What do you think?
Rate this book
Nana
Monica Stephens never knew her birth mother. Raised by a strict but loving adoptive parent, she blossomed into a woman with a thriving career as a pediatrician and a family of her own. But sometimes, she wondered about her origins. Especially her biological mother.Until Grace arrives.Confessing to be the birth mother Monica had long wanted to meet, Grace quickly becomes an indispensable member of the Stephens household. Cooking their meals. Looking after the children. Comforting Monica when the family dog is inexplicably killed. Tending to Monica as she falls ill to a mysterious sickness that, every day, makes Monica look and feel older.Meanwhile, Grace is looking better. More vibrant. More youthful. More seductive . . .Monica's husband, Troy, knows something is up. He launches an investigation into the woman who demands to be called "Nana," and has taken over his home.But the truth is beyond their wildest imaginings.It seems Grace has done this before . . .
260 pages, Paperback
First published March 26, 2018
671 people are currently reading
5187 people want to read
About the author
Brandon Massey
56 books881 followersHere’s a little about me, Brandon Massey. (“Massey” is not pronounced “macy,” by the way. Think of “mass” instead.)
I was born June 9, 1973, in Waukegan, Illinois. I grew up in Zion, a suburb north of Chicago.
I originally self-published Thunderland, my first novel, in 1999. After managing to sell a few thousand copies on my own, Kensington Publishing Corp. in New York offered me a two-book contract, and published a new, revised edition of Thunderland in December 2002.
Since then, I’ve published up to three books a year, ranging from thriller novels such as The Other Brother, to short story collections such as Twisted Tales, and anthologies such as Dark Dreams.
My newest suspense thriller, Covenant, was published in November 2010.
I’ve got plenty more stories in the works that I’ll publish in the coming years.
I live with my family near Atlanta, GA.
I was born June 9, 1973, in Waukegan, Illinois. I grew up in Zion, a suburb north of Chicago.
I originally self-published Thunderland, my first novel, in 1999. After managing to sell a few thousand copies on my own, Kensington Publishing Corp. in New York offered me a two-book contract, and published a new, revised edition of Thunderland in December 2002.
Since then, I’ve published up to three books a year, ranging from thriller novels such as The Other Brother, to short story collections such as Twisted Tales, and anthologies such as Dark Dreams.
My newest suspense thriller, Covenant, was published in November 2010.
I’ve got plenty more stories in the works that I’ll publish in the coming years.
I live with my family near Atlanta, GA.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 602 reviews
December 30, 2022
I've been hearing so much about Nana lately specifically from Bre @ the Loc'D Booktician. I was extremely excited to get to this one for Blackoweenathon and was prepared to be completely and totally freaked out. Massey definitely didn't fail in writing a compelling and fascinating horror story that appears to make so much commentary on mother figures and abandonment. Some scenes in this book are not for the faint of heart and definitely made me cringe. CW: dubcon, body horror
Nana focuses on the family of Monica and Troy who end up meeting Monica's supposed long lost mother Grace at the funeral of Monica's grandmother. Desperate to get answers related to her family, Monica invites grace into her home to become better acquainted with her family. It is clear from the very beginning that something is wrong with Grace. As the novel progresses, she begins to transform into something much younger while Grace begins to slowly age.
One of the struggles that I had with this book which seems to be shared by a lot of reviewers is the knowledge that readers are gifted while the main characters stay in the dark. It can been frustrating to know that Grace is something pure evil while the characters appear to be extremely naïve. It makes them more difficult to connect to as a reader. However, I think I was able to get past some of this when I reframed the story from the lens of a child desperately looking for the love of a mother. A lot of Monica's inability to recognize the issues with Grace is specifically related to her desire to have a mother in the first place. She knew something was wrong, but she continued to push it aside because she was more concerned with understanding and getting to know the person who claimed to be her mother. That level of desperation and desire to be loved can often make people unaware to the most simple things. Quite often it's difficult for people on the outside to reckon with that lack of awareness which is what makes this a complicated work for readers to adjust to in the beginning. It would also explain why Tony was able to process that something was wrong with Grace more quickly than Monica. I still think that some of the naivety was extended for a much longer period of time than was necessary for the sake of the pacing of the novel, but I think I get where Massey was trying to go with the story.
And can we just recognize how entertaining this book was! It was wild and I mean extremely wild. One of the things that made this book so shocking was Grace's interest in sex. No one expected to encounter a horny grandmother, BUT once again, I think Massey is challenging our perceptions about age. We don't often associate older humans with beauty and sexuality often questioning why they would want either. We don't remember that they, too, still have a desire to be young, attractive, and sexually desired. There's much to be said about how Massey was able to build this into this narrative. Overall, I thought that this was an interesting read with so much unique commentary woven into the narrative. I can't wait to pick up my next read by this author.
