4.25 stars

A tense psychological roller coaster, I don't think I've ever read anything quite like The Quest, a narrative that is equal part everyday mundanity and extremely expressionistic. It's a little reminiscent of David Lynch's style of storytelling (commenting on the absurd construct of our society), as well as reminding me of the film The Swimmer (1968) starring Burt Lancaster (this novel also contains the recurring motif of its protagonist going into the pool of every household she manages to breach).

Utilizing her perception and sexuality, we follow the Alex as she leeches off from various members of an upper-class community. Emma Cline has created a flawed, but dimensional female protagonist, who is at the same time smart and confident (morphing herself to fit the desire of others), but also oblivious of her own flaws, resulting in a lot of anxiety-inducing scenarios. The spiraling second half is worthy of the novel's slow build, as desperation and nerve started to impact logic and reasoning; at one point I had my hands on my face as the audiobook went on, because I couldn't believe just how much her problems have compounded. The ending—while I appreciate greatly, didn't fully comprehend it until I read other reviewers' analysis—it is left quite open-ended, which I know might irk some readers who prefer a more concrete closure.

If you're looking for something non-mainstream and experimental, bu still can get your heart rate pumping, The Quest is worth checking out.