Book Review: When the Wolf Comes Home

Anyone who’s watched 1983’s Twilight Zone: The Movie will remember Joe Dante and Richard Matheson’s segment about a teacher who meets a boy who has the power to will anything he can imagine into existence, often with horrifying results. In his latest book, author Nat Cassidy took inspiration from that story and crafted it into something more emotional, more suspenseful, and more thought-provoking.

As When the Wolf Comes Home begins, we are introduced to struggling actress / waitress Jess, whose night is off to a rough start when she accidentally pricks her finger on a used hypodermic needle while cleaning the bathroom at work. Already panicking about what she may have just infected herself with, she is further distraught when she discovers a scared five-year-old boy hiding in the bushes in her apartment complex. A naked man arrives claiming to be his father and further upsetting the child, so Jess hurries him into her home only for a large wolf to appear and go on a violent rampage. The police arrive and provide Jess enough of a distraction to flee with the boy. She struggles to formulate a plan while growing suspicious that the boy’s father and the wolf might be the same entity and learning that the boy can make manifest anything he imagines.

Cassidy writes in a compellingly simple style that keeps the pages flying and he clearly cares deeply for his characters, making it easy for readers to become wrapped up in their fates. The action moves at a relentless pace and features several horrifically grisly scenes. That said, despite some nightmarish moments it never had me feeling genuine fear, which is ironic given the very nature of fear seems to be the novel’s raison d’être. Sure, it’s suspenseful, but I didn’t feel afraid.

That aside, this is a compelling read. Jess is a flawed individual but relatable and easy to root for. Her reactions to the situations she finds herself in feel believable as does her impulse to protect the boy. He also makes for an interesting character, as he is too young to properly control his power and so winds up creating the very things that frighten him. It’s heartbreaking to witness a child realizing that they are the cause of the bad that surrounds them and that they are powerless to do anything about it.

When the Wolf Comes Home is fun and exciting but at the same time will put the reader through the emotional wringer. By examining what makes us afraid and the strength required to face our fears, as well as the often-complicated nature of family, Cassidy has left us with a lot to think about. That he has also written an ending that will permanently etch itself into your memory ensures that we do. ★★★★