The Cave Dwellers
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- Create Date：2021-06-04 22:31:02
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Christina McDowell
- ISBN：1982132787
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Summary
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。
They are the families considered worthy of a listing in the exclusive Green Book—a discriminative diary created by the niece of Edith Roosevelt’s social secretary。 Their aristocratic bloodlines are woven into the very fabric of Washington—generation after generation。 Their old money and manner lurk through the cobblestone streets of Georgetown， Kalorama， and Capitol Hill。 They only socialize within their inner circle， turning a blind eye to those who come and go on the political merry-go-round。 These parents and their children live in gilded existences of power and privilege。
But what they have failed to understand is that the world is changing。 And when the family of one of their own is held hostage and brutally murdered， everything about their legacy is called into question。
They’re called The Cave Dwellers。
They are the families considered worthy of a listing in the exclusive Green Book—a discriminative diary created by the niece of Edith Roosevelt’s social secretary。 Their aristocratic bloodlines are woven into the very fabric of Washington—generation after generation。 Their old money and manner lurk through the cobblestone streets of Georgetown， Kalorama， and Capitol Hill。 They only socialize within their inner circle， turning a blind eye to those who come and go on the political merry-go-round。 These parents and their children live in gilded existences of power and privilege。
But what they have failed to understand is that the world is changing。 And when the family of one of their own is held hostage and brutally murdered， everything about their legacy is called into question。
They’re called The Cave Dwellers。
Reviews
Sherry Brown
，
The Cave Dwellers full of surprises！！！！ It had me gasping at times。 A good and very interesting read！！！！！！
Alana
，
If you love The O。C。 and The Real Housewives， you will love The Cave Dwellers。 This story gives an inside look at the upper crust of Washington， D。C。， the American royalty。 “Cave dwellers，” as they are called， are the old， moneyed families with impeccable manners， discreet wealth and political influence。 This book centers around several families and their misbehaving children。 Cate is an ambitious press secretary having an affair with her boss， a senator from North Carolina。 His wife， Betsy Wall If you love The O。C。 and The Real Housewives， you will love The Cave Dwellers。 This story gives an inside look at the upper crust of Washington， D。C。， the American royalty。 “Cave dwellers，” as they are called， are the old， moneyed families with impeccable manners， discreet wealth and political influence。 This book centers around several families and their misbehaving children。 Cate is an ambitious press secretary having an affair with her boss， a senator from North Carolina。 His wife， Betsy Wallace， is desperate to join all the exclusive clubs and social cliques at the expense of her children’s mental health。 The catty Meredith Bartholomew is part of the inner circle。 Her 19-year-old daughter， Bunny， is obsessed with the recent murder of a classmate。 Billy， one of Bunny’s friends， is trying to dodge the Naval Academy pushed on him by the General， his father。 Stan， the son of the Russian ambassador， is always ready to party with vodka and drugs。 Their wardrobes and homes may look perfect on the outside， but the drama isn’t pretty。 // I have mixed feelings about this audiobook。 The story seems to be loosely based on the real-life 2015 mansion murders and when it begins， you think the book will be about that crime。 But as it unfolds， you realize the murders are just a foil for all the other behind-the-scene crimes committed by the Washington power brokers and their entitled children。 Bunny， the most interesting character， begins to understand the privilege granted to her through her race and her wealth。 The book had an uneven tone。 I couldn’t tell if the author was going for dishy satire or a more literary examination of the culture。 There are also A LOT of characters to keep up with。 I couldn’t stop listening though…what is it about rich people behaving badly that’s so compulsively interesting？？ This audiobook was provided by @simon。audio。 The opinions are my own。 。。。more
amanda eve
，
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 h 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。 NB: I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more
Barron Pilgrim
，
IF WE ASK GOD TO DO HIS PART WE MUST THEN DO OUR PART FIRST。 Barron Pilgrim
Ellie
，
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 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！ 。。。more
Elaine Walters
，
Expectations。 Power。 Status。 Money。 Political manipulation。 These and more blow this book wide open。
Marion
，
