The Guest by Emma Cline Review – A Captivating Thriller of Identity, Manipulation, and Survival

The latest novel by Emma Cline i.e. The Guest revolves around the life of 22 years old Alex who is a vulnerable young woman without any support system. Alex is a wanderer who has no home or any genuine friends. On the other hand, she has got both intellect and beauty. These are the two qualities that she exploits for navigating the deceitful terrain of Long Island’s East End in her survival fight.

Alex is now at the unfamiliar place after parting ways from her abusive boyfriend. She is also planning to distance herself from her past career of prostitute. Working as a prostitute deeply shaped her perspective of this world. As a result, when she faces Simon, an older as well as wealthier man. She knows how to captivate the old man so she molded herself into the desires of the old man. She also knows that one single misstep will result in Simon discarding her like any discarded object. She ahs six days to regain the favor of Simon and Alex has to exploit her manipulation skills to exploit others and sustain herself in Long Island.

The author Emma Cline has adopted a compelling writing style that flawlessly immerses the readers in artificial world of East End. The author has refrained from showing a complete picture of the identity of Alex. The choice of intentional narrative along with Alex’s calculated observations of her environments creates sense of detachment between the character and the reader. The experiences of Alex as a woman and a former sex worker have deeply influenced the personality she adopts in different situations. Her selection of Simon as a partner demonstrates this and she follows his desires and adjusts her own aspirations to align with the life that she has constructed with him.  All in all The Guest by Emma Cline is a gripping book that explores intricate conflicts between the genders, generations as well as social classes.