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A review by natreviews
The Nesting by C.J. Cooke
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really liked this book. I originally picked it up because of the synopsis on the back and the cover design. This book isn't anything like what the back says. The best way I can describe it is Netflix's adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House if it was set in Norway.
I don't want to go into too much detail. I do think this is a good read, but it does have it's issues. The prologue doesn't line up with what actually happens (it's a good hook, but doesn't make sense with the overall story once fully read). I think the main antagonist could've been fleshed out a bit more. The ending chapter wraps things up in a way that doesn't 100% make sense. It's a super quick wrap up, but leaves certain questions (why is this character allowed to stay? What happened with this thing? etc.). The location also wasn't mapped out great (this is one of the books I actually wished had a layout of the property). I couldn't get in my head where the fjord was in relation to the house, how the house being built was actually possible, etc. I don't know if it's because I'm not fluent in construction or if other readers feel this way as well.
The big question is would I read it again? Probably. I like how the book transitions from first person (current events) to third person (past events). I like the majority of characters. There are some interesting red herrings (which just popped into my mind another question about why a character was written in and how it was wrapped up in pretty much one chapter, then dropped). Although when you put all the red herrings together, it doesn't make sense. It's more convince over actually making logical sense. I think this book could've done with another edit or two, but overall not a bad read.
I don't want to go into too much detail. I do think this is a good read, but it does have it's issues. The prologue doesn't line up with what actually happens (it's a good hook, but doesn't make sense with the overall story once fully read). I think the main antagonist could've been fleshed out a bit more. The ending chapter wraps things up in a way that doesn't 100% make sense. It's a super quick wrap up, but leaves certain questions (why is this character allowed to stay? What happened with this thing? etc.). The location also wasn't mapped out great (this is one of the books I actually wished had a layout of the property). I couldn't get in my head where the fjord was in relation to the house, how the house being built was actually possible, etc. I don't know if it's because I'm not fluent in construction or if other readers feel this way as well.
The big question is would I read it again? Probably. I like how the book transitions from first person (current events) to third person (past events). I like the majority of characters. There are some interesting red herrings (which just popped into my mind another question about why a character was written in and how it was wrapped up in pretty much one chapter, then dropped). Although when you put all the red herrings together, it doesn't make sense. It's more convince over actually making logical sense. I think this book could've done with another edit or two, but overall not a bad read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
Minor: Addiction and Car accident