Sharp Objects

I'm not an avid reader by any stretch of the imagination. To capture my attention a book really needs to be off the charts amazing. I was talked into reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and loved it. Once my wife bought Sharp Objects I decided to give it a try too. Sure enough, I found myself engrossed in it so much that I had completed it in just a few days. (Having a newborn helped as it kept me seating with a baby sleeping on me a lot. So reading was a nice quiet activity to pass the time with.)The thing about Gillian Flynn's writing that stands out is the depth she gives to her characters. There aren't one dimensional characters in her books. If a character is worth including in her stories the character is worth developing and giving some zest to.She is also amazing at writing 'crazy' AND making crazy be entertaining rather than sad or uncomfortable. That's no easy task. Camillie from Sharp Objects isn't the same kind of crazy as Amy from Gone Girl. That says a lot about Flynn's writing chops. If a writer has personal history with 1 kind of 'crazy' then it's not too hard to write it. But to be able to write completely different kinds of 'crazy' shows a remarkable ability for a writer to leave herself and get into the mind of a fictional character.Where Amy from Gone Girl was sociopathicly psychotic, Camille from Sharp Objects possibly deals with borderline personality disorder manifesting itself as self harm.However, both characters have a common cause of their issues, both being from really messed up families. But again, Flynn doesn't play the same cards over and over. Where the family background of Amy in Gone Girl was friendly and outwardly loving while inwardly being one gigantic ball of disappointment as her parents loved their fictional daughter more than their real one....Camille from Sharp Objects comes with a violent and abusive family.So not only can Flynn write different kinds of 'crazy'. She can write different causes for 'crazy', and most importantly have those causes result in mental disorders than you'd expect the backgrounds to trigger. (Amy from Gone Girl wouldn't likely develop bi-polar tendencies as the result of her upbringing. Camille from Sharp Object's whack job family could easily induce that kind of psychological result. And vice versa.)Basically Flynn understands abnormal psychology and writes it very VERY well. Simple as that. Her plot lines are a little unrealistic, but so what? It's a story. If it was hyper realistic it'd be no fun. You can enjoy an unrealistic plot if your characters are completely believable.

NO SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW: Really nice first novel from this author, with a very defined 3-act structure. This one is written entirely in first-person, from only the main character's point of view. Act 1 sets the stage, but feels a bit disconnected. I would say Act 2 doesn't really begin until around page 50, when a big plot point is revealed. Prior to page 50 I found myself wondering "where is this going?" and after page 50, a few random facts in the novel get explained and then it really starts to come together. After that, it is a smooth ride downhill: a fast, engrossing read. So much so that you might find yourself ignoring your family members just to get to the end of this book. A girlfriend of mine is about to go on tour, and I had to finish reading this so I could lend it to her before she left. Once you read a good book, you need someone else to experience it with you, right?Act 2 lasts for nearly the rest of the book until the last 20 pages or so, when Gillian Flynn surprises us again. Of course, if she gave you the ending you expected, it wouldn't be a good book, right? I will note that the ending is rather hastily wrapped up, and for me at least, my feelings about the characters don't really blossom as the could have with a more robust ending. I will say that she likely received this feedback from readers and learned from it, because all these "complaints" are corrected prior to her novel "Gone Girl." Gone Girl is like the older, rarer vintage of a really nice wine.All in all, even Stephen King praised Sharp Objects as an excellent first effort, and it's a book worthy of your attention whether you're already a Gillian Flynn fan, or you just like suspenseful, thrilling novels. Once you've picked this one up, move on to "Gone Girl" and don't see the movie until you've read the book!

Good read

This one is hard to pin down how I felt about it. In some ways it was really good and the storytelling and character development was unique. But on the other hand, it was very strange and I had a hard time even really connecting with the main character.I wish the author would have done a better job of weaving clues in throughout the story instead of waiting until closer to the second half. I always like playing detective and this author didn't embed the things I generally like to look for. But I will say that I definitely knew once the clues started popping up what the answers were going to be!If you like twists and turns and unique even strange ways of storytelling... Then I suppose I would recommend this book for you!

