A debut novel can be hit or miss. Gathering from the range of emotions generated by Amazon reviewers, The Nest, the debut novel by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney is a bit of both.
For the record, however, I liked the book very much.
The four Plumb siblings have counted on receiving the inheritance set up by their father to become theirs when the youngest turned 40. Mr. Plumb’s idea was to just leave his kids a bit of money to give them a boost at a time when they would most need it. He hadn’t counted on the mortgage market boom (and a wise money manager who reinvested the money just before the market plummeted) to turn the small inheritance into a sizable amount. But the Plumbs had certainly counted on it, and lived their lives accordingly. They weren’t worried, because they knew “the nest” would be coming to them soon.
And then one day, the eldest Plumb – Leo – makes an irresponsible decision that results in the need to use the nest to settle a lawsuit. The other siblings are furious and waiting for Leo to tell them how he is going to fix their problems.
The Plumbs are dysfunctional and selfish and BESIDE THEMSELVES with anger toward Leo. As it becomes apparent that Leo has not learned from his mistake, the tizzy into which they’ve worked themselves begins to flatten out, and the family begins to discover what is really important and the need for family and the importance of taking care of oneself.
The publishers describe the book as humorous, and I can’t quite concur with that assessment. While their dysfunction was somewhat comical, it didn’t generate anything in the way of laughs. But despite the characters’ dysfunction, I found them to be likable once they stopped feeling entitled.
I found The Nest to be a good enough read to make me look forward to the author’s next offering.
Nana's Whimsies 