Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
Published by Broadway Books in 2006
Genre(s): Mystery, Thriller, Fiction
Format: Paperback
Pages: 254
Goodreads

Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, reporter Camille Preaker faces a troubling assignment: she must return to her tiny hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls. For years, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows, a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed in her old bedroom in her family's Victorian mansion, Camille finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Dogged by her own demons, she must unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past if she wants to get the story—and survive this homecoming.

I decided to read Flynn's debut novel after loving Gone Girl and Dark Paces so much. When I first opened it, I had no clue what it was about or what I was getting into, but that wasn't at all why this thriller had me so on edge to know what was going to happen next. The relationships Flynn creates between characters as well as how she writes to describe their feelings, thoughts, and personalities is so incredibly impressive. To say that this first release is exceptional is an understatement. After reading these three novels of hers, I do think Dark Places was still my favorite, but I think Sharp Objects beats Gone Girl. I definitely recommend this title. Quick, exciting, and easy read that packs the punch of a juicy, intimidating family/small town drama.

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Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
Published by Broadway Books on Apr 25, 2009
Genre(s): Mystery, Fiction, Thriller
Format: Kindle
Pages: 370
Goodreads

From The #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Of Gone Girl

Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in “The Satan Sacrifice" of Kinnakee, Kansas. She survived—and famously testified that her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, the Kill Club—a secret secret society obsessed with notorious crimes—locates Libby and pumps her for details. They hope to discover proof that may free Ben. Libby hopes to turn a profit off her tragic history: She’ll reconnect with the players from that night and report her findings to the club—for a fee. As Libby’s search takes her from shabby Missouri strip clubs to abandoned Oklahoma tourist towns, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started—on the run from a killer.

I had to read Dark Places after how much I enjoyed Gone Girl and I'm so glad that I did. I realized that I liked it so much more not only because the story was much more interesting to me, but because it was (in my opinion) a little bit better written. I realized after reading this book by Flynn that I didn't love Gone Girl as much as I thought, I still love it, but Dark Places kind of took the gold for me in the line up of Flynn books read thus far. Sharp Objects still to come...

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Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Published by Broadway on May 24, 2012
Genre(s): Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Thriller
Format: Kindle
Pages: 578
Goodreads

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?

I loved this book, but who didn't? I haven't yet seen the film, but I do hear it's a good adaptation. (Is it?)... This was probably the first mystery/thriller I've read aside from Harry Potter (no, seriously), so I was on-the-edge-of-my-seat/uneasy-with-the-lights-out/paranoid-on-the-sidewalk into it. I'm not one of those people that can sense what is going to happen next, either, so the twists and turns that Flynn laid out took me very much by surprise EVERY TIME. I highly recommend this book to anyone wishing for an exciting step out of reality but doesn't have a ton of time or focus. This book only took me a few days and was a pretty easy story to follow.

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