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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
I was surprised with how emotionally incisive the author was and it drove the story for me. I know of the real cases of deluded women who follow male monsters to no end as well as the Manson case and I wasn't interested in entering such a internally negative character but the voice of Evie, her distaste for the mundane and safe and need to explore herself came from a lack of female role models in the culture that could protect her against hideous men. The crazed groupie is another trope that needed debunking or investigation and she does this well although I didn't get a strong sense of the insight there. The author is a fan of these alternate ways of finding meaning in the world bht it is limited by her age and sends to fall flat when we're with Evie as an adult.
The book is an experiential marvel, the best part was the narrator was able to cut through to a person's ultimate motives whether they be intellectual or emotive and for that I'm grateful.
The book is an experiential marvel, the best part was the narrator was able to cut through to a person's ultimate motives whether they be intellectual or emotive and for that I'm grateful.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
one of my all-time favorites. emma cline’s writing cuts straight through me.
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Initially, I really liked the writing style and the commentary made about girlhood and willingly living for the male gaze. However, for the first 100 pages, the cult and the girls in it was barely mentioned, which made it difficult to feel connected when the involvement of the cult was present because it didn't play a major role when the setting and character of Evie was established. The commentary was interesting during this portion, but it is so different from what the premise had promised. Everything that went down with Connie and Perter seemed like it belonged in a different book than the premise described, even though (along with her increasingly distanced relationship with her mom) it displays how isolated Evie is (and suddenly became) as a character.
The commentary on the girls themselves was far less than I expected, though it was interesting when it occurred, such as whenEvie admits that not much separated her from the other girls and she could have been one of them . Evie's obsession with Suzanne was clearly present, but I didn't feel the desperation of it as much as I would have liked (outside of the desperation connected to her insecurities). The influence of Russell (the cult leader), as well as the sexual abuse perpetrated by Russell and Mitch , makes sense for the set up of the cult, but it was not written as thought-provokingly as the potential of Evie's obsession with Suzanne could have been, though it did contribute a good deal as background for the intended commentary.
The parts set in present day had a few moments of good reflection, but it ultimately felt pointless because nothing really came of it. The end of the first present day chapter hinted at Julian doing something to Evie in the future, but nothing ends up happening. The moments with Sasha added a few opportunities for the intended commentary, but not much more.
The description of violence was definitely unsettling, and hearing how Suzannefound Evie at her boarding school at the end of the book (along with the rest of the main cult members) was crazy.
Overall, I thought this was just an okay book, and I will be unhauling it. I think this could be one you can skip, though I didn't hate it. If you want more in-depth descriptions of cult-like behavior, I would recommend the memoir Educated by Tara Westover (not specifically about a cult, but the behaviors are similar).
The commentary on the girls themselves was far less than I expected, though it was interesting when it occurred, such as when
The parts set in present day had a few moments of good reflection, but it ultimately felt pointless because nothing really came of it. The end of the first present day chapter hinted at Julian doing something to Evie in the future, but nothing ends up happening. The moments with Sasha added a few opportunities for the intended commentary, but not much more.
The description of violence was definitely unsettling, and hearing how Suzanne
Overall, I thought this was just an okay book, and I will be unhauling it. I think this could be one you can skip, though I didn't hate it. If you want more in-depth descriptions of cult-like behavior, I would recommend the memoir Educated by Tara Westover (not specifically about a cult, but the behaviors are similar).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug use, Sexism
Minor: Animal cruelty, Infidelity, Death of parent, Alcohol, Sexual harassment
twas a compelling read! i will probably never get around to watching Once Upon a Time in Hollywood but i am transfixed by Margaret Qualley and everything she does, and especially her three minute hitchhiking scene and this was that kind of Spahn ranch, Charles Manson, filthy girl summer vibe. shout out to georgia and karen the MFM queens for being the only reason i understood the setting in ‘60s marin and petaluma, CA.
the writing was great, emma cline has a talent for metaphor and i wish i could write like her - girls “sleak and thoughtless like sharks breaching the water”, “a glut of spaghetti mossed with cheese”, she has this way of turning everyday experiences into vessels for the tone of the story.
also love a good sapphic romance but idk suzanne felt too much like a manic pixie dream girl concept and their love felt really instant, i didn’t really connect to her character outside of Evie’s idolization.
overall beautiful writing but nothing really happens? there wasn’t much motion plot-wise, which is fine, but the menagerie of characters felt one-dimensional and things just got a little flat / reliant on trauma porn at the end, which was an ick. this could’ve been a great true crime podcast
the writing was great, emma cline has a talent for metaphor and i wish i could write like her - girls “sleak and thoughtless like sharks breaching the water”, “a glut of spaghetti mossed with cheese”, she has this way of turning everyday experiences into vessels for the tone of the story.
also love a good sapphic romance but idk suzanne felt too much like a manic pixie dream girl concept and their love felt really instant, i didn’t really connect to her character outside of Evie’s idolization.
overall beautiful writing but nothing really happens? there wasn’t much motion plot-wise, which is fine, but the menagerie of characters felt one-dimensional and things just got a little flat / reliant on trauma porn at the end, which was an ick. this could’ve been a great true crime podcast
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes