Gone Girl
Gillian FlynnGenre: Adult Mystery
Publication date: May 24th 2012
by Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Marriage can be a real killer.
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?
-This novel was listened to via audiobook-
This is probably one of the hardest reviews to write because starting half way--when the story "really" starts, when things get going--is where we begin to get twists that completely change the whole story. Thus, this needs to be kept vague for fear of revealing anything. I can say, however, that this story both enraptured me, making me a huge fan of this author, and at the same time I want it to burn in the deepest fires of hell. I'm being completely honest! This book needs to die, while I pet it lovingly.
Nick and Amy have the perfect marriage. They love each other and everything is all going great until one day Nick gets home to a wrecked living room, and a missing wife. The first half of the book concentrates mostly on this fact. Amy is missing, there are some strange men hovering around town, bizarre circumstances surrounding everything, and of course Nick is a suspect like husbands always are in these situations. We get a lot of investigative mumbo jumbo done while we learn what kind of life they were living. We also get plenty of intel into their lives, established mostly through Amy's perspective which consists of diary entries starting years before, leading up to the present day. Both perspectives are so compelling and distinct. I could truly get into both sides of their relationship and understand how one person saw an event, while the other saw it completely differently. It was fascinating and so well done, also extremely realistic for the average couple. It's fantastically interesting to get both motives, both reactions to the same thing. You get to be inside each characters' heads until you understand both of them--but then, who do you trust? This leads me to the second half of the story.
The second part is filled with secrets, lies, deceit, when you see everything unraveling in a much different direction than you're expecting. Things come at you suddenly, and completely changes the way you look at a certain character--more than once. I was so torn most of the time, not really knowing whose side I was on anymore. Wanting to believe one thing but not knowing if it was only wishful thinking. The thought and planning that went into creating such a complex tale is exquisite and masterful. I was cringing at every turn for what would happen next, but I devoured it greedily. It is a very long book and some parts I found slow moving, but I greatly enjoyed every minute of it. The writing is rich and so... powerful, yet elegant.
…Except maybe the ending. Don't get me wrong, though, the ending is both shocking and heartbreaking, realistic, but I promise you, it WILL PISS YOU OFF! Although, I also secretly loved it. I think. Maybe. It's the type of ending to a story that will leave you thinking about it for days, weeks, months. Wishing. Hoping. Burning your temper. I will likely never forget what I read in this book. And what's even more thought provoking, is how this is not inconceivable. This whole messed up psycho story could be seen in the news in our day and age.
A masterfully woven tale of love, lies, and betrayal, Gone Girl is one read I highly recommend for fans of thrillers, mysteries, and all around effed up shit. For those who enjoy audiobooks also, I have to applaud the narrators they were both very talented and perfect for the characters.
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| 4 Hot Espressos |
