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The Need
Win a free print copy of this book!
10 days and 14:27:36
10 copies available
U.S. only
Every family has its secrets. But in this provocative, hilarious and dizzyingly fast-paced horror debut, some families the Need.
THE NEED is a rare genetic disorder. Those who have it must consume human flesh, or die. For some The Need is power. For others it is a curse.
Talia's been on the run with her two teenagers since the kids were babies, changing names and identities every time someone gets close to discovering her family's tragic secret. Sam is her son, tormented by The Need, unable to stop giving in to his darkest desires, much to his mother's chagrin. While Rosie, his twin sister, who's escaped her mom and brother's genetic curse, is desperate for a life of normalcy— like a Tik Tok account, Homecoming or a kiss with her mysterious new friend Naomi. But her brother keeps eating people and frankly, it's ruining her life.
Vera, a former supermodel and member of New York City's elite Armstrong family, lives a life of luxury, haute couture and eating people. Yes, unlike Talia, the Armstrongs secretly pride themselves on their genetic abnormality. But beneath Vera's opulent lifestyle is a woman who's ruthlessly haunted by a mistake from her past. It's corrupted her standing with the Armstrongs, ruined her relationship with her kids and is slowly unraveling her sanity. Vera will do whatever it takes to correct it.
On the surface, these two families have nothing in common. But Talia is harboring a secret from the twins—one that will bring them crashing into the Armstrongs. And when the truth comes out, no one will ever be the same.
THE NEED is a rare genetic disorder. Those who have it must consume human flesh, or die. For some The Need is power. For others it is a curse.
Talia's been on the run with her two teenagers since the kids were babies, changing names and identities every time someone gets close to discovering her family's tragic secret. Sam is her son, tormented by The Need, unable to stop giving in to his darkest desires, much to his mother's chagrin. While Rosie, his twin sister, who's escaped her mom and brother's genetic curse, is desperate for a life of normalcy— like a Tik Tok account, Homecoming or a kiss with her mysterious new friend Naomi. But her brother keeps eating people and frankly, it's ruining her life.
Vera, a former supermodel and member of New York City's elite Armstrong family, lives a life of luxury, haute couture and eating people. Yes, unlike Talia, the Armstrongs secretly pride themselves on their genetic abnormality. But beneath Vera's opulent lifestyle is a woman who's ruthlessly haunted by a mistake from her past. It's corrupted her standing with the Armstrongs, ruined her relationship with her kids and is slowly unraveling her sanity. Vera will do whatever it takes to correct it.
On the surface, these two families have nothing in common. But Talia is harboring a secret from the twins—one that will bring them crashing into the Armstrongs. And when the truth comes out, no one will ever be the same.
Hardcover
First published September 22, 2026
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Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I have mixed thoughts, there were some things I LOVED about this, and some things I wish were done differently. I loved the idea of reading about characters who can be born with the need to eat human flesh. Cannibal horror can be so fun, and I loved that we followed this family of three, where the mother and son both had the need, but not the daughter. It was so fascinating, and I liked reading about their messy family dynamics and how they could never stay anywhere long before the brother would fuck up and they'd be on the run again.
My criticism with this book started with the writing itself, I don't think the writing was very good. It was very simplistic and kind of repetitive, but it was also so readable and the plot kept me hooked. I also hated that there were sooooooo many POV's. I wish this story was more focused on this family and that we only got their POV's. I didn't' need 6-7 POV's in this book, and some of them felt veryyyyyy unnecessary, especially Rosie's friend Caroline.
The ending was great and shocking, but the last chapter ended so abruptly, and I just wanted more closure???? But this book had such an interesting concept and I'm glad I read it.
Here's the reading vlog where I read this one and a few others: https://youtu.be/2f2tsm2JkP4
My criticism with this book started with the writing itself, I don't think the writing was very good. It was very simplistic and kind of repetitive, but it was also so readable and the plot kept me hooked. I also hated that there were sooooooo many POV's. I wish this story was more focused on this family and that we only got their POV's. I didn't' need 6-7 POV's in this book, and some of them felt veryyyyyy unnecessary, especially Rosie's friend Caroline.
The ending was great and shocking, but the last chapter ended so abruptly, and I just wanted more closure???? But this book had such an interesting concept and I'm glad I read it.
Here's the reading vlog where I read this one and a few others: https://youtu.be/2f2tsm2JkP4
October 8, 2026
**2.5-stars rounded up **
I finished The Need over 10-days ago, and I've been putting off writing this review. I am honestly at a loss for words. I really don't have much to say about it.
It was rough for me. I can see its merits though, so wanted to give it at least a 3-star rating upon finishing. In hindsight though, sitting here now, trying to come up with something to say, I'm struggling.
The concept is great. I liked the idea that in the world of this story, there are people who carry a genetic disorder that requires them to eat human flesh. We follow a family, Talia, and her two teen children, Sam and Rosie. Talia and Sam have the condition, but Rosie does not.
Because of their 'need', no matter where they go, they end up getting in a spot of trouble, usually meaning Sam will kill and eat someone they know. After that happens, they need to flee. They live under assumed names and it's a very lonely, nomadic lifestyle, especially for Rosie.
That's the basic set-up, and in the beginning my interest was definitely piqued. I was excited to see where the author would take it, and I was happy that we were getting all three perspectives in the family. I thought initially we would just be getting the kids, so I was glad when we got our first section of Talia's perspective.
However, soon we were getting a lot more other perspectives outside of the family, that to me, were the downfall of this story. I would have much rather stayed focused on their immediate family and gone from there.
It also, somehow, became incredibly boring. There was nothing happening, certainly nothing with the kind of intensity, or gore, I'm looking for when I pick up a Horror novel of this type.
Overall, the execution felt messy. Honestly, I hated how many different perspectives there were. I know I mentioned it before, but I just can't get over that decision.
I almost feel like if the author was going to do that, all the perspectives, it could have worked better as a series, maybe a trilogy, like Justin Cronin's The Passage series. That way, we could have some characters being followed in the 1st book, different ones in the 2nd, and then maybe everyone together in the 3rd.
In fact, now that I've said that, this does remind me in some ways of The Passage, a series I DNFed after the 1st-book. Maybe if you loved that series, this could work for you. I also think this could work for readers of Darker Literary stories that are more character-focused, than plot-focused.
At the end of the day, I'm glad I gave it a shot, but it's definitely a bit of a disappointing read for me. Alas, we can't love them all and that's just my opinion. If it sounds interesting to you, you should absolutely give it a shot.
Thank you to the publisher, Del Rey, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate it!
I finished The Need over 10-days ago, and I've been putting off writing this review. I am honestly at a loss for words. I really don't have much to say about it.
It was rough for me. I can see its merits though, so wanted to give it at least a 3-star rating upon finishing. In hindsight though, sitting here now, trying to come up with something to say, I'm struggling.
The concept is great. I liked the idea that in the world of this story, there are people who carry a genetic disorder that requires them to eat human flesh. We follow a family, Talia, and her two teen children, Sam and Rosie. Talia and Sam have the condition, but Rosie does not.
