Fourth Grade Journey

A Fourth Grade Teacher's Journey Through the World of Books

Monday, January 16, 2017

The Girls by Emma Cline

How I Heard About It:  This seemed to be a much buzzed about novel of 2016.  Everywhere I looked, read, and browsed; the title came up on many lists.  I added it to my TBR list, but didn't get to it during 2016.  During my last visit to the public library, I saw it on the audio shelf and decided to give it a try to see what all the buzz was about.  

What It Is About:  Fourteen year old Evie is a child of divorce and living with her mother in the late 1960's.  She is a lonely girl and isn't sure where she fits in.    When she sees a group of girls in a California park, she is curious, enthralled, and drawn to them.  A friendship begins between Evie and an older girl named Suzanne.  Evie feels like she has finally found a place she can call home.  As Suzanne and the other girls take Evie in and "under their belt", Evie meets the leader of their group, a man, who has quite a control over these young girls.  Evie begins to spend more and more time at their "ranch" while retreating from her life she knew with her mother.  When she realizes what the group is capable of, it may be too late for Evie.  

What I Thought Of It:  This was an enjoyable listen.  When a novel gets so much advanced praise I go into it with very high expectations.  I think that was the case with this book.  Overall, I enjoyed the story and the "life" of the cult.  There were times during my listening that the story dragged on a bit and had too much detail for me.  The book is quite long, but did provide me listening enjoyment while driving to and from work at the start-up of 2017.  I did think the writing was excellent and there were many beautiful lines, passages, and pages.  

Who Should Read It:  Adult readers of "serious" fiction would be the perfect audience for the book.  The story-line might appeal more to the female reader, but certainly has elements that fiction male readers will find satisfying.  Happy Reading!  

Rating:  3 STARS out of 5 Stars



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