Saturday, July 12, 2014

Book Review: Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl



Gillian Flynn’s books have been on my “to-read” list for many months, and I have finally gotten around to them. After finishing Sharp Objects, I turned my attention to Flynn’s most hyped book, Gone Girl. I went into this unfortunately knowing about some of the twists, but that thankfully didn’t take away much from the experience.

Arranged into three sections, Gone Girl is the thrilling story of married couple Nick and Amy Dunne. Amy is what appears to be the perfect wife; cool, beautiful, and smart. On the day of their 5th anniversary, Amy goes missing from their home in Missouri. Nick becomes the first suspect as it is soon revealed how their marriage was far from perfect. What unfolds from here is a suspenseful mystery, figuring out the truth and who is to blame.

What makes this story so interesting is the way it is told. We hear the perspectives of both characters, in very unique and personal ways. We hear Nick’s thoughts in the present tense and Amy’s through her diary entries. What you think you know about the characters in the beginning changes and adapts as the story plays out. By reading both perspectives, you get to truly see the whole story. As each chapter unfolds, evidence is laid out that leads the reader toward the shocking final half of the book.

Ultimately, many of the characters are quite hard to sympathize with the further you delve into the mystery, and the ending may be frustrating to many readers. Even with the flaws, the book never fails to keep you interested. It hooked me from the very first words and never let go. Through twists, turns, and very unsettling moments, the story really becomes an emotional roller coaster for the reader. 

As I finished the book, I felt ready to be done with the characters, but they stayed on my mind and made me think for many more days.





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