Because of their 'need', no matter where they go, they end up getting in a spot of trouble, usually meaning Sam will kill and eat someone they know. After that happens, they need to flee. They live under assumed names and it's a very lonely, nomadic lifestyle, especially for Rosie.
That's the basic set-up, and in the beginning my interest was definitely piqued. I was excited to see where the author would take it, and I was happy that we were getting all three perspectives in the family. I thought initially we would just be getting the kids, so I was glad when we got our first section of Talia's perspective.
However, soon we were getting a lot more other perspectives outside of the family, that to me, were the downfall of this story. I would have much rather stayed focused on their immediate family and gone from there.
It also, somehow, became incredibly boring. There was nothing happening, certainly nothing with the kind of intensity, or gore, I'm looking for when I pick up a Horror novel of this type.
Overall, the execution felt messy. Honestly, I hated how many different perspectives there were. I know I mentioned it before, but I just can't get over that decision.
I almost feel like if the author was going to do that, all the perspectives, it could have worked better as a series, maybe a trilogy, like Justin Cronin's The Passage series. That way, we could have some characters being followed in the 1st book, different ones in the 2nd, and then maybe everyone together in the 3rd.
In fact, now that I've said that, this does remind me in some ways of The Passage, a series I DNFed after the 1st-book. Maybe if you loved that series, this could work for you. I also think this could work for readers of Darker Literary stories that are more character-focused, than plot-focused.
At the end of the day, I'm glad I gave it a shot, but it's definitely a bit of a disappointing read for me. Alas, we can't love them all and that's just my opinion. If it sounds interesting to you, you should absolutely give it a shot.
Thank you to the publisher, Del Rey, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate it!
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Wild in a good way
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Early thoughts: I love this already. Fresh and disgusting, and I'm not talking about their food! Or maybe I am.
Feeling: fresh and disgusting
I’m curious about: am I going to get dizzy from indistinguishable alternating POVs? 4 and counting and I'm 10% in. There are actually more than 4, and YES. I got very lost.
"Near the end of my stay, I’m sitting in a soaking tub— this one filled with the tears of melancholy French babies— listening to a duchess tell me some endless story about how gleeful she was firing her assistant for having a “strange hairline” when Celeste appears wearing a bathing cap and swimsuit made of half-eaten bits of Jenny : fingers, toes , eyelids." p170
Final thoughts:
For me, this is a great story with a form problem. Multiple first person POVs can be bewildering, and I found them to be here.
Within each chapter, we get a scene from several different POV characters, all in first person. The scenes with each character are too brief to do much more than deliver a plot point. I never felt like I got to know any of the characters; only Sam's sections got my attention. And yet I think the monster legacy aspect of the story was the best element, and I would have liked to understand better what was going on.
I really enjoyed this one for the most part, until the ending, which is ableist and extractive.
What worked:
☠️ This story has a very interesting take on toxic family dynamics that at the same time trap the individual members in a terrible pattern.
What didn’t:
🤏🏽 The word "little" appears 88 time in this manuscript, which is about 80 times too many, as it's often used in the same way– to diminish the significance of a noun. Her little plan. Our little project. You little brat. And so on.
Who this is for: fans of monster stories and monster families.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Content Notes:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
cannibalism, murder, indisposal of a corpse, frequent relocation, evil mothers-in-law, obscene wealth, ableism, suicide as shock, extreme gore, blood,
Feeling: fresh and disgusting
I’m curious about: am I going to get dizzy from indistinguishable alternating POVs? 4 and counting and I'm 10% in. There are actually more than 4, and YES. I got very lost.
"Near the end of my stay, I’m sitting in a soaking tub— this one filled with the tears of melancholy French babies— listening to a duchess tell me some endless story about how gleeful she was firing her assistant for having a “strange hairline” when Celeste appears wearing a bathing cap and swimsuit made of half-eaten bits of Jenny : fingers, toes , eyelids." p170
Final thoughts:
For me, this is a great story with a form problem. Multiple first person POVs can be bewildering, and I found them to be here.
Within each chapter, we get a scene from several different POV characters, all in first person. The scenes with each character are too brief to do much more than deliver a plot point. I never felt like I got to know any of the characters; only Sam's sections got my attention. And yet I think the monster legacy aspect of the story was the best element, and I would have liked to understand better what was going on.
I really enjoyed this one for the most part, until the ending, which is ableist and extractive.
What worked:
☠️ This story has a very interesting take on toxic family dynamics that at the same time trap the individual members in a terrible pattern.
What didn’t:
🤏🏽 The word "little" appears 88 time in this manuscript, which is about 80 times too many, as it's often used in the same way– to diminish the significance of a noun. Her little plan. Our little project. You little brat. And so on.
Who this is for: fans of monster stories and monster families.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Content Notes:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
cannibalism, murder, indisposal of a corpse, frequent relocation, evil mothers-in-law, obscene wealth, ableism, suicide as shock, extreme gore, blood,
Did Not Finish
June 2, 2026NetGalley ARC
Unfortunately had to DNF this. Just wasn’t able to get into it and wasn’t a fan of the writing and many character perspectives.
Unfortunately had to DNF this. Just wasn’t able to get into it and wasn’t a fan of the writing and many character perspectives.
September 27, 2026
4.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2026/09/30/...
I don’t know what it is about The Need, but I absolutely loved the hell out of this book. It’s weird, gory, a little ridiculous, and clearly not interested in taking itself too seriously, which turned out to be a pretty perfect combination for me. Megan Mostyn-Brown takes the idea of cannibalism in some very unexpected directions, mixing gruesome horror with dysfunctional families, dark humor, and a bit of chaos. I went into this expecting something dark and fun, and boy, did it deliver.
The novel’s premise alone is enough to grab your attention: certain people are born with a genetic condition that requires them to consume human flesh to stay alive. This condition, known simply as the Need, is passed down genetically, and kept secret amongst those who have it. For many, it is a curse that must be hidden at all costs. But others have embraced it as part of who they are, with some families even treating it as a source of pride and becoming obsessed with keeping the bloodline pure. This story follows Talia, a mother who falls firmly in the first camp. She has spent years moving from place to place with her twins, Sam and Rosie, trying to stay one step ahead of her mother-in-law, Vera, a brutal woman who falls firmly into the latter camp. Following the death of her husband, Talia wants nothing more to do with his overbearing family, but Vera has other plans. As the head of a wealthy and powerful family, she has every resource at her disposal and will stop at nothing to get her grandchildren back under her control.
Talia has another problem to worry about. While Rosie was born without the Need, Sam on the other hand has inherited the full-blown form of the condition. Now a teenager, he struggles with the impulses that come with it and sometimes loses control, leaving Talia to pack up the family and move whenever his actions threaten to catch up with them. Meanwhile, Rosie is simply eager to experience something resembling a normal teenage life, which is difficult when you have a brother who eats people and a mother who keeps uprooting you every few months. But as Talia’s carefully constructed plans begin to unravel and she runs out of places to hide, the family is forced to confront just how much damage the Need has caused across generations.
