body fluids, some of which is probably not naturally occurring in Homo sapiens. This book reminded me in many ways of Daryl Gregory’s Revelator, with its secret reproduction in the backwoods replete with hicks and sticks. There’s the sacred and the sacrificial, twisted up in a special brood of 17-year periodical cicadas.
The story follows a rich and powerful lawyer, Mary, quite the bitch type really, who ends up in the clutches of Girl, who has been awaiting the return of her “mama” and the 17-year Brood. Bloody and painful catastrophe awaits Mary, as she becomes hostage to the insanity of the place. There are other themes that permeate the story, dealing with childhood trauma, abandonment, abuse, motherhood. And it is these themes, I think, that elevate this story above a simple body horror tale of insect infestation with some incredibly jaw-dropping scenes. The one with Real Mother in the cave will stay with me for a long time.
I certainly fell down the internet rabbit hold chasing after knowledge of periodical cicadas after reading this book. I learned that cicada broods are differentiated by geographical location and length of hibernation, most commonly 17-year cycles and 13-year cycles. I read up on the male’s tymbals, which creates the unique cicada song that attracts the females.
As I am typing this, I can hear the tzitzikas’ songs in the trees by our house. The windows and doors are open to let in the breeze, and the sounds of the annual summer tzitzikas are timeless, as their chorus swells and then fades in the sunlight.
The story follows a rich and powerful lawyer, Mary, quite the bitch type really, who ends up in the clutches of Girl, who has been awaiting the return of her “mama” and the 17-year Brood. Bloody and painful catastrophe awaits Mary, as she becomes hostage to the insanity of the place. There are other themes that permeate the story, dealing with childhood trauma, abandonment, abuse, motherhood. And it is these themes, I think, that elevate this story above a simple body horror tale of insect infestation with some incredibly jaw-dropping scenes. The one with Real Mother in the cave will stay with me for a long time.
I certainly fell down the internet rabbit hold chasing after knowledge of periodical cicadas after reading this book. I learned that cicada broods are differentiated by geographical location and length of hibernation, most commonly 17-year cycles and 13-year cycles. I read up on the male’s tymbals, which creates the unique cicada song that attracts the females.
As I am typing this, I can hear the tzitzikas’ songs in the trees by our house. The windows and doors are open to let in the breeze, and the sounds of the annual summer tzitzikas are timeless, as their chorus swells and then fades in the sunlight.
September 27, 2025
4.5⭐️ (Rounded up)
The Brood is a literary psychological horror novel with body horror and elements of magical realism. The story follows Mary Whelton, a high-powered NYC lawyer with a cold, ambitious personality. When leaving a small town after attending her mentor’s funeral, she has a car accident that knocks her unconscious. When she wakes, she’s in a remote cabin held captive by a hulking woman known as Girl. Girl insists Mary is her mother and has her involved with a mysterious brood connected to cicadas. Between the cicada swarm outside and her captor’s unpredictable temperament, Mary’s chances of escaping are slim—and soon she experiences body horror only seen in nightmares, and her past trauma resurfaces.
On the surface this book is a psychological horror with its many grotesque scenes involving Mary’s torture in the cabin, her being force-fed to consume a vile “mother’s milk” concoction, and her body becoming a host to growing insect babies. But with the use of flashbacks and Mary’s very insightful and compelling inner monologues, the story presents many powerful themes, especially for female readers. The novel explores what it means to be a mother—whether motherhood is chosen or imposed. Mary is thrust into a “mother” role against her will, reflecting real-world struggles over consent and societal expectations placed on women’s bodies. Her captor, Girl, embodies raw female power—much of which was taught/imposed upon her by her own savage mother (aka Real Mother)—and readers may detest her while also feeling empathy for her own past trauma, which is revealed later on.
For those who love unsettling atmospheric tension, this story is oozing with it! The remote forest setting and the isolated cabin are classic horror tropes, but the author puts a very unique spin on them by adding layers of body horror and swarming insect revulsion—making this a story readers won’t soon forget! Readers will definitely feel physically uncomfortable while reading and will be squirming during some of the very grotesque scenes—sensitive readers should proceed with caution, as some of the horror may be too disturbing.
What’s so unique about this book is that the vast majority of the story only involves Mary and a couple other characters—namely Girl and Real Mother. But don’t be fooled into thinking it’s a simple read by any means—its complex themes, Mary’s profound journey of transformation, and the exploration of collective consciousness vs. individual will make it very deep and thought-provoking. Mary is a fascinating morally grey protagonist whose cold, ruthless demeanor makes her unlikable at the start. As the flashback scenes are presented, readers will begin to understand why she’s developed such a hard shell and is so driven for career success. The shifting dynamics between Mary and Girl are very compelling. At first, Girl holds all the power—Mary is injured, disoriented, and literally tied down. But as Mary begins to see Girl’s vulnerability and desperation, she uses subtle manipulation to protect herself, and their power dynamic becomes fluid rather than one-sided—a classic “survival by wits” trope!
The pacing is pretty even throughout, and the story wastes no time in drawing in readers—the funeral, car accident, and Mary’s captivity happen in the opening chapters, and once Mary is in the cabin, the tension escalates and remains high for most of the book. Mary has several escape attempts that get thwarted—and each attempt has repercussions that often lead to revealing dialogue about Mary and Girl. The ending doesn’t carry the same momentum or tension as the rest of the story but does provide some compelling story expansion and is intentionally open to interpretation. For all these reasons, this book would definitely be a good option for a book club discussion—as long as everyone is on board with stomaching the body horror and digesting the profound themes of the book!
Overall, The Brood is a standout debut that will especially appeal to readers who enjoy literary horror stories with strong emotional arcs. But it’s not for the faint of heart, so readers need to be aware of some grossness, body horror, and relentless psychological tension before diving in! If all of this sounds intriguing and you enjoy books that linger long after the final page, don’t hesitate to grab a copy of this one!