I read the three Gillian Flynn novels backwards to the order they were written, starting with Gone Girl and ending with Sharp Objects. All the books are truly enjoyable yet disturbing reads. Sharp Objects, of the three, may be my favorite. The story has an abstract quality that may lack realism, but is moving and almost poetic compared to her other novels. The twists and turns of the novel are fairly predictable, but still engaging. Camille, the main character, is a complex but ultimately decent human being. I think this innate decency in a central character served well to make such a dark story more palatable. The remainder of the characters are pretty much one-note, WYSIWYG types, with the exception of maybe one of the male characters who actually has a fairly minor role overall. We see all the characters through Camille's eyes and how she interprets them lends insight into her own character. I don't want to spoil too much, part of the book's enjoyment is seeing how the events unfold and trying to guess what is going on. I give it 4 instead of 5 stars because of a few minor quibbles. Too much coincidental occurrences (the reporter from Wind-Gap gets sent to Wind-Gap and finds the killer in a very, ahem, convenient place.) Unexplained issues - like it is sticky-hot at the time and place of the novel, but no one comments on Camille wearing what must have been long-sleeves, high necked shirts, and pants? And a little sloppy writing (the extremely concerned and protective editor sends his reporter back home to cover a story when he knows she has severe psychological trauma, probably stemming from her time growing up at that home). Anyway, I highly recommend this book to any fans of Gillian Flynn's or fans of this genre of fiction.

Sharp Objects, Gillian Flynn’s first novel, is an impressive story about a family of deeply disturbed, unhealthy women. While a very different story from her #1 New York Times Bestseller, Gone Girl, it is evident that Flynn has truly delved into the dark side of the feminine psyche. And while it’s not exactly “fun” to read, it is so disturbing that it makes you want to read more. Or, as more eloquently put by the Chicago Tribune, it “Keeps you reading with the force of a pure but nasty addiction.”The Synopsis: Camille Preaker, a reporter, has recently been released from a mental hospital after a relatively short stay. Camille, a “cutter,” has been carving words into herself for years, until there is no space left on her skin other than her neck, face, and a small circle on her back. After resuming her job, she is assigned to investigate the murders of two young girls from Wind Gap, Missouri–her home town. When she arrives, after having been away for eight years, she gradually has to confront a deeply troubled past, and a family (and community) that are just as sick as ever.Should you read this book? Yes. It is well-written. The words, like the razors that cut into her skin, are sharp, edgy, and searing with bitterness. The darkness of this book is just scintillating. It’s so evil and yet not in a cliched, obvious sort of way. There are a few scenes that just leave you in chills. Not solely because Flynn details such terrific malevolence, but because it is all too real. And even if none of us have met anyone like this before, I think we’ve all had those moments of intuition when we realize we are in the presence of something or someone who is truly evil. At least I know I have. And while that may not sound like an enjoyable read, there is something about it that is compelling, perhaps because our intuition tells us: We have met this kind of evil before, but we’ve ignored it, brushed it off, said it wasn’t there…when it was.