I really loved the concept behind the novel, especially the idea of families approaching the Need from very different directions. Talia sees it as something dangerous and almost shameful, while Vera has taken the opposite approach, becoming almost fanatical about her heritage and horrified by the possibility that any of her descendants, like her son or Rosie, could be born without the condition. That difference creates some wonderfully messed-up family dynamics, but underneath all the killing and cannibalism, there’s actually some deeper stuff going on about parenthood and the hang-ups and unhealthy patterns that get passed down from one generation to the next.
A possible sticking point, however, might be the number of POVs. There are a lot of them, and because the chapters move quickly between multiple first-person perspectives, keeping track of them can easily become overwhelming. At the same time, I have to admit this format probably worked better than it should have because of how it kept the story moving. And then there’s Vera. Oh my goodness, Vera! I was not prepared for how much I would enjoy this woman. She is absolutely terrible, completely unhinged, yet somehow manages to be hilarious while doing some truly dastardly things. I’m pretty sure she made me laugh out loud at least a dozen times. There’s just something incredibly entertaining about a villainess who is so committed to her own demented worldview that she can turn even the most horrifying situation into something absurd.
Speaking of which, some of the imagery in this book is genuinely wild. The Need was exactly the kind of strange, messy horror book I didn’t realize I was in the mood for. Of course, there was also a little more teenage drama than I personally needed, particularly when everything else going on was much more interesting. But if nothing else, it was entertaining to watch the kids worry about teenage problems when everything else around them is so out there. This is not a book where everyone makes sensible decisions, and honestly, I think the story is better for it.
Ultimately, this novel was just ridiculously fun to read. Sometimes all I need is a killer concept, some deeply questionable characters, and a whole lot of blood to have a good time. The Need has a sort of horror-meets-dark-humor energy that makes me think fans of Rachel Harrison will really love this, and I definitely recommend it to genre readers who like being entertained without losing sight of the emotional and dysfunctional human relationships underneath the horror.
I don’t know what it is about The Need, but I absolutely loved the hell out of this book. It’s weird, gory, a little ridiculous, and clearly not interested in taking itself too seriously, which turned out to be a pretty perfect combination for me. Megan Mostyn-Brown takes the idea of cannibalism in some very unexpected directions, mixing gruesome horror with dysfunctional families, dark humor, and a bit of chaos. I went into this expecting something dark and fun, and boy, did it deliver.
The novel’s premise alone is enough to grab your attention: certain people are born with a genetic condition that requires them to consume human flesh to stay alive. This condition, known simply as the Need, is passed down genetically, and kept secret amongst those who have it. For many, it is a curse that must be hidden at all costs. But others have embraced it as part of who they are, with some families even treating it as a source of pride and becoming obsessed with keeping the bloodline pure. This story follows Talia, a mother who falls firmly in the first camp. She has spent years moving from place to place with her twins, Sam and Rosie, trying to stay one step ahead of her mother-in-law, Vera, a brutal woman who falls firmly into the latter camp. Following the death of her husband, Talia wants nothing more to do with his overbearing family, but Vera has other plans. As the head of a wealthy and powerful family, she has every resource at her disposal and will stop at nothing to get her grandchildren back under her control.
Talia has another problem to worry about. While Rosie was born without the Need, Sam on the other hand has inherited the full-blown form of the condition. Now a teenager, he struggles with the impulses that come with it and sometimes loses control, leaving Talia to pack up the family and move whenever his actions threaten to catch up with them. Meanwhile, Rosie is simply eager to experience something resembling a normal teenage life, which is difficult when you have a brother who eats people and a mother who keeps uprooting you every few months. But as Talia’s carefully constructed plans begin to unravel and she runs out of places to hide, the family is forced to confront just how much damage the Need has caused across generations.
I really loved the concept behind the novel, especially the idea of families approaching the Need from very different directions. Talia sees it as something dangerous and almost shameful, while Vera has taken the opposite approach, becoming almost fanatical about her heritage and horrified by the possibility that any of her descendants, like her son or Rosie, could be born without the condition. That difference creates some wonderfully messed-up family dynamics, but underneath all the killing and cannibalism, there’s actually some deeper stuff going on about parenthood and the hang-ups and unhealthy patterns that get passed down from one generation to the next.
A possible sticking point, however, might be the number of POVs. There are a lot of them, and because the chapters move quickly between multiple first-person perspectives, keeping track of them can easily become overwhelming. At the same time, I have to admit this format probably worked better than it should have because of how it kept the story moving. And then there’s Vera. Oh my goodness, Vera! I was not prepared for how much I would enjoy this woman. She is absolutely terrible, completely unhinged, yet somehow manages to be hilarious while doing some truly dastardly things. I’m pretty sure she made me laugh out loud at least a dozen times. There’s just something incredibly entertaining about a villainess who is so committed to her own demented worldview that she can turn even the most horrifying situation into something absurd.
Speaking of which, some of the imagery in this book is genuinely wild. The Need was exactly the kind of strange, messy horror book I didn’t realize I was in the mood for. Of course, there was also a little more teenage drama than I personally needed, particularly when everything else going on was much more interesting. But if nothing else, it was entertaining to watch the kids worry about teenage problems when everything else around them is so out there. This is not a book where everyone makes sensible decisions, and honestly, I think the story is better for it.
Ultimately, this novel was just ridiculously fun to read. Sometimes all I need is a killer concept, some deeply questionable characters, and a whole lot of blood to have a good time. The Need has a sort of horror-meets-dark-humor energy that makes me think fans of Rachel Harrison will really love this, and I definitely recommend it to genre readers who like being entertained without losing sight of the emotional and dysfunctional human relationships underneath the horror.
September 27, 2026
I love reading books with this type of premise, it is just so fascinating. I can’t imagine having to consume human flesh in order to survive, but that is exactly what the people in this book go through if they are born with this genetic disorder. Sam really made me think about just how sad it would be and it led me to think about being isolated in general. There are quite a few POV’s but they are all good and really add to the story. That being said the ending was a little flat, I mean it just felt like “okay we’re done”, it was so…anticlimactic I got annoyed. Overall though it is a worthwhile read and I enjoyed it for the most part.
3.5 stars rounded down in this case.
3.5 stars rounded down in this case.
October 2, 2026
It was hard for me to even give this a 3. It was so messy. Sooooooooo many characters and narrators felt very unnecessary and hard to keep up with. The story felt boring and a extremely rushed climax
September 25, 2026
I expected more out of this one.
Despite being a shorter novel, it was actually really hard for me to finish after I lost interest around the last 30%.
There are SO many characters that I found it hard to really care about or root for any of them. And towards the end, the pacing felt rushed, which left the whole thing feeling kind of... incomplete?
Like something was missing. More gore? More twists? More storyline? More something? Idk. I just kept waiting for it to hit harder, and it never really did.
It was okay. Not bad, just forgettable.
Despite being a shorter novel, it was actually really hard for me to finish after I lost interest around the last 30%.
There are SO many characters that I found it hard to really care about or root for any of them. And towards the end, the pacing felt rushed, which left the whole thing feeling kind of... incomplete?
Like something was missing. More gore? More twists? More storyline? More something? Idk. I just kept waiting for it to hit harder, and it never really did.
It was okay. Not bad, just forgettable.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you Netgalley and Del Rey for the ARC.
