I wanted to love this book, it had so much promise. But, the story was slow, writing wasn’t the greatest, and it ended just as the story was getting good. Overall, it was disappointing.

Washington, DC; old money, hidden secrets, racism, privilege, backstabbing, sex and drugs, not to mention cover-ups. The author brought her first-hand knowledge of the area to this book, almost to the point where I don’t have to read her memoir! What starts with a brutal murder of an elite Washington family, seems to get lost in the other dynamics of the old money families. The children, while aware of their privilege and the blatant racism, really do nothing about it and know that Daddy will get them out of any trouble they find themselves in. I would have loved to see one of the children stand up to the injustices they were seeing. Not much character development, but I guess if you are threatened with losing your bankroll at a young age, it might be overwhelming. Sad state of affairs. Political statement made (reiterated), but no solutions offered.

Thanks to Ms. McDowell, Galley/Scout Press and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

DNF

Gorgeous cover with an interesting premise. When I saw this touted as the "Gossip Girl of DC" I was all in. Being from the DC area myself I was interested by the local information and setting.

I made it a few chapters in but lost interest and couldn't make myself pick it up again.

I think this will really captivate some readers but others will get lost in the jumble.

The Cave Dwellers was utterly entertaining. I felt like I was reading a real-life account of the wealthy covering their scandalous tracks mixed with the teenage vibes of Gossip Girl. I found myself devouring the book as fast as I could possibly read it. However, I was a bit disappointed with the way nothing felt resolved in the end. Hopefully that means there is a sequel in store! 

Thank you @netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

This was definitely a case of not for me. I think I just had different expectations given the jacket copy, and it turned out to be a lot snarkier and more satirical than I expected. I liked the inside look at Washington, DC and the elite circles that exist there, but the tone was distracting and I found myself not caring about what happened. Would recommend this to people who like super quirky and satirical reads.

I really, really disliked this book. It’s pretentious, poorly written, and just dripping in white privilege.

It started out somewhat promising: a dishy sort-of send-up of DC society centered on a gruesome murder mystery. About 1/2 of the way through, it turns into something else: a self-satisfying admission of white guilt and shame. The author clearly only recently realized the repercussions of being a wealthy white person in American society and, in a way of displaying her new wokeness, wrote half a book about it. I’m not speculating about this, either: there is an author’s note where she whines about the state of the country in 2020 and congratulates herself on reading “White Fragility”.

What started out as a mediocre society mystery turned into a disgusting display of white woman feminism, complete with self-congratulatory back pats and subtle demands for cookies.

Cave Dwellers is a fun, fast read but the writing style feels choppy and disjointed. I felt that the writer had good intentions for the book but fell short in so many ways. It would have been better to have this made into a series of books instead of having a lot of information crammed into one book.

This was a romp of a read for a newcomer to DMV from NYC. it was fun to learn about things in DC that I was aware of but didn’t truly understand. The only downside of the novel was that the plot line was chuck a block full if separate strings which seemed like the author was trying too hard. A good beach read.

The word esoteric conjures visuals of a more mystical nature, not the self-aggrandizing world of the affluent. As portrayed in a darkly humorous, oftentimes biting satirical tone-echoing Evelyn Waugh’s House of Dust– author Christina McDowell’s latest novel The Cave Dwellers acts as a sardonic pantomime of a novel, the illuminating light of wit casting a cohesive shadow-play on the walls of the otherwise cavernous, esoteric environment of affluent DC, where the rest of us, the readers who for the most part inhabit the world from outside the cave of the elite politician’s sphere can see how truly hollow, how malignant the racism, sexism that infects so much of the political machinations at play in this insular world. This world lies at the seat of power. And yet the totality of their actions shapes the infrastructure of wider society, through which the rest of us must suffer the repercussions of this avarice.

These deeper concerns are juxtaposed through a patchwork of different threads of stories involving different characters who live within the Washington DC elite cave, where so much of the tawdry drama that unfolds belies a far more troubling subtext that so much of this world thrives on baseness and frivolity. It is all about polished appearances structured through a cheap artifice of conservatism, manners that hides the rot of racism, sexism, and greed that lurks beneath. This is the sobering truth that McDowell masterfully brings forth from the tumult of the story’s messy political drama, all of which come together by the story’s end, leaving readers to ponder what they have just witnessed.

Because when you peer closer, you see the very real cost to human life that systemic racism, for example, has had in Washington DC, and beyond. A contemporary example of this is gentrification, one of the newer manifestations of today’s sneakier unconscious racism that is cloaked with “good intentions,” but it is almost always being put forward by wealthy white people, armed with patronizing flowery language about how gentrification will improve the area as a whole, while also entirely deflecting from the more obvious discussion of the erosion and destruction it causes for many African Americans and other racial minorities living in these neighborhoods. It invokes the racist white savior myth where white supremacy rears its ugly head donning the armor of the goodly, sainted knight, whose only motivation is some pure of heart intention to make the neighborhood safer, cleaner. Of course, the unspoken result is that it forces out the racial minorities living there, replaced instead by wealthy white people, who feel they’ve somehow scored social points for buying one of the pricey properties in the newly gentrified areas, very similar to one character towards the beginning of the story who prides herself on charity given to a black waiter, using it to protect against the sublimation of her other actions influenced by an unconscious racism. These cheap gestures are based in self-congratulatory conceit, yet displayed as actions of philanthropy.

