Friday 17 April 2020

The Girls by Emma Cline

“So much of desire, at that age, was a wilful act. Trying so hard to slur the rough disappointing edges of boys into the shape of someone we could love.”



I’ve been hearing about this novel for ages, a clear sign is the “worldwide bestseller” sticker on it. I dare say if you liked Once upon a time in Hollywood, then you’ll definitely be drawn to its pages. What is perhaps most striking about the story is how fantastically Cline captures the voice of an insecure teenager. I think the unsure girl in all of us can relate, even if our rebellions might have come later or been less dangerous.
The titular girls are clearly based on the women that followed Charlie Manson, they rubbish dive for food, sleep with their leader (his name is Russell in this case) and represent this aspirational sense of community and freedom that proves irresistible to fourteen-year-old Evie Boyd.
At the beginning of the novel, Evie has a falling out with her best friend and her loneliness is palpable. Crossing paths with the intriguing Suzanne, she is swept up into a strange world of drugs, sex and idol worship. Her sexual awakening is so fraught, at one point she is pimped out to a much older man and it is a pretty harrowing scene.
Potential spoilers follow…. You have been warned.

Evie’s escape from the murderous activities of the cult represents another break. She is no longer part of the all-encompassing group and is cast out into the lonely world once more. It is rare to feel so emotionally invested in such a troubled protagonist and yet, therein lies the crux of the novel. We are all Evie, one step away from making a poor decision that could change everything as we greedily seek out our tribe and often settle for something less than we should.
I’m just going to add to the chorus on this one and agree it is brilliant. I decided to finally jump on the bandwagon because I’d seen it recommended on two top ten lists on The Guardian, Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott’s Top Ten Cliques in Fiction and also Clare McGlasson’s Top Ten Books about Cults.

 5 out of 5 – life is hard for a girl.


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