I am always a sucker for cannibalism in a book, regardless of genre. But this one, sadly fell a little flat for me in more area than one. I think one of the weakest things that bleeds into other criticisms is the amount of POVs we get. Due to the limited time we get in each characters head and inner world, I never felt connected to our main character or any of the other POVs. If it had been slightly paired down; or kept to the siblings, or even kept to the main family of women [having the grandmother, mother, and then daughter perspective and their generational trauma explored more in-depth] that would have provided more insights into character motivations and character building, and strengthened the connection to this world. Genetic cannibalism is a really cool concept, and I wish it could have been a bit more explored or picked at, or nuanced. Personally, I always find internet slang or really immediate pop culture references harm more than help, as it immediately dates the work and pulls me out of what is trying to be explored. Cool concept, just not all the way there for me. I am excited to see what else this author publishes, and I think they do have a really unique voice and flow to their work [I got an almost Maximum Ride vibe from their storytelling, and I think that skill would really serve something in the teen dystopian/sci-fi genre really well] where I want to care about the characters they are putting in front of me, but it's not quite all the way there yet.
I am always a sucker for cannibalism in a book, regardless of genre. But this one, sadly fell a little flat for me in more area than one. I think one of the weakest things that bleeds into other criticisms is the amount of POVs we get. Due to the limited time we get in each characters head and inner world, I never felt connected to our main character or any of the other POVs. If it had been slightly paired down; or kept to the siblings, or even kept to the main family of women [having the grandmother, mother, and then daughter perspective and their generational trauma explored more in-depth] that would have provided more insights into character motivations and character building, and strengthened the connection to this world. Genetic cannibalism is a really cool concept, and I wish it could have been a bit more explored or picked at, or nuanced. Personally, I always find internet slang or really immediate pop culture references harm more than help, as it immediately dates the work and pulls me out of what is trying to be explored. Cool concept, just not all the way there for me. I am excited to see what else this author publishes, and I think they do have a really unique voice and flow to their work [I got an almost Maximum Ride vibe from their storytelling, and I think that skill would really serve something in the teen dystopian/sci-fi genre really well] where I want to care about the characters they are putting in front of me, but it's not quite all the way there yet.
September 27, 2026
🩸 🥩 🖤
3.75 ★
ARC ⎸ Release Date: September 22, 2026
The Need is a very strange book in the best possible way: a horror story about genetic cannibalism that is ultimately much more interested in family, parenthood, generational trauma, and what happens when being “different” becomes something a family believes it has the right to control. The premise immediately caught my attention, and while I’m not sure the book always knew what to do with the idea of The Need itself, I really liked what Megan Mostyn-Brown did with the people living around it.
There are a lot of POVs here—possibly one or two too many—but surprisingly, I never found them messy or confusing. In fact, one of the things I admired most was how clearly each character’s motivations came through. Moving between past, present, and different perspectives gave me a much better understanding of why people behaved the way they did, and there were several moments where I felt like I knew more than the characters themselves.
The family dynamics were easily the strongest part for me. Talia, Rosie, and Sam all brought something different to the story, and I especially appreciated getting Sam’s perspective. Seeing his struggles from inside his own head made him feel considerably more layered than the way some other characters perceived him.
The pacing is solid, the writing is engaging, and there’s a nice balance between visceral horror and surprisingly dark humor. My biggest issue was that I could see where the story was heading quite early, so very little genuinely surprised me. I also wanted more exploration of The Need itself and what it actually means beyond being a genetic compulsion.
Still, there’s something compelling about watching two families respond to the exact same condition in completely opposite ways. One sees it as a curse to escape; the other treats it as power and privilege. And underneath all the blood and body horror, The Need asks some pretty uncomfortable questions about what parents pass down to their children—and whether breaking a cycle is actually possible when everyone is determined to keep repeating it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing an advance copy of The Need by Megan Mostyn-Brown in exchange for an honest review.
3.75 ★
ARC ⎸ Release Date: September 22, 2026
The Need is a very strange book in the best possible way: a horror story about genetic cannibalism that is ultimately much more interested in family, parenthood, generational trauma, and what happens when being “different” becomes something a family believes it has the right to control. The premise immediately caught my attention, and while I’m not sure the book always knew what to do with the idea of The Need itself, I really liked what Megan Mostyn-Brown did with the people living around it.
There are a lot of POVs here—possibly one or two too many—but surprisingly, I never found them messy or confusing. In fact, one of the things I admired most was how clearly each character’s motivations came through. Moving between past, present, and different perspectives gave me a much better understanding of why people behaved the way they did, and there were several moments where I felt like I knew more than the characters themselves.
The family dynamics were easily the strongest part for me. Talia, Rosie, and Sam all brought something different to the story, and I especially appreciated getting Sam’s perspective. Seeing his struggles from inside his own head made him feel considerably more layered than the way some other characters perceived him.
The pacing is solid, the writing is engaging, and there’s a nice balance between visceral horror and surprisingly dark humor. My biggest issue was that I could see where the story was heading quite early, so very little genuinely surprised me. I also wanted more exploration of The Need itself and what it actually means beyond being a genetic compulsion.
Still, there’s something compelling about watching two families respond to the exact same condition in completely opposite ways. One sees it as a curse to escape; the other treats it as power and privilege. And underneath all the blood and body horror, The Need asks some pretty uncomfortable questions about what parents pass down to their children—and whether breaking a cycle is actually possible when everyone is determined to keep repeating it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing an advance copy of The Need by Megan Mostyn-Brown in exchange for an honest review.
September 27, 2026
The Need was weird, messy, and full of deeply unlikable people, and honestly, I kind of loved that about it.
I know some readers struggled with the first-person POV and shifting perspectives, but I actually enjoyed both. It was pretty clear these characters weren’t meant to be likable. I mean…the cannibalism probably should’ve tipped us off. 😂
I don’t need to like characters to enjoy reading about them, and these people were fascinatingly terrible. I especially loved the funky, dysfunctional family dynamics and the general what is wrong with these people?! energy.
My biggest issue was that the story started to feel repetitive in places. I couldn’t quite put my finger on whether it was the pacing or something else, but there were moments when it felt like we were circling the same territory instead of moving forward.
Still, give me weird family dynamics, questionable people, and a little cannibalism, and apparently I’m going to keep reading. 😂
Thank you Del Rey and #Netgalley for the chance to read this in exchange for a review.
I know some readers struggled with the first-person POV and shifting perspectives, but I actually enjoyed both. It was pretty clear these characters weren’t meant to be likable. I mean…the cannibalism probably should’ve tipped us off. 😂
I don’t need to like characters to enjoy reading about them, and these people were fascinatingly terrible. I especially loved the funky, dysfunctional family dynamics and the general what is wrong with these people?! energy.
My biggest issue was that the story started to feel repetitive in places. I couldn’t quite put my finger on whether it was the pacing or something else, but there were moments when it felt like we were circling the same territory instead of moving forward.
Still, give me weird family dynamics, questionable people, and a little cannibalism, and apparently I’m going to keep reading. 😂
Thank you Del Rey and #Netgalley for the chance to read this in exchange for a review.
