Hello world,
How have you been?
Today I'm talking about Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney's debut novel 'The Nest'. I meant to have this review up ages ago, but I didn't get around to finishing it until now (for which planning a move, procrastination and internet issues are all equally to blame), but better late than never, right? :)
A very fancy looking edition on the left (I would have loved this one as a hardcover) and my edition (also pretty cool) on the right.
The Plot:
The Plumb siblings Leo, Jack, Bea and Melody are each set to inherit a large sum of money from their father's trust fund on Melody's 40th birthday. Having lived in anticipation of their inheritance for years, Jack and Melody are sorely counting on it to rescue them from their financial woes. But when Leo gets into a drug-fueled car crash which leaves his beautiful young passenger seriously injured, their mother decides to spend a large part of the siblings' 'Nest' on Leo's recovery...
*stop reading here to avoid spoilers*
Melody is desperate to send her twin daughters to a great college, and had counted on her inheritance to pay for this. Now, the most realistic way forward is to sell her beloved house to fund the children's education, which she finds difficult to accept. Unbeknownst to Melody, her daughters' lives are also becoming more complicated: Nora falls in love with a girl, and Louisa is unsure how her mother will react to her wish to study art in college. Jack, on the other hand, finds himself unable to rectify the serious financial trouble he had long disguised from his partner Walker. When he comes across a valuable piece of art (originally found in the ruins of the World Trade Center) he sees this as his way out and attempts to broker an illegal deal. Bea used to be a promising new writing talent, but has been unable to finish her novel and even had to repay the advance she received. However, through an inheritance from the partner she lost to illness years ago, she is financially stable enough to forfeit her share of the remainder of the 'Nest', and proposes that Melody and Jack should split whatever money is left between themselves. Inspired by the events around Leo's crash, Bea now writes her book.
Throughout the novel, Leo seems unperturbed by his actions, and makes no serious efforts to repay his siblings' shares of the 'Nest' (despite having hidden away a fortune in an offshore account), instead delaying them with promises. He rekindles his romance with old flame Stephanie for a little while, but never learns of her pregnancy - and the daughter she goes on to have - by fleeing his responsibilities and starting a new life in the Caribbean without making (emotional or financial) amends with his family. Matilda, the young waitress injured in the car crash with Leo, features little throughout the story. She loses her foot and has difficulty adjusting to the situation, but eventually finds support and love in the man who she will later come to marry.
Ultimately, it seems that Leo's accident and subsequent departure brings the rest of his siblings closer together, especially as Stephanie and her new baby are welcomed into the family circle.
What I liked:
I thought (almost all of) the characters were well described and really came to life for me, especially Melody and Stephanie. Overall, I expected to read a book about how money comes between family relationships, but that is not how the plot turned out at all - Leo's accident seems to bring the rest of his siblings closer again, and is surprisingly selfless in her offer to 'donate' her share of the Nest to Jack and Melody.
What I disliked:
The only characters who didn't really come to life for me were the twins Nora and Louisa. I loved the storyline about ditching the SAT classes and Nora's relationship with Simone, but overall I just couldn't really 'picture' them, for lack of a better word. I was also a bit surprised that the siblings' relationship with Leo remained unresolved at the end, lacking a final confrontation (or reconciliation), but this ending is probably more realistic. I found it odd that Matilda did not feature more throughout the story, given that Leo's actions had the most profound effect on her compared to anyone else.
Overall, this book is a bit less dramatic than I would have thought from the outset - no one falls into financial ruin, no heated spats between the siblings, and quite an upbeat ending. I still really enjoyed it, but if you're looking for a more story-driven, action-filled read, this might not be your pick.
If I had a book club, these would be my questions:
- Were you surprised by Bea's offer to forfeit her share of the money? (I certainly was! Maybe that shows that I'm not as nice of a person haha).
- Do you agree with Francie's (the mother) decision to use some of the 'Nest' for Leo, or do you see it as unfair to the other siblings? Would it have been different if Leo's accident had not been 'self-inflicted' through drugs and alcohol? (I think that it would have made a difference to the siblings' attitude if Leo had required money for a different reason, e.g. if he had received a cancer diagnosis. I don't really find it unfair that Francie used the money for Leo, but I guess it would have been better to consult the siblings?)
- Is the financial mess Melody and Jack find themselves in Leo's fault, or their own? (I think it's a bit of both - it seems very short-sighted of them to count on that money with such certainty, but then again, who could have anticipated that a large share of it would go missing? I certainly think Leo is to blame for not reimbursing his siblings given his financial status).
Should you read this book?
If you like stories about family relationships, and aren't put off by a more character- rather than story-driven narrative, then I think you will enjoy this.
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