The Brood is a literary psychological horror novel with body horror and elements of magical realism. The story follows Mary Whelton, a high-powered NYC lawyer with a cold, ambitious personality. When leaving a small town after attending her mentor’s funeral, she has a car accident that knocks her unconscious. When she wakes, she’s in a remote cabin held captive by a hulking woman known as Girl. Girl insists Mary is her mother and has her involved with a mysterious brood connected to cicadas. Between the cicada swarm outside and her captor’s unpredictable temperament, Mary’s chances of escaping are slim—and soon she experiences body horror only seen in nightmares, and her past trauma resurfaces.
On the surface this book is a psychological horror with its many grotesque scenes involving Mary’s torture in the cabin, her being force-fed to consume a vile “mother’s milk” concoction, and her body becoming a host to growing insect babies. But with the use of flashbacks and Mary’s very insightful and compelling inner monologues, the story presents many powerful themes, especially for female readers. The novel explores what it means to be a mother—whether motherhood is chosen or imposed. Mary is thrust into a “mother” role against her will, reflecting real-world struggles over consent and societal expectations placed on women’s bodies. Her captor, Girl, embodies raw female power—much of which was taught/imposed upon her by her own savage mother (aka Real Mother)—and readers may detest her while also feeling empathy for her own past trauma, which is revealed later on.
For those who love unsettling atmospheric tension, this story is oozing with it! The remote forest setting and the isolated cabin are classic horror tropes, but the author puts a very unique spin on them by adding layers of body horror and swarming insect revulsion—making this a story readers won’t soon forget! Readers will definitely feel physically uncomfortable while reading and will be squirming during some of the very grotesque scenes—sensitive readers should proceed with caution, as some of the horror may be too disturbing.
What’s so unique about this book is that the vast majority of the story only involves Mary and a couple other characters—namely Girl and Real Mother. But don’t be fooled into thinking it’s a simple read by any means—its complex themes, Mary’s profound journey of transformation, and the exploration of collective consciousness vs. individual will make it very deep and thought-provoking. Mary is a fascinating morally grey protagonist whose cold, ruthless demeanor makes her unlikable at the start. As the flashback scenes are presented, readers will begin to understand why she’s developed such a hard shell and is so driven for career success. The shifting dynamics between Mary and Girl are very compelling. At first, Girl holds all the power—Mary is injured, disoriented, and literally tied down. But as Mary begins to see Girl’s vulnerability and desperation, she uses subtle manipulation to protect herself, and their power dynamic becomes fluid rather than one-sided—a classic “survival by wits” trope!
The pacing is pretty even throughout, and the story wastes no time in drawing in readers—the funeral, car accident, and Mary’s captivity happen in the opening chapters, and once Mary is in the cabin, the tension escalates and remains high for most of the book. Mary has several escape attempts that get thwarted—and each attempt has repercussions that often lead to revealing dialogue about Mary and Girl. The ending doesn’t carry the same momentum or tension as the rest of the story but does provide some compelling story expansion and is intentionally open to interpretation. For all these reasons, this book would definitely be a good option for a book club discussion—as long as everyone is on board with stomaching the body horror and digesting the profound themes of the book!
Overall, The Brood is a standout debut that will especially appeal to readers who enjoy literary horror stories with strong emotional arcs. But it’s not for the faint of heart, so readers need to be aware of some grossness, body horror, and relentless psychological tension before diving in! If all of this sounds intriguing and you enjoy books that linger long after the final page, don’t hesitate to grab a copy of this one!
September 27, 2025
Mary survives a car accident only to wake up in a cabin, held captive by a strange woman who calls herself “Girl” and insists Mary is her mother.
What follows is a descent into madness that immediately evokes Misery by Stephen King vibes, but with a grotesque, cicada-coated twist.
The novel is short (just over 200 pages) but the author crams in a lot: Mary’s childhood flashbacks, an unsettling fixation on breasts, and of course, the ever-present hum of cicadas.
If you're into horror that leans hard into the surreal and buggy, this might hit the spot.
Thank you to the publisher for the eARC.
What follows is a descent into madness that immediately evokes Misery by Stephen King vibes, but with a grotesque, cicada-coated twist.
The novel is short (just over 200 pages) but the author crams in a lot: Mary’s childhood flashbacks, an unsettling fixation on breasts, and of course, the ever-present hum of cicadas.
If you're into horror that leans hard into the surreal and buggy, this might hit the spot.
Thank you to the publisher for the eARC.
October 28, 2025
Super gross body horror. Even I felt super squeamish reading this one. Can’t say I really enjoyed the main character, Mary’s, perspective. The ending was a pleasant surprise.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Thomas & Mercer for a copy!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Thomas & Mercer for a copy!
April 3, 2025
3.75 stars - I had so much fun with this book! It was brutal, heartbreaking, and even funny at times. We follow Mary, a badass lawyer who has found herself kidnapped by a woman we only know as "Girl". I will just say that Girl has a thing with cicadas.... We are immediately thrown into action with this book and what Mary has to endure at the hands of Girl. This book was very fast paced and will hook you from the beginning. It was pretty disgusting at some parts, my skin was literally crawling and my jaw dropped with shock. The ending was a bit confusing but overall I still had a ton of fun and would recommend for avid horror readers!
Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the free ARC!
Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the free ARC!
March 28, 2025
I…am at a loss for words. I love horror movies but haven’t read enough horror novels—and what a novel to stumble across.
This is body horror through-and-through. If you’re not creeped out by insects now, you will be after reading this one. I physically cringed multiple times, which isn’t something I do often while reading.
My biggest issue with this was the characters. Mary is one of the most unlikable protagonists ever. The fatphobia and vitriol is spewing here. I suppose she had somewhat of an arc, but it felt more like her gathering information to manipulate more successfully rather than true character growth. The ending was completely incongruous with the rest of the book, which didn’t help.
