The Girls - Emma Cline - A Short Summary and Review
The Girls - Emma Cline - A Short Summary and Review
By: a.d. elliott | Take the Back Roads - Art and Other Odd Adventures
A Rite of Fancy Book Recommendation and Review
A short summary:
Set in late-1960s California, The Girls follows 14-year-old Evie Boyd, a lonely, drifting teenager who becomes captivated by a group of older girls living on the fringes of society. Drawn in by their confidence, their chaos, and their promise of belonging, Evie gradually embeds herself within their makeshift “family” under the influence of a charismatic and manipulative leader.
As the summer unfolds, admiration turns to complicity. Cline examines how isolation, insecurity, and the hunger to be seen can lead a young girl into dangerous devotion. Loosely inspired by the cultural shadow of the Manson-era murders, the novel focuses less on violence itself and more on how it becomes possible.
My favorite quote about the book:
Questions to ponder while reading:
My review:
Yes, it is reminiscent of the Manson Family. The parallels are clear: the desert ranch, the manipulative male leader, the devoted girls orbiting him like fragile planets. But what makes The Girls compelling isn’t the crime. It’s the psychology.
Cline writes the slow seduction of belonging with almost surgical precision. Evie isn’t evil. She isn’t even particularly rebellious. She is lonely. She is overlooked. She is aching to be chosen. That emotional vulnerability is what makes the story unsettling, because it feels plausible.
This is less about a cult forming and more about adolescence as a kind of cult in itself. The desperation to mirror someone cooler. The willingness to adopt ideas you don’t fully understand. The way teenage identity is soft clay in other people’s hands. And yes, I found myself thinking, "Well, at least I never did that."
There’s something oddly reassuring about watching teenage recklessness taken to its extreme. It reframes ordinary bad decisions. It reminds you that insecurity is common, but direction matters. Influence matters. Stylistically, the novel is moody and atmospheric. It drifts. It lingers. It’s more interior than explosive. Some readers may want more plot movement, but Cline is clearly after mood. heat, dust, hunger, imitation.
It’s a quiet study in how young women get absorbed into male mythologies, and how easily admiration becomes participation. Uncomfortable. Hypnotic. Subtle in its horror.
_____________________________________________________________________________
About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.
You can also browse her online photography gallery at shop.takethebackroads.com.
✨ #TakeTheBackRoads
Enjoyed this post? Support the adventure by visiting my sponsors, shopping the gallery, or buying me a cup of coffee!
