I didn’t connect to any of the characters in the book they had no deaths or anything to make them at all sympathetic or even realistic. I just think if I was still in my early 20s, I feel it would have appealed to me, then, the problem with Alex the protagonist. Is that she is underdeveloped and never evolved beyond that she’s a grifter with a lost soul and we’re with Alex for a short time one week during the end of summer in Long Island New York. I didn’t find anything about her inspiring and definitely not very likeable the rest of the characters in this book didn’t fare out any better.. They were one dimensional characters. that I had a hard time feeling sympathetic towards. I have no doubt this book will appeal to many and a specific demographic. I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House publishing for the ARC in exchange, for an honest review.

Alex is the protagonist in The Guest, a novel set on Long Island where she is summering with an older man. However, things take an unexpected turn when he tries to send her back to the city. The book's description of Alex as a "cipher leaving destruction in her wake" makes her one of the most intriguing literary heroines, and the novel's atmosphere is both chilling and perfectly evocative of its exclusive world.

According to Cline, the book's author, The Guest started with the character of Alex and the mystery surrounding her presence in this dark, twisted world. Cline aimed to maintain the tension and momentum of a short story while still creating a full-length novel. The book draws inspiration from writers such as Patricia Highsmith, Alfred Hayes, one of my favorites, Marguerite Duras,

This book was like a humorous nightmare, equally funny and disturbing. I did enjoy it, but was a bit disappointed by the ambiguous ending. But overall, a solid, entertaining read. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So beautifully written, I came for the writing and stayed for the writing. Alex is such a deliriously unnerving character, in that I could never predict what she'd do next. I also like the sneak-peak on the lives of the very wealthy, a world that feels real in the author's depiction.. Propulsive and strange and stayed with me.

I was disappointed in Emma Cline's latest novel, "The Guest". While I loved her previous work, "The Girls", this book failed to deliver. It felt like a long fever dream, with Alex drifting through Long Island and struggling to find her place. The story is confusing and missing a lot of necessary details. There are no meaningful characters or plot developments and it lacks the depth I expected from Cline.

The prose is beautiful but also often overwhelming and difficult to follow. Reminiscent of Jack Kerouac's "On The Road," the narrative style fails to capture any real emotion or draw me into the world of Alex. Moreover, there are some major plot points left unanswered that are quite bothersome.

Ultimately, I can't give "The Guest" more than two stars out of five. It's not the worst read, but it doesn't live up to the expectations set by Cline's earlier works. If you're looking for an interesting summer read, I'd recommend picking up something else first.

I loved Emma Cline’s “The Girls” and was excited for this novel but it fell a little flat for me. I think if I was younger this would have been a five star read for me, but unfortunately this time around I just couldn’t get there.

Alex is a young woman on her own who bounces around between people who can benefit her. So it’s no surprise when the man she’s been staying with asks her to leave that she doesn’t really have anywhere to go. We follow along with her as she drifts from one place to the other while killing time until a Labor Day party. I wasn’t really thrilled with the ending and lack of conclusion. Definitely unlike most books I’ve read!

Ugh I loved this book so much. I found myself reading it during every small break I had during my work day. I love unlikeable characters and Alex certainly was that. I’ve read other reviews that hated the ending and said it was anticlimactic, but I disagree. I found it to be perfect. I think if one more sentence was written it would’ve become anticlimactic. It was perfect right where it ended. Alex’s floated between the worlds of the haves, the help, and those who needed help with her somehow fitting into all three herself. Excellent book that I would recommend to anyone who loves a fast paced book with very little plot.

3.5 stars rounded down! A young girl working as an escort for wealthy older men in order to survive and escape threats from a past liaison drifts through the Hamptons ahead of an explosive Labor Day party.

At 304 pages, this novel isn't short, but the listlessness of its environ made it feel more like a novella or a richly developed short story. I haven't read any Emma Cline before this, but I am interested to see how her style translates to the perhaps more propulsive subject matter of her debut novel The Girls. None of these characters emerged as very sympathetic, even Alex, despite her desperate circumstances. I appreciated this from a purely craft perspective, but it lacked the emotional hook to be memorable for me. The ending took me by surprise, however, which is always impressive.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

this was honestly a very middle-of-the-road read for me. it was very suspenseful, almost to the point of being anxiety-inducing, but even that wasn't enough to get me invested in alex's story. the ending was too ambiguous for a novel, as well. solid three out of five stars.

Emma Cline pulls off the impossible by making a thoroughly unlikeable character sympathetic and relatable. Alex's story gave me anxiety because I felt I was making every mistake along with her and could understand exactly how she managed to justify each one to herself. Not an altogether comfortable read, but an important one.

Summer is coming to a close on the East End of Long Island, and Alex is no longer welcome. A misstep at a dinner party, and the older man she’s been staying with dismisses her with a ride to the train station and a ticket back to the city. Alex has other plans for the remainder of the summer and a big idea of how to get him back.

This is my second Emma Cline book. I absolutely loved The Girls so when I saw this offered on NetGalley I had to try for an ARC. This was a tough book for me to rate. Throughout the story I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop for Alex. I found myself cringing at so many of the situations she got herself into but I kept wanting to read to find out how it would end for her.

Ultimately the ending wasn’t for me, but I didn’t want to hold that against the rest of the story. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC!

The Guest is told from the perspective of a young woman named Alex who has been summering with an older man on Long Island. Alex has a history of working her way through affluent men, and her history is catching up with her. After a public faux pax, she is driven to the train station to go back to the city, when she decides to stay around town. She needs to stay out of site as she is being hounded by another man she has significantly wronged which will cause problems if she is found. The book follows Alex as she grifts her way through town, trying to bide her time. Alex is a deeply unsympathetic character. While I think this book will work for a lot of readers, I read the majority of the book with a deep sense of unpleasant dread in the pit of my stomach. Things cannot end well for her, and I felt more and more uncomfortable with the actions she took. It is not a poorly written book- I think it just did not work for me.