Everyone else was just crazy. Flat, one-dimensional inserts to serve the plot and nothing more. This definitely applies to Girl and Real Mother, but I’m still confused on why this book opened with that funeral when he had next to nothing to do with anything that happened after it. The first and closing chapters seemed to sandwich an entirely separate story than the one we received.
It was eerie and creeped me out. I read it quickly—which isn’t difficult with how short it is. I was also underwhelmed by the inclusion of the random flashbacks that didn’t seem to truly accomplish anything other than explaining why Mary is so horrible.
If you enjoy body horror, this is an entertaining and quick enough read, but left quite a bit to be desired in my eyes. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC.
SPOILER THEORY NOTE:
I was convinced Real Mother was Mary’s long lost mother, and I’m a little disappointed that just went…nowhere. It was an underwhelming end from a third-act antagonist before taking us to a random new place for the finale.
This is body horror through-and-through. If you’re not creeped out by insects now, you will be after reading this one. I physically cringed multiple times, which isn’t something I do often while reading.
My biggest issue with this was the characters. Mary is one of the most unlikable protagonists ever. The fatphobia and vitriol is spewing here. I suppose she had somewhat of an arc, but it felt more like her gathering information to manipulate more successfully rather than true character growth. The ending was completely incongruous with the rest of the book, which didn’t help.
Everyone else was just crazy. Flat, one-dimensional inserts to serve the plot and nothing more. This definitely applies to Girl and Real Mother, but I’m still confused on why this book opened with that funeral when he had next to nothing to do with anything that happened after it. The first and closing chapters seemed to sandwich an entirely separate story than the one we received.
It was eerie and creeped me out. I read it quickly—which isn’t difficult with how short it is. I was also underwhelmed by the inclusion of the random flashbacks that didn’t seem to truly accomplish anything other than explaining why Mary is so horrible.
If you enjoy body horror, this is an entertaining and quick enough read, but left quite a bit to be desired in my eyes. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC.
SPOILER THEORY NOTE:
I was convinced Real Mother was Mary’s long lost mother, and I’m a little disappointed that just went…nowhere. It was an underwhelming end from a third-act antagonist before taking us to a random new place for the finale.
October 12, 2025
So I went into this book completely blind. I had it for months before reading it and all that time I had bulit it up in my head that it was going to be about vampires (because of WWE's Brood, yes I know don't judge me). So imagine my surprise when I started this book! Like what do you mean this is closer to a hillbilly bug Misery then vampires. I was shocked! But also it ended up being pleasantly surprising.
This book is so gross, fair warning. Not in like a blood and guts way necessarily. Mary is insufferable and you'll definitely hate her at the beginning but she has a very well developed character arc and proves herself by the end. This book had be rooting for Girl like I too had Stockholm syndrome. The whole Brood aspect and Cicadas was very interesting. The author clearly put a lot of research into it all.
My biggest gripe was there was a strange amount of time talking about breasts like some of them had a significance but a lot felt unnecessary.
Overall I thought this was a decent horror book. Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the arc.
This book is so gross, fair warning. Not in like a blood and guts way necessarily. Mary is insufferable and you'll definitely hate her at the beginning but she has a very well developed character arc and proves herself by the end. This book had be rooting for Girl like I too had Stockholm syndrome. The whole Brood aspect and Cicadas was very interesting. The author clearly put a lot of research into it all.
My biggest gripe was there was a strange amount of time talking about breasts like some of them had a significance but a lot felt unnecessary.
Overall I thought this was a decent horror book. Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the arc.
November 21, 2025
Now I’ve read some freaky stuff (no I don’t mean THAT kind of freaky) in the horror genre before but this just wasn’t for me unfortunately. This one was just too weird for me (i can’t believe those words left my mouth) and the body horror just didn’t redeem the terrible plot. I really don’t have much to say about this one, it read fast but was just so odd and off putting.
Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. “The Brood” is available for purchase now!
September 26, 2025
HOLY SHIT, WHAT DID I JUST READ????
I read this book with my legs crossed and found myself squeezing my thighs together. This is really innovative. I seriously could not put it down. I read it between 3 sittings, because I had to get up to go do life stuff. No, you will not like the protagonist at first, but it's a book about feminism and transformation. On so many levels this book shows its true moral compass. I loved it.
Really gruesome in a beautiful way.
Things you'll find in this book:
+lots of bugs
+oozing descriptions
+feminist themes
+strong female characters
Highly Recommend!
I read this book with my legs crossed and found myself squeezing my thighs together. This is really innovative. I seriously could not put it down. I read it between 3 sittings, because I had to get up to go do life stuff. No, you will not like the protagonist at first, but it's a book about feminism and transformation. On so many levels this book shows its true moral compass. I loved it.
Really gruesome in a beautiful way.
Things you'll find in this book:
+lots of bugs
+oozing descriptions
+feminist themes
+strong female characters
Highly Recommend!
December 20, 2025
The Brood is an atmospheric story full of bugs and body horror, set in an isolated cabin in the woods. We follow Mary who finds herself held captive by a woman called Girl who is convinced Mary is her long lost mother. There are some truly disturbing moments of torture both in the present and also in the flashbacks. Girl is obsessed with cicadas, and guess what. It's cicada season. Ew! Body horror mixed with psychological tension, with a dash of survival horror, this book was a captivating and emotional read.
September 10, 2025
The Brood is hands down the most inventive, most squirm-inducing, most thought-provoking work of horror fiction I've read since A Head Full of Ghosts. It's also one of the best novels, of any genre, I've read in a decade.
At a family gathering earlier this year, my wife was trying to explain the Noah Wyle medical procedural The Pitt to some relatives -- how the entire season takes place over one nonstop shift at an urban trauma center. For whatever reason, they were having a hard time grasping the concept, so I jumped in and said, "It's ER meets 24." Everyone ahhed in understanding, at which point my wife said, "Probably why a writer is better off explaining these things."