Throughout the book, Christina McDowell will often throw in some interesting digressive footnotes, stuff that further enhances the story, versus detract from them, offering us historical context behind some of the manifestations of unconscious (though sometimes conscious) racism that occurs throughout the story. For example, one footnote establishes that the strongest reasoning for the selection of Washington, DC being the nation’s capital is because Georgetown just conveniently happened to be a slave port, providing economic incentive to select DC as the capital. This is not a historical truth that is readily shared in public school curriculums, it has been bowdlerized to safeguard some shred of nationalistic pride. Except this safeguarding sets people up for disaster, defending the status-quo with such obdurate fervor that there is no opportunity for the healing and edification possible through radical truthtelling. The uncomfortable truth that our nation’s capital was chosen for proximity for being a port to our country’s worst historical human rights atrocity is the type of incendiary stuff that stuns you as you read through this occasionally uncomfortable read that also engrosses the reader while entertaining you, beguiling you with the juicy drama of each of the story’s narrative threads.

There are times when the McDowell’s novel feels a bit stymied in the pacing when certain character’s stories don’t mesh well with the rest of the story, feeling less congruent with the larger, more engrossing commentary on the gross racism and sexism that festers throughout so much of the actions and motivations of the main cast of characters.

It’s this story’s larger truths, its fantastic ability to convey these things without feeling didactic, that really allows this novel to linger with you long after finishing the book. McDowell once before effectively told her own story of the fallout of her father’s arrest related with crimes of greed in her 2015 novel After Perfect: A Daughter’s Memoir, so she has always showcased a talent for being an unapologetic serious truthteller, willing to confront her own flaws in the name of writing things that cause us to rethink so much of the stuff we may be blind to, or have never once analyzed in our lives, stuff that might not necessarily be as innocuous as previously thought. The Cave Dwellers reminds us all by the novel’s end that those on the fringes of their privileged society, the threshold of exiting the cave, are the characters who are seen as being troublemakers, disturbers of the peace. Yet it is these people who must continue to remain vocal about the moral rot around them, who are willing to confront their own unconscious biases in the pursuit of emboldening others to do the same.

It’s Gossip Girl meets Such A Fun Age.

I’ll be honest and say that I liked the Rich Kids Behaving Badly element of this better than the on-message part of it. The antics are fun and outrageous and DC is an unusual setting for that trope, so it’s something new.

The deeper message is of course a good and very timely one, though it’s a bit too on-the-nose in its delivery in a way that doesn’t blend with the humor and scathing social commentary that dominates the tone of the book and is by far the best part of it.

The kids are much more likable than the parents (aren’t they always?!), and I did truly like Bunny several of the others. The adults were interesting if decidedly less likable. However, with the exception of Kate (who is sort of in-between in terms of age) the adult women were tough to distinguish from one another. If that was deliberate on the part of the author, it makes a certain kind of sense.

The author’s note at the end of this one is really, really important to the soul and purpose of the book, explaining why McDowell chose to write the book she did and why she is uniquely qualified to do so.

Having lived my entire life in the DC metro area, I was so exited to read this book. The first six chapters had me hooked immediately, and the historical facts, geography, and cultural references are all accurate. I was just disappointed by how much time was devoted to the lives of the children. I thought this would be contemporary fiction, but it reads much more like young adult fiction.

This book did not hook me like I had anticipated. I grew up In the area and loved the historical tidbits the author provided at the end of the chapter. The novel focuses on the wealth and prestige of the elite people of our Capitol city. It was mainly told from the viewpoints of the teenagers so it read a lot to me like young adult fiction. Sadly, I found myself skimming some parts of the novel because it didn't hold my interest very much.

This was closer to three and a half stars but I rounded up because I found the book hard to put down. It’s basically a soap opera novel (I’m sure there’s an actual genre name for this but I don’t know what it is) about the not-so-good, the bad, and the ugly of Washington DC society.
It starts off with a bang when a very wealthy, powerful DC family is murdered in their own home. You’d think this would be a huge deal, but everybody else in the community is so self-involved that hardly anybody cares. And thus, the story goes.
This was a fun, but provocative, read. I enjoy reading political content so I appreciated the behind the scenes stuff (especially the little historical excerpts) but there wasn’t so much that it will turn away people who swear off politics.
Where the book suffered a little was the character development. The characters were a bit cliched and tired (the token black friend, the smart one, the social climber, the snob, etc.). This was also the case with the plot points - the author really wanted to make sure that ALL the horrible things that happen in DC were covered in this one story; it was a little much.
That said, it was still quite entertaining.
Thanks to #netgalley and #gallerypressbooks #scoutpressbooks for this ARC of #thecavedwellers in exchange for an honest review.

When Gossip Girl meets Scandal (with a hint of 13 Reasons Why?)!! The Cave Dwellars is a riveting story about power, money, and privilege of the elite society of Washington DC.

