The Nesting Audiobook By C. J. Cooke cover art

The Nesting

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The Nesting

By: C. J. Cooke
Narrated by: Aysha Kala
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The woods are creeping in on a nanny and two young girls in this chilling modern Gothic thriller.

Architect Tom Faraday is determined to finish the high-concept, environmentally friendly home he's building in Norway - in the same place where he lost his wife, Aurelia, to suicide. It was their dream house, and he wants to honor her with it.

Lexi Ellis takes a job as his nanny and immediately falls in love with his two young daughters, especially Gaia. But something feels off in the isolated house nestled in the forest along the fjord. Lexi sees mysterious muddy footprints inside the home. Aurelia's diary appears in Lexi's room one day. And Gaia keeps telling her about seeing the terrifying Sad Lady....

Soon Lexi suspects that Aurelia didn't kill herself and that they are all in danger from something far more sinister lurking around them.

©2020 C. J. Cooke (P)2020 Penguin Audio Horror Supernatural Thriller & Suspense Scary Exciting
Gothic Mystery • Supernatural Elements • Lovely Accent • Atmospheric Setting • Unexpected Twist • Exceptional Narrator
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I mostly enjoyed the book. It was definitely a slow burn but, u was interested enough to at least finish it.

It was ok

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This is a riveting, gothic story poised between the mythical and the real, but, refreshingly, the author does not feel the need to privilege one type of world over the other. It’s clear Cooke did meticulous research, and this enriches the novel greatly. I highly recommend this lovely book!!

A Fantastic, Beautifully Crafted Tale

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Seamlessly blends themes of horror, mental illness, trauma, and eco-conciousness. Great read/listen with voice work that really connects you to the character.

Great mixture of themes

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There’s so much depth to this novel. Idk how to explain it properly, but you’ll understand once you give it a go

Wonderful

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This was an interesting folklore story. However, the story does not ends without explaining the Prologue (the best part). Loose ends were not tied up, leaving lots of questions. The narrator had a lovely, but almost too strong, accent that it was difficult at times to understand what she was saying at times.

Just okay…

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An interesting enough story, with just enough paranormal happenings and mystery to be ‘spooky’. I would recommend if you’re looking for something not-too scary to start off an October read-a-thon. Great performance by the reader.

Would recommend, probably wouldn’t re-read

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This story held a bit of supernatural, a bit of creepiness, and in the end, a very sweet story. I liked it more than I expected to.

Really enjoyed this book

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Meh. 3.5 stars for The Nesting by CJ Cooke, and I am really sad about that! First, I should mention - this book starts out pretty grim and I almost DNF'd it. I am glad I didn't, but trigger warnings about suicide should be noted. However, that dark beginning gives way to a clever story about a woman (Lexie) who, in desperation and out of options, takes another woman's identity (Sophie) and job as a a nanny in Norway. The dark, foggy fjords set the perfect melancholic atmosphere and the author gets high marks for that. The synopsis is also appropriately creepy - a haunted house with two little girls and their absent father mourning the recent loss of their mother presumably to postpartum depression/psychosis and an imposter of a nanny who arrives with her own baggage but determined to take care of the little girls as best she can and all sorts of scary little ghostly sightings and whispers in the night and stuff happening in the locked basement. There is also a supernatural theme and lots of references to mysticism and nature and cultural superstitions. Also, I loved the unreliable narrators - both Sophie and the mother and the way their timelines come together. But what I didn't love was the transitions between characters and narrators telling the story that were often completely out of nowhere and confusing - at least in the audio version. (For whatever reason the author used different person and tense throughout the story and I found that very distracting.) I also thought the author contradicted her own story on multiple occurrences. Supposedly the dad who is an architect is big into preserving nature and yet he diverts a river and cuts down trees like nobody's business. I enjoyed when the author alluded to the supernatural and mystical elements like the elk and the water witch but then somewhere about 3/4's into the story one of the characters pretty much just spells it all out and I was so disappointed. I truly hate when writers "tell" it all in a narrative especially in this genre where you want to not quite know what's going on. You want to have that feeling of unease. So, I detracted at least a star for that. And, then the ending was a bit surprising but not enough to save it. Definitely worth a read but could have been better if the author had transitioned scenes with a little more finesse and not spilled the whole story at the end. I did still like it, though, and think fans of mystery/thriller with a bit of supernatural elements thrown in would like this.

Mysticism and Moody Atmosphere but meh

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The story has multiple twists and turns and you don't know what's going to happen or how. Always love Cooke's work.

Amazing

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I love CJ Cooke and this book was one of the best! Great story that had an unexpected twist! The Narrator was exceptional as well. Don’t pass this one up

Wonderful original story

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