A Night Worm Possessed: Mega Review Round Up

The Night Worms team recently did a read-along of Hailey Piper’s book THE POSSESSION OF NATALIE GLASGOW. Matt suggested it in our group chat because he loved it, and then BAM, a group of us bought it and read it together. Here are all of our reviews!

-Kallie Weisgarber

Buy it here. https://www.amazon.com/Haunting-Natalie-Glasgow-Hailey-Piper-ebook/dp/B07HDWLZSV

Zakk’s review:

I really enjoyed the Possession of Natalie Glasgow, my first read from Hailey Piper. This book felt like a ringer from the get-go as I have always found possession-like stories compelling. The mystery, the implications of what a belief in possession can lead to. It’s the rabbit hole of all rabbit holes. But I don’t think that it’s strictly the subject matter holding a weight of plausibility in my subconscious that made me plow through these pages one lightless country night. It’s the anxious, eerie vibe that permeates the narrative from cover to cover, It’s the attention to detail giving the characters a certain tangible, tactile quality, it’s the little things that pull me into the scene, make me feel like a witness. The floorboards bowing under the weight of a little girl, that’s the image that snagged me. The image that makes me believe. But yeah, it’s also the personal weight of plausibility…

Entertainment value: 5/5

Zakk’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zakk.madness/

Marcy’s review:

So let me start by saying that possession stories aren’t usually my kind of novels, but I decided to join in on a group read with some of my favorites and ended up enjoying it more than I thought. This story is very unique and it is well written, short and well, maybe not so sweet. It would be weird to call a book with the word possession in the title sweet. But unfortunately, this is as far as it goes with me. The ending of this story just broke, I was not expecting it and once I was there it was hard not to continue because there were 2 pages left. I don’t do well with animal abuse or animal killings and there is mention of it in the story. If you’re like me in that sense I would steer clear cause it sucker punches you right in the gut.

3/5

Marcy’s Instgram: https://www.instagram.com/marcyreads/

Kami’s review:

Novellas are a beautifully tragic creation. The reader in us loves them because they are quick and often tell such vivid imagery with so few words. On the other hand, the reviewer in the reader needs just a little bit more.

This story is a refreshing take on possession. A part of you is riveted by the way this story flows so well and offers you a new kind of fear. On the other hand, its ending leaves you asking yourself was that just enough or did I need more?

I think the beauty in any well-written story is the ladder; I definitely wanted more, but perhaps I didn't need it. My imagination certainly took me to a place that was far more horrific than this tale turned out to be, but perhaps that is what makes it so good. Our author, Hailey Piper leaves you gasping for air and wanting to crawl out of the hole she feverishly dug for you.

4/5

Kami’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kamis_korner/

Cassie’s review:

THE POSSESSION OF NATALIE GLASGOW is definitely one of my favorite novellas of 2019, wow! This little book is only 66 pages long, but it packs a huge punch. A wonderfully original and incredibly unique take on the typical “possessed kid” storyline, there’s no way to guess the twist to this story before you read it. I kept making little guesses while reading it, and jeez, I guess I never get tired of being totally wrong!

We’re thrown into the story in the middle of the action after Natalie’s mom has reached out for help from someone with experience in supernatural dealings. The tension and creepiness at the beginning of the story had me completely hooked, and I loved the fact that there was no slow build-up of events - there is only so much space for words in the novella format, and Hailey Piper uses all of it to her advantage by throwing you in headfirst. No spoilers, but there’s a specific scene towards the end that actually made me tear up and snuggle my puppies closer. To be able to elicit that kind of emotion in so few pages is a pretty clear sign of an author I need to keep reading, so I’ll be on the lookout from everything Piper releases in the future!

Cassie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holo.reader/

Chandra’s review:

Finally a possession book I really liked!!! Don't get me wrong, I've read possession books and liked them but have found some a bit tedious or boring. Don't ask me why. I have no answer for you. But give me one in 66 pages that is unique in storytelling and something different from the norm and you have my full attention.

The only bad thing about novellas and short stories is sometimes the lack of character and potential story development. However, I think that's what almost loses my interest at times in stories such as these. Glasgow goes right into the creepy, gritty parts and I am here for every raw, sinewy piece of it. And to be quite honest, I absolutely love the *twist* to it and was rooting for Natalie AND what possesses her. Weird? Probably. True? Absolutely.

One little thing, I wish there was a different cover for this read and if you read this story, I think you'll know why. Overall this one does give you a little bit of that creep factor. I may be eating my meat a little less on the rare side for a few days after this and there is nothing creepier than a kid of whatever age skulking about giving you the dead eyes. I definitely would recommend.

4/5

Chandra’s Instragram:https://www.instagram.com/wherethereadergrows/

Mindi’s review:

I recently read this book as a group read with some of the people on the Night Worms blog review team. I had no idea what to expect. Wow, was I so pleasantly surprised. I usually do the bulk of my reading at night in bed. My husband has to get up very early for his job, so he typically goes to bed around 9 pm. I go with him and read while he sleeps, sometimes well into the night. The other night I read this book, and since it's only 104 pages long I had it finished rather quickly. I turned off the light at that point and decided to check out various social media sites on my phone. I should mention at this point that my husband has RBD or REM Sleep Behavior Disorder. That means while most people become paralyzed while they dream, my husband nightly acts out in real life what he is dreaming. Quite often I've been on the receiving end of his activities, so I'm pretty used to it, and I don't think about it.