This is a book written by an ex-Washington DC insider whose family fell from grace with the incarceration of her real-life father because of huge financial fraud。 So I suppose she has the bona fides to lift the veil on the lives of the super rich， posh blue bloods enjoying all the perks of white privilege there。 She proceeds to skewer all the characters from the powerful， politically connected adults to their privileged teenage children attending a tony private school。 As a result， everyone and This is a book written by an ex-Washington DC insider whose family fell from grace with the incarceration of her real-life father because of huge financial fraud。 So I suppose she has the bona fides to lift the veil on the lives of the super rich， posh blue bloods enjoying all the perks of white privilege there。 She proceeds to skewer all the characters from the powerful， politically connected adults to their privileged teenage children attending a tony private school。 As a result， everyone and everything in this story is detestable。 It begins with the heinous murder of a family in the neighborhood sending shockwaves through the community。 The remaining parts of the story get so bogged down in the atrocious behavior of these characters that the murder itself fades from view and is never really solved。 It’s not even that well written- to the point of becoming boring rather than scandalous。 If I had to do it over， I’d take a pass。 。。。more
Guylou （Two Dogs and a Book）
，
📚 Hello Book Friends！ I have a dear friend who told me once that she reads a book up to the number of pages equal to 100 minus her current age before she decides not to finish it。 The older she gets， the fewer pages she reads before she quits a book。 Although I love this idea， I never had to use this trick until I started THE CAVE DWELLERS by Christina McDowell。 I love the cover and by looking at it， I thought it would be an interesting book。 Never judge a book by its cover， they say。 Unfortunat 📚 Hello Book Friends！ I have a dear friend who told me once that she reads a book up to the number of pages equal to 100 minus her current age before she decides not to finish it。 The older she gets， the fewer pages she reads before she quits a book。 Although I love this idea， I never had to use this trick until I started THE CAVE DWELLERS by Christina McDowell。 I love the cover and by looking at it， I thought it would be an interesting book。 Never judge a book by its cover， they say。 Unfortunately， this one was just not for me。 That does not mean that it is not for you too。 Have a look and decide if you think you will like it。#bookstadog #poodles #poodlestagram #poodlesofinstagram #furbabies #dogsofinstagram #bookstagram #dogsandbooks #bookishlife #bookishlove #bookstagrammer #books #booklover #bookish #bookaholic #reading #readersofinstagram #instaread #ilovebooks #bookishcanadians #canadianbookstagram #bookreviewer #bookcommunity #bibliophile #bookreview 。。。more
Jackie Sunday
，
I learned something new: Cave Dwellers。 It's a group of influential power players in DC which dates back from their ancestors who built their status in the city with money， power and control。 Parts of this book brought back memories from the days when I worked in the wealthy area of the city with big mansions， expensive cars， white privileged， power and the works。 One person warned not to get too close as it could lead to a deep depression。The book brings the ugly to the surface: white supremacy I learned something new: Cave Dwellers。 It's a group of influential power players in DC which dates back from their ancestors who built their status in the city with money， power and control。 Parts of this book brought back memories from the days when I worked in the wealthy area of the city with big mansions， expensive cars， white privileged， power and the works。 One person warned not to get too close as it could lead to a deep depression。The book brings the ugly to the surface: white supremacy - the words many want to ignore。It begins with one of the mansions in an influential neighborhood of DC which is on fire。 The news reported that one of the wealthiest families was tortured and burned inside。 This actually happened in 2015。 In the fictional story， Elizabeth Bartholomew （known as Bunny） reacts strongly to this horror and does her own investigation at 17 years old。 After the family was murdered， "everything about their legacy was questioned。" When Bunny turned 18， her parents handed her a $100，000 check which she wanted to use to make things right from what happened。The reader finds in the pages: racial prejudice， sexual abuse， elite attitudes and power plays。 One said， "survival in this town requires playing chess and playing it well。" Of course， image is important to this white class of influential club members with hidden secrets。 However， it's the new generation that tries to make sense of America， the rich。The most interesting part of the book for me was the Author's Notes。 In a few pages， she reveals her passion to write this story based on her life history。 I'm looking forward to what's next。 。。。more
Debbie Hope
，
