❝Spellbinding . . . A seductive and arresting coming-of-age story hinged on Charles Manson, told in sentences at times so finely wrought they could almost be worn as jewelry . . . [Emma] Cline gorgeously maps the topography of one loneliness-ravaged adolescent heart. She gives us the fictional truth of a girl chasing danger beyond her comprehension, in a Summer of Longing and Loss.❞—The New York Times Book Review
❝[The Girls reimagines] the American novel . . . Like Mary Gaitskill’s Veronica or Lorrie Moore’s Who Will Run the Frog Hospital?, The Girls captures a defining friendship in its full humanity with a touch of rock-memoir, tell-it-like-it-really-was attitude.❞ - Vogue
❝I don’t know which is more amazing, Emma Cline’s understanding of human beings or her mastery of language.❞ - Mark Haddon, New York Times bestselling author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
The Girls, written by young author Emma Cline, is about a girl named Evie Boyd, who was once a cult member during the late 1960s in California's Bay Area. The story switches between present time to past time, where readers are living through her memories and recollections of that "endless, formless summer" before she heads off to boarding school, and her life afterwards many years later.
Young version of Evie, is a bored and anxious teenage girl that is waiting for something to amuse her and spice up her life. At a picnic park, she is intrigued by a group of girls who, in which she described as, "royalty in exile." She is automatically attracted to their hippie ways and carelessness, especially towards long and black-haired Suzanne. Unbeknownst to her, her intrigue would soon lead her to an unforgettable journey as she becomes apart of and is involved with the ranch that the girls belong to, and to the sexually-energetic, sweet-talker leader, and professional con-artist, Russell.
Russell is a so-called or wannabe rock-star, whose deeply magnetic philosophies attracted many followers and admirers--especially an assortment of women, who all worship him like he's an angel sent from heaven. Suzanne and the other girls, all take turns sleeping with Russell and flirt with other men in the ranch. Evie, is fascinated with the cult's relationships with each other and how they love each other indiscriminately "with the purity and optimism of children." But in due time, Russell is consumed with paranoia and the dangers of the ranch become more evident, in which the girls have been easily led to partake in an act of violence that will forever change Evie.
The author's prose is written with great skill and eloquence, in which she does an amazing job in captivating the reader with her words. As the Los Angeles Times put it, "Her prose conveys a kind of atmospheric dread, punctuated by slyly distilled observation." But also, the topic and story is intriguing in itself as well.
When I read this book, I couldn't bring myself to stop, I was very much engaged with the story and plot. Although I admire Cline's vivid descriptions, the story bears extreme similarity to the Manson murders, thus making the storyline unoriginal. Even though, in my opinion, it lacks a certain uniqueness--I can understand why she would be inspired to write a fiction story based on the infamous Manson family murders, because she's a native from California--and these murders certainly left an imprint on the state itself.
I could definitely relate to the character, but to a certain degree. It is safe to say that we were all once 14 year-olds, bored beyond belief, curious-minded, rebellious to some extent, and we truly believed that we had all the answers to everything; basically, the story emphasizes naivetƩ.
The only reason why I rated it 3 1/2 stars, is because of its lack of originality. I am fully aware that authors and writers have to be inspired by something, someone, or an event to create a story--but the storyline is exactly the same to the Manson murders. What I do give the author credit for, is that she is writing from a fresh perspective--she is writing it from the mind of a young and lost teenage girl, searching for something to make her life worthwhile; its a journey and feeling that anyone could or can relate to.
I would recommend this read to anyone!
x, Kayla
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