September 29, 2026
This was definitely a fun and interesting read. The premise of the book reeled me in, and definitely took me on a chaotic journey.
I really enjoyed seeing the different POVs from the main characters. Seeing certain storylines pan out from the different characters helped me empathize with some of the characters and despise others.
I honestly felt this book could’ve been longer though. There was so much more I wanted to learn about The Armstrongs and their backgrounds that could’ve added to the story without making it feel like filler. The author did a great job with the horror throughout the story, but I feel like the ending was a bit rushed causing the outcome to feel lackluster.
Thank you to Del Rey Publishing and Megan Mostyn-Brown for a copy of this ARC that I won through a StoryGraph giveaway. All opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed seeing the different POVs from the main characters. Seeing certain storylines pan out from the different characters helped me empathize with some of the characters and despise others.
I honestly felt this book could’ve been longer though. There was so much more I wanted to learn about The Armstrongs and their backgrounds that could’ve added to the story without making it feel like filler. The author did a great job with the horror throughout the story, but I feel like the ending was a bit rushed causing the outcome to feel lackluster.
Thank you to Del Rey Publishing and Megan Mostyn-Brown for a copy of this ARC that I won through a StoryGraph giveaway. All opinions are my own.
September 22, 2026
In this book, some people learn that they need to eat human meat in order to survive. They keep it very secretive once they find out. The main family who we follow through the course of the story has to be ready to move at any given time if their true identities become known. When the book starts off, they are just arriving in a new town. The teens soon become happy here once they find friends in school. Time here might run out soon when someone in this town discovers that they also have this trait. This quickly leads to a whirlwind of events and everything suddenly changes.
This book had some interesting parts, but there were also times when it was mediocre to me. It was a unique and twisty story. The ending is when things really became exciting. If you are looking for something different to read; this might be worth the read!
This book had some interesting parts, but there were also times when it was mediocre to me. It was a unique and twisty story. The ending is when things really became exciting. If you are looking for something different to read; this might be worth the read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2026
A bit far-fetched, outlandish, and over the top. Whatever else it was, The Need was engaging af! It honestly felt campy at times. I wanted to reach through the pages and shake some sense into most of the characters. Had a wild time reading this.
ARC provided by Del Ray Books, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
ARC provided by Del Ray Books, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
The Need 🧬🩸✨Review✨ thank you @delreybooks for the free book!
The Need
by Megan Mostyn-Brown
out 9/22/26!
Every family has its secrets. But in this electric, provocative, and dizzyingly fast-paced horror debut, some families have The Need.
My thoughts 💭:
I loved the premise of this one! The idea of cannibalism being a genetic disorder was fascinating and completely unlike anything I’ve read before. I found myself flying through this one. The multiple POVs kept the story moving and made it easy to get invested in each of these characters and their very messed up lives. I went into this expecting dark and fun, and while it delivered on both, I wasn’t expecting the emotional layer underneath it all. I was surprised to find myself crying with Sam doing what he did. There’s this underlying sadness throughout the story that really made me think about loneliness, isolation, and that very human need to be understood. Even in a story this wild, I could understand the desire to find someone who truly gets you and there’s just something powerful about finding someone who is just like you. If you enjoy stories about rich people behaving badly, questionable relationships with food, and books that make you sit back and think, get ready to eat the rich because The Need releases in September!
What to expect 👇🏽
🍽️ Cannibalism
🧬 Genetic disorder
👯 Multiple POVs
👩👧👦 Family secrets
💰 Rich people behaving badly
🩸 Dark & disturbing premise
Happy reading 📖🧬🩸
The Need
by Megan Mostyn-Brown
out 9/22/26!
Every family has its secrets. But in this electric, provocative, and dizzyingly fast-paced horror debut, some families have The Need.
My thoughts 💭:
I loved the premise of this one! The idea of cannibalism being a genetic disorder was fascinating and completely unlike anything I’ve read before. I found myself flying through this one. The multiple POVs kept the story moving and made it easy to get invested in each of these characters and their very messed up lives. I went into this expecting dark and fun, and while it delivered on both, I wasn’t expecting the emotional layer underneath it all. I was surprised to find myself crying with Sam doing what he did. There’s this underlying sadness throughout the story that really made me think about loneliness, isolation, and that very human need to be understood. Even in a story this wild, I could understand the desire to find someone who truly gets you and there’s just something powerful about finding someone who is just like you. If you enjoy stories about rich people behaving badly, questionable relationships with food, and books that make you sit back and think, get ready to eat the rich because The Need releases in September!
What to expect 👇🏽
🍽️ Cannibalism
🧬 Genetic disorder
👯 Multiple POVs
👩👧👦 Family secrets
💰 Rich people behaving badly
🩸 Dark & disturbing premise
Happy reading 📖🧬🩸
September 12, 2026
I went into this book expecting a much more graphic horror story. I mean, we’re talking about people with a genetic condition that requires them to eat human flesh to survive. I fully expected some scenes that would make me regret reading while eating. 😂 Surprisingly, that wasn’t really the kind of horror I got.
I actually found the idea of this book more disturbing than the descriptions themselves. I would’ve liked the book to go a little further with the horror and show more of that side of their lives.
What ended up keeping me interested was the family story, especially the contrast between Talia and Vera. They live with the same condition, but their lives could not be more different. At first, I questioned why Talia kept moving her children from town to town and changing their identities. By the end, I understood her so much more. She wasn’t just running. She was trying to protect her children and keep their condition hidden from people who could use it against them.
The difference between Talia’s family and Vera’s also made the privilege in this story impossible for me to ignore. There is a moment involving Talia realizing how different something obtained through the black market is from what she normally has access to, and that tiny detail said SO much. Even with the exact same condition, money completely changes how you survive it.
And Sam… I felt bad for him. It’s easy for everyone else to see him as the villain, but I kept remembering that he’s still a kid living with a condition he never asked for. That doesn’t erase the consequences of what he does, but it made it difficult for me to see him as simply monstrous.
I had complicated feelings about Rosie too. I couldn’t always tell whether what I was reading from her was grief, relief, or maybe both. And honestly, I think both would make sense. You can love someone and still feel relieved at the possibility of finally living without constantly worrying about what might happen next.
So this wasn’t quite the gruesome horror I expected, but I ended up liking what it did with family, survival, privilege, and the question of how much responsibility someone carries for something they never chose.
Thank you to Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for the eARC.
I actually found the idea of this book more disturbing than the descriptions themselves. I would’ve liked the book to go a little further with the horror and show more of that side of their lives.
What ended up keeping me interested was the family story, especially the contrast between Talia and Vera. They live with the same condition, but their lives could not be more different. At first, I questioned why Talia kept moving her children from town to town and changing their identities. By the end, I understood her so much more. She wasn’t just running. She was trying to protect her children and keep their condition hidden from people who could use it against them.
The difference between Talia’s family and Vera’s also made the privilege in this story impossible for me to ignore. There is a moment involving Talia realizing how different something obtained through the black market is from what she normally has access to, and that tiny detail said SO much. Even with the exact same condition, money completely changes how you survive it.