Nana focuses on the family of Monica and Troy who end up meeting Monica's supposed long lost mother Grace at the funeral of Monica's grandmother. Desperate to get answers related to her family, Monica invites grace into her home to become better acquainted with her family. It is clear from the very beginning that something is wrong with Grace. As the novel progresses, she begins to transform into something much younger while Grace begins to slowly age.
One of the struggles that I had with this book which seems to be shared by a lot of reviewers is the knowledge that readers are gifted while the main characters stay in the dark. It can been frustrating to know that Grace is something pure evil while the characters appear to be extremely naïve. It makes them more difficult to connect to as a reader. However, I think I was able to get past some of this when I reframed the story from the lens of a child desperately looking for the love of a mother. A lot of Monica's inability to recognize the issues with Grace is specifically related to her desire to have a mother in the first place. She knew something was wrong, but she continued to push it aside because she was more concerned with understanding and getting to know the person who claimed to be her mother. That level of desperation and desire to be loved can often make people unaware to the most simple things. Quite often it's difficult for people on the outside to reckon with that lack of awareness which is what makes this a complicated work for readers to adjust to in the beginning. It would also explain why Tony was able to process that something was wrong with Grace more quickly than Monica. I still think that some of the naivety was extended for a much longer period of time than was necessary for the sake of the pacing of the novel, but I think I get where Massey was trying to go with the story.
And can we just recognize how entertaining this book was! It was wild and I mean extremely wild. One of the things that made this book so shocking was Grace's interest in sex. No one expected to encounter a horny grandmother, BUT once again, I think Massey is challenging our perceptions about age. We don't often associate older humans with beauty and sexuality often questioning why they would want either. We don't remember that they, too, still have a desire to be young, attractive, and sexually desired. There's much to be said about how Massey was able to build this into this narrative. Overall, I thought that this was an interesting read with so much unique commentary woven into the narrative. I can't wait to pick up my next read by this author.
October 31, 2018
This is a sad review to write because I wanted so badly to like this book. Just--desperately. Evil Grandma? Check! Female Protagonist? Check! Mysterious Histories? Check! Authentic African-American Horror by an Author Whose Name is Mentioned Alongside Tananarive Due? Double Check!
But then I started reading and it was--not good. The main plot sums up to: Hi, total stranger! Great of you to attend the funeral of the woman who raised me like I was her own child after my mom abandoned me at birth! Wait, you're my birth mom? Well, you do have the same name, according to the one piece of information I was ever given about her, so welcome to the family, you're fully one of us! Please come stay in my home while we catch up, and don't worry, my kids and I will absolutely eat whatever random homemade candy you pull out of your pockets. OMG, Mom, this is gonna be so fun!
Even when Mom tells her first thing, on the first day, during their first real non-funeral conversation, that her husband is totes for sure sleeping with one or more other women, and was no doubt about it out doing so last night while Daughter slept, Daughter decides to "let it go" for the sake of catching up with Mom.
The unbelievable mixture of naivete and forgiveness is not just absurd, it's laughable. And so is a lot of the stilted, hacky writing. Some of the dialogue comes through in authentic voices that one can actually hear, but those voices can be replaced at any moment by the abrupt intrusion of a drill instructor, pretentious fool, or writer who didn't double check the meanings of words that the thesaurus recommended. If there's one thing that snaps me out of a story faster than a punkin in a trebuchet, it's using a word that almost fits--like, I can definitely see how it happened--but clearly doesn't really work and I can't understand how no one else noticed. I let "sinuous way of" looking at someone go (it's not like it accused my husband of sleeping around or anything), but when I got to "The family's prevalence of high blood pressure..." I started skimming for the end like mad. Because dude, that's not a sentence. It's poor syntax, poor grammar, maybe even poor manners. (A sentence would be, "She was frustrated by the prevalence of poorly written horror novels.")
I'm going to check my library and see if I have any more horror stories by Tananarive Due.
ETA: I forgot to mention the objectification. Crazy but true: Eighty pages in, pretty much all we know about the two female leads are their relationship to each other, and how they feel about their bodies. ("Awesome" and "Gross", respectively.) I guess witchcraft is a hobby? But of course THERE'S A DOG, so--moving on.
