This book was really intriguing to me - I really wanted to know the story that happened in the past. Be warned, though, it has sensitive content - all the trigger warnings apply!

I knew once I read the synopsis for The Girls, I just had to read it.  Coming from a criminal justice background, I was intrigued by the fact that this book is modeled after the infamous Charles Manson case.  I knew I was going to be in for a wild ride…

One day, while ridding her bike in the park, Evie sees a group of girls.  She watches the girls cross the park, intoxicated by their energy.  Little did she know that this chance encounter would change her life forever…

“I looked up because of the laughter, and kept looking because of the girls.”

At the impressionable age of 14, Evie is searching for the love and attention that she is not receiving at home.  It is no surprise that she would be drawn to Suzanne and the other girls…

"She said that the place we were headed was about a way of living.  Russell was teaching them how to discover a path to truth, how to free their real selves from where it was coiled inside them."

The thing that I felt that Cline did so well here was her portrayal of cult culture.  I am not sure why, but there is something about cults and cult culture that is oddly fascinating.  I think it stems from the fact that a “normal person” looking in wonders how these people get sucked into these strange, and often sinister, groups.  Cline was really able to depict how cult leaders prey upon those who are “weak” and make them feel apart of a family.  These people are very charming and charismatic, so these “weak” individuals find themselves drawn to them like a moth to flames…

“You’ll love him,” she said.  “He’s not like anyone else.  No bullshit.  It’s like a natural high, being around him.  Like the sun or something.  That big and right.”

Since this book is modeled after the infamous Charles Manson case, you may THINK you know how it all is going to pan out, but you may find yourself surprised.  I think it actually works better if you are a little familiar with the Charles Manson case going into this book, as it really adds to the tension and foreboding.   I had a pit in my stomach for the majority of this book, knowing how it was going to end and waiting for the “big event.”

The Girls is unlike any book I had ever read before.  It is very dark and seductive, often to the point of discomfort.  While reading parts of this book, I found myself almost feeling guilty for reading it.  It is very difficult to explain… You ever come across a bad accident and find that you cannot look away?  This book felt a little bit like that.  To say this book gave me an uneasy feeling would be an understatement.

There were definitely parts of this book that I enjoyed, but once I reached the end I had very conflicted feelings about this book.  Here are a few reasons why…

The writing through out the majority of the book suited the tone perfectly, however there were a few parts that the writing felt a little odd to me.  Like the writing was forced?   There were some passages I marveled at Cline’s eloquence, but other times her writing had me scratching my head.  I am not sure if this is due to the fact that this is a debut novel, or if I was not accustomed to her particular writing style.

The past and present timelines, for me, didn’t work particularly well.  I think it COULD have worked IF some of the events that happen in the present had any relevance to the plot… I couldn’t figure out if the author was trying to throw the reader off course, or there was some poor editing decisions here.

The ending was very abrupt.  I think it could have been handled a little differently with better effect.  This is not to say that I didn’t agree with how Cline chose to wrap things up for Evie, just that it all felt underwhelming.  It was like the entire book was a huge build up to a big finale, but the finale never comes.  I think had Cline given us more after “the night” it would have helped with the abruptness.  Maybe an epilogue?  I just didn’t feel a sense of closure for Evie.  How did these events effected her as she aged?

Even though I had a lot of problems with the book, I did enjoy it and think it is a worth while read.  I think maybe this book was a little over-hyped for me, so it didn’t exactly live up to my expectations.

“Of course my hand would anticipate the weight of a knife.  The particular give of a human body.  There was so much to destroy.”

*Big thanks to Random House Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Just meh. So many places this book could've gone, but it tripped over itself too much. And Evie? Talk about a sad sack of a narrator with no redeeming character traits.

I feel awful that I didn't review this right after I read it. This was a favorite of mine for the year. 

The writing spoke directly to me, the character (although very different from me) had that same inner voice that I think is SO true to life. Her back and forth banter within her own brain made everything so alive for me. 

I have to admit that the storyline was also a slam dunk for me since I am always so fascinated by cults, killers and the mentality behind those who follow. This couldn't have been more perfect for me.... a teenager struggling with herself and identity while facing some of the most perverse brainwashing out there.

This book started off okay, but I felt like I was drowning in too much unneeded detail.  The book is about a young girl who comes from a broken family through divorce.  Evie is a loner who becomes a member of this cult-like group.  She later becomes obsessed with one particular member of the group.  The story is told from young Evie’s and present day Evie’s point of view.  But, it doesn’t draw you in.  It stops short at showing you exactly why Evie was drawn to and participated in the cult and not a group of mall hanging teenagers.

Blog: 

Thursday, November 3, 2016
"The Girls" by Emma Cline

FTC Disclosure: I received an e-ARC of "The Girls" from the publisher through NetGalley for review consideration. I ordered a print copy through my Book of the Month Club subscription. 

I was thrilled to see Emma Cline's debut novel "The Girls" as an option for my July Book of the Month Club book. I'd heard the buzz around this loose retelling of the Manson murders focusing on the girls who flocked to the cult leader, and was excited to dig into it.

As I mentioned in my Goodreads review, the infamous cult setting may generate the buzz, or at least be the piece that will stick in many readers' minds. But it was the writing kept me enthralled. The novel opens on Evie, a grown woman, recalling the summer of 1969, when she was only 14 and fell in with the group living at the ranch, then largely unknown to the larger world. For Evie, it is not the leader, Russell, who attracts her, but Suzanne, a 19-year-old who first allows her into the group. 

The ranch and its inhabitants are interesting, but Cline shines when she writes about the mundanities of growing up. Evie's parents have divorced and she is distant from them both as they each look to build their own romantic relationships. Perhaps most tragic is the dissolution of Evie's relationship with her best friend since childhood, Connie. Cline captures the end of their friendship, rendering it familiar as a natural casualty of growing up. Anyone who has experienced the havoc that can be wrecked by teenage girls will relate to the incident of their final confrontation, a scene that stands out as one of the most touching and well-crafted in the novel. 

Verdict: Affirmed. As other reviews have noted, it's the coming of age story that shines in this novel that happens to be set alongside one of America's most infamous cults.

"The Girls" by Emma Cline, published June 14, 2016 by Random House.

Goodreads:
A beautifully-written coming of age in a crazy setting. It got press for the setting, but the story-telling kept me around. 

FTC disclosure: I received an e-ARC from the publisher through NetGalley for review consideration on my blog, www.sometimesiread.com. I ordered a print copy through Book of the Month Club.