Sharp Objects ~ Gillian Flynn

I'm starting at the end this time & will (hopefully, maybe?) work my way back through the books that I've read so far.  I'm only at 14, so it's not unreasonable.  Except that I'm in the process of moving to a new house, which is super exciting but is taking up most (all) of my free time.

Sharp Objects is Gillian Flynn's debut novel, though I read Gone Girl first.  Much like her most recent novel, Sharp Objects can best be described as a psychological thriller.  Camille Preaker fled from her small home-town years ago, but is now forced to return to report on a series of murders.  Within the larger murder-mystery plot, Ms. Flynn explores her character's past and creates a truly creepy family.  A mother that has never gotten over her daughter's death, a forgotten first daughter, a physically present but emotionally absent step-father and a youngest daughter who moves between childhood and adulthood as easily as changing clothes.

Though the novel has a somewhat slow start, I found myself unable to put it down.  Ms. Flynn draws you in by deftly throwing out clues which only leave you wanting more. Her characters are not only psychologically damaged, but also entirely understandable.  The truly uncomfortable part for me was realizing that I could relate to each of them in some way - the daughter that wants to be seen, the mother that wants to be needed, the little girl growing up too fast.  Sharp Objects is truly disturbing on a primal level.

Gone Girl ~ Gillian Flynn

There are three sides to every story...yours, mine & the truth. In Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn explores both sides of a common story.  A woman disappears & her husband stands accused of murder.  Elliott Dunne may not be a stellar husband, but does that mean he killed his wife?  Do you believe the story as written in her journal?  Do you believe the story as told by her husband?  Ms. Flynn alternates between the story of a young couple first meeting, as told by Amy Dunne, and the story of a husband looking for his lost wife, as told by Elliott Dunne.

The psychological insight into a troubled marriage is astounding.  Ms. Flynn captures the excitement of young love and the demise of a marriage.  The characters are easily, if not frighteningly, recognizable.  The plot, with all of its manipulation and twists and turns, is amazingly laid out.  I devoured this book, literally unable to put it down.  By the end you aren't sure who to believe & who you are being manipulated by.