I was so excited for ‘The Guest’ because ‘The Girls’ is one of my favourite summer reads and Cline really didn’t disappoint. Although the story and the setting is very different I still felt that heady freedom that comes in the summer heat and the dark side that creeps in once the sun goes down.
The story follows Alex, a young woman who has stayed safe thanks to her street smarts, only ever having herself to rely on. After a disagreement with the older man she has been staying with she is told to leave Long Island, but decides that she just needs to give him a few days to calm down rather than return back to the city. Alex sets off to find somewhere new to stay and charms a multitude of people along the way but the truth is that someone is after her and it’s only a matter of time before they find her.
I really enjoyed the way Alex is written as a complex character; there are times when you see how clever a con-woman she is but also how vulnerable her life has made her. The time she is alone on the island and navigating time with other characters is a slow burn but I really appreciated the way the tension was built up; not knowing who would turn their own agenda onto Alex or if she might succeed in her goals. I also love the way Cline plays on class in this story- the minute details that distinguish the true elite from those who pretend, which is analysed in Alex’s narrative with captivating ease. For me Cline’s style and perspective on a young woman’s experience and ultimate exposure to the world of people ready to take what they want for themselves. Loved every single page!

Interesting novel. I hadn't read Emma Clines previous novel so was not sure what to expect. I was immediately hooked. I didn't really like Alex the main character but you feel for her as she does not care for herself.. It seems that she is very damaged young woman but the fact that as the reader you don't know why increases the tension. The events build throughout the novel keeping you on tenterhooks about what will happen next. An interesting read!

Alex is an attractive young woman who uses everyone around her. Manipulating men and putting on an act to fit in wealthy circles. Her current much older “boyfriend” Simon takes her to stay at his beach house but after a misstep at a party he sends Alex on her way back to the city where he thinks she has an apartment. With nowhere to go Alex drifts around still at the beach taking what she can from others waiting until she can make what she hopes will be a triumphant return at Simons Labour day party.

Despite Alex’s bad behaviour I was drawn to her as a character and felt sympathy for her hanging out on the fringes of those with money. We get glimpses into what drove Alex to lead this life and I felt her desperation as she drifts aimlessly waiting for her chance to return to Simon. A compelling read.

Emma Cline’s previous novels were all very atmospheric and perfect studies of deviant, lone characters, so I was delighted to be gifted an ARC of this, her latest work. The main character this time is Alex, a twenty-something New Yorker who goes into hiding on Long Island just before Labour Day to avoid a former boyfriend from whom she stole money, as well as her current housemates to whom she owes rent. Alex’s manipulative character and the lengths to which she is willing to trade sex to get what she wants become clear to the reader early on, but what is harder to figure out is if underlying trauma is challenging Alex to make the dubious decisions he makes. A compelling read – I recommend it and would like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for the free ARC I received in exchange for this review.

She’s done it again! Emma has such a way with words and story building! I really enjoy her plot building and finding out what happens next… which I can never guess! THANKYOU for the chance to review this!

I loved this! Which is no surprise I have loved everything I’ve read from Emma Cline she is a fantastic author!

I read this in one sitting because it was so good (and because it is super cold outside). I loved the main character, Alex, even if she's incredibly unlikeable actually and such a grifter, swindling lovers and friends and disappearing from their lives, starting over in the neighbourhood next door. We meet Alex as she is settling in at Simon's place, a luxury villa with a pool (most houses Alex ends up at have a pool, it's a recurring theme) and enjoying his gifts of dresses, luxury bags and jewelry. She is trying to ignore her ex-lover Dom calling her and becoming more and more threatening as she left him abruptly after presumably helping herself to... money? Jewelry? Drugs?
But Alex isn't settling in that well, as she wonders how much she can steal from Simon's friends at their dinner parties, and helps herself to painkillers from his bathroom., and from there we witness Alex fall into a pretty dark spiral.

I loved it because Alex was such a calculating character but didn't feel like a villain - she is 22 and a master manipulator; observing others to model her own behaviour. I read her as a strange animal doing what it instinctively does and without feeling able to judge her - I felt neutral as she exploits others and preys on whoever will fund her lifestyle and put up with her. I liked the writing and the slow beginning, and I liked the anxiety I felt and how badly I wanted Alex to do well - to take money from all these white middle age guys; and to survive and to have nice things and a swimming pool.

Really enjoyed this book. Alex is a grifter, a sociopath who struggles to empathise with anyone she encounters. Everyone she meets who has known her before dislikes her and references the drama, deceit and chaos she has left in her wake so over the course of the book you begin the realise that the slightly cool dispassionate view she had of herself and situations she finds herself in are largely untrue.
There are hints of her earlier life and arrival in the city that point towards abuse (in my opinion) but again, this is expressed quite obliquely so you aren’t sure - was she a victim or the cause of so much trouble she’s had to move on, even from her home.
I found the ending quite abrupt and kind of wanted more but I think that was maybe the point.