And Sam… I felt bad for him. It’s easy for everyone else to see him as the villain, but I kept remembering that he’s still a kid living with a condition he never asked for. That doesn’t erase the consequences of what he does, but it made it difficult for me to see him as simply monstrous.
I had complicated feelings about Rosie too. I couldn’t always tell whether what I was reading from her was grief, relief, or maybe both. And honestly, I think both would make sense. You can love someone and still feel relieved at the possibility of finally living without constantly worrying about what might happen next.
So this wasn’t quite the gruesome horror I expected, but I ended up liking what it did with family, survival, privilege, and the question of how much responsibility someone carries for something they never chose.
Thank you to Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for the eARC.
October 13, 2026
A total disappointment. This was marketed as a dark adult horror novel, but it read much more like a Young Adult (YA) book.
The story follows a mother on the run with her teenage twins, Sam and Rosie. Sam has a genetic curse that forces him to eat human flesh, while Rosie is completely normal. Instead of a mature, genuinely creepy horror vibe, a massive chunk of the plot revolves around typical teenage drama. Rosie is constantly complaining about how her brother's cannibalism is "ruining her life" because it gets in the way of her social goals—like going to Homecoming, starting a TikTok account, and trying to kiss her new crush.
• The Tone: Way too juvenile and angsty for a standard adult horror novel.
• The Pacing: It felt like reading a high school thriller rather than a deeply unsettling, terrifying story.
• The Execution: The premise of a genetic cannibalism disorder has so much potential, but focusing heavily on high school complaints completely stripped away the fear factor.
If you are looking for a true, mature adult horror book that will actually scare you, I would skip this one. It’s strictly YA fiction with a splash of gore.
The story follows a mother on the run with her teenage twins, Sam and Rosie. Sam has a genetic curse that forces him to eat human flesh, while Rosie is completely normal. Instead of a mature, genuinely creepy horror vibe, a massive chunk of the plot revolves around typical teenage drama. Rosie is constantly complaining about how her brother's cannibalism is "ruining her life" because it gets in the way of her social goals—like going to Homecoming, starting a TikTok account, and trying to kiss her new crush.
• The Tone: Way too juvenile and angsty for a standard adult horror novel.
• The Pacing: It felt like reading a high school thriller rather than a deeply unsettling, terrifying story.
• The Execution: The premise of a genetic cannibalism disorder has so much potential, but focusing heavily on high school complaints completely stripped away the fear factor.
If you are looking for a true, mature adult horror book that will actually scare you, I would skip this one. It’s strictly YA fiction with a splash of gore.
September 26, 2026
My rating is 3.25
The premise for this novel was impeccable.
A family of cannibals, secrets and intrigue...I am in!
Unfortunately the premise was the best thing about the story. The multiple POV's (so many!) didn't allow any one character/POV to take lead of the plot. I wasn't able to connect well with a single character.
I appreciated the queer representation and thought that was done well. The family dynamic was interesting and had real potential to be better developed. The trauma they have all experienced was a hint at something compelling, but leaves much of that promise unexplored .
So while it was an easy, smooth read, the wanting for MORE just kept coming up for me.
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, Del Rey and Inklore for the opportunity to read and review this title. My thoughts are my own.
The premise for this novel was impeccable.
A family of cannibals, secrets and intrigue...I am in!
Unfortunately the premise was the best thing about the story. The multiple POV's (so many!) didn't allow any one character/POV to take lead of the plot. I wasn't able to connect well with a single character.
I appreciated the queer representation and thought that was done well. The family dynamic was interesting and had real potential to be better developed. The trauma they have all experienced was a hint at something compelling, but leaves much of that promise unexplored .
So while it was an easy, smooth read, the wanting for MORE just kept coming up for me.
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, Del Rey and Inklore for the opportunity to read and review this title. My thoughts are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Y’all, The Need takes family dysfunction, adds a genetic craving for human flesh, and serves it bloody with a designer handbag! 🩸😱
Talia has spent years hiding her twins and their deadly secret—but Sam’s hunger keeps leaving bodies behind, while Rosie desperately wants a normal life. Then there’s Vera Armstrong, a glamorous, unhinged socialite whose wealthy family treats The Need like a privilege instead of a curse.
Meghan Mostyn-Brown’s sharp, cinematic writing blends stomach-churning horror, dark humor, and family trauma. The dread crawls across your skin like cold fingers, while buried secrets pile up faster than the bodies.
Twisted, smart, and genuinely scary—four bloody stars! 🔪
Thanks to #NetGalley, Del Ray and Megan Mostyn-Brown for this copy of The Need for my voluntary review.
Talia has spent years hiding her twins and their deadly secret—but Sam’s hunger keeps leaving bodies behind, while Rosie desperately wants a normal life. Then there’s Vera Armstrong, a glamorous, unhinged socialite whose wealthy family treats The Need like a privilege instead of a curse.
Meghan Mostyn-Brown’s sharp, cinematic writing blends stomach-churning horror, dark humor, and family trauma. The dread crawls across your skin like cold fingers, while buried secrets pile up faster than the bodies.
Twisted, smart, and genuinely scary—four bloody stars! 🔪
Thanks to #NetGalley, Del Ray and Megan Mostyn-Brown for this copy of The Need for my voluntary review.
September 24, 2026
Interesting take on horror. Genetic cannibals is such a creepy concept, not just the need for blood like a vampire, but the need to consume flesh. The wildest part is it not being passed 100% in a bloodline and the family members that live adjacent to the consumption but having no genetic need, wow, talk about moral weight! Running from the elite of the bloodline hellbent on "fixing" the genetically unendowed, what a perfectly captivating story.
Thank-you, Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore, for this complimentary copy. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Thank-you, Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore, for this complimentary copy. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
September 28, 2026
This is a story about hunger.
I wasn't sure what to expect going into this one- but as a weird girl lit lover, it sounded like it was going to be for me.. and it was! The multiple narrative perspectives doesn't always work, but it totally worked for me here- I enjoyed all of them (although I'm unsure how the author decided on which perspectives to include, it felt somewhat random!) and felt like it created the ability to view the story from vastly differing lenses. The horror elements were compelling and I felt simultaneously grossed out and invested. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending, but it made sense in context.
Thank you so much PRHA for the ALC.
I wasn't sure what to expect going into this one- but as a weird girl lit lover, it sounded like it was going to be for me.. and it was! The multiple narrative perspectives doesn't always work, but it totally worked for me here- I enjoyed all of them (although I'm unsure how the author decided on which perspectives to include, it felt somewhat random!) and felt like it created the ability to view the story from vastly differing lenses. The horror elements were compelling and I felt simultaneously grossed out and invested. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending, but it made sense in context.
Thank you so much PRHA for the ALC.
October 2, 2026
I guess I didn't need to read this.. meh
October 3, 2026
This didn’t seem to go anywhere, and I was losing interest completely in the second half.
March 9, 2026
Thank you to #netgalley for my Advanced Reader copy of this book!
Where to start with this, I’ll first say I absolutely loved this book from start to finish; the thrill of the world building and escalating suspense of the family being caught made it hard to put down for me.
