All in the (Manson) family

The turbulent summer of 1969. Woodstock, Vietnam war protests, cults, and the first man on the moon. A time when kids could spend all day away from home and their parents wouldn't even notice. A time when everything could change.

Such is the case with fourteen-year-old Evie in The Girls by Emma Cline. I just finished reading this book and WOW, it was a stunner. The story is loosely based on the Manson Family, the murderous cult led by charismatic (and crazy) Charles Manson.

The main character, Evie, gets involved with them and spends her summer out on "the ranch," living their hippie lifestyle, suffering from melancholy teen angst, and getting closer and closer to violent acts she might regret forever.

This book is so well written. I can't say it enough. Cline does an amazing job of creating this ongoing tension throughout the story, even though we know what the plot is leading up to. I was on the edge of my seat page after page wondering if Evie would turn out to be a murderer.

I did feel sympathy for Evie. She was clearly depressed and searching for a place where she could belong. She found that sense of community among the other girls in The Family. The author has a knack for being in the mind of a young teenager. The way they think, how they perceive other women. The unhinging uncertainty that comes with puberty and the process of entering womanhood.

There are also ongoing themes of female oppression and a dissatisfaction with normal, American life throughout the story.

Halfway between thriller and coming-of-age, I definitely recommend this book. It was a New York Times best-seller and Scott Rudin purchased the movie deal before the book was even published! Check it out if you love anything nostalgic for a time period you were not even alive for.

What's your favorite coming-of-age story?