Evie Boyd is a middle-aged woman, living alone in her friend Dan’s house in LA, ruminating about the past. Her life up until now has been ordinary, but somewhat disappointing. So when she is visited by intruders in the middle of the night, and is reminded of how unsafe life can be—before she realizes that the intruders are Dan’s teenage son and girlfriend—she is once again back in the unsafe world she once inhabited. Even though she was merely on the fringes of that world. And feeling unsafe is better than feeling nothing at all.
But as her mind takes her back to the summer of 1969, we soon learn how the life she lives now was informed by her choices back then. How her fascination with a free-living group in the Bay Area, living on what they called the ranch, had captivated her. How she was mostly drawn in by one of the girls, a young woman of nineteen named Suzanne. What had drawn her to Suzanne back then, and why is her mind still working out the details of that time, even now, all these years later? Was it an infatuation? Did Suzanne and the other girls fill an empty space inside, the part that emphasized the blankness of her life? Would she have done what those girls finally did, or did she have a moral compass after all?
The Girls is a reminder of another story from that same year. The true story of Charles Manson and his followers, and while they are not mentioned in this novel, those who have lived and learned from the horrors will certainly see some similarities.
Was Evie simply a product of the times? Did her middle class life seem so empty that she was drawn into the colorful world of the family at the ranch? Was her attraction to Suzanne more about the appeal of the other girl’s dismissal of ordinary values? Or did Suzanne’s occasional dismissal of Evie herself only enhance the appeal?
I felt sorry for Evie, who had avoided the fate of the others because of a chance maneuver on Suzanne’s part, and who seemed to always be wishing she could have been more involved. Her flat life in the present made me feel sad, since she could have been grateful for what she somehow managed to escape. A story that kept me reading, even though the ending seemed inevitable. 4.5 stars.
***My e-ARC came from the publishers via NetGalley.
Nice review as always.
I don’t think I will like the book, though.
Thanks for sharing.
Elizabeth
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Thanks…it is not a book everyone would enjoy, Elizabeth…I’m glad you could stop by, and have a great week.
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I just finished this the other day! Great read, so much insight into what it means to be a girl.
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Very true, Voracious….thanks for stopping by.
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I really liked this book but I was also fascinated by Helter Skelter although it scared me that people could be so violent.
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Yes, it is always amazing to discover the dark side of people. Thanks for stopping by, Heather.
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I wondered about this one since the blurb instantly brings the Manson “family” to mind. I’m going to have to look for this one. I’m not sure it’s one I’m confident in enough to buy new but hopefully my library will have it.
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One thing about this book: it is not graphic, like Helter Skelter. Thanks for stopping by, Katherine.
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Hmm not sure its for me, but what a fascinating story although it sounds like Evie is just living but not fully even at the end.
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Yes, that part made me sad, Kathryn….why not enjoy the fact of her escape from the travesty the others wrought? Thanks for stopping by.
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I have this and love your review. I will be starting it soon.
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Thanks, Kimberly, I hope you enjoy it! Soon I will have finished my “girls in June” list of books that included this one, as well as The Girls in the Garden, and my up next read, All the Missing Girls.
Funny about that, right?
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Glad to know this one is quite good. I actually have it to read this week, but I hope it won’t be too dark — just the thought of the whole Manson crimes makes me grim. I hope this book doesn’t put a damper on my early summer !
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Thanks, Susan, I hope you enjoy it, too. Luckily, it was not graphic like Helter Skelter, and it was more about one girl’s obsession with one of the cult girls.
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Glad you liked the book. I think I am on the side of the fence of letting this one pass.
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Thanks for stopping by, Nise…it was not my favorite book from this era, but it did hold my interest. Enjoy your summer reading.
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