Yesterday, I posted my review of Breed by Chase Novak. On Goodreads, I gave Breed 3 out of 5 stars, largely because I felt there were a lot of extraneous characters and plot points that didn’t go anywhere.

I try not to read other people’s reviews until I’ve written my own, so that I don’t (voluntarily or involuntarily) second-guess my own reactions or opinions. So last night, after finishing my review, I looked up the New York Times review of Breed, where I learned this little nugget of information: Chase Novak (aka Scott Spencer) is planning a sequel, called Brood.

I’m of two minds about this. One, there was no indication in Breed that this was the first of two (or more?) novels. Therefore, I’d expected a book that wrapped up satisfyingly and didn’t leave me hanging. Granted, in many horror books (take Rosemary’s Baby for instance), part of the horror is the fact that not everything is resolved — maybe the immediate problem has been addressed, but — my gods! — what about the future? You really should feel at least a little creeped out at the end of a good horror novel.

On the other hand, knowing that Breed will have a sequel, I feel much better about some of the implied outcomes and the various loose ends. Hurray — it’s not sloppiness or intentional vagueness! We’ll find out more!

So, what do I want to know in a sequel to Breed? (Warning: here’s where the spoilers creep in!)

• Alice and Adam — how soon will they start to change? What exactly happens to all these kids once they hit puberty?
• Bernard — how does he matter to the story?
• What’s the deal with the triplets’ birthmarks on their hands?
• Is the horror here purely genetic? What was in those injections and vials?
• Is there a supernatural element involved? The scenes in Slovenia feature place names that included the words “castle” and “dragon” — is this a hint that there is more going on that just a medical mystery? Eastern European nation, dragon imagery, big slavering dogs, crying nuns… anyone else thinking what I’m thinking?
• Obvious question: Is there a cure? Dr. Kis couldn’t find one, but does that mean that it doesn’t exist?

For those of you who have read Breed: What else do you want to know? What plot points do you want to see addressed in the sequel? Any predictions as to where it’s all heading? Share your thoughts, please!