Cutthroat NYC lawyer Mary Whelton just buried her problematic old mentor. But as she leaves the mourners and protesters behind, the press stays hot on her heels. Desperate to escape, she unwittingly barrels deep into a remote forest in upstate New York. Until a collision—with a buzzing, oozing throng of cicadas—stops her dead in her tracks.
She awakens in a crude cabin, held captive by Girl, a simple, hulking woman who mistakes Mary for her derelict mother and obsesses over a mysterious Brood. While tortured echoes from Mary’s past feed her growing sense of fear, it becomes clear that she’s destined to bear an unthinkable role in the cicadas’ cyclical reemergence. But when Girl’s grisly past comes back to haunt them both, Mary is thrust into a violent battle of wills.
Confoundingly creepy and atmospheric, The Brood peels back the hurt and pain of the female experience, laying bare the messy necessity for transformation and growth.
The Brood is a literary psychological horror novel with body horror and elements of magical realism. The story follows Mary Whelton, a high-powered NYC lawyer with a cold, ambitious personality. When leaving a small town after attending her mentor’s funeral, she has a car accident that knocks her unconscious. When she wakes, she’s in a remote cabin held captive by a hulking woman known as Girl. Girl insists Mary is her mother and has her involved with a mysterious brood connected to cicadas. Between the cicada swarm outside and her captor’s unpredictable temperament, Mary’s chances of escaping are slim—and soon she experiences body horror only seen in nightmares, and her past trauma resurfaces.
On the surface this book is a psychological horror with its many grotesque scenes involving Mary’s torture in the cabin, her being force-fed to consume a vile “mother’s milk” concoction, and her body becoming a host to growing insect babies. But with the use of flashbacks and Mary’s very insightful and compelling inner monologues, the story presents many powerful themes, especially for female readers. The novel explores what it means to be a mother—whether motherhood is chosen or imposed. Mary is thrust into a “mother” role against her will, reflecting real-world struggles over consent and societal expectations placed on women’s bodies. Her captor, Girl, embodies raw female power—much of which was taught/imposed upon her by her own savage mother (aka Real Mother)—and readers may detest her while also feeling empathy for her own past trauma, which is revealed later on.
For those who love unsettling atmospheric tension, this story is oozing with it! The remote forest setting and the isolated cabin are classic horror tropes, but the author puts a very unique spin on them by adding layers of body horror and swarming insect revulsion—making this a story readers won’t soon forget! Readers will definitely feel physically uncomfortable while reading and will be squirming during some of the very grotesque scenes—sensitive readers should proceed with caution, as some of the horror may be too disturbing.
What’s so unique about this book is that the vast majority of the story only involves Mary and a couple other characters—namely Girl and Real Mother. But don’t be fooled into thinking it’s a simple read by any means—its complex themes, Mary’s profound journey of transformation, and the exploration of collective consciousness vs. individual will make it very deep and thought-provoking. Mary is a fascinating morally grey protagonist whose cold, ruthless demeanor makes her unlikable at the start. As the flashback scenes are presented, readers will begin to understand why she’s developed such a hard shell and is so driven for career success. The shifting dynamics between Mary and Girl are very compelling. At first, Girl holds all the power—Mary is injured, disoriented, and literally tied down. But as Mary begins to see Girl’s vulnerability and desperation, she uses subtle manipulation to protect herself, and their power dynamic becomes fluid rather than one-sided—a classic “survival by wits” trope!
The pacing is pretty even throughout, and the story wastes no time in drawing in readers—the funeral, car accident, and Mary’s captivity happen in the opening chapters, and once Mary is in the cabin, the tension escalates and remains high for most of the book. Mary has several escape attempts that get thwarted—and each attempt has repercussions that often lead to revealing dialogue about Mary and Girl. The ending doesn’t carry the same momentum or tension as the rest of the story but does provide some compelling story expansion and is intentionally open to interpretation. For all these reasons, this book would definitely be a good option for a book club discussion—as long as everyone is on board with stomaching the body horror and digesting the profound themes of the book!
Overall, The Brood is a standout debut that will especially appeal to readers who enjoy literary horror stories with strong emotional arcs. But it’s not for the faint of heart, so readers need to be aware of some grossness, body horror, and relentless psychological tension before diving in! If all of this sounds intriguing and you enjoy books that linger long after the final page, don’t hesitate to grab a copy of this one!
