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daniella84's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I want to preface this by saying I only picked this up because I got this author confused with Eliza Clark and this is definitely not my genre of book so this is my fault :/
It wasn't like terrible or I would have DNFed it but it fell into that weird space between not being great but being an easy enough read to not be worth giving up on? I finished it pretty quickly, it wasn't particularly offensive, but it also was not anything that I would recommend to anyone.
Weirdly it reminded me a bit of Men Have Called Her Crazy: A Memoir in that the protagonist got by through her romantic relationships with rich men, and rather than being explored in an interesting way you just kind of wanted to shout at her to get a job? This book didn't give me enough to make me care about the protagonist - it hinted at her having a dark past but you didn't get much depth to it, or enough sense of her desperation to add tension to the otherwise non-existent plot. She's just kind of getting away with half-baked lies and hooking up with guys for a week and there's not really much more to it?
She wasn't necessarily meant to be likeable I don't think, but she could have at least been a bit more interesting. I also think the line was crossed when she continued to hook up with a guy after finding out he was a minor, but you didn't get the sense she was like especially conflicted about that? And then, after the whole book having very little substance, it was the most open ending ever?? Like excuse me??? I don't usually mind open endings but this one was just no closure at all and without any real plot or character development it kind of felt the whole thing had been a waste of time.
Not particularly thrilling or interesting or memorable, but a good enough time I guess? It feels like the type of book you buy at an airport bookshop and then leave behind in your Airbnb because even though you COULD fit it in your luggage you could also just not?
It wasn't like terrible or I would have DNFed it but it fell into that weird space between not being great but being an easy enough read to not be worth giving up on? I finished it pretty quickly, it wasn't particularly offensive, but it also was not anything that I would recommend to anyone.
Weirdly it reminded me a bit of Men Have Called Her Crazy: A Memoir in that the protagonist got by through her romantic relationships with rich men, and rather than being explored in an interesting way you just kind of wanted to shout at her to get a job? This book didn't give me enough to make me care about the protagonist - it hinted at her having a dark past but you didn't get much depth to it, or enough sense of her desperation to add tension to the otherwise non-existent plot. She's just kind of getting away with half-baked lies and hooking up with guys for a week and there's not really much more to it?
She wasn't necessarily meant to be likeable I don't think, but she could have at least been a bit more interesting. I also think the line was crossed when she continued to hook up with a guy after finding out he was a minor, but you didn't get the sense she was like especially conflicted about that? And then, after the whole book having very little substance, it was the most open ending ever?? Like excuse me??? I don't usually mind open endings but this one was just no closure at all and without any real plot or character development it kind of felt the whole thing had been a waste of time.
Not particularly thrilling or interesting or memorable, but a good enough time I guess? It feels like the type of book you buy at an airport bookshop and then leave behind in your Airbnb because even though you COULD fit it in your luggage you could also just not?
emmakaejones's review against another edition
5.0
is it possible to be so tuned into reality that you completely detach from it?
gaslighting, gatekeeping, girlbossing -> dissociation, manipulation, etc.
gaslighting, gatekeeping, girlbossing -> dissociation, manipulation, etc.
kthoad's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
pgflanagan9's review
adventurous
dark
funny
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
trench's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
kasiamonique's review against another edition
2.0
The Guest follows Alex, who we can believe is an escort or sex worker of some sort. Alex comes to spend the summer at her older boyfriends beach house in Long Island. When her boyfriend asks her to leave, we follow Alex and all the things she gets into trying to make it by until Labor Day.
To be honest, I am very torn about this book and story. I felt very sorry for Alex, but I also disliked her a lot. There is something that irritates me very much about “sleepy” characters that kind of just meander through life (think My Year of Rest and Relaxation). I just want to reach into the book and shake them by the shoulders.
The adventures of Alex did keep me very entertained as I was reading and I was astonished with how much she was able to get away with and the ways she was able to make herself “fit in”. As someone who, at times, suffers from social anxiety, it was hard for me to imagine the ease that it seemed Alex did these things with.
The ending of the book was somewhat ambiguous to me. There were a lot of questions that I felt were left unanswered. I know that some people enjoy endings like this, but I do not. I guess I was expecting more from the ending.
Overall, I hated the ending, but not the book itself, but there also wasn’t a lot going on in the book so I can’t bring myself to rate it any higher. But it was a decent casual read.
To be honest, I am very torn about this book and story. I felt very sorry for Alex, but I also disliked her a lot. There is something that irritates me very much about “sleepy” characters that kind of just meander through life (think My Year of Rest and Relaxation). I just want to reach into the book and shake them by the shoulders.
The adventures of Alex did keep me very entertained as I was reading and I was astonished with how much she was able to get away with and the ways she was able to make herself “fit in”. As someone who, at times, suffers from social anxiety, it was hard for me to imagine the ease that it seemed Alex did these things with.
The ending of the book was somewhat ambiguous to me. There were a lot of questions that I felt were left unanswered. I know that some people enjoy endings like this, but I do not. I guess I was expecting more from the ending.
Overall, I hated the ending, but not the book itself, but there also wasn’t a lot going on in the book so I can’t bring myself to rate it any higher. But it was a decent casual read.
pkgardner's review against another edition
2.0
I literally could not even finish this book because I had so much second-hand embarrassment and cringe for the main character. I am sure if you are able to get past this, it may be an incredible book.
asadoqueen's review
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
safiya's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0