This was pretty good。 It superficially dwells with a LOT of Washington DC characters and their various scandals and their coming to grips with their privilege and legacy。 There's a lot going on， which definitely keeps you reading。 Not much is actually resolved， which I found realistic， because many of the characters are approaching college age， and while you can be made aware of privilege， there is only a limited amount you can actually DO。 Not a lot of emotional depth to the characters， which i This was pretty good。 It superficially dwells with a LOT of Washington DC characters and their various scandals and their coming to grips with their privilege and legacy。 There's a lot going on， which definitely keeps you reading。 Not much is actually resolved， which I found realistic， because many of the characters are approaching college age， and while you can be made aware of privilege， there is only a limited amount you can actually DO。 Not a lot of emotional depth to the characters， which is kind of the point， but I didn't care much for any of them。 Worth reading。 。。。more
I Brake For Books
，
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 i 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。 。。。more
Jan Pitts
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Everything you ever wanted to know about D。C。 society。
Susan
，
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 Bartho 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 。。。more
Erin Morgan
，
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 perhap 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！ 。。。more
Leslie Williams
，
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 reviewI 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 t 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 reviewI 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。 。。。more
Megan
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This book: wow！ If you get a chance to listen to the audible， it's good， but either way， great book。 Not happy。 Not a peaceful resolution。 But extremely eyeopening。 If you can， read the author's note at the end of the book first。 It will make you appreciate the plots even more。 I had done some research on her/the story behind the book before reading the book。There were times where I was frustrated with the characters。 Doug is revolting。 The wives who will do anything to fit into the society， and This book: wow！ If you get a chance to listen to the audible， it's good， but either way， great book。 Not happy。 Not a peaceful resolution。 But extremely eyeopening。 If you can， read the author's note at the end of the book first。 It will make you appreciate the plots even more。 I had done some research on her/the story behind the book before reading the book。There were times where I was frustrated with the characters。 Doug is revolting。 The wives who will do anything to fit into the society， and turn a blind eye at what their friends are doing， but put so much pressure on their children？ It's awful。 The fact that fathers will put so much pressure on their children for their actions， and that if a teenager makes a mistake， it comes back on the parents and all involved are in trouble？ It shows that what we do matters， and what we post on social media matters。Bunny is my hero。Kate， right behind her， although I don't condone using sexuality to get what you want。 。。。more
Courtney Clawson
，
Opulent wealth， rampant immorality， and indeterminable legacy define this novel centering on the most privileged and empowered individuals in Washington， DC and its community plagued by deeply-rooted social injusticesCave Dwellers: “A term， indigenous to Washington， DC， that defines a member of those families who have resided there for generations and whose bloodlines are woven into the warp and weft of the nation’s capital。”Our protagonist， Elizabeth “Bunny” Bartholomew， is the seventeen-year-o Opulent wealth， rampant immorality， and indeterminable legacy define this novel centering on the most privileged and empowered individuals in Washington， DC and its community plagued by deeply-rooted social injusticesCave Dwellers: “A term， indigenous to Washington， DC， that defines a member of those families who have resided there for generations and whose bloodlines are woven into the warp and weft of the nation’s capital。”Our protagonist， Elizabeth “Bunny” Bartholomew， is the seventeen-year-old daughter of Cave Dwellers Meredith and Chuck Bartholomew。 Between Bunny， her boyfriend， her friends， and her parents’ circles， their families comprise of DC’s elite in politics， industry， and media。Bunny’s struggle with her legacy constitutes the central theme of the novel。 Grappling with her family’s wealth， Bunny recognizes that her privilege is deeply rooted in white supremacy， systemic racism， and classism， which her family not only accepts but perpetuates。 Confronting tragedy and familial， friendship， and romantic conflicts， Bunny begins her journey towards reconciliation and reparations while still inextricably immersed in her elite community。The story ends in an ambiguity that is unsettling but necessary for the book to reach a realistic conclusion。There are many characters in this novel， many of whom play integral roles in the story。 McDowell provides an invaluable “Character Family Tree” in the book’s opening pages， but I decided to take my own notes to keep track of each character’s background， family， and other relevant details， which proved to be extremely helpful as each storyline progressed。I had the opportunity to attend a webinar with Christina McDowell， moderated by Elias Alcantara and hosted by Politics and Prose， at which point I had read about a third of the novel。 Listening to McDowell discuss her work allowed me to understand and appreciate the novel to an even greater extent。 I particularly appreciated McDowell providing further insight into her own childhood， which she documents in her memoir， AFTER PERFECT。 Unsurprisingly， this book is now on my to-read list。I hope you read THE CAVE DWELLERS。 I would love to discuss with you。 。。。more
