When “The Nest” was released in 2016, I remember it being on every “must read” or “best of” list I saw.  It seemed to be the hottest book that year and it immediately went on my list of to be read.  And that’s where it stayed….until I needed a book about a family for one of my reading challenges. I am so glad I finally read this book because it was like nothing I expected it to be and I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would.

The Bloom children, Leo, Jack, Beatrice, and Melody have known all their lives that once the youngest of them (Melody) turns 40, they will all inherit a large sum of money thanks to their late father’s trust.   However, a few months before they are supposed to receive the money, Leo gets into a car accident, drunk and high, with a 19 year old waitress in the passenger seat. Unbeknownst to the other siblings, and facilitated by their cold and distant mother, most of the trust fund money was used to keep Leo and the Plumb family name out of the press so they are left unprepared to receive a significantly less sum of money then they planned to get.  What happens when all your plans have to change and you find yourself at odds with your family?  Can the Plumb family survive?

This book was so much more than the description even hints at and I was amazed at how well D’Aprix Sweeney was able to interweave various characters and stories into one cohesive and entertaining book.  There were several times that I found myself wondering where she was going with some of the side-stories but shouldn’t have worried because she found a way to make everything work together in the end.  The four Plumb siblings, Leo, Melody, Jack, and Beatrice were all very distinct personalities and I found myself liking some more than others. From the very beginning, I hated Leo and his actions but hoped that he would redeem himself somehow…that never happened and I can’t remember hating a character in a book more than I hated Leo.  Even the siblings that acted in unscrupulous or underhanded ways were likable in the end and learned from the mistakes they made.  You felt for them even while hating some of their actions but Leo was THE WORST.  I really wanted more of a resolution with his story line but that was a minor complaint about the end…an end that I really found myself liking.   Each sibling got a resolution that I thought was fitting and even the minor characters found some happiness.   I could have read more about this family and was a bit sad when it ended.  I would definitely read a sequel if the author found herself wanting to revisit the Plumb family.

This book was full of surprises and went in different, unexpected directions that I really liked.  The writing was great and the multiple story lines and time jumps worked well. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, but in particular, people who like family dramas.

Author:  Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney 

Published: 2016

Rating:  4.5 Stars