But then I started reading and it was--not good. The main plot sums up to: Hi, total stranger! Great of you to attend the funeral of the woman who raised me like I was her own child after my mom abandoned me at birth! Wait, you're my birth mom? Well, you do have the same name, according to the one piece of information I was ever given about her, so welcome to the family, you're fully one of us! Please come stay in my home while we catch up, and don't worry, my kids and I will absolutely eat whatever random homemade candy you pull out of your pockets. OMG, Mom, this is gonna be so fun!
Even when Mom tells her first thing, on the first day, during their first real non-funeral conversation, that her husband is totes for sure sleeping with one or more other women, and was no doubt about it out doing so last night while Daughter slept, Daughter decides to "let it go" for the sake of catching up with Mom.
The unbelievable mixture of naivete and forgiveness is not just absurd, it's laughable. And so is a lot of the stilted, hacky writing. Some of the dialogue comes through in authentic voices that one can actually hear, but those voices can be replaced at any moment by the abrupt intrusion of a drill instructor, pretentious fool, or writer who didn't double check the meanings of words that the thesaurus recommended. If there's one thing that snaps me out of a story faster than a punkin in a trebuchet, it's using a word that almost fits--like, I can definitely see how it happened--but clearly doesn't really work and I can't understand how no one else noticed. I let "sinuous way of" looking at someone go (it's not like it accused my husband of sleeping around or anything), but when I got to "The family's prevalence of high blood pressure..." I started skimming for the end like mad. Because dude, that's not a sentence. It's poor syntax, poor grammar, maybe even poor manners. (A sentence would be, "She was frustrated by the prevalence of poorly written horror novels.")
I'm going to check my library and see if I have any more horror stories by Tananarive Due.
ETA: I forgot to mention the objectification. Crazy but true: Eighty pages in, pretty much all we know about the two female leads are their relationship to each other, and how they feel about their bodies. ("Awesome" and "Gross", respectively.) I guess witchcraft is a hobby? But of course THERE'S A DOG, so--moving on.
December 20, 2018
Another good book by Brandon Massey! If you're an old or new fan of BM, then you would love this read. I highly recommend it!
November 6, 2021
4.0 Stars
This was an entertaining horror novel about a mother from hell. Perhaps a bit predictable, but I personally enjoyed the tropes so I did not mind. Be aware that there is a lot of "weird sex" in this one. This reminded me a lot of Bentley Little with the diversity and martial themes of Tananarive Due.
This was an entertaining horror novel about a mother from hell. Perhaps a bit predictable, but I personally enjoyed the tropes so I did not mind. Be aware that there is a lot of "weird sex" in this one. This reminded me a lot of Bentley Little with the diversity and martial themes of Tananarive Due.
September 12, 2022
I listened to this audiobook and the narrator was awesome. It was creepy and atmospheric. I had no idea where it was going. I did not like the ending. I expected more. I felt like it kept building up to something only to fall flat. It was a quick, spooky read.
Monica Stephens was raised by a wonderful women. She has a awesome family and a thriving career as a pediatrician, however she feels like something is missing. She can’t stop thinking about where she came from and the mother that gave her up.
Grace arrives saying she is Monica’s birth mom and is immediately embraced. She begins cooking, cleaning, taking care of the kids. A real life Mary Poppins, she seems too good to be true. Shortly after Grace’s arrival, Monica becomes sick with a debilitating mystery illness which makes her look and older. Coincidentally, as the days pass, Grace seems to look and feel younger. Monica’s husband knows something isn’t right and starts investigating this mysterious stranger. He is not at all prepared for the battle he started.
Nana is available now.
Monica Stephens was raised by a wonderful women. She has a awesome family and a thriving career as a pediatrician, however she feels like something is missing. She can’t stop thinking about where she came from and the mother that gave her up.
Grace arrives saying she is Monica’s birth mom and is immediately embraced. She begins cooking, cleaning, taking care of the kids. A real life Mary Poppins, she seems too good to be true. Shortly after Grace’s arrival, Monica becomes sick with a debilitating mystery illness which makes her look and older. Coincidentally, as the days pass, Grace seems to look and feel younger. Monica’s husband knows something isn’t right and starts investigating this mysterious stranger. He is not at all prepared for the battle he started.
Nana is available now.
March 23, 2023
3.5 stars
A decent retro-horror fun fest, Nana doesn't take itself too seriously, and it's clearly echoing the campy style/trope popular in the horror genre throughout the late 80s/early 90s. While this particular kind of horror can be seen as a little passé and in questionable taste under today's lens, if you knew what you're getting into, there's still some entertainment to be had.
