Welcome to Litsy!

My tempered expectations panned out because my first-take opinion is that this is a masterpiece.

The prose is truly phenomenal. The plot is a fever dream. Alex doesn't care whether or not you like her. These characters are unique, but knowable, which makes me think that everyone else is missing something that this author sees. Or maybe I've just been around some messed-up people. Either way -- fascinating.

There was no reason to feel anxious--the fear had been transmuted, the way it often was, into excitement, the memory always dissolving until it was only the idea of fear, and when had the idea of fear even been a convincing deterrent?

What is 22 year old Alex to do? Brought to the Hamptons for the month of August and asked to leave about three weeks in. No life in the city, no apartment, and a mysterious man constantly calling and texting for money she stole. How will she survive day after day? Kept me reading to see how she would navigate her life even though she‘s a very unsympathetic character.

𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 by 𝐄𝐦𝐦𝐚 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 is eloquent & impeccably crafted. A young woman is utterly lost but lacks the self-awareness & life skills required to get her life on track. She constructs a fantasy, determined to make it real. Cline never reveals how her perception of reality became so skewed, her decisions so poor. A sad tale with an ending that leaves readers wondering just what the point of the story is.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

So I didn‘t like The Girls at all I felt it was overall very meh, but I enjoyed Daddy. And I‘ve heard some good buzz about this so I‘ll give it a shot.

Semester completed. Officially done with all required classes for my DDes and PhD. Now it‘s just research and writing. Going to enjoy this a bit with a book unrelated to anything I‘m doing. I‘m about 74 pages in and hooked. I‘m already rooting for Alex, a testament to Cline‘s writing. Her ability to have us mesmerized by the incredibly flawed characters she creates.

I‘m just not sure about this one. The MC and her point of view was unusual and compelling but also kind of awful. The story felt both too short and too long; might have been better as a short story? Cline is a great writer, the pace and structure is solid, the character development just fell short for me.

Uh…wtf did I even just read? #theguest #emmacline

This is my first Emma Cline, & I'm quite sad that it ends up as a low pick for a book that was so alluring. A Sofia Coppola film in a book, but with a short story ending that felt too easy & didn't pay off for all that went on before. Alex is a sex worker slash grifter, jaded & worn out at 22; self-sabotaging & troubled. Cline builds the sense of dread & anxiety throughout, interspersed with set-pieces simmering with an undercurrent of cruelty.

Alex is ‘dismissed‘ as the girlfriend of a wealthy older guy on Long Island and is running from something in her past.

Meh, I had such high hopes for this. I thought it would be very clever, but there was only the old glimmer. It was fairly gripping in places, but you never really fully got in the head of the MC. The ending just really wound me up; it felt lazy to me, like the author had run out of steam. Very frustrating.

The newest release from Emma Cline did not disappoint at all! It‘s a gritty look at wealth, power, sexuality and deception. Alex is only 22 but she‘s already hardened by life, a grifter who manages to land on her feet using her body and seduction. She‘s truly awful yet I was mesmerized by her ability & manipulation. A ruthless character you can‘t help rooting for. Would love to discuss this one!! #NetGalley #ARC

SOOOOO GOOD!!!! I‘m hooked!! It‘s definitely giving me @KarenUK vibes!!!! And I know you disliked The Girls @BarbaraBB but im thinking you might enjoy this one from Cline. #ARC #NetGalley

Today‘s reading

Keep saying I‘m not going to request more ARCs until I‘m completely up to date…. But then shiny new things catch my eye! 💕