I was a big fan of ‘The Girls’ by Emma Cline, so when I saw that ‘The Guest’ was out in paperback, I had to pick up a copy. But, of course, that copy has sat on the tbr for quite some time, and as I am a mood reader and have decided that it is certainly time that I started shifting a lot of these books, this one caught my eye.
Emma Cline, writes excellent atmospheric novels that you quickly realise you are not going to be able to put down. With this book, you are meeting Alex, a 22-year-old, who has a habit of becoming ‘the guest’ in the life of a number of men, often wealthy. Alex is a sex worker, stranded on Long Island as she awaits the day she believes that her older boyfriend will welcome her back. In survival mode, and attempting to escape her past, she meets a number of characters along the way who she uses to help her pass the time until she is certain her life will return to the one that she is hoping for. Yet there is a path of destruction in her wake, as she can never seem to just have a successful and fulfilling interaction with those that she meets.
Alongside all this, there is the ending; an ending which is left completely to the imagination of the reader. I am pretty sure that everyone will read the ending differently – and interpret it in the way that fits the narrative that they have read. At the moment of reading, I was unsure about the ending; I was not sure if I appreciated it for what it was there to do. However, on reflection, I have an idea about this ending. Which, of course, I can not share here, as this is a spoiler-free platform.
I enjoyed this book, I found it compulsive reading and had devoured it within 24 hours. I will be recommending it to those who like an atmospheric piece of contemporary fiction, with the odd hint of mystery. I am intrigued to see what Emma Cline brings us next.