#SpooktasticReads Audiobook Review: The Nesting by C.J. Cooke
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Penguin Audio (September 29, 2020)
Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
The Nesting by C.J. Cooke definitely earns its label of Gothic suspense, though I have to say it’s a different and interesting take on the subgenre. To be sure, what I enjoyed most about the book was its atmosphere, thick and heavy with intrigue. When it comes to reader engagement and thrills though, the story might have stumbled a little due to lack of cogency and uneven pacing.
Much of this novel takes place in the Norwegian wildnerness, but it does begin in London, where our protagonist Lexi Ellis finds herself adrift after a failed suicide attempt leaves her without any support. Her boyfriend has left her, and she’s also lost her job and her home, but one day, an opportunity presents itself as she overhears a conversation between two strangers on the train. One of the women, named Sophie, had been offered a nanny position but tells her friend she that she is unlikely to take it. An aspiring writer, Lexi is immediately intrigued upon learning the job is in Norway, which just happens to be the setting of the novel she’s working on. Inspired and emboldened, she uses Sophie’s identity and credentials to track down the employer and applies to be their nanny.
With her new stolen identity, Lexi—now Sophie—is hired by Tom Faraday, a recently widowed architect who needs someone to help care for his two young daughters. The family is currently living in a remote part of Norway, where Tom is trying to finish building a high-concept, environmentally-friendly house in honor of his late wife, Aurelia. Initially terrified that she is going to get found out, Lexi finds herself adjusting surprisingly well to her new role thanks to the charming Faraday children, Gaia and Coco. Soon, however, strange things begin to happen—and Gaia tells Lexi about her chilling visions of a sad lady she sometimes sees around the house. And then, there is the diary. Mysteriously appearing in Lexi’s room one day, it appears to have belonged to Aurelia. Everyone knows that her death had been a suicide, but the more Lexi reads from the diary, the more she wonders what Aurelia had been up to in the weeks before her death, and whether she had really taken her own life.
What we have here is all the hallmarks of an effective Gothic tale, but on the flip side, I am quite sad to say I found it weak as a psychological mystery/thriller—and bear in mind, this was how the book was pitched. What this means is, if you enjoy claustrophobic settings or the creeping nature of doubt and paranoia, then I think you will enjoy The Nesting, but on the other hand, those hoping for a more impactful and engaging tale might find themselves disappointed.
We’ll begin with the aspects I thought were strong, and first and foremost was the atmosphere. Setting the story in the Norwegian hinterlands was a stroke of genius. There’s just something about this environment that makes it both amazing and terrifying in its beauty, in turn making the novel’s themes of humanity vs. Mother Nature all the more poignant. And then we have the characters, starting with Lexi, who is a shadow of her old self when we first meet her. Gradually, we see the Faraday girls draw out the stronger and more confident side of her personality as well as her protective instincts as she strives to make sense of the strange happenings around her. Next, we have Tom’s point-of-view interspersed with Aurelia’s told in flashback, helping readers better understand the profundity of their decision to construct a dream home by the banks of a pristine fjord. A paranormal element is also present, which is good news for readers who enjoy a touch of nature-based folklore and mythology.
As for criticisms though, I had some major problems with the plot and pacing. The coincidences at the beginning, for example, were so absurd that I had feared not being able to take the rest of the story seriously. Granted, it was a fascinating setup, but the circumstances behind the way Lexi lands her job were simply too outlandish to be convincing. Then there were the plodding sections in the middle where the pacing dragged, and when the author tried to alleviate this problem with the use of time skips, the awkward execution only served to make things worse. Coupled with frequent flashbacks, the entire timeline of the story’s events became rather fuzzy for me.
So, to conclude, there are some high points in The Nesting, including a few genuine moments of pure creepiness, but on the whole, the weaknesses in the storytelling dampened a lot of my enthusiasm. Read this if you’re into the atmosphere and mood of a Gothic novel, or if you’re interested in the specific setting. But if you’re looking for a more traditional psychological suspense thriller, this might not be enough to satisfy.
The BiblioSanctum 
With a title like The Nesting, I’m just expecting spiders 😬
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I definitely expected creepy crawlies! Mind you, I’m glad I was wrong 🙂
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I have an eARC of this but I’m not sure when I’ll get to it. I didn’t realize it was set in Norway!
