The Girls: A Novel | 
so-soThis story was ok. The problem I have with it, is that no 14 year old girl is as worldly, experienced and intelligent thinking as the one we are to believe is the main character of this story, so that makes me feel this whole book is fake and non-believable. She called herself unintelligent numerous times, yet, she speaks like someone who has lived a long, and well lived life when she is speaking as her 14 year old self. So I‘m quite disappointed.
pickLate to the party on this on this one
A fictional re-imagining of the Manson murders from the point of view of one of the “Girls“
The focus of this book is looking at life for a teenage girl and how easy it is to get lead astray. I like that Evie was never into Russell for her it was all about the girl crush on Suzanne. I also like how the events have scarred her and she is not blase or boastful about her role in such infamous events.
pickI am so late to the party but I really enjoyed this one! A book about a young girl alienated by her parents and wanting to be seen. The book explores teenage angst and inspired by the Manson murders and the culture around the cult. Love her writing!!
pickI can‘t believe this only has a 60% here on Litsy!! This was a reread for me but DAMN. Cline‘s writing is just phenomenal. Her writing style sucks you in and it‘s so descriptive you feel like you‘re there. This book also made me realize I could have very easily found myself in a cult at Evie‘s age if I‘d been given the chance 😬
pickI *think* I mostly liked this. I‘d read that the plot was similar to that of the Manson murders, but this is more of a background story from the point of view of a young girl exposed to the fringes of a commune. It was not bad, but I was expecting more “action” I guess. The murders in this story were more of an afterthought and mentioned only minimally toward the end.
panThis is a story about a teenager searching for belonging and the attraction of a Manson-like cult. The author captures perfectly what it feels like to been a teen trying to figure out who you are. There was just too much extra stuff in the book that bogged it down and made me not like it as much as I could.
pickI thought this was actually about the Manson murders, but it‘s BASED ON the Manson murders. Still, very good read. Evie is a young teenager in the summer of ‘69 when she meets Suzanne and is instantly drawn to her. Through Suzanne, Evie is brought into the cult months before the infamous murders. I very much enjoyed the writing, the emotions evoked, the thoughts on being a girl in a man‘s world…highly recommend.
pickBased on the Manson Family Murders, Cline captures the boredom and desperation of adolescence magnificently. Evie is an ordinary teenager growing up in the suburbs when she is spellbound by an young woman in a cult-like group. Evie‘s seduction happens quickly and totally. Missing the novel‘s violent climax only by happenstance, adult Evie grapples with how easily she could‘ve been someone else forcing us to study our own life‘s close calls. 4⭐️
pickI really enjoyed the writing in this book. It‘s definitely maybe a little verbose at times but I enjoyed how the author could make certain unrelatable things feel relatable. I‘m conflicted on how I feel about the end. I feel like it didn‘t live up to the rest of the book. I just don‘t know what to make of the end and can‘t wait to see what the rest of my book club thinks.
#BookSpinBingo
First read for March is for book club sisters.
Amy I will mail your book from this month out tomorrow 🤗
I LOOKED UP because of the laughter, and kept looking because of the girls.
#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl
I do love bracketolgy and the idea for a tourney of books. So I say, “Let the battle of favorites begin.”
I gave it some thought. 💭 While The History of Wild Places was beautifully written, The Girls was the one that I just couldn‘t put down. So it‘s filling my January spot on my #2022ReadingBracket.
pickStarting #booked2022 with my book about a cult but suspect this might be a popular pick. Been meaning to rd this since it came out. Borrowing heavily from the manson theme it is more a story of troubled adolescence and a yng girls vulnerability. Definitely captures time and place well and the feeling of something bad approaching altho the mirroring of a real life event plays a part in that sense.
@Cinfhen @4thhouseontheleft @BarbaraTheBibliophage
“Poor girls. The world fattens them on the promise of love. How badly they need it, and how little most of them will ever get.”
pickThis reminded me of a more adult version “Go Ask Alice.” It was a read quick and kept me interested all the way through. #Pantone2022 #SuperSonic #Booked2022 Cult or religion #2022Book3 #christyread
Got in a couple of hours of reading before the family woke up. That was a nice treat on this gray and wet day day. More of the same tomorrow. I was looking forward to no snow in winter living in GA. But now I‘m wondering if the rain is really worth the trade off. At least in CO it would snow and then the sun ☀️ would come out. #randomthoughts #weatherblues
Starting a couple days late, but here is my #BlueandRed cover for #CuriousCovers Day 1! Will catch up in my next posts with Day 2 & 3.
This one has been on my TBR since one of my first #BOTM boxes several years ago. I will get to it some day!