Chalk it up to my on-the-job training as a screenwriter that I never have a problem coming up with those kinds of X-meets-Y conceptual encapsulations. And yet...
The Brood is such an original work, I admit I find myself stymied. It's as if author Rebecca Baum took the inciting incident of Misery (hapless victim of a car accident in the middle of nowhere aided by a seemingly Good Samaritan) then swapped out matronly Annie Wilkes with the feral family from The Hills Have Eyes. Then imagine the whole scenario becoming something akin to the tunnel-of-insects scene from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom as directed by, say, David Cronenberg:
Got all that? With that in mind, now picture all of it as if... as if... errr...
You know what? Just read the book and see for yourself. Baum has produced such a stunning, singular work of horror that it defies easy commercial categorization. The Brood sits at the center of a Venn diagram where ecohorror, body horror, and animal horror intersect. The story is, ultimately, about one late-middle-aged woman's lifelong, unconfronted disgust with her own body. It's one of the most graphic and forthright -- yet somehow also sensitive and compassionate -- dramatic depictions of the unrealistic physical standards women are expected to observe (and maintain), and how that becomes increasingly challenging (nigh impossible) in light of the twin betrayals of aging and menopause.
But that is all, it should be noted, backdrop to one helluva toe-curling tale of the cicadapocalypse and one poor woman's unwitting role in bringing it to its horrifying fruition!
The Brood certainly made me -- a straight, cisgendered, long-married middle-aged male -- more sensitive to the complex relationship women have with their bodies. But I also identified with protagonist Mary Whelton in ways that made me (perhaps welcomely) uncomfortable. Good body-horror stories compel us to confront the emotional, physical, psychological, medical, and/or social discomfort we feel in our mortal meat bags -- and the ubiquitous pressures imposed on us all to somehow stonewall Mother Nature rather than live graciously in harmony with her. In depicting one woman's harrowing experience of losing her punishingly disciplined self-control over her own physicality, Baum has produced a story of universal truthfulness about insecurity and even self-loathing.
Such are the true monsters in The Brood -- those that can only be confronted, never outwitted or outrun. Talk about a novel that gets under your skin! Highest possible recommendation.
At a family gathering earlier this year, my wife was trying to explain the Noah Wyle medical procedural The Pitt to some relatives -- how the entire season takes place over one nonstop shift at an urban trauma center. For whatever reason, they were having a hard time grasping the concept, so I jumped in and said, "It's ER meets 24." Everyone ahhed in understanding, at which point my wife said, "Probably why a writer is better off explaining these things."
Chalk it up to my on-the-job training as a screenwriter that I never have a problem coming up with those kinds of X-meets-Y conceptual encapsulations. And yet...
The Brood is such an original work, I admit I find myself stymied. It's as if author Rebecca Baum took the inciting incident of Misery (hapless victim of a car accident in the middle of nowhere aided by a seemingly Good Samaritan) then swapped out matronly Annie Wilkes with the feral family from The Hills Have Eyes. Then imagine the whole scenario becoming something akin to the tunnel-of-insects scene from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom as directed by, say, David Cronenberg:
Got all that? With that in mind, now picture all of it as if... as if... errr...
You know what? Just read the book and see for yourself. Baum has produced such a stunning, singular work of horror that it defies easy commercial categorization. The Brood sits at the center of a Venn diagram where ecohorror, body horror, and animal horror intersect. The story is, ultimately, about one late-middle-aged woman's lifelong, unconfronted disgust with her own body. It's one of the most graphic and forthright -- yet somehow also sensitive and compassionate -- dramatic depictions of the unrealistic physical standards women are expected to observe (and maintain), and how that becomes increasingly challenging (nigh impossible) in light of the twin betrayals of aging and menopause.
But that is all, it should be noted, backdrop to one helluva toe-curling tale of the cicadapocalypse and one poor woman's unwitting role in bringing it to its horrifying fruition!
The Brood certainly made me -- a straight, cisgendered, long-married middle-aged male -- more sensitive to the complex relationship women have with their bodies. But I also identified with protagonist Mary Whelton in ways that made me (perhaps welcomely) uncomfortable. Good body-horror stories compel us to confront the emotional, physical, psychological, medical, and/or social discomfort we feel in our mortal meat bags -- and the ubiquitous pressures imposed on us all to somehow stonewall Mother Nature rather than live graciously in harmony with her. In depicting one woman's harrowing experience of losing her punishingly disciplined self-control over her own physicality, Baum has produced a story of universal truthfulness about insecurity and even self-loathing.
Such are the true monsters in The Brood -- those that can only be confronted, never outwitted or outrun. Talk about a novel that gets under your skin! Highest possible recommendation.
March 27, 2025
This is a 4.75 which I’ve rounded up to 5 stars.
Wow! The Brood is a spectacular feminist horror story, especially for genre geeks. It blends elements of body horror, insects, entrapment, and violence in a way that was super fun to read. At times it was campy and self-referential, while still being downright gross and scary. I think it’s easy for authors and filmmakers in the genre to take themselves too seriously, and it makes for stories that are- in my opinion- corny. That’s not the case here. There were moments where I felt like I was being teased by references to Misery, the Descent, and my favorite trope- scary hillbillies. While Baum didn’t have me feeling overly terrified, it was still a wildly entertaining ride and there’s definitely a place for that in the horror genre. Don’t get me wrong, there were twists and turns along the way that were just relentlessly unpleasant, but that’s campy in and of itself. Oh, the main character is attempting an escape a third of the way through the book? Not a chance! Let’s see what else Girl has in store. It had me rooting both for the captor and the captive, in a way that reminded me of long-running horror franchises like Halloween and Friday the 13th.
