The Girls (2016)

Audiobook read by Cady McClain.

From the book jacket: Northern California, during the violent end of the 1960s. At the start of summer, a lonely and thoughtful teenager, Evie Boyd, sees a group of girls in the park, and is immediately caught by their freedom, their careless dress, their dangerous aura of abandon. Soon, Evie is in thrall to Suzanne, a mesmerizing older girl, and is drawn into the circle of a soon-to-be infamous cult and the man who is its charismatic leader.

My reactions
I vividly remember the Manson murders of Sharon Tate et al. I followed the news coverage and could not imagine how these people became so enthralled and obedient to the obviously crazy Charles Manson. Cline’s Evie gives me some insight into how that might have happened.

But I cannot bring myself to rate the book even with three stars. The subject was so distasteful to me. I cringed at how Evie is drawn in, at how she was abused, at how she “begged” for the abuse because she was so hungry for attention and for what she thought was evidence of love. I could hardly bear to keep listening, but persevered because so many people I know had rated this debut highly. At the end I felt I had wasted my time, as these characters wasted their futures.

Cady McClain did a good job narrating the audiobook. She really brings Evie to life, and she was equally believable voicing the slimy cult leader, or Evie’s mother. ( )

Very good, although I think Cline has certain authorial tics that were starting to drive me a little crazy by the end. ( )

Very enjoyable/awkward/creepy read; really paints a picture of a the experience of being a young woman at a certain time and place, a mix of the extraordinary and banal; the denouement/epilogue (maybe the last 10%) was outstanding and really paid off the whole book. ( )

I'm not sure whether I liked this book. I know I don't dislike it it, it just... Maybe this book confronted me with things I didn't wanted to be confronted with.
I loved how much the bok made me feel, I suppose I just didn't like what it made me feel.
On the other hand, I did abandon all my other reading to finish this book in the few reading-moments I had the last few days.
It was definately an interesting read. ( )

Interesting view point from a young, insecure girl seduced into cults. Written from the point of view of the now adult female who flowed in and out a "cult" similar to Charles Manson. ( )