There was a time when being a horror villain means constantly cracking jokes (likely sexual) and being as obnoxious as one can be (Freddy Krueger comes to mind), and that is exactly what Nana is going for. I thoroughly enjoy the concept of a foul-mouth-monster(?)-grandma who has no moral boundary and is always thirsting for the dick. It's all very crass and silly, but that's kind of the point.
The plot follows a very formulaic 'supernatural entity invading a picture-perfect American family' template, so everything is quite predictable with very little suspense; which is fine as the story is mainly present to connect nana's devious acts (which really delivers on the gory detail). The main characters' naivete and lack of awareness does become a little irritating after awhile, and there is a subplot involving the husband that really served no clear purpose.
The ominous, moody cover art of Nana might conveys the wrong expectation; the story inside is very silly, very sexual (in a male gaze kind of way), and definitely has no underling theme or deeper symbolism. If you're looking for an elevated horror experience, this is not it. But some old-school, unsubtle horror fun? Then yes.
**The Book Troop Book Club Feburary 2023 Selection**
A decent retro-horror fun fest, Nana doesn't take itself too seriously, and it's clearly echoing the campy style/trope popular in the horror genre throughout the late 80s/early 90s. While this particular kind of horror can be seen as a little passé and in questionable taste under today's lens, if you knew what you're getting into, there's still some entertainment to be had.
There was a time when being a horror villain means constantly cracking jokes (likely sexual) and being as obnoxious as one can be (Freddy Krueger comes to mind), and that is exactly what Nana is going for. I thoroughly enjoy the concept of a foul-mouth-monster(?)-grandma who has no moral boundary and is always thirsting for the dick. It's all very crass and silly, but that's kind of the point.
The plot follows a very formulaic 'supernatural entity invading a picture-perfect American family' template, so everything is quite predictable with very little suspense; which is fine as the story is mainly present to connect nana's devious acts (which really delivers on the gory detail). The main characters' naivete and lack of awareness does become a little irritating after awhile, and there is a subplot involving the husband that really served no clear purpose.
The ominous, moody cover art of Nana might conveys the wrong expectation; the story inside is very silly, very sexual (in a male gaze kind of way), and definitely has no underling theme or deeper symbolism. If you're looking for an elevated horror experience, this is not it. But some old-school, unsubtle horror fun? Then yes.
**The Book Troop Book Club Feburary 2023 Selection**
January 31, 2024
Audio - 4 stars
Story - 1.5 Star
Story - 1.5 Star
February 24, 2023
epitome of unhinged. one bigass what the fuck, but i loved it.
December 2, 2020
I wanted to like this book. I really did the premise sounded very interesting. but oh my goodness does this author have some weird misogyny issues! The main character is a serial cheater but rationalizes that because he loves his wife and none of his side chicks he's never been unfaithful. bearing in mind that his wife is not in on this open marriage philosophy that he has.
The whole reason for his continued infidelity....his dad (who he no longer has a relationship with because he left) told him that his "dick gotta fly" when he was a teen. So the main character, as an adult male who is a physician, still behaves that way.
Women are either desirable and sexy and alluring or they are old and unappealing. these are the two ways that women are described in this book.
when a mysterious ailment befalls his wife...instead of being concerned for her health, he criticizes her appearance! all the while mentioning that her mother is so sexy and look impossibly young.
There is a literal rape scene in which the main character is raped by his wife's mother but he describes it as "maybe the best sex he's ever had"
So because the victim is male and the perpetrator is a sexy woman the rape is reduced to "sex he didn't initially want but is kinda okay it happened"...
I ended up finishing the book but I seriously am regretting it.
The whole reason for his continued infidelity....his dad (who he no longer has a relationship with because he left) told him that his "dick gotta fly" when he was a teen. So the main character, as an adult male who is a physician, still behaves that way.
Women are either desirable and sexy and alluring or they are old and unappealing. these are the two ways that women are described in this book.
when a mysterious ailment befalls his wife...instead of being concerned for her health, he criticizes her appearance! all the while mentioning that her mother is so sexy and look impossibly young.
There is a literal rape scene in which the main character is raped by his wife's mother but he describes it as "maybe the best sex he's ever had"
So because the victim is male and the perpetrator is a sexy woman the rape is reduced to "sex he didn't initially want but is kinda okay it happened"...
I ended up finishing the book but I seriously am regretting it.
June 23, 2024
Despite being adopted, Monica grew up with a good life! She’s married to the love of her life and now has a family of her own! But after the untimely death of her grandmother, her biological mother makes an appearance and now wants to be apart of her life again. Maybe it’s the grief talking but Monica allows Grace into her life and home so that a relationship can be re-established but Monica had no idea that the woman that now wants to be called “Nana” has ulterior motives.