Let me just say right now that the beginning of this book is genuinely creepy. I was so creeped out and tense. Piper set this novella up perfectly, because I was immediately sucked in, and then actually feeling fear and worry for one of the characters. It was intense. So it kind of lingered even after I finished the book. So here I am, done with the book, the light is off, and I'm looking at my phone. Suddenly I feel a very gentle tap on my left shoulder and I almost jumped through the ceiling. My husband was dreaming that he had to ask me a question. You can bet that I woke him up and asked him one.

THE POSSESSION OF NATALIE GLASGOW is a unique, unsettling, surprising, and amazing story that will have you running the gamut of emotions and feeling all the feels. I continually thought I knew where this story was going, and Piper continued to surprise me. I have never read a possession story like this. I love that Piper chose a unique take on an old trope. Nothing in this book is what you would expect from a possession story, and I love that! I'm totally here for that. I love to be surprised and shocked, and I'm just so amazed by this fantastic take on a very old subject. I really hope that horror lovers will pick this one up and experience it too. This book is definitely going to be in my Favorite Books Read in 2019 list at the end of the year. I can't stop thinking about it.

5/5

Mindi’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gowsy33/

Kallie’s review:

I can honestly say that I have never read a possession book quite like THE POSSESSION OF NATALIE GLASGOW. I’ve also never read a story about a possession where I was rooting for the thing doing the possessing. This novella was a nice and short read for me that dove straight into the creepiness. Hailey Piper knows how to put suspense into a story.

I wish there were a bit more character development. I wanted to know a little more background about Natalie and her family. But, with it being a novella, I can understand why it wasn’t added. I thought that the twist was refreshing and unique to the possession sub-genre, although, I would love to have had a bit more explanation about that as well.

Overall, I liked this book. I think it had a nice pace and was written well. I just feel like I needed more explanation to the whole thing.I’m giving it 3 out of 5 stars for leaving me with questions and lack of character development.

3/5

Kallie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pageandparlor/

Matt’s review:

I went into The Possession of Natalie Glasgow blind, and I suggest you do the same. I added it to my to-read list based entirely on a recommendation from Twitter. I suggested it for a buddy read with Nightworms still knowing nothing other than it was a possession story. I'm so glad that I did because it is absolutely incredible. I've never read another possession tale that is anything like this one. The tension in this book begins on page one and doesn't let up until, well, never. The tension never stops. The story starts in the middle of a paranormal investigation because Heather Glasgow believes her 11-year-old daughter Natalie may be possessed. She has seen doctors and psychologists, and none of them can offer any explanation. If Heather could choose, brain tumor or possession, she would choose a brain tumor, but Natalie's brain is perfectly healthy. So what else could explain that during the day Natalie is unconscious, but at night she lurks the house with heavy footsteps and eats raw meat from the fridge? I don't know why she's concerned. That sounds like normal middle-schooler behavior to me. Hailey Piper has written an entirely original take on the possession story that is creepy, exciting, and keeps you guessing until the end. From the beginning to the end, I loved this novella, and I think it will make my top 10 for 2019. I recommend this one wholeheartedly.

5/5

Matt’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teamredmon/

Tav’s review:

When I saw the cover of The Possession of Natalie Glasgow I was hoping there would be a lion in the story and there's a lion alright! And not in any way or place you'd expect.🦁⁣

⁣I loved how it wasn't at all a typical possession story with priests and church babble! Short, scary in a "wtf is happening" way and with a sweet ending. The writing was descriptive and had me in chills. Heather's love for her daughter Natalie seemed very real to me and even though you never find out exactly how the possession happened or how she found Margaret I could picture it all perfectly in my mind thanks to Piper's writing.

Hailey Piper is an author I'm going to be watching for more from because if she can work this magic in a little over 100 pages I can't imagine how good a full-length novel would be!⁣

⁣5/5

Tav’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/readswithdogs/

Andrew’s review:

Margaret grasped a clump of soil from her pile and let the grains sift through her fingers. "Never underestimate the power of graveyard dirt.” That power went both ways. She could have used it in her ritual last night, but the belladonna seemed more welcoming to a departed family member. It also gave strength to the presence of the dead. This might be the best novella I have ever had the pleasure of reading. The Possession of Natalie Glasgow is a very unexpected take on the possession story we see from other books like The Exorcist or The Rite. A desperate mother at the end of her rope seeks help for her daughter who appears to consumed by a strange entity. The story walks you through the investigation done by Margaret who is an expert in the realm of the supernatural. With time running out, Margaret needs to find out the source of what plagues Natalie and rid her body of the presence before this innocent child hurts herself or somebody else.

I rated The Possession of Natalie Glasgow by Hailey Piper 4 / 5 stars. I'm definitely overwhelmed with feelings about this book. There was a lot of emotion in every scene and the tension was wound tighter than a clam’s ass in high tide. Hailey Piper did a fantastic job in making this book atmospheric which I believe is crucial for this type of story. We are reading about a mother whose daughter is possessed by a spirit that is making the girl do some very unnatural things. The emotional tone should be evident here and the author nailed it.