Breakaway Books

Authored by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney; Published in 2016; Fiction

⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Nest is a glance into what happens when seemingly mature adults fail to get an inheritance to which they believe they are entitled. I can’t say it’s a happy read, even if it is enlightening on the topic of human nature.

In The Nest, oldest son Leo drains most of the inheritance promised to him and his three siblings in order to prevent a huge scandal from breaking out after a romantic liaison gone wrong costs a young woman her foot. His siblings, Bea, Jack, and Melody, are all appalled at the sudden loss of their impending fortune and intent on forcing Leo to pay them back. As the months pass by, the siblings realize just how much they had relied on the prospect of an inheritance coming their way to continue their lives. But will Leo be able to come through with the money?

As is often the case, the biggest problem I had with this book was that I genuinely did not enjoy spending time with the characters. All four siblings came across as entitled, feeling as though they deserved to live not just good lives but lives well beyond their means. Yes, of course, it struck me as unfair that three siblings had to suffer because the fourth made a colossal blunder, but those three siblings are just not that sympathetic. Leo does come off as a cut above in the immorality department, truly ready to run away at the mere thought of consequences for his actions. His greed simply cannot be measured, and a part of me was offended at the fact that he never quite gets his comeuppance. 

But, there is a redeeming quality to the novel, and that is the totally unintended positive effects that Leo’s carelessness ends up having on not just his siblings but on nearly everyone around him. It turns out that none of them actually needed the inheritance, but they did need a good wake up call. If that sounds a little too precious, the author somehow managed to pull it together without it seeming too convenient or sentimental. in spite of the fact that Leo is not punished, the others certainly receive a version of a reward, whether it be a child or a romance or artistic inspiration or simply a more fulfilled life. Not a single sibling gets what they initially imagined, but they do end up living much less precarious lives—less dependent on the promise of money that may never come. 

The Nest somehow manages to make the somewhat trite point that money isn’t everything—in a way that is not at all trite. But if you don’t love spending time with entitled characters, I can’t recommend this one.