When unexplainable things begin to happen in the Stephen’s household in rapid succession, fingers begin pointing and no one realizes Grace is the culprit until things get completely out of hand.
I knew Grace was on bull💩 from the moment she walked through the door but I had no idea she was that devious. Baby that woman would’ve had to goooooo!!!
This was a really good first introduction to Brandon Massey and Leon Nixon did a really good job with the narration! The story captured and held my attention from beginning to end and even though the story became predictable after a while I still found myself hollering out a few times behind certain events in the story. If you’re looking for a good thriller/suspense then look no further.
When unexplainable things begin to happen in the Stephen’s household in rapid succession, fingers begin pointing and no one realizes Grace is the culprit until things get completely out of hand.
I knew Grace was on bull💩 from the moment she walked through the door but I had no idea she was that devious. Baby that woman would’ve had to goooooo!!!
This was a really good first introduction to Brandon Massey and Leon Nixon did a really good job with the narration! The story captured and held my attention from beginning to end and even though the story became predictable after a while I still found myself hollering out a few times behind certain events in the story. If you’re looking for a good thriller/suspense then look no further.
August 18, 2023
this was my 1st book by Brandon Massey and it was definitely unhinged. I didn’t expect at all going into this book that it was gonna be like this. 😂 if you ever decide to read this, make sure not to take anything that happens seriously because the events that take place in there are way too crazy lmaoo.
𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨: Pat was definitely my favourite character because she was the only sensible person in the house. everyone else (by that I mean Monica and Troy) were sooo naive, it annoyed me as hell sometimes. like, when your husband tells you something is wrong, it means something is wrong and you should at least listen to what he has to say lol. same thing applies to Troy when he finally got to talk to Reverend McBride in the church. anyway, the characters were the reason why I knocked a star off.
𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙩𝙮𝙡𝙚: it was definitely not the best, but the story was really entertaining lol. we had different POVs and got to see how the story progressed. I reckon this writing style made the story fly by, because the chapters were also quite short.
𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙩: oh my, it’s freaking hard not to talk about the plot without spoilers, the amount of weird shit that’d happened… I can’t. 😂 let’s say, I won’t be looking at tongues and the number 40 the same way for a while lol. the three stars are purely for all the obnoxious stuff that took place in here. also, I did expect a lot more from the ending. it was quite abrupt and I predicted that *this* was gonna happen at the theme park. as I said, it’s pretty hard to speak about it without any spoilers, but make sure you check the trigger warnings first !!!
𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨: Pat was definitely my favourite character because she was the only sensible person in the house. everyone else (by that I mean Monica and Troy) were sooo naive, it annoyed me as hell sometimes. like, when your husband tells you something is wrong, it means something is wrong and you should at least listen to what he has to say lol. same thing applies to Troy when he finally got to talk to Reverend McBride in the church. anyway, the characters were the reason why I knocked a star off.
𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙩𝙮𝙡𝙚: it was definitely not the best, but the story was really entertaining lol. we had different POVs and got to see how the story progressed. I reckon this writing style made the story fly by, because the chapters were also quite short.
𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙩: oh my, it’s freaking hard not to talk about the plot without spoilers, the amount of weird shit that’d happened… I can’t. 😂 let’s say, I won’t be looking at tongues and the number 40 the same way for a while lol. the three stars are purely for all the obnoxious stuff that took place in here. also, I did expect a lot more from the ending. it was quite abrupt and I predicted that *this* was gonna happen at the theme park. as I said, it’s pretty hard to speak about it without any spoilers, but make sure you check the trigger warnings first !!!
April 8, 2021
I wouldn't say that this was necessarily a horror book. There is obviously the big bad monster, but I don't know, it didn't really feel that scary (aside from the very first chapter that was creepy and great!). I did enjoy this book overall, by the time I got about half way I was excited to pick it up. I listened to it, and the narrator was great. I did get annoyed at the naivety of Monica, but that being said I can't understand how badly i'd want to get to know my birth mother (although, Grace comes on waaaaaaay strong and like even if you want to get to know her, it has to strike you as strange that she says your husband is cheating on you in like the third conversation you've ever had). The other part of this book, and i'm aware this was probably done on purpose, but all the parts with Grace and Troy were CRINGEWORTHY. I must have said 'ew' outload at least 20 times in the course of this book. Not to mention later in the book when 'Grace's milk' comes in and she breastfeeds Junior. That entire scene was creepy as hell. I also was definitely frustrated with the very misogynistic, almost 'boys will be boys' mentality throughout the entire book. Troy's cheating mentality was awful (I'm totally dedicated to my wife emotionally, but physically I have all these needs that apparently outweigh the commitment and emotion dedication to your wife? Come on. HARD EYE ROLL. Control yourself.) Also Grace's comments about men were just also cringy. Believe it or not, despite all of this I did enjoy this book, I thought it was fun to read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2025
Yes, the story kept me pretty interested and always left me wanting to know more (therefore the extra star is for intrigue alone) but the reoccurring theme of ‘boys will be boys’ kept snapping me out of it, especially as I felt it was trying to justify cheating a lot of the time.
