Title: The Nesting

Author: C.J. Cooke

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Harper Collins

Publication Date: 15th October 2020

Rating: 5/5

Cover:

Summary:

It was like something out of a fairytale…
The grieving widower.
The motherless daughters.
A beautiful house in the woods.

Deep in a remote Norwegian forest, Lexi has found a new home with architect Tom and his two young daughters. With snow underfoot and the sound of the nearby fjord in her ears, it’s as if Lexi has stepped into a fairy tale

But this family has a history – and this place has a past. Something was destroyed to build their beautiful new house. And those ancient, whispering woods have a long memory.

Lexi begins to hear things, see things that don’t make sense. She used to think this place heavenly, but in the dark, dark woods, a menacing presence lurks.

With darkness creeping in from the outside, Lexi knows she needs to protect the children in her care.

But protect them from what?

Review:

I have been looking forward to reading The Nesting for ages after seeing the unbelievably gorgeous cover and pleasingly it was just as brilliant as I had hoped. The story follows Lexi, a troubled young woman who, through a strange twist of fate, ends up as nanny to two very young children in Norway. She goes to live with the children and their recently widowed father Tom in a stunning but remote part of Norway where he is trying to build his deceased wife’s dream house. However, once Lexi arrives, strange and dark things begin to happen and Lexi has to try and protect her young charges from an unknown danger whilst trying to uncover exactly how their mother, Aurelia died.

First off, I just have to say that The Nesting is honestly so beautifully written, there is a mysterious and ghostly quality to the prose which both impressed me and scared me in equal measure! This book was giving me flashbacks to reading Du Maurier’s Rebecca, one of my all time favourite books. The Nesting does exactly what Rebecca does in the sense that it creates such a heightened sense of atmosphere which pulls the reader into its orbit and refuses to let go. The setting of Norway is one of the best parts of reading The Nesting. The dramatic and mercurial Norwegian climate and landscape was almost a character in and of itself, so powerful a presence does it have in this book. I also absolutely loved the running theme of the dangers of disturbing nature which felt supernatural in a way but still totally believable. There is also some really fascinating insight into Norwegian Folklore which adds yet another layer of intrigue to this brilliant tale.

I really cannot praise The Nesting highly enough, it is exactly the kind of book I just adore, full of atmosphere, a dark fairytale quality and a setting that leaps off the page. Once you add to that the emotional resonance of the story and the genuine and affecting maternal relationship Lexi forms with the two children in her care, you end up with a pretty perfect book in my opinion. I actually think it would make an incredible movie or TV show so I’m keeping my fingers crossed to see that in the future! I highly recommend this book, especially to anyone who loves a story rich in folklore and ethereal beauty.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher. My review is entirely my own honest opinion.