Beautiful, thoughtful and made me uneasy at times. Just not sure it was better than The Girls. It reminded me a lot of John Cheever's short stories--I love that she updated his aesthetic for a modern audience.

A big thank-you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for giving me a copy of this book for an unbiased review.

1.5/2 - Not for me/okay.

This book is a tough one for me to rate, because it did keep me on the edge of my seat and was very engaging. However, when I think back on what happened within the narrative, the answer is - nothing much. It was all just very... okay. Just enough to keep you hooked and wondering - what's next? Except, nothing much IS next. Most disappointing of all is the ending, which left me frustrated at having spent time on this book which leaves the reader hanging. Although I enjoyed the tense and anxiety-provoking pace of this story, I'm left with a feeling of having invested in a story that divulged into no discernable direction and dropped me off at the side of the road just as I felt we were getting somewhere.

Review: The Guest by Emma Cline
Emma Cline’s sophomore novel follows 22 yr old Alex, a grifter, as she drifts through the final days of summer until she can reunite with her recent mark and lover at his annual Labor Day party. To say more about the plot would be a disservice to readers.

So here’s what I will say:
Cline’s evocative prose creates an unease. I could feel the sun glint off Alex’s skin. I could feel the yearning and heat between Alex and other characters she encountered. I could feel the desperation and avoidance. Cline’s novel is incredibly successful because of this prose that has an uncanny ability to have us sit in uncomfortable anxiety. Each transgression doesn’t seem *that* bad at first, and we are forced to sit in this discomfort as we progress to the end.

Speaking of the end, I’ve seen a lot of discourse around the ending. I think it’s better to take it at face value, to believe Alex’s continued facade.

I appreciate that Cline doesn’t try to answer the why. As in, why does Alex do the things she does? She just does. Instead, I encourage you to consider themes of power and performance in how Alex and those around her operate.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. I curse myself that I didn’t read this sooner.

DNF at 60%

I was through so much of this book and realized I really didn't care? I also felt like Alex, the main character, was so unlikeable and I figured that was the point but she was also insufferable. It was also so meandering and mundane that I found myself not really caring what was going to happen to anyone. There also wasn't really a plot and now looking at Goodreads I see that there wasn't really a satisfying ending either. I think that Emma Cline's writing is really good, but unfortunately this was just not the book for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Whoa! The tension was real here. Alex just kept grifting from house to house making bad decisions. It was suspenseful and bingeworthy!

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

I was relieved to discover that Emma Cline hasn't lost her touch; indeed, The Guest may even be better than The Girls, full of trademark Emma Cline tension and stunning character development.

I loved The Girls, but unfortunately The Guest fell flat for me. I feel like nothing really happened? Thank goodness it was short!

If the purpose of The Guest was to make the reader uncomfortable and biting fingernails down to the quicks, then this book was successful. However, it truly was NOT a enjoyable book. The main character was an "escort" although I do not think that it was stated and even though Alex is very good at drifting through and taking advantage of all those around her, she certainly is not a likeable character. However, most of those around her are not such wonderful people either, so I guess it is kind of a wash. If the reader wants a nice tidy ending (or even an ending at all), it is not found in this book. I really wanted some kind of conclusion and I did not find it on the last page of this story.

22-year-old Alex has nowhere to go after she is kicked out of the home of Simon, the older man she has been staying with in the Hamptons. Alex is behind on rent, despised by her roommates back in New York, and owes money to a man who we can only assume is dangerous. In light of all this plus a heavy dose of delusion, Alex resolves to stay in the Hamptons until Simon’s Labor Day party where she is convinced he will take her back if he is just given space for a few days. The novel unfolds over the course of these few days, as Alex flits from one temporary situation to the other. In one scene, Alex inserts herself into a house share, pretending to be friends with one of the people who hasn’t yet arrived. After they realize no one actually knows her, Alex sneaks her way into a beach club pretending to be a child’s nanny and takes advantage of the child’s family’s limitless tab at the snack bar. She spends one night in the guest house of one of Simon’s friends who isn’t home, another night sleeping on the dunes. In each of these scenarios Alex effortless shape-shifts and morphs to meet the needs of those around her in this rarefied world of money and exclusivity.

The Guest is more than just some beach read with a party girl whose life has gone awry. Instead, Cline has written both a biting commentary on a slice of society as well as a fascinating character study of someone who recognizes early on that to survive, “only her presence was required, the general size and shape of a young woman.”

Thank you for allowing me to read this book. I enjoyed the characters and their arcs, and found the plot interesting. I look forward to reading more from this author.

I adore Emma Cline and have enjoyed all of her previous writings. I've tried to get into this one, but I see I'm going to have to try to pick it up another time. I DNF'ed at 25%. Thank you again for the opportunity to read this!

I don’t think I would have finished this book if I’d known how little payoff we got in the end. Instead of more being revealed throughout the book, we actually became more disoriented and ended up not even knowing if anything we believed was true. I get enough of that in real life, tyvm.

I love Emma Cline and this book is her at her best.

"Cline's narration is purposefully stifling, a suffocating and eternal present tense that offers no room for Alex to find respite." - more at the link for Heavy Feather Review

I read this a long time back but didn't feel ready to review it. Since then I read it for my book club and engaged in a thoughtful discussion about it. It was in the Tournament of Books, where it received much praise and equal criticism. I think that the inherent awfulness of the central character is both necessary to the story and the strength of it- she is motivated by unknown reasoning. This is a slice of her life, the moment when she has likely truly hit bottom. The novel does not cringe away from how awful she is, her horrific choices- but it also is unflinching in its depiction of the wealthy she targets. The plot is secondary to the character studies here and although I'm not sure in the end it worked perfectly for me, I think this was bold and searing and an eminently worthwhile read.

This didn’t always work, but it’s something I’ll be thinking about long after reading. It’s unsettling and addictive, but did not ultimately pay off with a big ending which would have been helpful overall.

This was an interesting book by an author I’ve kept my eye on since her incredible debut. Even bought a paperback copy of this since I liked it so much!

"The Guest" by Emma Cline creates a rambling story of Alex, a twenty-something girl--yes, I mean girl--who drifts from situation to situation with little planning. The novel is set in Long Island at the end of summer, and Alex has been asked to leave her gentleman friend's house after Alex's inappropriate behavior at a dinner party. She figures that Simon, her friend, will "get over it" by the time Labor Day comes around, and he throws his epic end-of-summer party. All Alex needs to do is find someone to take her for 5 days. Oh by the way, her phone is not working (allowing her to avoid the mysterious Dom's texts/calls), she doesn't have a car, she doesn't have money, and she doesn't have a home in which to return. Her plan: wander to the beach and hope to meet someone who "falls" for her. She meets a few "suckers" but her plan takes a lot of turns because of her bad decisions.

Alex clearly is out of her depth with this segment of society. She, essentially, is a poser--posing as wealthy, posing as educated, posing as invested in relationships. I wouldn't say that she is a prostitute but it is suggested. Although the things that she does are quite careless and despicable, Cline creates a compelling story. The reader wants to see what Alex will do next and if she can get out of her bind. There is also the sense that Alex is a victim and has been treated poorly, although this is not spelled out completely. The ending is abrupt and feels unfinished. It is an entertaining read but not a deep read. Unfortunately, I am not able to recommend this book to my students due to some of the content.

I would like to thank Emma Cline, Random House, and NetGalley for the ARC.

I can’t say I really enjoyed The Guest, but it definitely did capture my attention - I read it super quickly because I was very curious about how things would shake out for our problematic protagonist, Alex.

I love stories about slightly unhinged women making questionable choices, but ultimately there are just better books than this one if you’re trying to scratch that itch. While a lot of things happen throughout the story, I never felt like I understood Alex in the slightest. There was an opportunity to create a really rich, intriguing character - but instead, we’re given more of a shell. I had a similar issue with Emma Cline’s first novel, The Girls. The ideas are all there, the writing is really nice, but there’s a lack in terms of characterization that just doesn’t work for me. Emphasizing for me! I don’t think this is a bad book at all, just not one that worked for my particular reading needs.

I am grateful to the publisher for the eARC, and I like Cline’s writing style enough to probably continue reading her books in the future.

Was not a big fan of this book, it was too slow and the characters were very in depth. The plot was okay but overall I was slightly disappointed by this book especially with how much I enjoyed The Girls. I probably wouldn't read this again.