Marlena Summary
Julie Buntin

Marlena Overview

This novel, written mostly in flashback from the perspective of narrator and protagonist Cat, is the story of an intense, short-lived friendship between two high-school aged young women. As the younger Cat falls under the spell of the charismatic, self-destructive Marlena, she discovers a darker, freer side of herself that she had not imagined was present, or possible. As the novel explores this complex relationship and its effect on Cat’s present-day life, it explores themes related to substance abuse and addiction, mother/daughter relationships, and the relationship between isolation and connection.