Narrator Performance
The audiobook of The Brood is a binge-worthy, horrifying listen narrated by seasoned narrator Sara Sheckells! Sheckells (at first) gives protagonist Mary a controlled, confident voice that matches her identity as a ruthless, polished lawyer. As Mary’s composure cracks under captivity and trauma, Sheckells adds subtle tremors in her voice and a breathier delivery to reveal the character’s mounting fear and buried pain resurfacing—while maintaining Mary’s sharp edge. In contrast, Sheckells uses a higher-pitched and erratic-sounding voice that shifts between childlike curiosity and menace to accurately portray Girl. Later in the story, Sheckells shifts her performance of Girl to capture her instability and desperation—making the character more complex and less detestable. The dialogue between Mary and Girl is a highlight of the audiobook, and their shifting power dynamics are perfectly expressed and addictive to listen to!
Sheckells also wonderfully paces the story—slowing down during inner monologues and flashbacks and picking up the pace during Mary’s torture scenes and escape attempts, keeping readers on the edge of their seats! Her delivery of the vividly detailed swarm scenes and the sounds of the cicadas is especially haunting and will linger long after the audiobook is over!
Overall, Sheckells’ performance elevates this highly original literary horror into an engrossing, unstoppable listen that will keep listeners engaged from start to finish. It’s a must-listen for readers who enjoy original horror stories, thought-provoking themes, magical realism, and single-narrator performances that are very immersive and entertaining! If you haven’t listened to Sara’s narration before, this is a great example of her impressive acting skills, vocal range, and convincing character portrayals—and you’ll definitely want to check out her backlist of many titles!
Narrator Performance
The audiobook of The Brood is a binge-worthy, horrifying listen narrated by seasoned narrator Sara Sheckells! Sheckells (at first) gives protagonist Mary a controlled, confident voice that matches her identity as a ruthless, polished lawyer. As Mary’s composure cracks under captivity and trauma, Sheckells adds subtle tremors in her voice and a breathier delivery to reveal the character’s mounting fear and buried pain resurfacing—while maintaining Mary’s sharp edge. In contrast, Sheckells uses a higher-pitched and erratic-sounding voice that shifts between childlike curiosity and menace to accurately portray Girl. Later in the story, Sheckells shifts her performance of Girl to capture her instability and desperation—making the character more complex and less detestable. The dialogue between Mary and Girl is a highlight of the audiobook, and their shifting power dynamics are perfectly expressed and addictive to listen to!
Sheckells also wonderfully paces the story—slowing down during inner monologues and flashbacks and picking up the pace during Mary’s torture scenes and escape attempts, keeping readers on the edge of their seats! Her delivery of the vividly detailed swarm scenes and the sounds of the cicadas is especially haunting and will linger long after the audiobook is over!
Overall, Sheckells’ performance elevates this highly original literary horror into an engrossing, unstoppable listen that will keep listeners engaged from start to finish. It’s a must-listen for readers who enjoy original horror stories, thought-provoking themes, magical realism, and single-narrator performances that are very immersive and entertaining! If you haven’t listened to Sara’s narration before, this is a great example of her impressive acting skills, vocal range, and convincing character portrayals—and you’ll definitely want to check out her backlist of many titles!
The audiobook of The Brood is a binge-worthy, horrifying listen narrated by seasoned narrator Sara Sheckells! Sheckells (at first) gives protagonist Mary a controlled, confident voice that matches her identity as a ruthless, polished lawyer. As Mary’s composure cracks under captivity and trauma, Sheckells adds subtle tremors in her voice and a breathier delivery to reveal the character’s mounting fear and buried pain resurfacing—while maintaining Mary’s sharp edge. In contrast, Sheckells uses a higher-pitched and erratic-sounding voice that shifts between childlike curiosity and menace to accurately portray Girl. Later in the story, Sheckells shifts her performance of Girl to capture her instability and desperation—making the character more complex and less detestable. The dialogue between Mary and Girl is a highlight of the audiobook, and their shifting power dynamics are perfectly expressed and addictive to listen to!
Sheckells also wonderfully paces the story—slowing down during inner monologues and flashbacks and picking up the pace during Mary’s torture scenes and escape attempts, keeping readers on the edge of their seats! Her delivery of the vividly detailed swarm scenes and the sounds of the cicadas is especially haunting and will linger long after the audiobook is over!
Overall, Sheckells’ performance elevates this highly original literary horror into an engrossing, unstoppable listen that will keep listeners engaged from start to finish. It’s a must-listen for readers who enjoy original horror stories, thought-provoking themes, magical realism, and single-narrator performances that are very immersive and entertaining! If you haven’t listened to Sara’s narration before, this is a great example of her impressive acting skills, vocal range, and convincing character portrayals—and you’ll definitely want to check out her backlist of many titles!
