A very interesting take on the Manson cult and a look into how a young girl could become enthralled with a charismatic man and his group of followers.

This title was just an okay read for me. While I understand the main character, Evie, was looking for belonging, I really couldn't understand why she kept going back to Russell and Suzanne and the rest of the cult. I didn't really feel what the draw was to these people.

Thank you to random house and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. This was an amazing debut novel and set up Emma cline as a great writer. This book goes back and forth between present and the past. It was a great perspective to hear from young girls that got caught up
In Manson and his cult. It gave me a lot of information on it. I would consider the book a slow burn where each chapter sets you up for a great ending. It was a pretty advance language and imagery but think it would be assessable to all readers. I really enjoyed it and thought about it a long time afterwards.

Ooh time goes by and if i don't write the review right away...sigh. I'm trying to be better. The best i can do right now is give a star count...

What i do remember is it was too Manson-y for me.

This didn't sit well with me. The writing was off somehow. I was not consumed with any interest to continue with this one.

I could not turn the pages fast enough. I have to admit that this is time period in history I am not interested in and I don't read True Crime, but the storytelling in this was amazeballs. I am currently working my way through all of the Shirley Jackson Award Winning Novels and this has her tone in spades. Dark, obsessive, young girl with privilege. I was up all night finishing it!

just didn't gel with this one. The narrator's insistence on telling us constantly that she "didn't know at the time..." grated on and bored me in equal measures. I couldn't connect with her or the story she was trying to tell.

I've always been fascinated by the Manson murders so I was really excited to read this book. I really enjoyed it's approach to that time and situation. I thought it was well written and look forward to reading more books by this author.

I just didn’t find anything enjoyable or likeable. I didn’t like Evie, I didn’t like the disjointed timelines, I didn’t like the narrative. I was surprised to not agree with the masses here, especially considering my fascination with the subject matter.

Any Manson ‘fan’ needs to read this. Great perspective and history. Highly recommend this author.

Tried and tried but just couldn’t fall in love with this.... I realize I’m probably in the majority here but couldn’t find enough redeeming qualities to this tale to complete it. May try again soon but for now, I’ll say, “No thank you - I’ll not have one now”.
Thanks for the ARC opportunity!

I wanted to love this one and I just didn't. I know it will be a popular book, I just don't think it's the right fit for me.

I didn't love this novel the way I expected to. I have been fascinated by the Manson cult since I was a teenager, and this story just felt like a watered down version of the real thing. The narrator was irritating and forgettable, and I just never felt the tension that should have been there. I was bored ultimately. I also didn't care much for the author's very very purple prose. It was difficult to trudge through and just acted in my opinion like smoke and mirrors, detracting from the fact that there isn't much of a story here. The historical aspect was the most interesting aspect and I felt like the author did capture the atmosphere and the feeling of the sixties.

See my full goodreads review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1622539397

This is a book that received many accolades when it was published. Many people really liked this book, but it was just okay for me. Don't get me wrong, it is very well written, but some of the subject matter and language was just a bit rough for me. The Girls is the story of 14 year old teenager, Evie Boyd, who is a very lonely young girl. She bounces between her divorced parents' houses and after seeing a group of girls in a local park, begins hanging out with them at a strange cult-like compound that promotes love and acceptance. The story is told in dual timelines, 1969 and then years later when Evie is much older. The author does a good job with this and it flows easily from each time period. As Evie becomes more and more involved with this cult, and somewhat in love with Suzanne, a wild and sexually free young woman, things get more dangerous and Evie has to decide how far she is willing to go. Fortunately for her, her parents are not willing to give up on her.

This story is based on the Manson murders and it was rather disturbing. I do not want to repeat what the blurb says so will leave it with this. I will once again say that this was a well-written story, but the subject matter may be hard for some to read. There is foul language, sexual abuse (she is only 14), violence and some difficult living conditions. This is a hard one for me to rate for these reasons.

This book absolutely freaked me out, but in the best way. Cline's writing drew me in immediately, and I will pick up anything she puts out -- she is incredibly talented.

The Mason murders are a crazy story of human beings in a cult. Parts of it were fascinating, to learn about what might have been going on in the minds of these girls

It's a great representation of the young female psyche navigating insecurities, rebellion, and curiosities through adolescence.

One thing a good reader recognizes is that all books are not their cup of tea, but recognizes that being taken out of one’s comfort zone can be a good thing. So it was for me with this book. I kept wanting to stop reading. I knew where the story was going. Perhaps for a younger reader not familiar with the Manson family, it will strike a different tone. This was the Manson family told from the perspective of a young teen, who thinks she’s found the family love she is missing in her own family. But as the horrors awaken her to what she’s gotten herself into, how does she get herself out, and for me that determination to reclaim her own life made the book worth reading for me.

this was a dnf for me . I was actually getting bored with the characters and the author really overwrote the book . She could of trimmed some off and the book would of been better .

This book was a bit of a guilty pleasure and, honestly, I couldn't put it down. It's one of those stories where you know how it's going to end, but the way it gets there is what makes it memorable. I found the story of Evie completely mesmerizing...and raw...and of course, disturbing. Cline's use of first-person narration was masterful and, while she is able to make some very dark moments feel almost beautiful, the underlying wickedness of Manson is always there. I would not recommend this book to just anyone, but if you're up for a visceral exploration of a murderous cult combined with a disturbing coming-of-age novel, this is about as good as they get.