It is me, so I do have to say one negative thing- which is honestly just me nitpicking. The captor, Girl, is barely socialized, uneducated, and mostly illiterate, and yet she can count well enough to track the passage of time. I thought there was a little discontinuity with the character development there, but overall the book was great so it isn’t even that big of a gripe.
If you love a relatable feminist perspective (which I won’t explain for fear of spoiling the plot) and have an eye for horror references- this is the book for you! Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley! Keep ‘em coming, Baum!
Wow! The Brood is a spectacular feminist horror story, especially for genre geeks. It blends elements of body horror, insects, entrapment, and violence in a way that was super fun to read. At times it was campy and self-referential, while still being downright gross and scary. I think it’s easy for authors and filmmakers in the genre to take themselves too seriously, and it makes for stories that are- in my opinion- corny. That’s not the case here. There were moments where I felt like I was being teased by references to Misery, the Descent, and my favorite trope- scary hillbillies. While Baum didn’t have me feeling overly terrified, it was still a wildly entertaining ride and there’s definitely a place for that in the horror genre. Don’t get me wrong, there were twists and turns along the way that were just relentlessly unpleasant, but that’s campy in and of itself. Oh, the main character is attempting an escape a third of the way through the book? Not a chance! Let’s see what else Girl has in store. It had me rooting both for the captor and the captive, in a way that reminded me of long-running horror franchises like Halloween and Friday the 13th.
It is me, so I do have to say one negative thing- which is honestly just me nitpicking. The captor, Girl, is barely socialized, uneducated, and mostly illiterate, and yet she can count well enough to track the passage of time. I thought there was a little discontinuity with the character development there, but overall the book was great so it isn’t even that big of a gripe.
If you love a relatable feminist perspective (which I won’t explain for fear of spoiling the plot) and have an eye for horror references- this is the book for you! Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley! Keep ‘em coming, Baum!
April 1, 2025
An unsettling body horror. Though I enjoyed this fast-paced read, I felt that the first and last chapters didn't mesh well with the plot. The characters could have done with more fleshing-out.
- Mary, as the protagonist, was unappealing to begin with, her arc was satisfactory.
- I would have liked to see the Real Mother be introduced earlier to add a bit more depth and meaning to plot.
- I did not like the constant imagery surrounding breasts and feeding, I felt this contributed minimally to the plot.
- I found the concept of The Brood and the cicadas interesting and would have also liked this further explored and expanded upon.
- The imagery and descriptions of themes surrounding The Brood were fantastic and I was left wanting more horror from them.
Thank you to Netgallery and Thomas & Mercer for the e-ARC
- Mary, as the protagonist, was unappealing to begin with, her arc was satisfactory.
- I would have liked to see the Real Mother be introduced earlier to add a bit more depth and meaning to plot.
- I did not like the constant imagery surrounding breasts and feeding, I felt this contributed minimally to the plot.
- I found the concept of The Brood and the cicadas interesting and would have also liked this further explored and expanded upon.
- The imagery and descriptions of themes surrounding The Brood were fantastic and I was left wanting more horror from them.
Thank you to Netgallery and Thomas & Mercer for the e-ARC
December 24, 2025
Mary, a hardened lawyer in her fifties, has a car accident and ends up being 'rescued ' by Girl, a woman who lives in the woods.
This started off giving me Misery vibes, with Mary imprisoned in Girl's shack and making numerous escape attempts, but it definitely takes a turn when the local cicadas start acting strangely.
A mixture of horror and magical realism, I was compelled by the story, as Mary reckons with feelings around her body and her childhood.
A great read, I just felt it was tied up a little too neatly at the end .
This started off giving me Misery vibes, with Mary imprisoned in Girl's shack and making numerous escape attempts, but it definitely takes a turn when the local cicadas start acting strangely.
A mixture of horror and magical realism, I was compelled by the story, as Mary reckons with feelings around her body and her childhood.
A great read, I just felt it was tied up a little too neatly at the end .
November 19, 2025
This book was uncomfortable, creepy and extremely satisfying!
Allegorical in nature, Rebecca Baum gives you the reality as a woman in this world, from all the sides of the complicated sphere we call womanhood. Whether you're more like Girl who had no qualms, who celebrated, exalted and was proud of every aspect of being a woman. Or you were like our FMC who struggled all her life and used every tool in modernity to hide away the seemingly unpleasant aspects of it. I think you will find something to relate to in this book.
I would highly recommend everyone to read this book and bask in its uncomfortable glory
Thank you Net Galley!
Allegorical in nature, Rebecca Baum gives you the reality as a woman in this world, from all the sides of the complicated sphere we call womanhood. Whether you're more like Girl who had no qualms, who celebrated, exalted and was proud of every aspect of being a woman. Or you were like our FMC who struggled all her life and used every tool in modernity to hide away the seemingly unpleasant aspects of it. I think you will find something to relate to in this book.
I would highly recommend everyone to read this book and bask in its uncomfortable glory
Thank you Net Galley!
September 19, 2025
This one just wasn’t for me. The bug element completely creeped me out, and the story often felt messy and overwhelming. That said, the writing itself was strong, and I did appreciate the energy and presence of the FMC. I can see how others might enjoy the atmosphere, but personally it was just too much.
March 11, 2025
The Brood was an intense horror thriller that is more than what it seems at first glance. When the book starts, we meet Mary a wealthy high-powered attorney who has achieved her success by less than moral means. Mary is tough, confident, and driven if not exactly likable. While trying to evade the press that is following her due to some of those less-than-moral things I mentioned, she gets hopelessly lost in the backwoods of New York and after being in a single-vehicle car accident wakes up in a rundown cabin in the woods with the woman that "rescued" her being the only other person around. Think "Misery" Annie Wilkes vibes. Once Mary realizes she isn't exactly free to leave the story picks up the pace hurtling toward its surreal conclusion.