Last week I was in a bit of a reading slump. I was finding myself distracted while reading my current book, just not feeling super into it, and I decided to put it down and pick up something pacy and fun.
This was the perfect antidote to my reading slump.
Like everyone else I’m a huge fan of Emma Cline but I think this might be her best one yet.
This mysterious tale of a messy woman (we love a messy woman trope!) who we learn almost nothing about throughout the book is utterly compelling and addictive.
I loved it and it left me wanting more.
So excited to see the response to this book.

4.5 stars

A bleak but stylish novel about a young woman drifting.through life, latching into relationship after relationship in order to survive. Alex is a grifter, whose only talent is to make the most of opportunities but in doing so makes many mistakes. Though well written, the novel is depressing and the ending unsatisfactory.

Firstly, thanks to Emma Cline, netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I love Emma Cline's writing. This book is no different. I was hooked instantly and think I prefer this to her other book, The Girls. It's a captivating book that had my on edge throughout. Fully recommend!

I really love this author and will follow her closely in the future. Although THE GIRlS is still my favourite, I really liked this one as well and it kept me reading into the whole night. Thank you for this great complimentary copy, which I enjoyed much though I seldom read books where the protagonists aren't likeable, this one was so good because of Emma Cline's brilliant writing.

Alex is a young woman who tries to hook up with older, wealthy men in bars and become their "girlfriend" in a sugar daddy type scenario. She is isn't very likeable as she uses people, is a thief, lies, and abuses her flatmates generosity by not paying her rent. She lives on the edge pursued by shady characters for debts we don;t know how she incurred.
It's never made clear why Alex has chosen this life, why she has left her home town for the city and what her (obviously abusive/dysfunctional) background is and why she has absolutely no one she can rely on. Alex has come to an exclusive beach resort where her latest bloke has a holiday home and is on the run from a drug dealer from whom she has stolen money that she used to part pay debts that other sinister people were chasing her for. When she annoys her current boyfriend and is asked to leave his house she tries to stay in the resort blagging her way around town hoping that she will be forgiven when she shows up at a party her "sugar daddy" is giving in a few days time. We follow Alex as tries to survive with no money and just a shoulder bag of worldly belongings, trying to blend in and inveigle her way into student house parties, beach gatherings, beach clubs and empty houses.
I felt really sorry for Alex but wanted to know more about her background. Her life and situation is just so grim. The story also ends rather abruptly and I felt a bit cheated.

Terrified of leaving spoilers so will keep it brief - nailbitingly unsettling in the best possible way, I could feel my body curling up with anxiety as I read the novel. Not one for the fainthearted but I thoroughly enjoyed it - stunningly written as well

I found myself both desperate to find out what happens next but also hardly able to carry on reading at times because there are so many moments where the central character, Alex, seems on the brink of being found out. The whole novel is an awkward blend of compelling and discomforting which combined to make me read in grim fascination. I'll avoid specifics as the story is better experienced without too much knowledge of what happens but it's a great exploration of how far an attractive person can get in a rich community when they are desperate and know how to manipulate people. The central character is not a pleasant person and some people may find this makes her hard to relate to but I enjoyed watching her make poor choices and exploit those around her. I found the ending slightly unsatisfying even though I can see why the author left it the way they did. All in all, I'd thoroughly recommend this book to anyone and look forward to reading more from Emma Cline.

I was intrigued to read this novel after reading the blurb, it sounded original and interesting. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to expectations. I found the main character Alex unpleasant and unlikeable, her decisions were uncaring and selfish, living her life totally exploiting others and having no empathy for those she took advantage of. I could have got past that, but I also felt nothing really happened, it was a slow burn to a rather weird and abrupt ending. I can see that I am in the minority with this one, but that's the beauty of reading! Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the advance review copy.

This book is chaotic. I found myself cringing as the terrible decisions piled up and Alex tried to stave off the inevitable shame and punishment. At times repetitive as the pattern of lying and stealing began again with someone new. Some great observations, and overall I enjoyed The Guest. Thank you Random House UK, Vintage and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was a good read, my first of the authors. The main character was complex and her emotions were written so eloquently. The pacing of this book was good but i did stop and start a few times but overall i enjoyed

Alex is running from something and has found fleeting refuge with a rich man at his summer house on Long Island. One night she does something to annoy him and he sends her packing. She's not ready to go back to the city so she spends a week drifting from party to beach to house.

I loved this. A lot of the blanks aren't and don't end up being filled in which makes it all feel like a daydream, or like you spent a little too much time in the sun. Alex isn't particularly likeable but you do want her to catch a break and find some solid ground.

I don't think this will be for everyone but it 100% was for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Vintage for the opportunity to review this book!

If you liked The Girls, then you will probably like this also, It has a similar tone, centering on an out-of-place, down-on-her-luck girl just trying to tread water and survive in her surroundings. She is a cipher, and you never really get to understand her motivations or direction in life. But it is nevertheless mesmerizing to read about her.