The Guest | Emma Cline

Alex is a sex worker in Manhattan who hits the jackpot on night when she hooks up with Simon, a wealthy, middle-aged man who apparently finds her beautiful and fun enough to provide her with the illusion of a relationship--gifts of clothes, handbags and fancy food are the currency. Alex accompanies Simon to his place in the Hamptons and is dismayed when Simon kicks her out, without a second glance, after she acts inappropriately at a party.

But Alex isn't ready to go. She owes a drug dealer in the City money and she's sure she can fast-talk her way back into Simon's orbit. So she hangs around and insinuates herself into the lives of a series of other people, all of whom have weaknesses that she's hardwired to identify and exploit.

The book is like watching a train wreck. You know it's not going to end well. (That's not exactly right, because the story doesn't actually end, in the sense of conclude the narrative). Cline's writing is strong enough that I read the whole darn thing, even though I had zero sympathy for Alex and even less for the poor saps she preyed upon to reach her delusional goal of getting back on the Simon train. Alex is clearly a drug-addled con artist. It got me thinking about male con artists and how their stories are told. The tools they used to survive in comparison to what Alex had at her disposal. To be honest, it was a depressing story, but the character of Alex is sticky and I suspect I'll continue to think about her long after put down the book.