Plus, literal incidents of sexual assault/rape were constantly being shrugged off and accepted because it ‘felt good’ like please what the actual FU-
Not a good message to be putting out there, my guy.
Plus, literal incidents of sexual assault/rape were constantly being shrugged off and accepted because it ‘felt good’ like please what the actual FU-
Not a good message to be putting out there, my guy.
April 7, 2018
Whoa!
This horror story really took me by surprise! I actually paused my reading last night & decided to read this during daylight hours only, lol. Not exactly sure where Grace originated from but her ability to transform & cause harm to others made her a wicked individual. I felt bad for Monica--she was so happy to finally have her mother around after losing her grandmother Lilly. The storyline kept me reading, gradually building & exposing more about Grace & her activities. While this was my first read by this author, it certainly will not be my last. Good suspenseful story
This horror story really took me by surprise! I actually paused my reading last night & decided to read this during daylight hours only, lol. Not exactly sure where Grace originated from but her ability to transform & cause harm to others made her a wicked individual. I felt bad for Monica--she was so happy to finally have her mother around after losing her grandmother Lilly. The storyline kept me reading, gradually building & exposing more about Grace & her activities. While this was my first read by this author, it certainly will not be my last. Good suspenseful story
May 4, 2018
Your literary pen game
I knew nothing less from this author, this read will hold you draw you into this wicked women known as NANA with her crafty sultry ways of manipulation. MONICA wanting the desire to have a mother blinded her until a so call dream wasn't a dream at all. 5 Stars and I'm guessing "The Seven Sisters" have a tale to spill as well. Job well done Brandon Massey, keep'em coming.....your literary pen game hasn't lost a beat.
I knew nothing less from this author, this read will hold you draw you into this wicked women known as NANA with her crafty sultry ways of manipulation. MONICA wanting the desire to have a mother blinded her until a so call dream wasn't a dream at all. 5 Stars and I'm guessing "The Seven Sisters" have a tale to spill as well. Job well done Brandon Massey, keep'em coming.....your literary pen game hasn't lost a beat.
September 21, 2023
Nana was the most unhinged character I’ve read about this year.
February 8, 2023
*Book Troop February 2023 pick*
1.5 🌟
I am learning that I am pretty picky about paranormal and horror novels. I'm not sure if I can fully let go of reality. I often do not end up liking them but Nana had a whole bunch of issues for me. First off the writing is very simple and "meh". This isn't always a bad thing, an "easy" read is always good once and a while. The story started out strong to be honest, the whole book has an interesting but not unique concept and I was vibing with it. But as the story went on I COULD NOT STAND the way these characters talked, especially when it came to sex. I felt like I was reading bad erotica at times and the characters sounded like they were in a porno. Once the sexual aspects appeared in the story, they were everywhere and they were bad. The book began to make me feel icky and I couldn't take anything seriously. The book was predictable, there isn't anything new brought to the table in my opinion. I've read books and watched movie with a very similar plot. The whole book was just a bucket of hot mess in my opinion and I likely wouldn't recommend this book to my worst enemy. It was not a strong start for me and The Book Troop book club (I didn't get a chance to read Januarys pick). I would highly suggest everyone skip Nana, there has to be better paranormal/horror novels out there.
1.5 🌟
I am learning that I am pretty picky about paranormal and horror novels. I'm not sure if I can fully let go of reality. I often do not end up liking them but Nana had a whole bunch of issues for me. First off the writing is very simple and "meh". This isn't always a bad thing, an "easy" read is always good once and a while. The story started out strong to be honest, the whole book has an interesting but not unique concept and I was vibing with it. But as the story went on I COULD NOT STAND the way these characters talked, especially when it came to sex. I felt like I was reading bad erotica at times and the characters sounded like they were in a porno. Once the sexual aspects appeared in the story, they were everywhere and they were bad. The book began to make me feel icky and I couldn't take anything seriously. The book was predictable, there isn't anything new brought to the table in my opinion. I've read books and watched movie with a very similar plot. The whole book was just a bucket of hot mess in my opinion and I likely wouldn't recommend this book to my worst enemy. It was not a strong start for me and The Book Troop book club (I didn't get a chance to read Januarys pick). I would highly suggest everyone skip Nana, there has to be better paranormal/horror novels out there.
