<Book Blurb>
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?
<My Review>
I chose to read Gone Girl because I picked it up at McKays (great place by the way) for a friend of mine who had been wanting to read it. I knew nothing about it, hadn’t heard any reviews on it and didn’t even read the book blurb on the back. Turns out my friend couldn’t come pick it up right away so I decided to read it.
First impression: Yuck, boring, and the author likes to throw in unnecessary words to flex her literary muscle. I came really close to putting this book down.
I’m glad I didn’t.
As I read on I realized something…. this author was playing a mind game with me.
She’s writing one thing but you can tell she’s got an underlying meaning behind it. Both of the main characters are the kind of people we tend to hate in stories, which normally is a big “No No” unless you want your book to flop. However, I have a feeling Gillian Flynn specializes in messed up, complicated characters.
As you read further into the story you will find yourself actually siding with one of the characters which will tick you off because both of them are crazy. Once you reach the middle of the book you will start to question everything you were sure of at the beginning and I’m not just talking about the story. Oh no.
There are aspects of this story that coincide with almost every marriage I know of, including mine. As you read and find yourself agreeing with one of them you’ll start to feel compassion, shaking your head saying “yup, I understand how you feel” (which will disturb you and piss you off even more) and then later you will “freak out” and desperately try to figure out why your thoughts and feelings are similar to a crazy persons.
Are you crazy?! The book sure makes you think so.
You end up reading the book to the very end because you just have to know how it plays out. You have to know if your marriage is like theirs or not. You read on hoping and praying that you and your marriage comes out on top meanwhile reading and hoping justice will be done to the characters in the story.
I wont tell you how it ends…obviously, but I will tell you that Gillian Flynn wrote a story full of twists and turns, plots within plots, and centered her story around characters that were messed up and pretty much unlikable. However, she got me to read it till the very last page and when I hit that last period in that last sentence I was swimming in shock, confusion and an uneasy feeling in my stomach. I wont say this is one of my favorite books to read but I will say it will be a long time before I forget it.
I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. Why? Because (1) I loved the mind game aspect of the book. (2) The way she weaves multiple plots seamlessly is really something to be studied and (3) I didn’t give it five stars because I doubt I would want to read it again. Therefore I wouldn’t want it on my bookshelf.
Would I recommend this book?
Yes. I think anyone who likes a mystery and or suspense should read this book. I’m not saying your going to like it but I am saying it’s one of those books that needs to be read.
After reading this book and letting the uneasy feeling settle for a few days I looked the book up and saw that there are some crazy reviews out there regarding it. It seems you either really love it or you really hate it. My opinion is, read it and find out for yourself. Borrow it from the library if you don’t want to risk spending money on it but read it… all the way through. Your brain will thank you for the mind game.
I can honestly say that I now laugh when I think about the book. Not because there was anything funny in it but because Gillian really had my brain on overdrive with her story and with thoughts of my own sanity and marriage. It was fun to read a book that worked the brain for once.
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