Darcy Speed
，
A behind-the-scenes look at Washington D。C。， The Cave Dwellers made me feel as though I was over-hearing private conversations between the elite members of society。 I loved the layers woven within this book; the different story lines of both the “children” and their parents。 The privileged mindset of these characters is so expected， and yet so deplorable at the same time。 I couldn’t get through this book fast enough。
Courtney Sieloff
，
This is a dark look into a certain type of lifestyle in DC， and while I live here， it's not one with which I participate。 I gasped when I recognized the Banks' murder plot line， which is based on a real occurrence， and which was big news on local blogs for a while， and then it just went quiet。 The details of "this town" are quite accurate， and I love that historical notes were brought into the book。 This was a really layered unique look at race， class， wealth， and power， and how it interplays in This is a dark look into a certain type of lifestyle in DC， and while I live here， it's not one with which I participate。 I gasped when I recognized the Banks' murder plot line， which is based on a real occurrence， and which was big news on local blogs for a while， and then it just went quiet。 The details of "this town" are quite accurate， and I love that historical notes were brought into the book。 This was a really layered unique look at race， class， wealth， and power， and how it interplays in DC。 It briefly reaches down to a few "normal" people in DC， but only briefly。 I found this book riveting and icky， and I couldn't put it down。 。。。more
Dana
，
Loved this book！ Clever。 Punchy。 Unique。 Fun。 Page turnerThank you for the Arc
Rene Saller
，
McDowell obviously has good intentions。 Yes， our criminal justice system is hopelessly unjust， and the one percent is a cancer。 But this novel is shockingly bad， both on a sentence level and a plot level。 I kept a running list on my Kindle of all the sentences that were truly egregious， and after a while I gave up because there were so many of them。 McDowell thanks her editors in the acknowledgments， which makes me wonder how much worse the drafts must have been。 She refers repeatedly to a certa McDowell obviously has good intentions。 Yes， our criminal justice system is hopelessly unjust， and the one percent is a cancer。 But this novel is shockingly bad， both on a sentence level and a plot level。 I kept a running list on my Kindle of all the sentences that were truly egregious， and after a while I gave up because there were so many of them。 McDowell thanks her editors in the acknowledgments， which makes me wonder how much worse the drafts must have been。 She refers repeatedly to a certain character being gaslit， but *I* felt gaslit myself。 I don't understand how this novel got published by an imprint of a major publisher and why it is garnering positive reviews from WaPo critics and the like， unless the literary industry is even more of a meaningless circle jerk than I suspected。 （Maybe I'd rather not know: the irony of McDowell enjoying a different type of unearned privilege now， by lambasting the very system of unearned privilege that produced her， is too much for my poor prole brain。） At any rate， it sounds like McDowell is doing a lot of commendable work for restorative justice， and I salute her for that。 。。。more
Melissa
，
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 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。—-Thank you to Christina McDowell， Gallery Books， and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review！—- Follow @letteredlibrary on Instagram！ 。。。more
Andrea Proser
，
3。5？This is the most insider inside the beltway I’ve read， and it’s juicy。 An excellent goodreads reviewer observed that this book ends just as it’s really getting started。 I totally agree。 Even an epilogue could have raised this from good to great。 Also the characters are very hard to keep track of。 I consulted the family list so many times - especially at the beginning。 And eventually I just resigned myself to the interchangeable nature of the characters and didn’t bother caring。 There’s a Tim 3。5？This is the most insider inside the beltway I’ve read， and it’s juicy。 An excellent goodreads reviewer observed that this book ends just as it’s really getting started。 I totally agree。 Even an epilogue could have raised this from good to great。 Also the characters are very hard to keep track of。 I consulted the family list so many times - especially at the beginning。 And eventually I just resigned myself to the interchangeable nature of the characters and didn’t bother caring。 There’s a Tim。 And/or Tom。 And Phyllis。 I’m still unclear how they fit in。 But it doesn’t detract much from the story if you can let it go。 Similarly， there are just so many unanswered plot questions and foggy backgrounds。 It’s distracting but good to know it doesn’t take away from the story much if you just keep going。 And yet， the theme of classism， racism and privilege - and what people do to maintain these lines - comes through loud and clear。 The generational shift is a fascinating premise and I would have loved to see the outcome。。。not just the fallout。 A fun book based on disarming， disturbing truths。 。。。more