Read
November 8, 2022Okay SO I’m not a fan of this concept at all. Horror by means of sensuality or sexual violence is not for me at all. This book contains a lot of the former and a little of the latter. There’s no explicit forewarning, but it is hinted at strongly in the synopsis, so I knew to expect it, right? WRONG. My dumb ass downloaded the wrong audiobook 😌 I /meant/ to grab The Quiet Ones by the same author. But like, by the time I realised my mistake, I had started it and since I’d used many of my precious pennies on it, I was obviously gonna listen to it and I was determined to make myself enjoy it. And like, long story short (okay long story less long than it could have been)… you know what? I kinda did! I actually had a very decent time with this weird lil book. V excited to read more from Massey and see how I get on with a book I actually meant to read 😌 weehoooo 🕺
October 20, 2022
This horror is a wonderful mix of human and monster alike. Well paced and perfectly grotesque in all the right places. It is predictable but that doesn’t seem to take away from the overall plot and the characters are definitely “full-body” in the development sense. I will definitely look to consume more of Massey’s work. I highly recommend. Especially if you’re looking for a good horror to read for spooky season.
February 5, 2023
you know, i really liked the horror aspect of this but frankly, this suffered from the crime of being written by a man. that means in fifty pages every character's breasts had been described to me multiple times.
there was also a not super graphic dog death and i dock a star automatically for anyone that uses the laziness of killing animals as a plot device.
the biggest problem that i had with this is the way the subject of rape/sexual assault was treated - men were sexually assaulted in this, yet they sleep with the character that raped them later on. a preacher is raped in this and the other character and the preacher both speculate that he really enjoyed it. i found it irresponsible and disgusting that it was written this way.
ultimately, this is a horror novel about how the worst thing that can happen to a man is a woman aging. so yeah. i think i just need to stay away from male authors.
there was also a not super graphic dog death and i dock a star automatically for anyone that uses the laziness of killing animals as a plot device.
the biggest problem that i had with this is the way the subject of rape/sexual assault was treated - men were sexually assaulted in this, yet they sleep with the character that raped them later on. a preacher is raped in this and the other character and the preacher both speculate that he really enjoyed it. i found it irresponsible and disgusting that it was written this way.
ultimately, this is a horror novel about how the worst thing that can happen to a man is a woman aging. so yeah. i think i just need to stay away from male authors.
January 18, 2025
Brandon Massey whenever i catch you around GA i can’t wait to ask you questions 😂.
Nana was a damn wild one. Everyone was damn near delusional/stupid expect for the dog. Grace showing up like she did should have put their guards up and handle her with a ten foot pole. Brandon clearly shows how people will try to step in your life at a vulnerable time and do damage if you let them. Hell i started rooting for Grace because baby i could never be them. She would have been at a hotel getting to know me. Day by day they act like they couldn’t tell what was going on and the evidence all in their face 😂. And that Rev. pissed me off too.
Need your next off the wall read then pick this up or any of his books. This was a creepy weird good time.
Nana was a damn wild one. Everyone was damn near delusional/stupid expect for the dog. Grace showing up like she did should have put their guards up and handle her with a ten foot pole. Brandon clearly shows how people will try to step in your life at a vulnerable time and do damage if you let them. Hell i started rooting for Grace because baby i could never be them. She would have been at a hotel getting to know me. Day by day they act like they couldn’t tell what was going on and the evidence all in their face 😂. And that Rev. pissed me off too.
Need your next off the wall read then pick this up or any of his books. This was a creepy weird good time.
September 3, 2024
Nana was an interesting read…if you’re a fan of supernatural fiction. I wanted Nana’s identity to be revealed a lot sooner and her to be dealt with differently. Overall, a pretty good read.
November 30, 2019
Close but no Cigar!
Brandon Massey treats us to an African-American horror story that pulls few punches but somehow fails to land that killing blow. It's narrated by Leon Nixon who does have a beautiful timbre to his voice and delivers a suitably chilling 'Nana'. Nana is Grace, who lands in the middle of Troy and Monica's lives as Monica's birth mother just as Monica is burying the adoptive mother that nurtured her as a child.
However, right from the off it's clear this isn't going to be some family drama and as things develop and things start to get nasty, horror is what's on the menu. For me it so very nearly worked but it fell apart a little for me around Monica. There were mitigating circumstances of course but she just never felt consistent to me. On top of that 'Nana' was just a little unsubtle and lacking in guile given what we discovered about her.
