Friday, September 21, 2012

Book Review: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn


 



Marriage can be a real killer.
 One of the most critically acclaimed suspense writers of our time, New York Times bestseller Gillian Flynn takes that statement to its darkest place in this unputdownable masterpiece about a marriage gone terribly, terribly wrong. The Chicago Tribune proclaimed that her work “draws you in and keeps you reading with the force of a pure but nasty addiction.” Gone Girl’s toxic mix of sharp-edged wit and deliciously chilling prose creates a nerve-fraying thriller that confounds you at every turn.
 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? (Description from amazon.com).

Gone Girl is part crime thriller and part realistic fiction. Crime thriller in that someone has disappeared and from all evidence has been murdered. Realistic fiction in that it shows an unraveling marriage.

The book is told from different points of view; from Nick in the days after Amy disappears and from Amy's diary in the past. The book is divided into two parts. Part One is definitely slower than the second. In Part One, the evidence is pointing to Nick (you learn a lot about his secrets). In Part Two, the entire story is turned upside down and you learn more about Amy. And you learn A LOT! I don't want to give any spoilers, but it will leave you smacking your forehead. I have heard a lot about how people really liked the book and hated the ending, but I thought the ending made a lot of sense to these characters. Really, it couldn't have ended any other way.

I didn't peek, but this was one of those books that you wanted to skip to the ending to find out exactly what happened. Every once in a while, I find myself wanting to read a thriller, and this one fit the bill. It is rather creepy and psychological, but it is written in a way that will make you keep turning the pages. Highly recommended.

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