Sheri
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Reading this book was like watching a show on the Bravo Network。 The characters in this story are the most privileged people you would ever meet。 Being so privileged has made them almost impossible to like at all。 The problems that they have are nothing like the problems of the average person， therefore， they are really unlikable。 There were also a ton of characters to keep track of， which did become rather confusing。 At the heart of the book is a murder mystery。 If this would have been the main Reading this book was like watching a show on the Bravo Network。 The characters in this story are the most privileged people you would ever meet。 Being so privileged has made them almost impossible to like at all。 The problems that they have are nothing like the problems of the average person， therefore， they are really unlikable。 There were also a ton of characters to keep track of， which did become rather confusing。 At the heart of the book is a murder mystery。 If this would have been the main theme of the book if would have been much more enjoyable。 So， needless to say， there were a bunch of loose ends by the time the book ended which was very frustrating。 。。。more
Disha （lattesandprose）
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A very Gossip Girl-esque meets dark capitalist families of the nation’s capital - Washington DC。 It took me some time to get through this book。 And not for the lack of good writing or story telling。 It was just scandalous and intriguing enough to keep me turning the pages。 However， I found that characters very unrelatable and unlikeable。 And honestly it was kind of the point of the story。 To show the corruption and lack of empathy in the narrow minded thinking of these powerful and privileges wh A very Gossip Girl-esque meets dark capitalist families of the nation’s capital - Washington DC。 It took me some time to get through this book。 And not for the lack of good writing or story telling。 It was just scandalous and intriguing enough to keep me turning the pages。 However， I found that characters very unrelatable and unlikeable。 And honestly it was kind of the point of the story。 To show the corruption and lack of empathy in the narrow minded thinking of these powerful and privileges white individuals。 The story in itself was not superbly packed with action but it encompassed some of the historical moments， research， and facts surrounding the history of slavery， power， privilege etc。 which I really enjoyed。 The Cave Dwellers’ essentially refers to this rich and affluent ‘old-money’ neighbourhood where people are basically above the law because they have money and are white。 It starts with the murder of one of these really echelon families and the entire community is shaken and left in fear as to whether the same fate is coming for them。 The story is told in multiple perspectives and there is such a huge emphasis on creating the image of what it looks like to have money for these characters - their fancy cars， the brand name dropping etc。 And though I understand the importance of this particular style of writing - requiring to expose them -， as a reader， it was a little bit difficult for to keep up with the many names and POVs at times and I found myself flipping back every now and then to get a sense of the correct perspective。 Generally， though the story/character development was initially slow， I definitely could not put it down and needed to know the ending！ I think it shows a very unique perspective of what it means to be privileged due to money but also the ramifications of trying to ‘live up’ to those perhaps not so noble standards of your ancestors。 Definitely recommend to those who enjoy a hint of politics， the journey of flawed characters and an attempt to confront the inequalities that exist in the world today。Thank you to tagged publishers for my advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more
Joni Daniels