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Yup! Best part’s the setting, imo!
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Granted, the coincidences you mentioned would make anyone raise skeptical eyebrows, but the core of the story – and the setting!!! – are really intriguing, so I might give this one a chance one of these days… Thanks for sharing! 🙂
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Yeah how she lands her job is pretty ridiculous! Unfortunately the whole plot hinges on it.
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It’s a bit too bad about the storyline but otherwise it looks interesting
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I still enjoyed it though 🙂
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Not a place where I’d want my house
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Definitely not. I would have abandoned the project and taken the losses lol.
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A great review, Mogsy:)). Glad the setting was so successful – but for the spookiness to work, the narrative pace and overall tension needs to stay smooth and at no stage can you start thinking that the whole premise is too far-fetched. It sounds like there was an excellent book trying to get out of something that needed the services of a good editor.
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The atmosphere was great, but I just think the book was marketed in the wrong way. They should have talked up the spookiness and the ghostly aspect, but instead the pitch focused on the thrills. And yes, how the character got her job was so far-fetched, but I guess it had to happen that way, as the entire plot hinges upon her getting a nanny position in Norway.
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Yes – reader expectation is crucial! I’m far less inclined to feel kindly towards a book if I pick it up thinking I’m getting one thing – only to find it’s something completely different! Unless I thought it was going to be an average read – and find it’s awesome:)).
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I do like the setting, and that cover is creepy enough. It’s interesting, I’m currently reading a book that’s also partly set in Norway, and enjoying parts of it, but other parts not as much. I think there’s a lot of potential in a Norwegian setting, but it sounds like neither of us have found it this time around. Here’s to next time, though!
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I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying the Norway setting, a bit unfortunate about not enjoying parts of it as much though!
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Hallo, Hallo Mogsy,
Gosh. I can’t believe how much of the year I’ve lost in visiting with bloggers I love reading their content of – I am thankful for #SpooktasticReads for encouraging me to start visiting with you again, as I’ve had too many migraines to shift through durin 3x seasons of the year to where visits were very limited on my end until now. Love the fact you’ve joined us for our 3rd #SpooktasticReads – I love finding what inspires everyone to be reading this time of the year where the spookier stories seem to befit Autumnal months. Even if I find some of the stories are a bit past what I can personally handle reading myself, I still like to visit, see what is being read and cheer on those who are finding their own readerly joys during our readathon! Thanks for being a part of our community @ Wyrd And Wonder – we appreciate you!
It sounds to me this story nails the setting and the atmosphere of the genre it was meant to thrive inside but its the pacing and/or the delivery of the story itself which failed a few marks for you. I, like you, enjoy travelling to different areas of the globe and being tucked into a setting I might not otherwise get the chacne to visit – as that is one appeal I always felt stories had – of immersiing us somewhere else from whence we live.
One note: I might have missed it but I don’t think you mentioned the narrator as this was an audiobook? How were your reactions to their approach to narrating the story and what was it like hearing them if it was your first time listening to their narration? Did they change their voices for the characters – I love reviewing audiobooks myself but was curious what your takes were specific to that experience.
Glad your having fun this #SpooktasticReads!
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Oops, yes I forgot to include the narrator info! Usually I also put in a few words of commentary on how I thought the narrator did or the production values of the audiobook. But if there’s nothing of note, I usually leave out my comments 🙂 But I will endeavor to try and write at least something, even if it ends up being “great narration!” because like you said I’m sure it may help others. I just write too many audiobook reviews and feel like I’m becoming a broken record, lol!
And thank you for visiting! I’m excited to take part in SpooktasticReads and I also enjoy the other events like Wyrd and Wonder and Sci-fi Month 😀
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Sometimes pacing will take me out a bit but I’m glad this one was atmospheric at least, sometimes that’s enough to compensate for other flaws.
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Very true, I enjoyed myself despite the flaws, and in the end I guess that’s all that really counts 🙂
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We definitely had similar issues. Had to go back and find your review now that mine is posted and out of the way.
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I do have a copy of this and so it’s good to have my expectations managed, thanks.
Lynn 😀
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