The Gilmore Guide to Books

Connecting Books and Readers One Review at a Time

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Reviews
    • Reviews by Author
    • Reviews by Title
    • Reviews by Genre
  • Podcast
  • Policies
    • Review Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Policy

The Nest

March 30, 2016

nest

The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
Published by Ecco
Publication date: March 22nd 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Debut, Fiction
three-half-stars
Bookshop

The Nest is contemporary-family-behaving-badly fiction—a genre I generally enjoy. Oh, who am I kidding- I like any family behaving badly in fiction! I mean, why not; it’s so much more fun. Sadly, what makes The Nest contemporary is its all-too-realistic theme: people living out their material dreams through credit. In the case of Leo, Jack, Beatrice, and Melody Plumb the credit is a joint trust fund that they’ll inherit when Melody, the youngest, turns 40. That they’ve each already spent the money, either on expensive homes, private schools, start-up companies, or equity loans is not a worry because it’s been carefully invested in stocks and contains more than enough to cover these debts. Right up until the oldest, the ever faithless Leo, got himself into a jam that necessitated paying off a nineteen-year-old woman who was with him in the wrong place at the wrong time. Unbeknownst to the other siblings, their mother, as executor, took it upon herself to pay off this woman with money from what they lovingly call The Nest. With Melody’s birthday coming up in four months reckoning is due and as each of the siblings’ need for the money becomes more clear so too does the likelihood of Leo caring about this debt

In the past, he’d always been able to thrive in this place, the familiar sweet spot of avoidance, keeping a million plates spinning until they all gradually fell and he quickly moved along to something shinier…

Author Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney clues the readers into the nature of each of the Plumbs early on by using their father’s thoughts when he set up a trust fund that would pay out all at once but not until his youngest child turned forty:

He suspected if they didn’t get the money all at once, it would become a source of conflict between those who had it and those who didn’t; they wouldn’t be kind to one another. And if anyone was going to need the money earlier in life Leonard imagined it would be Melody. She wasn’t the brightest of the four (that would be Bea), or the most charming (Leo), or the most resourceful (Jack). 

Their father’s assessment may be true but Sweeney turns these strengths into weaknesses throughout The Nest. Leo’s charm is self-serving and nothing but trouble for everyone he connects with, Jack’s resourcefulness leads him into dubious business decisions and the bright Bea gets too far into her own head to maintain a career as a writer. And Melody? Well, poor Melody just wants the best for her daughters and her husband’s salary is not going to get them there.

The Nest is a success with fast chapters and ancillary characters that add to the drama without weighing it down. There is a lot of story, but even as events pedal out of control Sweeney keeps a hand on the brake so that things don’t get farcical. Instead, with Manhattan as the backdrop, the reader can sit back and enjoy as the siblings try to wiggle into the lives they want and out of the debt they have. If in the end, they all get what they deserve? So much the better.

 

This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I get a small commission (at no cost to you).

 

*I received a free copy of this book from Ecco Books in exchange for an honest review.*

three-half-stars

Related Posts

  • Related Posts
  • Same Genre
  • 3.5 Star Books
  • By Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
chrysalis
Chrysalis: A Novel
word exchange
The Word Exchange
beartown
Beartown by Fredrik Backman
all this
All This Could Be Yours
in between days
In Between Days
tender
Tender: A Novel
whisper network
Whisper Network by Chandler Baker
radiant
Radiant Shimmering Light
The Portable Veblen
emergency
Love in Case of Emergency
second mrs hockaday
The Second Mrs Hockaday
water
The Water Knife
behaved
A Well-Behaved Woman
quichotte
Quichotte by Salman Rushdie
mothers
The Mothers: A Novel
good company
Good Company: A Novel

6 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: debut, ecco, family, Manhattan

Comments

  1. Lynn @ Smoke & Mirrors says

    March 30, 2016 at 4:12 am

    A nice review as always! I think there are other books I would enjoy more, but I feel like I know exactly how this one plays out now.

    Reply
  2. Kate @ booksaremyfavouriteandbest says

    March 30, 2016 at 5:27 am

    I love that you’ve made contemporary-family-behaving-badly fiction a new genre.

    Reply
  3. Tara @ Running 'N' Reading says

    March 30, 2016 at 11:40 am

    Catherine, I’m about 70% of the way through this one and I’m really enjoying it! It has definitely been a quick read, perfect for a getaway; I’m looking forward to finding out how the author will tie all of this up. Love your synopsis!!

    Reply
  4. Deepika Ramesh says

    March 30, 2016 at 12:10 pm

    There has been so much talk about this book, and I am glad you reviewed. I am still ambivalent about it. But, I am a temperamental reader. I might pick it up soon, and surprise myself. 🙂

    Reply
  5. Melinda says

    March 30, 2016 at 12:26 pm

    I just heard about this book for the first time yesterday and it immediately went to the top of my wish list!

    Reply
  6. Sarah's Book Shelves says

    March 30, 2016 at 6:03 pm

    I love that Leo quote! So perfectly describes him!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Goodreads
  • Instagram

Save time and subscribe via email

No time to keep checking for new reviews? Enter your email address to subscribe and receive notifications of new posts by email. No spam!

Bookshop

Currently Reading

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle
Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle
by Emily Nagoski
The Dutch House
The Dutch House
by Ann Patchett
Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me
Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me
by Adrienne Brodeur

goodreads.com

Affiliate Disclosure

I’m an affiliate for Bookshop. If you click on a link that takes you to their site and make a purchase I’ll earn a small fee, which goes towards the costs of maintaining this site. Your support is appreciated. Thank you!

Archives

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.

Theme Design By Studio Mommy · Copyright © 2025

Copyright © 2025 · Beyond Madison Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in