Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn

I never got in on the madness that swept through the blogiverse when Flynn's first book "Sharp Objects" was published.  But boy, it was hard to ignore the rave reviews.  I also did not read her second book "Dark Places".  Too many books, so little time, and all that.  I feel like I need to go confess for these sins.  I know not what I do.  


Because, my friends, after reading this book.  This freaking Tilt-a-Whirl carnival ride of a book.  This INSANE book.  I am shamed.  What.  The.  Hell.  Have.  I.  Been.  Doing.  With.  My.  Life.


Did you see that in the middle of May, a couple of weeks before it's pub date, Entertainment Weekly had this little beauty on its Bullseye List?  In the good part of the Bullseye, I might add, saying it is the one book you need to read this summer?  And the "A" they ultimately gave it, calling it "ingenious and viperish"?  (Seriously, look at this review.)  Well, they weren't lying.  Let's see if I can give you a feel for what you are in for, without spoiling the heck out of it.


Synopsis:  On the morning of Nick and Amy's fifth wedding anniversary, in the small town of Carthage, Missouri, everything starts out business as usual.  Amy makes Nick crepes, then Nick heads out to work at the bar he bought and runs with his twin sister.  A few hours later, however, Amy is missing and there are signs of a struggle at their home.  Amy's parents fly in, the police get involved, and soon the entire nation is praying for Amy's safe return.  It is no surprise that all eyes are on Nick.  Everyone knows that it is always the husband who is the prime suspect.  And Nick has been acting inappropriately, which makes it worse.  


In alternating chapters, we hear from Nick and from Amy through diary entries written prior to her disappearance.  This is obviously a marriage that has taken a wrong turn, and a reader would expect to get two sides of the story.  Marriages go through tough times, after all.  But the reader will NOT expect the sinister, sadistic turn this tale takes halfway through. A character study in chilling, sociopathic behavior?  A psychotic emotional roller-coaster?  A device to force every married reader to look a little closer at their spouse?  A statement on the public's mass hysteria and knee-jerk judgements of cases involving missing women?  This story has it all.


My thoughts:  OK, I've said this a million times before.  I am a huge mystery thriller fan.  Mysteries, murders, psycho-killers...this is my comfort food.  They do all start to run together for me after while, however.  You have to find a niche, set yourself apart to get my attention and force me to remember the plot a week after I've finished it.  


So trust me.  You have never read anything quite like this.  Dudes it is DARK.  Like Cohen Brothers dark.  Maybe even darker.  Into a mile-deep black pit of foul inky sludge you go. 


Holy mind-screw Batman.  I had no idea which was was north.  I was completely incapable of managing my emotions.  I hated Nick, I loved Amy.  I hated Amy, I loved Nick.  I hated them all.  I feared them all.  I didn't know how I felt.  Which team was I on?  I was scared, horrified, but also strangely electrified and consumed by this story and the personalities involved.  I didn't like the people in this book AT ALL, which is normally the kiss of death with me.  But I couldn't take my eyes off them.  They were compelling, beguiling.


So what else do I need to say to get you to read this?  That it will be on my favorites list at year end?  That it would blow the roof off of a book club?  Just.  Go read it, now.  While I go redeem myself as a lover of mysteries and read this author's back list.


5 out of 5 stars               

29 comments:

caite said...

{sob...sob} why did no one offer me a copy of this one?? I must have it, must I tell you!!
Dark...chilling, sociopathic behavior..it sounds perfect.

bermudaonion said...

Wow, I'm speechless. I won a copy of this last week and now I can't wait for it to come.

Beth F said...

Um. Okay. I must drink the Flynn Kool-Aid. Apparently I haven't lived yet.

Unknown said...

I've seen a few reviews for this book flying around, but you've sold it to me. I've just ordered it from my library. I'm 8th in the queue (for 17 books) so hopefully I'll have a copy in my hands sometime in July. I'm looking forward to it!

Meg @ write meg! said...

Gah! Yours is the second review I've seen today, and I'm so intrigued. I'm not normally into dark stories or thrillers, but I can't ignore the siren call of a good mind-screw. Adding to the wishlist!

Unknown said...

I'm 22nd in the queue. I should have the book sometime in August.

Oh, well.

Anna said...

Just put myself on hold for a copy at my library based on your review. :)

Peppermint Ph.D. said...

I've been on the fence about this one...and now I can't get it fast enough ;) Can't wait!!

Melissa (Avid Reader) said...

I have been trying to get my hands on this one for a month! I'm not supposed to be buying any new books and I'm number 147 on the library wait list. 147!!!! I will not be able to wait that long.

Jenny said...

I absolutely love this review. You described it so well and I can feel your excitement about it. I agree this one does set itself apart, and I, too, want to read her backlist now!!

Ti said...

I turned the ARC down. My loss.

I was at the bookstore the other day and flipped to a random page to see what kind of wacky I'd get and it wasn't wacky at all. Not to me. LOL.

rhapsodyinbooks said...

So whaddaya think? Should I read it? (ha ha, too much Guinness for me!)

Kathleen said...

I'm going to the bookstore, right now, and getting this book!

JoAnn said...

I'm slowly making my way up the library hold list... hope I get to the top sometime this summer!

Unknown said...

I actually bought this book!! I still have huge stacks of books and e galleys, but I'm going to read this one!!

Natalie~Coffee and a Book Chick said...

YES!!!! I loved everything about this book! I happen to think Gillian Flynn's writing is twistedly fantastic, and if you enjoyed this one, read Sharp Objects first (her debut). Just as twisted as Dark Places but I "enjoyed" Sharp Objects more. They're all daggone dark and weird. Love it!

Susanbright said...

Sounds really good. I am going to add it to my "to read" list! Thanks!

Marie Cloutier said...

OK, I've gotta read this!

Pam (@iwriteinbooks) said...

Wow, I guess this is a winner! I'm making my vacation reading list right now. Think this needs to go on it. :O)

Anonymous said...

I think I'm too scared to read it!

Marce said...

I absolutely loved your review but am in the minority, I wasn't a fan.

I do want to try her debut now though.

Carrie K. said...

Just got it in the mail yesterday! ~happy dance~

Julie P. said...

Just finished this one this morning and couldn't agree more! INCREDIBLE THRILL RIDE!

Jenners said...

This book rocked, didn't it? Loved it … but I've been a Flynn fan from the start when she freaked the shit out of me with Sharp Objects. The other one was good but not as stellar as Gone Girl and Sharp Objects. I've been waiting on my review because I want to make sure I don't spoil anything. You did a good job of getting the point across without giving anything away. Well done!

Alyce said...

Ack! Dark psychotic thriller... well I had been thinking about reading this book... I'm probably the only one here seeing "dark" and "mile deep black pit" and running far away from the book. :) If I'm in the mood for such a book I know where to go now.

Beth(bookaholicmom) said...

I am not a big reader of thrillers but after reading your excitement for this book it is going on my list! Your enthusiasm for the book shines through this review! Great job!

Heather J. @ TLC Book Tours said...

Wow, now that is one heck of a review! I'm glad you finally figured out that this author is a I-must-read-everything-she's-ever-written kind of author!

Thanks for being on the tour Sandy. I'm featuring your review on TLC's Facebook page today.

Melody said...

I read Sharp Objects awhile back, and I thought the writing was good! I haven't read Dark Places though, and of course I need to add this one to the wishlist!!

Melissa said...

I'm already on the library waiting list for this one, but I'm glad to hear it was great!