#CuriousCovers @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs
Prompt: Blue and Red cover
I have not read this one yet. The reviews are all over the place and I don't want to waste time on a book I don't like. Has anyone read this? Your thoughts?
so-soBreaking out my meh mug for this. It was fine. I recommend reading it if you are on vacation and it was left in the room you are renting.
I don't really understand why if she wanted to write about the Manson Girls she didn't just do it? But this story line was fine. I didn't like the modern day flashes, they didn't add to the story. And I agree with other reviews that overall it was overwritten. But I thought readable.
All packed for my mini-vacation!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CMA5ySAgU6H/?igshid=ynrfs0ut77w3
I know the Manson/Manson-like cult subject has been done to death (bad pun) but what really stands out is the coming of age aspect of this story. This book took me back to my 1970‘s childhood in California. Her descriptions of being a girl in that time and place are spot on. Cline wasn‘t even born until 1989. How did she get it so right? Amazing!
👏🏻 👏🏻 👏🏻
#24b4Monday #Deweys24Readathon #deweysreadathon #snacktime
Three books loosely based on true stories. I wanted to find books that were not memoir or nonfiction but rather books that took a real life event as an inspiration. I haven‘t read Women Talking yet, but I have read the other titles.
#3books
I read an article recently about this young author, and realized this was her book. I've seen this book EVERYWHERE, but really had no clue what it was about. Now, that I've finally read the description, I can't wait to check it out! ✌🏼
#tbr #crimereads #goodreadslist
September #Bookspin
A weird combination of classic, newer, non-fiction, YA, and interesting no sci-fi/fantasy.
pickI loved this book. I am endlessly fascinated by cults and I enjoyed reading this. Heavily influenced by the Manson Murders (the movie Charlie Says is good, you can see a lot of parallels) and a hint of David Koresh.
Not for everyone! Some difficult things to read about be aware of your triggers.
#thegirls #emmecline #cults #1960s #debutauthor
so-soNot my favorite. For some reason I could not connect with some of the writing style, though I can‘t pinpoint why. The story unfolds sort of as expected; unhappy teen girl gets involved in Mansonesque cult group. No real surprises here, perhaps my expectations were too high. Not sure I‘d recommend and I won‘t reread.
pickThis was my first time reading on my iPad and I‘m surprised at how much I didn‘t hate it. It helped that I was so engrossed in the book! I loved the way it talked about girlhood, there was something haunting and even maybe shameful about it. Not shameful of being a girl but the shame that is bestowed upon girls. Happy my book club girls picked this one.
Thanks so much Caroline , this arrived today & im looking forward to it. Hope you are keeping well. Thankyou X Cathy 🙏❤️❤️❤️
Cookie? 🐾
pickI quite enjoyed this . I am not sure it lived up to the reviews, yet a well down first novel .
Wasn't sure originally if I would, but think I'm going to give this one a shot
pickComing of age story about a 14 year old girl who comes from a broken home. When she meets a group she wants everything to do with them. This book had me absorbed on every page. Trigger warnings for sex, drugs and language. This book is an adult book.
Finished this book while on my camping trip and I‘m leaving it in the LFL. Great idea for campgrounds 🥰
Well, I finally caved in @Caroline2 ! (And you weren‘t much help either @Branwen with your encouragement 🤣🤣).
Thank you so much for thinking of me Caroline - I‘ve been intrigued by this one for a while,,,,😘
I love the Harry Potter card too - very Litsy-appropriate 🦉
I‘m so grateful to have a friend like you ❤️
This was tonight‘s selection for my library‘s #HughesUnitedBookClub 😁! It received *very* mixed reviews! Some members loved it, some didn‘t even finish it, some thought it was meh. *That* makes for a fun and dynamic book club conversation 😂👏🏻! Good times.
#LitsyLovesLibraries
pickLots of mixed feelings on this book and I can understand why, but I liked it. We have all wondered how someone can get themselves tangled up in a cult. Well here is a story about how that might happen. I thought it was well worth reading.✔️
DAY 4 #GirlGoneWild | Fourteen-year-old Evie longs to be seen. In late 60s California, she links up with some carefree girls and their charismatic leader; essentially a novelization of the Manson Family. I liked this, but I read it prior to reading any actual Manson true crime. Not sure how I‘d feel about this now that I‘ve read a few.
#MOvember
@Cinfhen
so-soA thinly veiled fictionalization of the Manson family murders from the point of view of a 14 year old girl that was a part-time “cult“ member. The writing is VERY pretentious. At least once every couple of pages I was shaken out of the narrative by “creative“ word choices. Nearly a pan. I can't recommend it.
