Publication Date - June 14, 2016
4 stars
As someone born in the late seventies, I was pretty much a small child during the entirety of the eighties so I wondered if my perspective would be slightly different from this book. Then, I realized that the author is about the same age as I am and I could definitely tell that we have a similar memories and experiences with the movies of the decade. This book has some really funny moments but I think I was most surprised by the seriousness. When you watch these movies now, they seem rough, from a different era and a lot more realistic than anything made now. To be honest, the only movies (that aren't animated and for my kids) that I have been excited about paying money to see in the past ten or so years have been the Hunger Games trilogy and I didn't even realize why until I read this book. This makes so many good points and she successfully ties these movies to politics, culture and changing morals. My one complaint is that at times she ends up contradicting herself with movies that are obviously meant for entertainment and not to sociologically dissect, however, this is one of the more entertaining books that I have read lately and definitely brought back feelings that I had while watching them. I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Girls by Emma Cline
Publication Date - June 14, 2016
3.5 stars
I have been hearing about this book for a very long time and in this case, it may have impacted my reading experience. This is an extremely well written book mirroring the cult surrounding Charles Manson in the late 1960's. It follows a young teenager who gets involved with the cult after the divorce of her parents leaves her feeling lonely and isolated. Her obsession does not center around the charismatic leader, Russell, but she instead find herself charmed by the girls that surround him. This book does a good job of showing how young, impressionable girls from broken homes may feel special in this situation, however, I do not feel like the main character, Evie, is a an entirely believable character. For me, she was just never how I wanted her to be and it colored my reading experience. That said, the grittiness and psychology of certain sections of this book were very beautifully written so I can definitely see why it is getting such hype and I look forward to reading further discussion on it. I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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