You follow twins Rosie and Sam as they navigate a secretive world of genetic cannibalism and what it means to stay alive for Sam - a constant stream of lies and running to the next town to evade a pile of bodies he leaves behind.
The graphic descriptions of their eating and just how passionate/disgusted they are with themselves (depending on the character!) really had me intrigued with the concept of what it would mean to be a moral cannibal - not a question I’ve ever asked myself.
Added to all this, is the mystery and suspense of the obsessed paternal family trying to catch up with our main characters. Every POV brings the story closer together in the best way.
It’s a perfect blend of horror and heart, with a touch of humour that really pulls everything together. Definitely something I’d want to buy physically!
If you were on the fence about adding this to your TBR - this is your sign to add it!
Where to start with this, I’ll first say I absolutely loved this book from start to finish; the thrill of the world building and escalating suspense of the family being caught made it hard to put down for me.
You follow twins Rosie and Sam as they navigate a secretive world of genetic cannibalism and what it means to stay alive for Sam - a constant stream of lies and running to the next town to evade a pile of bodies he leaves behind.
The graphic descriptions of their eating and just how passionate/disgusted they are with themselves (depending on the character!) really had me intrigued with the concept of what it would mean to be a moral cannibal - not a question I’ve ever asked myself.
Added to all this, is the mystery and suspense of the obsessed paternal family trying to catch up with our main characters. Every POV brings the story closer together in the best way.
It’s a perfect blend of horror and heart, with a touch of humour that really pulls everything together. Definitely something I’d want to buy physically!
If you were on the fence about adding this to your TBR - this is your sign to add it!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.25 This was such an engaging read and yet another interesting take on cannibalism fiction. The Need is a rare genetic disorder that requires the consumption of human flesh. Even if someone doesn’t have the disorder, they can still carry the gene. Here we follow two families, both harboring the Need.
I really loved all the different points of view and everyone’s wants despite their Need. This is family dysfunction at its finest, and it really drives home the point that rich people get away with too much.
Short chapters, fast-paced, and vibes for days.
Thanks NetGalley and Del Ray, Random House Worlds, Inklore for the eARC! Pub date September 22nd
I really loved all the different points of view and everyone’s wants despite their Need. This is family dysfunction at its finest, and it really drives home the point that rich people get away with too much.
Short chapters, fast-paced, and vibes for days.
Thanks NetGalley and Del Ray, Random House Worlds, Inklore for the eARC! Pub date September 22nd
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
So, I really enjoyed this book. There were things I didn't love, but they pale a bit in comparison to the things that made it a really fun read.
There are several first-person POVs and the writing was almost conversational, like the characters were just sitting across from you telling you what happened without a lot of flowery language and all that. A few of the character's voices weren't unique enough. Carolyn and Rosie, for example, sounded like the same teenage girl. They weren't hard to follow but they did blur together a little bit. Though I always knew when it was Vera's POV because she is rich and was constantly name-dropping fancy pants fashion brands lol.
Which kind of brings me to my second issue: there were so. many. pop culture references. I actually understood most of them (which is rare for me - usually I don't get them and I find that alienating), but I didn't love them. I prefer it when books don't have them but that's a personal thing so I don't hold it against this book.
I loved the fast pacing and that they were sort of like vampires in a way. I haven't read a lot of books with cannibalism (yet!) so I don't have much to compare it to but it felt fresh and unique. I liked how campy it was, requiring some suspension of disbelief but still culminating in an interesting allegory for generational trauma.
I definitely recommend The Need to anyone who enjoys cannibalistic horror and/or horror with a bit of camp.
Thanks very much to Del Rey for the ARC!
There are several first-person POVs and the writing was almost conversational, like the characters were just sitting across from you telling you what happened without a lot of flowery language and all that. A few of the character's voices weren't unique enough. Carolyn and Rosie, for example, sounded like the same teenage girl. They weren't hard to follow but they did blur together a little bit. Though I always knew when it was Vera's POV because she is rich and was constantly name-dropping fancy pants fashion brands lol.
Which kind of brings me to my second issue: there were so. many. pop culture references. I actually understood most of them (which is rare for me - usually I don't get them and I find that alienating), but I didn't love them. I prefer it when books don't have them but that's a personal thing so I don't hold it against this book.
I loved the fast pacing and that they were sort of like vampires in a way. I haven't read a lot of books with cannibalism (yet!) so I don't have much to compare it to but it felt fresh and unique. I liked how campy it was, requiring some suspension of disbelief but still culminating in an interesting allegory for generational trauma.
I definitely recommend The Need to anyone who enjoys cannibalistic horror and/or horror with a bit of camp.
Thanks very much to Del Rey for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Rosie wants to go to Homecoming and kiss a girl. Her twin brother keeps eating people. Their mother has packed the emergency relocation bags again. That is the family situation. Talia has been dragging these kids from town to town since they were babies because she and Sam have The Need, a genetic condition where they must consume human flesh or die. Rosie did not inherit it, which sounds lucky until you realize she is still trapped in the family group project. She gets all the secrecy, all the fake names, all the sudden moves, all the crime-scene-adjacent stress, and none of the alleged evolutionary benefits. Her brother commits a fresh atrocity and Rosie loses another school year. I would be furious too.
And Sam. SAM. Talia has rules. She has systems. She has spent years trying to turn hereditary cannibalism into something manageable, like a severe allergy with substantially worse grocery shopping. Sam keeps blowing through those plans because he is hungry, impulsive, angry, and apparently incapable of understanding that every body comes with paperwork. Talia will be standing there thinking, maybe we can stay this time, and Sam is already creating a reason they need new identities by Thursday.
The horrible part is that he did not choose this. The Need is not a hobby. His body is demanding something monstrous from him, and every time he gives in, he proves everyone’s worst fear about him correct. He knows Rosie gets to be normal in a way he never will. He knows Talia is disappointed. He knows what he is doing is wrong. Then he does it anyway because knowing and stopping are not the same thing. I kept bouncing between “someone sedate this boy” and “oh God, he is still just a kid,” which is a deeply unpleasant emotional commute.
Rosie is meanwhile trying to construct one tiny normal life out of the wreckage. She wants social media. She wants Homecoming. She wants Naomi, who is mysterious and cute and has walked directly into the blast radius of a family secret nobody can explain without sounding clinically insane. Rosie is trying to figure out who she is while knowing her entire identity could disappear overnight because Sam got peckish. And of course Sam is interested in Naomi too, because apparently these twins did not already share enough.
Then the book cuts to Vera Armstrong, and suddenly cannibalism has a dress code. Talia treats The Need like a curse. Vera treats it like old money. She is a former supermodel living inside the kind of wealth where consequences arrive through the service entrance, and the Armstrong family does not hide what they are from each other. They are proud of it. Talia is stealing scraps and keeping her children alive in parking-lot survival mode while Vera’s side of the family has somehow turned consuming human flesh into a legacy brand. Same genetic disorder, wildly different catering budget.
And Vera is not just rich and scary. She is carrying one enormous mistake from the past and trying to fix it with the confidence of a woman who has never heard the phrase “maybe leave that alone.” Her standing in the family is damaged. Her relationship with her children is wrecked. Her sanity is starting to fray. Still, she looks at this entire disaster and thinks the answer is more control. Vera does not enter a situation. She acquires it.
