title: The Guest by: Cline, Emma published: 2023-05-16 read: 2023-06 preview

Alex is 22. And she survives. Coming from a challenging background, she convinces wealthier men, like Simon, to have her around for a longer time. Sometimes successfully, sometimes less so. And the book starts when Simon throws her out, as he thinks she’s getting too intimate with one of his friends. Rightly so. Or not?

We follow Alex sleeping on the beach, sleeping in a squatted house with an underage boy, and wherever she can, until she manages to get back to Simon; after all, his kicking her out was all a mistake.

Wasn’t it?

As much as I understand the situation Alex is in, somehow the way it was written made me not relate all that well to the sorrows of a 22-year-old girl, who lives her life between opportunism, sugarbabe, and dependence. And still is a strong character, mind you, knowing how to get what she wants.

Often.

She smiled but felt that the smile wasn’t reaching her eyes. You know, such sentences which are made to make you pause and think, and you do, and you get not an inch further. Or this one, The boy who came over was tall, Germanic looking, with features that seemed approximate, like they had been drawn from memory. Not sure what effect Cline is looking for here. It irritated me more than made it enjoyable.

For me, easy come, easy go, this book. I may have missed a hidden message. But as it is, I cannot recommend it.