The story starts out strong with a tragic and violent murder of a wealthy family living in an upper class suburb outside the district. Up until about half was through, I couldn’t put down. Unfortunately, during the back half of the book I started to lose interest as I found the characters to be very unlikeable (but perhaps that was the author's point)? Although the novel follows the point of view of a variety of characters, I far more enjoyed reading how the younger generation were dealing with the murders and the power of their own familes. Bunny, one of the younger main characters, spent most of the story line trying to understand what would make someone commit such a heinous crime to a family that's a lot like her own. I think if the author focused more on her and her friends and their experience being the next generation of Washington's High Society members, I would have enjoyed it way more.

I can’t say the ending was satisfying, but I’m glad I picked this one up! If you are a fan of Scandal, Gossip Girl, House of Cards, etc, this is for sure the book for you!

This book! OMG! I have been looking forward to reading this book, and it was worth every single second. Christina McDowell has written one heck of a novel and I could NOT put it down. The ease with which she interlaced these families was incredible, and the ending!!! WHOA! The things that must go on in DC behind the curtains must be incredibly shocking! This story follows those lines, but no spoilers here, you have to read it for yourself. You won't be sorry! Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Publishing for the egalley!

This isn’t my typical genre; however, I was intrigued by the premise of a family’s murder rocking the world of Washington DC’s elite. Unfortunately, I felt there was no point in mentioning the murders at all. Instead of being a murder mystery, the book focused on things we already know: politicians are corrupt, they have affairs, white privilege and racism exist, and money doesn’t buy happiness. The book ended just as the story began to get interesting, leaving me wondering “what was the point in all that”?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Newsflash: there are rich white people in Washington, DC who are selfish, racist, hypocritical, self-serving assholes. Probably nobody will find this assertion shocking, but it's still difficult not to be a little bit shocked by THE CAVE DWELLERS. The torture and murder of a very wealthy family in the District of Columbia rocks the world of a lot of Washingtonians, but particularly the classmates of the daughter, Audrey. Not that they really liked her, but she was still one of them. Bunny Bartholomew, in particular, is disturbed by the death of her former frenemy, especially as she suspects the suspect is being treated unfairly because he's black.

But Bunny isn't the only one affected, and the murders serve as a catalyst for a lot of dramas simmering just below surface to boil over. Surprisingly for a book written in 2019 and 2020, THE CAVE DWELLERS barely touches on politics--other than to show the hypocrisy of a conservative, family party politician who is a serial cheater and rapist--but is more a social critique. This novel is an eye-opener for anyone who has ever questioned privilege, as well as for those who mistake privileged for #blessed. #TheCaveDwellers #NetGalley

A compulsively readable novel in the vein of The Bonfire of the Vanities—by way of The Nest—about what Washington, DC’s high society members do away from the Capitol building and behind the closed doors of their stately homes.

***I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review

I loved this book. It deals with privilege, race, wealth, teens and adult relationships and the pressures we all face. I love how it painted the Washington elite in such vivid colors. I would love to see this turned into a series or film. At the end of each chapter are historical references to different locations around D.C. I found myself reading those references as well for more information. This book was so hard to put down. Once you get all the characters down (there are a lot but she includes a a guide) you really dive deep into their life. Can't wait to read more by this author. A big thank you to NetGalley, the publisher Simon and Schuster Canada, and the author for an advance review copy of this book.

I was super excited about this book, imagining a mashup of Scandal and Gossip Girl in novel form. But it ended up not really being for me.

The writing style and language felt stilted and choppy, and the narrative itself was somewhat disjointed. It took a long time for the story to come together, and much longer than I expected to figure out what the actual plot was. For a significant portion of the book, the story felt more expository than plot-driven, and I struggled to stay interested, despite a fascinating setting and premise.

The author clearly had a lot to say about D.C. life and the way that privilege and prejudice are not just protected but enshrined in some political circles, but this was so overt that it completely took the element of interpretation out of play. The reader is essentially told exactly what to think and feel, rather than being strategically guided to deeper conclusions, and that was off-putting to me.

The Cave Dwellers might make a better show/miniseries than a book, in that a visual representation of the story might provoke deeper connections with the characters and a more nuanced approach to understanding the issues of privilege and whiteness. I would probably still watch it, even though I didn’t love the writing, because the premise was interesting and could be executed better. 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3.

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Thank you to Christina McDowell, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The premise of this book was promising - political intrigue privilege and wealthy families with scandalous secrets. Throw in the irresistible setting of Washington DC and you’ve got a winner. Not quite. This book starts off slow and the author is never able to really pull the reader in to the suspense of OMG What Is Going To Happen Next?? The storyline is ok but the only being felt rushed to me and overall the book fell a little flat. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was really meant to be a YA novel. Also way too many characters to keep track of and be vested in. Thank you to NetGalley for proving me with this e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely, 100 percent, loved the setting and premise of this book. I’ve lived in DC for the last 12 years and I think it is surprisingly accurate about the inner circle. But it was super rushed at the end, like the author couldn’t quite meet her deadline. Shame.