The Girls by Emma Cline Book Review

I knew this book was coming up on my book club reading list so I had reserved it at my local library. All I can say is it's a good thing I didn't pay for it.

It's 1969 and fourteen-year-old Evie Boyd is a bored and lonely teenager. Her parents are too involved with their own problems to pay much attention to poor Evie so, when she meets an older girl named Suzanne, Evie is smitten. Suzanne introduces Evie to Russell, a clever cult leader who knows exactly what to do and say to convince little lost children to do his bidding.

I HATED the author's writing style. It read like a never-ending, rambling and ridiculously bad poem. There were words for pages and pages, yet nothing of great importance was ever said. The characters were so poorly and superficially developed I literally could not care about any of them.

The glaring period discrepancies made me wonder who researched 1969. There were too many things that just did not ring true to the time period. I got the feeling that there was such a rush to publish this awful book that no one took the time to do the proper editing and research.

What I find extremely interesting is that there is very little information to find on Ms. Emma Cline. A pretty, photogenic face does not an author make. Skip this one. It's been hyped up and that's about it. A very poor retelling of the Manson story.

1 out of 5 Stars
Bob 

Why I Blog About Books

I've always loved to read. Even as a little kid I was an avid reader. Some of my favorite times were spent at the local library. My mom used to take us for a walk into town and we'd stop at the library. She always brought along a bag for us to fill with our chosen books and she'd make sure to read them all to us over and over again. We'd spend hours in the kid's section, looking for books and playing with the puppets and toys. Those were fun times and they also built a firm foundation for us as children. By doing these things with us, I now realize that my mom was telling us how important reading is in our lives. Good job, Mom!

So now, when I'm older, I love finding a good book that I can lose myself in. I'm fortunate, in that I enjoy all types of books - all genres, basically. Just as long as it's good. And, by good I mean that it needs to have a strong plot, some unexpected twists and turns, and some really great characters who are fully developed, relatable and likable. If I spend time choosing a book and reading it and it doesn't deliver for me I feel cheated.

I'd much rather write a positive review than write a negative one. In fact, I HATE giving a book a bad review. I know that some author has put his or her heart and soul into writing that book and it hurts when people criticize what they've done. Sometimes I'm torn about whether I should write a book when I know it'll be negative. But what keeps me from shying away from writing a negative review is that I know a lot of readers (myself included) rely on reviews to choose their books. If I go easy on a book just because I don't want to hurt an author's feelings is that really fair to other readers? No, it's not. And I really don't want to forgo writing a negative review altogether because I've already invested a certain amount of time and money on the book.

My reasons for blogging about books doesn't always involve book reviews. Sometimes it's just to spread the word about a new book I've heard about. Or it's about writing in general. There are many other avid readers out there. There are many independent authors looking for ways to promote their books. I'm always willing to connect with authors and other readers. Blogging is a great way to do that.

How about you? If you also blog about books, why do you do it? I'm interested in hearing your thoughts! Leave me a comment below.

Bob

I'm Now Accepting Book Tour Stops

Just a short post to let authors know that I'm now willing to host tour stops and other book events. If you're an author and are planning to take your book on tour please let me know. I'm happy to help spread the word!

To let me know about your upcoming book tour just fill out the contact form in the sidebar and I'll get back to you asap. I look forward to promoting your book!

Bob