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A very readable novel about the DC elite and their ambition for power and position。 The men grasp for all they think they deserve and the women compete like mean girls in high school。 The kids all attend an elite school where they mask their tumultuous adolescence with drug， liquor and sex。 A heinous crime exposes a vulnerability that consumes a few to the point of taking actions that have consequences。 The author has both lived this life and due to her father’s misdeeds， been jettisoned from it A very readable novel about the DC elite and their ambition for power and position。 The men grasp for all they think they deserve and the women compete like mean girls in high school。 The kids all attend an elite school where they mask their tumultuous adolescence with drug， liquor and sex。 A heinous crime exposes a vulnerability that consumes a few to the point of taking actions that have consequences。 The author has both lived this life and due to her father’s misdeeds， been jettisoned from it as well。 Her judgement and loathing for the characters - all of them） and the lifestyle of the privileged is palpable and becomes tiresome。 Still- I found it interesting 。。。more
Amanda
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Can't wait for this to arrive for review！ I'll post once I get it read。 😁 Can't wait for this to arrive for review！ I'll post once I get it read。 😁 。。。more
Jodi Gallegos
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In DC there are a small number of families who live an ultra-exclusive existence。 They’re from aristocratic， wealthy， and exclusive bloodlines and they only socialize within their own circle。 But the world is changing as they’re forced to learn， when a family in their circle is held hostage and brutally murdered while the rest sleep。 The Cave Dwellers by Christina McDowell explores this exclusive society through the viewpoint of several generations。 The adults have grown up with this wealth and In DC there are a small number of families who live an ultra-exclusive existence。 They’re from aristocratic， wealthy， and exclusive bloodlines and they only socialize within their own circle。 But the world is changing as they’re forced to learn， when a family in their circle is held hostage and brutally murdered while the rest sleep。 The Cave Dwellers by Christina McDowell explores this exclusive society through the viewpoint of several generations。 The adults have grown up with this wealth and privilege。 For most， it’s been handed down through generations， though a few have been lucky enough to find their way in。 Their children—though also handed the privilege of being on the inside—enjoy the financial freedom of their family status， but yearn for something more， only to find they are bound by the constraints of their families。The Cave Dwellers explores how privilege can both benefit a person’s life and also impact their ability to fully comprehend the lives of others。 Sadly， I didn’t finish the book feeling like there were any magnificent revelations。 The novel really reads like a sterile exploration of just how wealthy some people can be， describing clothing brands， cars， design aesthetics， etc。 The one thing I really didn’t come away with at any point was an emotional attachment to any of the characters， even the murder was presented in an anesthetized manner。The Cave Dwellers is an interesting tour of the 1% lifestyle， but I was hoping for a more substantial story arc that would restore my optimism for humanity。*I received an ARC of The Cave Dwellers from Netgalley and Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review* 。。。more
Susan Long
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Having lived in the Washington area my entire life I had high expectations for this book。 Alas， it is more salacious than substantial and frankly disappointing。
Jessi
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This book is about a group of families that are considered “high society” in Washington， D。C。 Following a wide age range of characters， this story felt to me like a combination of House of Cards and a darker side of Gossip Girl。 The first chapter was so intense that I thought， “wow， this is going to be good。” Unfortunately， that was the only time I was truly excited about this book。 Although there were bright spots—some chapters where I felt truly engaged—those moments were few and far between。 This book is about a group of families that are considered “high society” in Washington， D。C。 Following a wide age range of characters， this story felt to me like a combination of House of Cards and a darker side of Gossip Girl。 The first chapter was so intense that I thought， “wow， this is going to be good。” Unfortunately， that was the only time I was truly excited about this book。 Although there were bright spots—some chapters where I felt truly engaged—those moments were few and far between。 Aside from those morsels， though， I found the content very disturbing and it also was difficult tracking the characters。Overall， this book just didn’t work for me。 But someone who likes dark political/crime stories might enjoy it。Thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books for this e-ARC I’m exchange for an honest review。 ⚠️ This book is dark and graphic。 Please read descriptions and research to make sure this is the right fit for you。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Cave Dwellers
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Cave Dwellers&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Cave Dwellers&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0