The Girls By: Emma Cline ARC Review

As soon as I saw The Girls on Goodreads I knew I had to read it. So when I saw it on NetGalley I requested it immediately. Unfortunately The Girls was not quite as good as I was expecting, but it definitely held my attention since it's loosely based on the infamous Manson cult. The subject matter and the writing style were fantastic, but I can't help feeling a bit letdown by the lack of a wow factor in the plot and characters.

#LooselyBased

To start off the writing style is mesmerizing and the whole time I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. The Girls is really a captivating novel even though it wasn't perfect for me by any means. The inside look into the girls of the cult was very interesting and even a bit unsettling. However, the main character Evie annoyed me. She was very naive and I know she is meant to be, but it was a little overboard for me. I just ended up frustrated and irritated with her throughout most of the novel.

#OverlyNaiveCharactersAnnoyMe

I was more intrigued by Suzanne and perhaps the book would have been better for me if it was told from her POV or alternating between her and Evie. That could have been the wow factor that I felt was missing. I think that would have been a very cool dynamic. I kept finding myself looking forward to the parts with Suzanne and wanting to know what she was thinking. I find cults very creepy and I can't help but wonder how people get so caught up in them and why they buy into all the BS. I still don't get it (I probably never will), but the idea of wanting to find out is what held this novel together for me. 

#CouldaShouldaWoulda

Overall I think I just wanted MORE from The Girls. More of Suzanne, more of Russell (even though this is about THE GIRLS), and more of the novel in general. I felt like there were a few things that could have been explored even further. The Girls is a good book, but it wasn't a great book for me. 

#GoodNotGreat

I recommend this for anyone who is interested, but I recommend you borrow from the library instead of purchasing the book. 

#Borrow 

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ebook copy of The Girls By: Emma Cline in exchange for an honest review.

Expected Publication Date June 14, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday- The Girls By: Emma Cline

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme/feature hosted here at Breaking the Spine. The idea behind it is to share upcoming releases that we can't wait to get our hands on!

My pick this week is The Girls By: Emma Cline. What intrigues me about this novel is the fact that it's set in the 1960's and Evie becomes involved in a soon to be infamous cult. Charles Manson comparisons anyone? I'm pretty sure it's meant to be the Manson cult, but I don't know if that will be specifically stated in the novel or not. Anyway, it looks like this fiction novel will focus more on the girls in the cult and that lifestyle. Which even though I find the Charles Manson cult creepy, it's also absolutely fascinating. I'm dying to read from Evie's POV and see why she gets caught up in the cult and what will happen to her. 

Expected Publication Date: June 14, 2016

Summary From Goodreads: 

Anyone else dying to read The Girls? Is anybody else intrigued by Charles Manson and his cult? Or maybe I'm just a weirdo. :x What are you waiting on this Wednesday?