A review by probablyjenna
The Guest by Emma Cline

3.0

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.