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aidrielle's review against another edition
4.0
this book is kind of hard to pin down for me; i'm still not sure how i feel about it.
it was very interesting, though. i don't think i'll ever read another book like this again. the whole LA atmosphere, the trashy Hollywood aesthetic--i was very into it. i also really liked Anna, who i realized is a lot more like me than i previously thought. anyway, i really liked learning about the Manson girls with Anna, i liked how we navigated through LA through her eyes.
the writing style was kind of hard to get used to, and there were still parts that i'm still confused about. however, there were some passages that almost hurt because they were too real and too blunt, Anna describing how America was affected by the Manson girls, etc. there were also some parts that were warm and lovely, like the night she spent with Jeremy Taylor.
all in all, i am glad i read this book because it was all extremely interesting to me, i just don't know how i feel about it other than that.
it was very interesting, though. i don't think i'll ever read another book like this again. the whole LA atmosphere, the trashy Hollywood aesthetic--i was very into it. i also really liked Anna, who i realized is a lot more like me than i previously thought. anyway, i really liked learning about the Manson girls with Anna, i liked how we navigated through LA through her eyes.
the writing style was kind of hard to get used to, and there were still parts that i'm still confused about. however, there were some passages that almost hurt because they were too real and too blunt, Anna describing how America was affected by the Manson girls, etc. there were also some parts that were warm and lovely, like the night she spent with Jeremy Taylor.
all in all, i am glad i read this book because it was all extremely interesting to me, i just don't know how i feel about it other than that.
waitingforthesecondstar's review against another edition
4.0
This was a really good slice of life type story. I wanted a little more from it at times (i.e. some plot points seem to fall away without explanation and our main character seems to fall a little short of true growth), but I also enjoyed the ways in which it didn’t try to do anything more than capture a summer in LA from a teen’s perspective. Lots of beautiful prose and interesting characters. A solid read!
kylieqrada's review against another edition
4.0
4.25 stars. This book was recommended on shemightbemonica's booktube channel, and I was immediately intrigued when she mentioned a contemporary YA novel combining the story of the Manson murder family with the struggles of being a teenager in America. Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It's creepy at points, and funny, and has some cute references to pop culture. But it also told a story, and had a message, and made you think.
wmilam's review against another edition
4.0
Made me remember all the strange dark magic of Los Angeles.
jenspageturners's review against another edition
4.0
After reading "The Girls" by Emma Cline, I was a bit skeptical to read another book loosely connected with the Manson family.
This one did it better. (for me, anyway)
Anna has run away to L.A. where her sister lives. Like most teens, she probably has built it up as a magical place where you can grow up. But it isn't exactly what she expected. Anna's sister is trying to make it as an actress, and is struggling.
Anna has to do a project for school and decides to base it on the Manson family. She sees a lot of parallels in her own life. Now, don't get me wrong, she doesn't join a crazy murder family...but she does understand how lost and confused people could end up in that situation.
Give it a chance, it's a lot of things in one. Well done, well done.
This one did it better. (for me, anyway)
Anna has run away to L.A. where her sister lives. Like most teens, she probably has built it up as a magical place where you can grow up. But it isn't exactly what she expected. Anna's sister is trying to make it as an actress, and is struggling.
Anna has to do a project for school and decides to base it on the Manson family. She sees a lot of parallels in her own life. Now, don't get me wrong, she doesn't join a crazy murder family...but she does understand how lost and confused people could end up in that situation.
Give it a chance, it's a lot of things in one. Well done, well done.
bookishjaybird's review against another edition
2.0
I went into this book wanting SO badly to love it. It’s a cliche coming of age story with sprinkles of the Manson family and true crime in it too. It’s right up my alley, right? Instead, I got a book that I enjoyed the side characters and hated the main family of this book. Everyone was so vaped and blamed everything on one another, they lied, evaded questions and shitty things they’d done. Everyone was at fault. Anna, Delia, Doon, Cora, everyone. And in the end I felt like it was really only Anna that accepted any wrong doing. Doon was kind of shitty through the whole book, for what she did to Paige and Anna takes the fall and then Doon tells Anna she’s been a horrible friend and Anna just accepts it. Cora is an awful mother who blames her daughters for her short comings and things no one can control and Anna is supposed to apologize to her? I get that this book is supposed to be about Los Angeles and an illusion of America and the American dream and girlhood, and maybe some people loved it. It just wasn’t for me, no matter how much I wanted it to be.
esimpao's review against another edition
1.0
I'm not sure what the point was. The story drug along with not much happening. It kind of got interesting right as it ended.
Also, this book has the C word in it which seems a bit much for YA. Maybe I'm naive.
Also, this book has the C word in it which seems a bit much for YA. Maybe I'm naive.
pinkzebrareads's review
5.0
For this to not be a popular book I really enjoyed it. From the beginning I wasn’t liking the main character that much because of the typical teenage attitude we get in YA books. However, the character and her journey finally grew on me. I loved the relationship she had with her sister even though at the beginning of the book she was forced into the situation by her mom who was way less than perfect to her. This book is definitely underrated and I recommend it to everybody!