The tone throughout The Brood is tense, oppressive, and eerie which adds to the horror vibes. And make no mistake The Brood is definitely a horror novel, but there are also much deeper themes being touched on throughout the story. The author explores abandonment, grief, motherhood, and women's relationships with themselves, bugs (yeah that's all I'm saying on that to say more would spoil the surprise), and each other.
Overall, I really enjoyed my time with The Brood. It's a solid addition to the horror/thriller genre and I'm looking forward to seeing what the author brings us next. Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Rebecca Baum for the opportunity to read this ARC of The Brood.
The tone throughout The Brood is tense, oppressive, and eerie which adds to the horror vibes. And make no mistake The Brood is definitely a horror novel, but there are also much deeper themes being touched on throughout the story. The author explores abandonment, grief, motherhood, and women's relationships with themselves, bugs (yeah that's all I'm saying on that to say more would spoil the surprise), and each other.
Overall, I really enjoyed my time with The Brood. It's a solid addition to the horror/thriller genre and I'm looking forward to seeing what the author brings us next. Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Rebecca Baum for the opportunity to read this ARC of The Brood.
October 28, 2025
I'm not a big bug person, but when I saw the blurb for The Brood and the idea of buzzing, oozing throngs of cicadas meeting an icy female lawyer, I was absolutely down. This is a really fun ride which delivered exactly what I wanted to read. And don't let the pretty cover fool you, this book gets dirty! Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Womanhood is messy and complicated and takes shape in different ways for different people. As various waves of feminism have washed over us and as the world is going through another backlash against said waves, I think it is important to have books that go into the nitty-gritty of womanhood without becoming preachy. There is a place for theory and discussion, but there should also be a place for horror books like The Brood that just allow the messiness of it all to exist on the page. Women are not holy creatures, imbued by nature with a divine grace and nurturing love. We are capable of these things, yes, but we are also creatures primed for survival, who sometimes make horrible decisions out of self-interest. What I liked about the protagonist of The Brood is that she makes these horrible decisions and is not judged for this on the basis of self-interest being unfeminine, but rather for so callously disregarding everything and everyone else. Her self-interest is also limited and heavily influenced by outside perspectives, meaning that she is as cruel to herself as to others. In featuring an older protagonist, in her fifties if I remember correctly, The Brood portrays a more thorough look at how the female experience shifts over the decades, what accountability might look like not necessarily in the moment but in the years after, and how becoming who you are as a woman is never finished.
Mary is not having a great time. She begins the novel at the funeral of her mentor with whom she had a complicated relationship and whose various "dalliances" are definitely on the problematic side. Desirous to get away and prepare for her upcoming case, she departs for her cabin. When she ends up crashing her car, she is picked up by Girl, who takes her to her remote cabin. What appears like a lucky rescue takes on shades of Misery when it becomes clear that Girl has plans for Mary, which involve the upcoming reemergence of cicadas and atoning for mom trauma. Mary is a delightfully unlikeable protagonist, in that she is a deeply complicated woman of a certain generation. Escaping from her own traumatic childhood, Mary has forged a life of tyrannical control and a willingness to walk over others to get what she wants. Faced with Girl and cicadas that seem to have a mind of their own, the question becomes not only whether Mary can make it out alive but also if she is capable of the change required. As the reader, you'll deeply dislike Mary at times, while also developing a certain appreciation for what she has overcome. Girl is complex in her own way, at once full of strength and devotion, yet also deeply scarred by her early life. I became increasingly fond of her as the book went on. As The Brood walks the fine line between suspense and horror, one should expect the following: body horror, gore, mentions of (off-page) sexual assault/rape, and foul language.
This is, if I'm not incorrect, Rebecca Baum's second novel and it is a very confident one. Baum has excellent control of her material which, considering its themes and topics, is very necessary. As mentioned above, Mary is a difficult character, but Baum finds the perfect balance in showing her in all her colours and approaching her with both kindness and censure. I also loved the whole reemergence of the cicadas and how primal and natural certain aspects of that storyline were. There is some beautifully descriptive writing in The Brood which paints lovely (and sometimes gross) pictures. While of course the cicadas are as much a plot element as a metaphor for growth and change, they work very well. As someone who enjoys horror I did also appreciate the dirtiness of the book. Not dirty in a spicy way, but in the "I haven't showered in days, I'm sunburnt and parched, I'm injured, and something is growing in me" way. The story is visceral in a way I like very much, but could maybe be a bit much for people less on board with reading about the horror of having a body. And despite the horror of it all, Baum also manages to show the beauty of being alive, of being able to grow and change, without it all becoming too neat at the end. I definitely look forward to reading more by Baum in the future!
The Brood is an excellent horror read for the spooky and dark season for those who enjoy critters being creepy and women being complicated!
URL: https://universeinwords.blogspot.com/...
Womanhood is messy and complicated and takes shape in different ways for different people. As various waves of feminism have washed over us and as the world is going through another backlash against said waves, I think it is important to have books that go into the nitty-gritty of womanhood without becoming preachy. There is a place for theory and discussion, but there should also be a place for horror books like The Brood that just allow the messiness of it all to exist on the page. Women are not holy creatures, imbued by nature with a divine grace and nurturing love. We are capable of these things, yes, but we are also creatures primed for survival, who sometimes make horrible decisions out of self-interest. What I liked about the protagonist of The Brood is that she makes these horrible decisions and is not judged for this on the basis of self-interest being unfeminine, but rather for so callously disregarding everything and everyone else. Her self-interest is also limited and heavily influenced by outside perspectives, meaning that she is as cruel to herself as to others. In featuring an older protagonist, in her fifties if I remember correctly, The Brood portrays a more thorough look at how the female experience shifts over the decades, what accountability might look like not necessarily in the moment but in the years after, and how becoming who you are as a woman is never finished.
Mary is not having a great time. She begins the novel at the funeral of her mentor with whom she had a complicated relationship and whose various "dalliances" are definitely on the problematic side. Desirous to get away and prepare for her upcoming case, she departs for her cabin. When she ends up crashing her car, she is picked up by Girl, who takes her to her remote cabin. What appears like a lucky rescue takes on shades of Misery when it becomes clear that Girl has plans for Mary, which involve the upcoming reemergence of cicadas and atoning for mom trauma. Mary is a delightfully unlikeable protagonist, in that she is a deeply complicated woman of a certain generation. Escaping from her own traumatic childhood, Mary has forged a life of tyrannical control and a willingness to walk over others to get what she wants. Faced with Girl and cicadas that seem to have a mind of their own, the question becomes not only whether Mary can make it out alive but also if she is capable of the change required. As the reader, you'll deeply dislike Mary at times, while also developing a certain appreciation for what she has overcome. Girl is complex in her own way, at once full of strength and devotion, yet also deeply scarred by her early life. I became increasingly fond of her as the book went on. As The Brood walks the fine line between suspense and horror, one should expect the following: body horror, gore, mentions of (off-page) sexual assault/rape, and foul language.
This is, if I'm not incorrect, Rebecca Baum's second novel and it is a very confident one. Baum has excellent control of her material which, considering its themes and topics, is very necessary. As mentioned above, Mary is a difficult character, but Baum finds the perfect balance in showing her in all her colours and approaching her with both kindness and censure. I also loved the whole reemergence of the cicadas and how primal and natural certain aspects of that storyline were. There is some beautifully descriptive writing in The Brood which paints lovely (and sometimes gross) pictures. While of course the cicadas are as much a plot element as a metaphor for growth and change, they work very well. As someone who enjoys horror I did also appreciate the dirtiness of the book. Not dirty in a spicy way, but in the "I haven't showered in days, I'm sunburnt and parched, I'm injured, and something is growing in me" way. The story is visceral in a way I like very much, but could maybe be a bit much for people less on board with reading about the horror of having a body. And despite the horror of it all, Baum also manages to show the beauty of being alive, of being able to grow and change, without it all becoming too neat at the end. I definitely look forward to reading more by Baum in the future!
The Brood is an excellent horror read for the spooky and dark season for those who enjoy critters being creepy and women being complicated!
URL: https://universeinwords.blogspot.com/...
April 29, 2025
I really liked this and I am giving it a solid 3.5 ⭐️. And I won’t round up because I am not giving an A for solid B work. That said, I thought this was a nice blend of elements from Misery, the Metamorphosis, with some Hills Have Eyes and the Descent mixed in there along with several other stories we have admittedly heard before. But, this is still a fun, feminist take on the held captive in the woods/body horror/culty supernatural element worship genre.
I read the book in like 3 days because I just needed to know what was going to happen. And truth be told, body horror isn’t my thing at all — it makes me more queasy than it keeps me in fearful suspense. And there’s quite a bit of it in the book. I also have a strong personal pet peeve for any kind perversion that involves breastfeeding and I actually don’t think that part added to the storyline at all and really didn’t even make any sense. Personally, I would love if artists and writers would stop drawing on that theme for shock value because it is so incredibly upsetting and obscene to me that I have a visceral reaction the moment I sense that things could be going in that direction. Anyway, I skipped those pages.
I also really hate super detailed descriptions of scenery when the author is trying so very hard to make you imagine a space but some of us just cannot imagine physical dimensions in that way, and it ends up being a lot of fluff. The very long description of the cave and all of the different routes that Mary took to try to escape and all of the different directions they entered the cave from was just lost on me. Trying to decipher how this cave was supposed to look took me out of the store quite a bit.
Aside from all that, I think this was a really effective horror novel and an engaging story. I would easily recommend it to anybody who likes this genre and I would also add that I think it was well written. The author is clearly very smart and well researched on the subject of cicada life cycles so the discussions felt authentic aside from the magical realism aspect.
I liked that it ended on a positive note and that the main character was able to benefit from this horrifying experience, even if I thought the ending was sort of far-fetched. I think it was more of a favor to the readers after having endured pages and pages of having the rug pulled from underneath us whenever Mary seemed to have been able to make her escape but was ultimately thwarted. Or having things go from bad to worse when RM showed up.
So yes, we lived through it when Mary was violently dragged down from the pinnacle of wealth, respect, and sophistication to not only place where she thought she had escaped earlier in her life, but straight to the hyper-marginalized intersection of extreme poverty, lack of education, occult worship, antisocial isolation, and a fear of modern society — into the dirt. It was a harrowing experience for all of us. A positive ending was very much needed and I am glad that’s what we got. It also worked to tie in together all the random interludes about Mary’s earlier life. And I admit that if that storyline didn’t wrap itself up and was simply there to demonstrate Mary’s will of character, I probably would’ve found the story less satisfying.
All in all, a solid read.
** and Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy.**
October 23, 2025
Another dope entomophobic horror. I read The Swarm by Andy Marino last year and loved it so having another book prominently feature cicadas was an exciting prospect. Thankfully The Brood delivers and between the wtaf strangeness and the body horror we end up with a solid mashup. The Brood starts off with heavy Misery vibes. Legal fixer, Mary, has left NYC to head to her Cape Cod private island home to be left alone for a few weeks. Mary is not the most likable protagonist. She’s honestly a total dick. There are very valid reasons behind her impenetrable carapace of malice, but that doesn’t excuse some of the things she does to others. She is well known to be an incredibly wealthy lawyer who is successful at the cost of the more vulnerable. She crashes her car heading out of NYC and awakens some time later in the primitive cabin of an isolated woman known only as Girl. Girl believes Mary to be her mother and things get really fucking weird.