Thank you to Random House via NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review.

Emma Cline has taken a grifter/possible....working girl and transformed her into someone who you can't look away from. Alex had a good thing going with Simon, an older man who took her out of the city and onto 'the island.' She spends her day swimming, tanning, and just generally doing nothing.

After a dinner party, in which Alex makes a slight social mistake, Simon has her taken to the train station to head back to the city. Alex, however, has other ideas.

This is the story of a young woman who is floating through life, hurting people to get what she wants. She doesn't care about anything or really, anyone. Her relationship with Simon is one of necessity, she needs him to survive, to have someone to be with, to have something pay off her mistakes.

This book is one week in the life of a woman who is still young enough to make dumb choices, yet old enough to know better. Every opportunity to be a good person, Alex will do the worst. It's a fantastic work of literary fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

I previously read The Girls by Emma Cline and was looking forward to reading The Guest. I didn’t love The Girls but I saw a lot of potential in Cline’s writing. Similarity to The Girls, The Guest harnesses a unique female voice. The book is told from third person perspective which gives the story an impersonal feel, allowing the reader to see the unlikable qualities about Alex. The writing feels hazy and dreamlike in the languid summer setting. Slow paced and lacking plot it captures the essence of the main character.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. I really enjoyed 'The Girls' by Cline so I thought I'd give this one a chance. However, it just did not live up to my expectation. I couldn't get into it and I did not care for the main character or the story. Hopefully, next time.

Vivid, dark, and likely accurate novel from the perspective of a "sugar baby". This was psychologically apt and engaging, and I suspect will be the smart beach reach of 2023.

In this suspenseful thriller, Alex, 22, has been staying with an older man, Simon, at his home in a wealthy coastal community on Long Island. After he kicks her out and buys her a train ticket home, she elects to stick around. She has a week to kill before his Labor Day party. She has no home to return to in the city, just scorned roommates, burned bridges, and a violent man from her past whose threatening, persistent texts she's actively ignoring.

Cline masterfully ratchets up the tension from life’s understated, quiet moments like lingering stares from men on the subway and forced body language at parties. Alex's most useful skill is pretending she’s someone she’s not, navigating and catering to the desires of those around her; she spends the next few days ingratiating herself into strangers' lives, sneaking around rich people's homes, eating their food, drinking their booze, and charging their cards. Expelled from her home with next to no money, bouncing around from person to person, relying on her charm and wit, trying to find her bearings among a privileged crowd, Alex is like a Gen Z Barry Lyndon.

Cline's tone is corrosive and bitter, describing Alex’s world as one that’s scary and predatory, but hackable. And despite Alex's sophisticated manipulation skills, she still acts like a kid. It's telling when, later on, Alex is with a young boy at the beach, who eats ice cream and asks her: "Are you a good grown-up?" She considers the question, and replies, "I'm not even a grown-up."

In promotional materials, Cline cites Patricia Highsmith and the Safdie brothers movie Good Time as part of the book's literary DNA. Alex’s grift is an adrenaline rush, her lawlessness is a thrill ride. Thanks to Random House for sharing NetGalley access.

I love meeting the characters in Emma Kline’s books. They’re risk takers, strong but unwise, savvy but loose with their morals. These are the characters we love to live vicariously through, taking risks, sleeping around, and making mistakes while we remain in the comfort of our favorite reading chair.
Meet Alex, a grifter of lower expectations. As long as she has a roof over her head, someone to take care of her, and nice trinkets, she’s happy.
Currently, she’s living off of Simon in a beautiful home on the coast of Long Island. Her days consist of floating in the ocean, then the pool, then going to nice restaurants. Her abuse of chemicals and alcohol is an acceptable hazard, but this is what makes her judgment blurry. Suddenly she’s out on the street again. Slinking from place to place, sleeping out in the elements, and showing absolutely no respect for herself, Alex slowly spirals down. She also has a debt to pay to Dom, a previous victim, and he’s getting closer. This is such a tense read, you’re constantly amazed at how little Alex cares about protocol, rules, and herself. I love this author and anxiously await her next amazing read.
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group- Random House for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is May 16, 2023.

Alex is a drifter. Put up in an older man named Simon's glamorous New York estate, her every need is seen to, so long as she can maintain the role that is expected of her. When an otherwise unassuming dinner party at Simon's takes a turn, Alex is suddenly turned out back onto the streets with nothing but her broken phone and a history of long-burned bridges behind her.

For Alex, it's not just a question of where she'll go next: it's who she'll be next. And that, to put it simply, is whoever she needs to be to get by.

Set against the backdrop of summer on the East End of Long Island, "The Guest" was utterly spring-loaded with potential, but sadly failed to make anything imaginative out of Alex's story. Her drawn-to-glamour, morally-grey character felt very been-there-done-that, and despite the story being overall easy to fly through, by the end not much had happened from my perspective.

Cline introduces peripheral characters throughout the story that also had potential but fell flat and felt largely "unfinished" by the end of the story: what was their purpose for Alex, what were they after? Unfortunately, "The Guest" leaves these and--no spoilers here--another enormous question left wholly unanswered with subpar execution that left me wondering if Cline intended a deeper meaning in the story or not.

Overall lacking in the ingenue or explosiveness I was looking for in a story like Alex's, "The Guest" holds onto some nice pieces of suspense and makes for an easy read. Having not loved "The Girls," I'd say my reading journey with Cline's books likely ends here.