Author: Gillian Flynn
Genre: Mystery, Crime, Thriller, Psychological thriller
Target Audience: Adults
Reading Experience: 8.5/10
Story: 8/10
Writing: 8/10
My Verdict: 8.5/10
Well, I think that after you finish this book, your view of marriage will be forever changed. Gillian Flynn manages to take you into the mind of a seemingly perfect couple, deep into their psyche, as their marriage goes from the "perfect" union to a harmful one. It deteriorates, withers and eventually turns into something wicked and downright horrifying. I won't say anymore because I'll spoil it. But rest assured, it's jaw-dropping, breathtaking and thrilling (in my opinion). Makes you think about the fact that people like this actually exist. Makes you think that things like this can actually happen. It's a scary thing, my fellow Bookworms. Very, very scary.
Even with all the wickedness of the characters in this book, it is, to date, one of my favorite thrillers. So far, the only thrillers that managed to surprise me beyond expectations are Gone Girl and the Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, which you can check out my review here.
So, Gone Girl. Everybody's heard of it by now. We've heard its name either from the movie (starred by Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike), or the book, which had quite a sale when it first came out. Regardless of the source we've heard it from, we've heard of it. I think it's part of pop culture now. It's a trend now; books about missing persons.
Never have I read a book with so many plot twists, so many reveals and downright scary outcome. I mean, this was my face when I upon finishing the book.
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| Jesus, Gillian Flynn! Why'd you do that?! oh God... |
Reading Experience: 8.5/10
I accidentally came across the "big reveal" long before I started reading the book and, like Agatha's Christie's And Then There Were None, it sort of spoiled the surprise for me. Did that stop me from reading the entire book? No! Did Gillian Flynn still manage to surprise me? Hell yeah!
I wanted to read the book before I saw the movie, so I decided to read it 'till the end. And boy, was it worth it. Even though I knew the ending, I didn't actually know the truth behind it all, or even the development. That's where Gillian Flynn excelled. I couldn't look away from the book. I refused to stop until I read it all. It was a ping-pong game between Amy's diary and Nick's narrative as all hell breaks loose, little by little. Poor Nick.
Maybe some of you might disagree with me, but I think the book was relatively brilliant, jaw-dropping and filled with surprises. Each chapter revealed something new and changed the course of the novel abruptly. It was thrilling, exhilarating and a nail-biter. As the book develops, time is running out for Nick, and you literally feel the impending doom, the inevitable end, and the struggle the poor guy goes through.
Story: 8/10
The story is actually quite simple. The story is about a seemingly perfect couple, Nick and Amy Dunne, and the struggle the man goes through when his wife mysteriously disappears on their fifth-year anniversary. I mean, just look at them. *cue the sarcasm* They're perfect for each other, aren't they?
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| Nick's smirk gets him in a LOT of trouble |
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| She looks like an angel, doesn't she? |
So the story is about how Amy Dunne disappears during the couple's fifth-year anniversary. Nick is desperate to find her, and the evidence found by the police shows that Amy might be dead, and that Nick might be the killer. Did he kill his wife?
Everybody is desperate for an answer, her family and the people are praying for her safe return, but Nick is on everybody's crosshairs. He could be guilty. Everybody seems to think so.
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| Literally everybody is out looking for Amazing Amy. Practically the whole town! |
Nick embarks on his own investigation, following a scavenger hunt Amy made for him, like she always does for every anniversary. That scavenger hunt might take him to the truth about Amy's disappearance. He needs to know the truth, and he has to hurry! The police are on his heels, finding more and more evidence that incriminate him and could potentially ruin his reputation and even his life.
Sounds cool, right? It is! I have to say, Gillian Flynn is one heck of a writer! The way this novel was plotted, planned and developed was brilliant! I have no other word for it... BRILLIANT! The story develops itself through two points of views, present and the past leading to the present, which gives it some sort of "ticking clock" feel to it. The truth, the big "reveal", slowly unravels before you, like a mysterious present, and believe me, you will not be able to figure out the ending before it hits you square in the face.
Writing: 8/10
The story is narrated in two points of view, one past and one present. We have Nick's present narrative, and we have Amy's diary, narrating past events and leading up to the moment she disappeared.
It's like walking two paths at once (I know it's not possible, but humor me). You know that, at some point, both paths will meet, but you don't know when, and you don't know how.
We start reading with Nick, and how his usual day goes as the owner of a bar and the husband of a soon-to-disappear wife. We get in his head, and get a feeling of what his personality is and how his mind works.
Then Amy disappears, and we start reading her diary entries as she describes certain events that lead to her sudden disappearance. She recounts the day she met Nick, how her relationship works, how it was developing, and how it was slowly becoming something completely different, something neither of them recognized.
The writing was interesting and engaging. Each of them have their own voices, their own traits and you can tell them apart without even looking at the chapter's title. Amy's head is more... complicated, more structured and more detailed; Nick's thoughts are more impulsive, indifferent and volatile. I thought that was perfect for the story, having to compare and contrast each of their mindset and psyche, and the result of their union when they are both so different.
I never lost interest in the writing. I was drawn to each of their thoughts as well as the development of the plot itself. It is, after all, a psychological thriller. And Gillian Flynn not only plays with her characters, but also with you.
My Verdict: 8.5/10
Books rarely surprise me like this one. Even more so, knowing the ending and still being surprised... that takes skill to pull off.
I like reading books that keep me guessing 'till the end. I like to stop for a second or two, organize the information the writer has given me, and draw my conclusion. I like to be proven wrong in a brilliant, unexpected way, without being cheated on with a cheap twist. I like it when books (and movies) pull the rug from under my feet, but again, in a way that makes sense and fits the plot seamlessly. Gone Girl did just that, in my opinion.
Do I recommend it? Yes! It is intended for adults (for good reason), but if you're looking for brilliant plot twists, complex minds and a plot that has so much depth that it will leave you thinking about it long after you've finished the book - then Gone Girl is for you. Do not, under any circumstance, compare it to Girl on the Train. It's unfair, for both books. The stories might look similar, but each of them have a very different development and ending. I love them both because of that.
If you wish to purchase the book, you can buy it here as a paperback, hardcover or even an e-book in Books-A-million! Check them out here.
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