Every time the story jumped to another person, I got one more piece of the family nightmare and three more questions. Talia is hiding things from the twins. Vera is hunting for a way to repair the past. Sam is leaving bodies behind. Rosie is trying to have a first kiss while her life is basically one long evacuation drill. Naomi has wandered into all of this with no idea that “meeting the family” could become a literal survival concern. At some point I stopped thinking of this as a horror story and started thinking of it as the worst reunion episode ever filmed.
I did want more about The Need itself because excuse me, you cannot introduce secret genetic cannibals and then expect me not to ask follow-up questions. How many are there? How long can they go without feeding? Who figured this out first? Is there a support group? A newsletter? A discreet butcher with excellent boundaries? Instead, everybody is busy lying, running, eating, and ruining relationships, while I am in the corner demanding the medical literature.
But the Talia and Vera collision is where the whole thing gets under your skin. They are both mothers trying to protect their families, except one believes protection means hiding what they are, and the other believes protection means embracing it so completely that nobody can ever shame them. Both women love their children. Both women also make choices that will absolutely damage them. That is the ugliest kind of family secret, the one handed down as love.
By the end, everybody’s lies have finally caught up with everybody else’s lies, and the cannibalism is somehow not even the messiest part. I wanted a little more space with some of these people and a less tidy landing after all that chaos, but I was never bored. Somebody was always revealing a secret, choosing the worst possible option, or forcing Talia to mentally price out another emergency move.
I’m at 3.5 stars for The Need. Rosie deserved Homecoming, Naomi, and one semester where nobody in her immediate family consumed a stranger. Talia needed sleep, money, and a son who respected a relocation budget. Sam needed intensive supervision and possibly a tracking device. Vera needed one person in her life willing to tell her no and survive the experience. I wanted more about the actual condition, but the family drama was so feral that I stayed seated.
Whodunity Award: For Making “My Twin Brother Keeps Eating People” Somehow Only the Beginning of Rosie’s Problems
Thank you to Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore, and NetGalley for the ARC, and for introducing me to a family where “Did you eat?” is not a caring question, it is the opening line of an investigation.
And Sam. SAM. Talia has rules. She has systems. She has spent years trying to turn hereditary cannibalism into something manageable, like a severe allergy with substantially worse grocery shopping. Sam keeps blowing through those plans because he is hungry, impulsive, angry, and apparently incapable of understanding that every body comes with paperwork. Talia will be standing there thinking, maybe we can stay this time, and Sam is already creating a reason they need new identities by Thursday.
The horrible part is that he did not choose this. The Need is not a hobby. His body is demanding something monstrous from him, and every time he gives in, he proves everyone’s worst fear about him correct. He knows Rosie gets to be normal in a way he never will. He knows Talia is disappointed. He knows what he is doing is wrong. Then he does it anyway because knowing and stopping are not the same thing. I kept bouncing between “someone sedate this boy” and “oh God, he is still just a kid,” which is a deeply unpleasant emotional commute.
Rosie is meanwhile trying to construct one tiny normal life out of the wreckage. She wants social media. She wants Homecoming. She wants Naomi, who is mysterious and cute and has walked directly into the blast radius of a family secret nobody can explain without sounding clinically insane. Rosie is trying to figure out who she is while knowing her entire identity could disappear overnight because Sam got peckish. And of course Sam is interested in Naomi too, because apparently these twins did not already share enough.
Then the book cuts to Vera Armstrong, and suddenly cannibalism has a dress code. Talia treats The Need like a curse. Vera treats it like old money. She is a former supermodel living inside the kind of wealth where consequences arrive through the service entrance, and the Armstrong family does not hide what they are from each other. They are proud of it. Talia is stealing scraps and keeping her children alive in parking-lot survival mode while Vera’s side of the family has somehow turned consuming human flesh into a legacy brand. Same genetic disorder, wildly different catering budget.
And Vera is not just rich and scary. She is carrying one enormous mistake from the past and trying to fix it with the confidence of a woman who has never heard the phrase “maybe leave that alone.” Her standing in the family is damaged. Her relationship with her children is wrecked. Her sanity is starting to fray. Still, she looks at this entire disaster and thinks the answer is more control. Vera does not enter a situation. She acquires it.
Every time the story jumped to another person, I got one more piece of the family nightmare and three more questions. Talia is hiding things from the twins. Vera is hunting for a way to repair the past. Sam is leaving bodies behind. Rosie is trying to have a first kiss while her life is basically one long evacuation drill. Naomi has wandered into all of this with no idea that “meeting the family” could become a literal survival concern. At some point I stopped thinking of this as a horror story and started thinking of it as the worst reunion episode ever filmed.
I did want more about The Need itself because excuse me, you cannot introduce secret genetic cannibals and then expect me not to ask follow-up questions. How many are there? How long can they go without feeding? Who figured this out first? Is there a support group? A newsletter? A discreet butcher with excellent boundaries? Instead, everybody is busy lying, running, eating, and ruining relationships, while I am in the corner demanding the medical literature.
But the Talia and Vera collision is where the whole thing gets under your skin. They are both mothers trying to protect their families, except one believes protection means hiding what they are, and the other believes protection means embracing it so completely that nobody can ever shame them. Both women love their children. Both women also make choices that will absolutely damage them. That is the ugliest kind of family secret, the one handed down as love.
By the end, everybody’s lies have finally caught up with everybody else’s lies, and the cannibalism is somehow not even the messiest part. I wanted a little more space with some of these people and a less tidy landing after all that chaos, but I was never bored. Somebody was always revealing a secret, choosing the worst possible option, or forcing Talia to mentally price out another emergency move.
I’m at 3.5 stars for The Need. Rosie deserved Homecoming, Naomi, and one semester where nobody in her immediate family consumed a stranger. Talia needed sleep, money, and a son who respected a relocation budget. Sam needed intensive supervision and possibly a tracking device. Vera needed one person in her life willing to tell her no and survive the experience. I wanted more about the actual condition, but the family drama was so feral that I stayed seated.
Whodunity Award: For Making “My Twin Brother Keeps Eating People” Somehow Only the Beginning of Rosie’s Problems
Thank you to Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore, and NetGalley for the ARC, and for introducing me to a family where “Did you eat?” is not a caring question, it is the opening line of an investigation.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Reading this book was a rough experience. I had very high hopes for it, as I’m a sucker for cannibals and vampires in media. But, oh my God, this was hard. To begin, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the writing, it's quite simple and very factual. Though, that makes it pretty fast paced, which I guess is a positive factor. The characters aren't particularly interesting enough for me to care about them and they feel shallow and underdeveloped, maybe because of all the points of view. About that, there’s too many p.o.v.s, it’s a little discombobulated and they all sound the same, no one has an authentic voice in the narrative. Also, the characters are all insufferable. Is it intentional? Perhaps. But, boy, does it make it borderline unbearable. Anyway, I feel super duper disappointed with this read, it just wasn’t for me.
Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for this eARC! This was my honest and unbiased opinion.
Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for this eARC! This was my honest and unbiased opinion.
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