It’s difficult to find someone to cheer for throughout most of the book. It’s a short list of characters and they’re all varying degrees of horrible. As the book progresses Baum does an excellent job at creating dimension for each character and enables the reader to empathize with them (well, most of them 😬). The Brood crescendoes into a wild ending that ties most elements together. I appreciated the journey the characters undertake and where it leads the story in the end. All in all if you appreciate body horror with plenty of cicadas I’d definitely recommend The Brood. The book does contain some of the big triggers so please keep in mind if sensitive to certain themes.
It’s difficult to find someone to cheer for throughout most of the book. It’s a short list of characters and they’re all varying degrees of horrible. As the book progresses Baum does an excellent job at creating dimension for each character and enables the reader to empathize with them (well, most of them 😬). The Brood crescendoes into a wild ending that ties most elements together. I appreciated the journey the characters undertake and where it leads the story in the end. All in all if you appreciate body horror with plenty of cicadas I’d definitely recommend The Brood. The book does contain some of the big triggers so please keep in mind if sensitive to certain themes.
January 3, 2026
I highly recommend this if you like horror that has to do with the natural world and insects and slow psychological break downs.
Have you ever watched a slow burn horror movie with a creepy focus on things that don’t make sense at first but become more ominous and terrifying over time? That is this book and the many cicadas that populate its pages. The book explores the relationship between women and the world and their own bodies, while hinting at past traumatic and repressed experiences and how the women in the story use their bodies to gain connection to their purpose and sense of self. From the nasty idea of mother’s milk, crude depictions of ‘the brood’, the horrific psychology of the mother/daughter relationship, and a very complex character named ‘Girl’, I would go into this utterly blind and open to slow burn and well-done, but grotesque imagery. I will never look at cicadas the same way ever again.
Have you ever watched a slow burn horror movie with a creepy focus on things that don’t make sense at first but become more ominous and terrifying over time? That is this book and the many cicadas that populate its pages. The book explores the relationship between women and the world and their own bodies, while hinting at past traumatic and repressed experiences and how the women in the story use their bodies to gain connection to their purpose and sense of self. From the nasty idea of mother’s milk, crude depictions of ‘the brood’, the horrific psychology of the mother/daughter relationship, and a very complex character named ‘Girl’, I would go into this utterly blind and open to slow burn and well-done, but grotesque imagery. I will never look at cicadas the same way ever again.
August 18, 2025
✨✨✨This freaked me out!✨✨✨
I’m not going to lie, the backwoods/body horror and insects in this one FREAKED me out!!! This one is UNSETTLING and will make you squirm!!
The Brood is an excellent feminist horror novel and I love that there are so many themes explored in here such as motherhood, trauma, abuse, and etc. I won’t say more, it’s better to just read it!
I can’t say I “enjoyed” this one as uncomfortable as it made me, but I did love it!! This is definitely a very well done horror novel. I will be thinking about it (with shivers and cringing) for ages!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free ebook copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is expected to be released October 28, 2025.
I’m not going to lie, the backwoods/body horror and insects in this one FREAKED me out!!! This one is UNSETTLING and will make you squirm!!
The Brood is an excellent feminist horror novel and I love that there are so many themes explored in here such as motherhood, trauma, abuse, and etc. I won’t say more, it’s better to just read it!
I can’t say I “enjoyed” this one as uncomfortable as it made me, but I did love it!! This is definitely a very well done horror novel. I will be thinking about it (with shivers and cringing) for ages!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free ebook copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is expected to be released October 28, 2025.
September 21, 2025
This was a classic weird girl book…
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Brood is dark, unsettling, and utterly magnetic. It blends folklore, motherhood, and the monstrous in a way that feels both intimate and terrifying. The prose crawls under your skin, sharp and lyrical, leaving you unsure whether to turn the page or look over your shoulder. The relationships are tangled, tender, and horrifying all at once, making the emotional beats hit just as hard as the horror. The world Rebecca builds is eerie and suffocating, the kind of place you can’t escape even after you’ve closed the book. If you like your gothic tales with teeth and heart, this one will haunt you.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Brood is dark, unsettling, and utterly magnetic. It blends folklore, motherhood, and the monstrous in a way that feels both intimate and terrifying. The prose crawls under your skin, sharp and lyrical, leaving you unsure whether to turn the page or look over your shoulder. The relationships are tangled, tender, and horrifying all at once, making the emotional beats hit just as hard as the horror. The world Rebecca builds is eerie and suffocating, the kind of place you can’t escape even after you’ve closed the book. If you like your gothic tales with teeth and heart, this one will haunt you.
September 24, 2025
Well that was significantly more horrifying than I anticipated. If you aren't okay with a creature feature, skip this one.
With that said, this book had one of the most satisfying endings I have ever read. The characters experienced truly life-changing, developmental events that changed who they were in huge ways. There is murder, mayhem, and meth heads en masse...plus the bugs. So. Many. Bugs.
If you need a little horror show and live to feel fuzzy little legs crawling up you, grab this short novel.
With that said, this book had one of the most satisfying endings I have ever read. The characters experienced truly life-changing, developmental events that changed who they were in huge ways. There is murder, mayhem, and meth heads en masse...plus the bugs. So. Many. Bugs.
If you need a little horror show and live to feel fuzzy little legs crawling up you, grab this short novel.
September 26, 2025
I really struggled with Mary as a main character. I could see the development she went through, but the fact is I just didn’t like her. Girl I liked more, though mostly because I felt sorry for her, something I just couldn’t feel for Mary.
The idea behind the story was good, but it didn’t pull me in as much as I’d hoped. I was expecting the body horror to hit harder than it did. I thought the narrator did a good job with the performance and I liked how things wrapped up in the end.
Thank you Netgalley and Brilliance Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The idea behind the story was good, but it didn’t pull me in as much as I’d hoped. I was expecting the body horror to hit harder than it did. I thought the narrator did a good job with the performance and I liked how things wrapped up in the end.
Thank you Netgalley and Brilliance Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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