A short story stretched into something vaguely resembling a novel—at least in length. “That’s it!” I cried when I reached the end. Disappointing.

The reason that there’s no standard “character development” in “The Guest” is because Alex is trying to erase who she really is. The point of this book is, I thought, to criticize the vapid emptiness of consumer culture, especially among the very rich, to whom people from lower socioeconomic classes only exist in terms of how they can better serve the Simons of the world. Simon will never see Alex in any other way, because she lacks the one thing that makes a person valuable in his eyes—money. Alex’s week in the Hamptons (an ironic reference to the “West Egg/ East Egg” of “The Great Gatsby”) is an epic journey of standing still. She goes from person to person in search of some safety, some shelter, seeking protection from the menacing “Dom” (read: former pimp), only to screw up each time she manages to ingratiate herself to the random strangers she encounters after being kicked out (politely) of Simon’s life. A woman on the same social level as Simon would’ve recognized his brush off as a break up, as a moment of finality, but Alex can’t recognize it as such because she needs what Simon has too much. How long would the relationship have gone on before Simon found out how she’d really been supporting herself in “the city” (the thinly-veiled New York)? Alex’s conflict is mostly internal, yet, as with everyone compared to the super rich that are Simon’s ilk, her position in society is ultimately dependent on his approval. Also, it felt to me that through the whole novel that Alex is hiding something about herself that is never explicitly revealed to the reader or to any of the characters in the story—it could be a whole host of things, from mental illness to a physical disfigurement—and I couldn’t help but think about the gender-neutrality of her name as being either a subtle clue or a red herring, but the fact that Cline gave her anti-heroine a name that can be used either by men or women was not lost on me.

This book isn’t for everyone— it squeaked out a three from me simply because there were a few instances that the writing pulled me in, but there were also plenty of awkward parts that didn’t seem to fit— stood out like a sore thumb. It’s difficult to write about this book in detail without spoiling it. Upon reflection I understand the symbolism of the first major event which is her almost drowning and the title is apropos because she doesn’t fit in anywhere— she doesn’t belong— thus she is the perpetual guest in any situation. Reading those around her to reflect their values and fulfill their needs to prolong her stay— her acceptance.

This book never really took off. I kept waiting for the big twist that never happened.

For young audience

The main character is not likable so how can you be on her side?

I thought it would be a fun read with some twists. It had none of that. It is boring with no character development. There was hardly a plot. I had to force myself to finish, thinking it might get better towards the end but the ending was just as terrible as the rest.

I liked this a lot! I can see the points of other reviews in saying it sort of doesn’t have a great ending, but I feel like it definitely fits the vibe of the book. The structure almost feels like a short story to me. I definitely loved the descriptions the author included of people and things, and I’d be intrigued to read more. Would recommend to mystery or drama fans.

What a page turner! Really enjoyed this.

Pour an iced tea and freak yourself out over Alex’s path through the Hamptons.