This was my first book by Emma Cline and I thought it was interesting. I did find it a bit hard to empathize with Alex because I didn’t like her. Overall, a solid read. Thanks for letting me check it out!

Sometimes I read a book and it’s good, but I find myself asking what the point of it was. That, and, I have to sit with it for awhile to really take it all in. That is the case with The Guest, by Emma Cline.
Carrying the same dark tone as her previous works, the same ability to write about strange and unlikeable people, I found TG to be closer to her short story collection than her debut novel.
We follow Alex, who is in a financially beneficial relationship with a man named Simon. The story opens with Alex making a mistake, which costs her this relationship. Rather than leaving the town that she was staying in, she decides to try and find her way back to him, whatever it takes.
There is both more to it than that, and not. I would almost describe this as a character study, because we spend the entirety of the book following Alex, as she weaves through one complicated situation to the next.
I liked my time with this book, though it often felt like the beginning of a panic attack. I think I’d revisit it, too.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As a fan of Emma Cline's The Girls, you could imagine my excitement when I heard she was coming out with a new novel. I devoured this in one sitting. in true fashion. Thank you netgalley & the publisher for the ARC!

A wild, captivating story full of energy and told with restraint. Alex is 22 and is currently enjoying being the arm candy of a wealthy older man, Simon, while they spend the summer at his estate in Long Island. After Simon sees Alex "misbehaving" at a dinner party, he kicks her to the curb. Alex, however, is undeterred in her quest to get others to fund her desired lifestyle. She gives herself until Labor Day to make it back into Simon's good graces. How far is she willing to go? With her bizarre combination of apathy and determination, the answer is: pretty far.

Alex joins a growing list of literary cool girl scammers and simultaneously manages to be repulsive and yet someone you want to see succeed. The writing pulled me in immediately and it was very entertaining to see how far Alex would get with her one bag of clothes and broken phone. Highly recommend if you are in the mood for a tense, stylish, and buzzy read.

Thank you very much to Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.