It's been awhile since I've done a book review, even though I've read a half dozen or so books since the last review. I decided that I will only review books that I feel are worth everyone's while to read. Most of the books I've recently read fall into the average to crap category; therefore, not worth your time reading them, or really even, my time reviewing them. But Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn is one book well worth the time.
What would you do if one day you came home and your wife was missing and the police think you're responsible for her disappearance?
Summary: "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 from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. 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?
As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?" (Amazon.com)
Review: This novel is first Gillian Flynn book that I've read and I'm looking forward to reading more of her books. Less of a mystery and more of a psychological thriller, Gone Girl keeps the reader mesmerized. It is a gripping story of the courtship and marriage of a narcissist and a sociopath. They appear to be experiencing the normal setbacks of life during the recent financial meltdown: job losses, relocation, mounting debt, family illness and death, etc. It is easy to identify with them individually, which makes it harder to know who to root for when the wife disappears on the morning of their fifth wedding anniversary and the husband becomes the prime suspect. Neither seems to be telling the whole truth, yet they both remain engaging. Each one alternates as narrator (the wife through diary entries written before her disappearance), so not only does the point-of-view shift, but so does our allegiance. The climax is startling, but also, strangely inevitable. Filled with humor and insight, snarky and witty banter, and enough murder and mayhem to satisfy even the most jaded reader, it is a peculiar hybrid that is hard to resist.
I will say that not much surprised me in the book, but other readers were very surprised by the many interesting plot twists. It is definitely worth the read. I finished this 432-page book under two days - making it a true page turner. Fair warning: there is no Hollywood ending here and the book is the better for it!
Rating: 4 out of 5
2 comments:
loved that book! sadly, her others were rather lacking after Gone Girl.
Yeah, not surprising. Sort of the way I feel about Dan Brown. Loved "The Da Vinci Code" but thought the rest were not up to the same standards.
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