I can see that it seems a lot of people enjoyed this more than I did and in fairness I was still interested in how it would unfold until the end. Depending on taste it may well be a good buy for you but for me it didn't quite hit the mark. Possibly an additional hour of material could have woven in a bit more subtlety and character development.
Brandon Massey treats us to an African-American horror story that pulls few punches but somehow fails to land that killing blow. It's narrated by Leon Nixon who does have a beautiful timbre to his voice and delivers a suitably chilling 'Nana'. Nana is Grace, who lands in the middle of Troy and Monica's lives as Monica's birth mother just as Monica is burying the adoptive mother that nurtured her as a child.
However, right from the off it's clear this isn't going to be some family drama and as things develop and things start to get nasty, horror is what's on the menu. For me it so very nearly worked but it fell apart a little for me around Monica. There were mitigating circumstances of course but she just never felt consistent to me. On top of that 'Nana' was just a little unsubtle and lacking in guile given what we discovered about her.
I can see that it seems a lot of people enjoyed this more than I did and in fairness I was still interested in how it would unfold until the end. Depending on taste it may well be a good buy for you but for me it didn't quite hit the mark. Possibly an additional hour of material could have woven in a bit more subtlety and character development.
October 17, 2022
3 stars. Audiobook.
I don't know if I'm relieved or not that this book didn't scare me...
As a scaredy cat when it comes to ghost/paranormal stories I went into this ready to be spooked for a night or two but in the end, the creepy elements of this story didn't really get to me.
The setting of the tale was quite vivid and easy to imagine so it made for a smooth audiobook experience. However, the style of the storytelling is that we, the readers, know what's gong on while the characters don't and we follow them as they put the pieces together. I personally prefer to be in the dark myself and join the characters in the reveal when I'm reading a thriller/horror story so this style of narrative just didn't work well for me.
I was interested enough to see how the story would close out, but I wasn't on the edge of my seat. overall this was a book with a very intriguing premise with simply okay execution.
I don't know if I'm relieved or not that this book didn't scare me...
As a scaredy cat when it comes to ghost/paranormal stories I went into this ready to be spooked for a night or two but in the end, the creepy elements of this story didn't really get to me.
The setting of the tale was quite vivid and easy to imagine so it made for a smooth audiobook experience. However, the style of the storytelling is that we, the readers, know what's gong on while the characters don't and we follow them as they put the pieces together. I personally prefer to be in the dark myself and join the characters in the reveal when I'm reading a thriller/horror story so this style of narrative just didn't work well for me.
I was interested enough to see how the story would close out, but I wasn't on the edge of my seat. overall this was a book with a very intriguing premise with simply okay execution.
August 14, 2023
This is one of the worst books I’ve ever listened too. The perspective of the story is so misogynistic as it just focuses basically on how beauty is so important to men, infidelity, and how men can’t control themselves sexually whenever the opportunity presents itself. I understand it is a horror book, so it will be unrealistic to an extent, but the way people act in this book in everyday situations is actually ridiculous. I felt like I was reading a story from high school. Would NOT recommend.
August 4, 2022
I really liked this book until the ending. Never finding out exactly what Grace was doesn't sit well in my spirit. It also doesn't sit well that she's lived for almost 150 years and she dies because she fell? I guess I just expected the ending to be more marvelous than it was. Still a good story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2024
This book will have you like OMFG WTF did I just read? And where do these people come from and WTF is wrong with them? This book is wild and completely ludicrous but it kept me on the edge of my seat and made me want to throw my phone multiple times.
August 10, 2025
This wasn't it.
Nana required significant suspension of disbelief.
The plot was painfully predictable and formulistic, lacking any engaging characters. Monica came across as dismissive, gullible, selfish, and irritating, while Troy was arrogant, a cheater and misogynistic.
The plot was excessively long and tedious. I skipped ahead to get to the conclusion which was disappointing as well. I should have DNF.
I've read a few of Massey's books now and it's been hit or miss. Usually miss.
The narrator was ok.
Nana required significant suspension of disbelief.
The plot was painfully predictable and formulistic, lacking any engaging characters. Monica came across as dismissive, gullible, selfish, and irritating, while Troy was arrogant, a cheater and misogynistic.
The plot was excessively long and tedious. I skipped ahead to get to the conclusion which was disappointing as well. I should have DNF.
I've read a few of Massey's books now and it's been hit or miss. Usually miss.
The narrator was ok.
April 17, 2023
This was fun, gross and entertaining 🤣
Displaying 1 - 30 of 602 reviews