Wonderful, Suspenseful Roller Coaster Ride!!!!This book is amazing. As we all know, Gillian Flynn is quite a writer! This is the 2'nd book by her I've read. Both books I knew right from the first two pages I was in for a treat from a very talented writer.What I love best about Flynn is that she isn't afraid to go "raunchy".. Her main and most lovable characters often talk about the "taboo" things they did as a teenager like masturbating or experimenting with drugs. There are certain places writers don't want to go, not even for a few sentences for fear of losing a certain audience but Flynn dives right in. Even in the darkest of scenes she may add a certain sentence that will make you laugh out loud suddenly.Also she hints at certain "red flags" about certain characters that makes that tiny voice in the back of your head say "Wait a minute, I'm not sure what to think about this character just yet---".... Then by the end of the chapter, that very character might be winning your sympathy or affections and then you are battling with in your own mind on what to think!Thank you Gillian Flynn for making me feel a little "crazy" at times, a little "less crazy" at others and completely satisfied and fulfilled by the end of the book!****************************************************************************************************About the book: “In Niki’s Own Words”It follows the story of a young reporter who has long ago left home and only returned once. When terror strikes her home town, she is forced to be the “girl with the In” and return home to catch the “big story” and “make it big” for her small Chicago Paper. What she doesn’t realize is that by returning home, she may be a little more involved in the very crimes she is reporting than she even knows, even before she gets home!Upon returning home she must face her own personal demons that were long left behind and most already forgotten. Degraded and ready to give up, Camille must battle the greatest fight for her life while fulfilling her bosses dreams and high expectations — Is the challenge too much for Camille? Will she let down everyone depending on her, her own self or all of the above??

On the first day that I started to read this book I made it to 48%, and I had nightmares. Those two things are great indicators of a great book. If you believe the best about people and can't read horror, pick another book. Gillian Flynn is a great writer. Her imagery is very strong and she has a talent for spinning out a plot and keeping you hanging. The main character of the book is Camille, a very troubled young reporter who is asked to return to her hometown to cover a serial killer story. Camille comes from small southern town, where her family lives on the rich side of town and runs a pork slaughterhouse. Immediately we understand why Camille did not want to go back. Ms. Flynn describes the dark underside of teen life and cliques with great skill, and reminded me of why I am glad that I am not a teenager anymore. Camille's mother is a true mommy dearest, playing her kids (alive and dead) like a fiddle. Not surprisingly Camille has many self medicating habits, the biggest being self cutting and it is a big theme in the book. The serial killing has to do with the deaths of two young girls, and as Camille investigates you realize that this town is one that you would not want to live in at all. I had my guess at the killer narrowed down to two possibilities by the middle of the book and I was right on one of them, but it did not make the ending any less good.The interesting thing about Flynn books is how her female characters are so multidimensional and not traditionally feminine. Usually if a female character is cruel or promiscuous they are used as a morality tale or symbol, but in this case they simply are who they are. Flynn has an interesting technique where she makes some of her characters "2D" but saves the "3D" for only a few people to really round them out. Camille is absolutely 3D, and even more interesting, her sociopathic half sister is a wild ride of two different personalities entirely (one for her mother and one for the rest of the world). If you have a young daughter, the sister will leave you with chills. Also, the descriptions around the ritual violence of the killings and the description of the slaughterhouse processes are not for the faint of heart.The only reason why I didn't give this book a 5 is that I would have liked to have more character development around Camille's mother. She was described from a distance and through second hand accounts, and her past was referenced but we never really got into her head, other than to know that she was a nasty person. More would have been good.

Gillian Flynn marks her territory as a masterful story teller in this, her debut novel. It is at times intense; always thoroughly engaging and constructed to bring each character into sharp focus. Her ability to shape and shift the narrative keeps the reader totally engaged but never allows any level of complacency. She has that innate ability to suddenly, deftly, spring another "gotcha" trap; destroying your self-assured belief that you knew exactly how the story line would unfold.There is nothing disappointing about this novel and I highly recommend you add it to your reading list.

This book is absolutely stunning—one of my all-time favorites!

Mto bom, como os demais livros de Gillian Flynn. Excelente autora, seus livros prendem o leitor até a última página, não só com o desenrolar da história, mas também com seu estilo cheio de fina ironia.

Vorwegnehmend und Warnung: das Buch beinhaltet den Tod von Kindern und ist stellenweise vulgär, daher wohl nicht für alle (zarten) Gemüter geeignet.Insgesamt ist der Inhalt dramatisch und detailreich geschrieben, sodass man sich gut in die Szenerie und die Gefühle der Protagonisten hineinversetzen kann. Die Thematik ist definitiv "mal was anderes" und fesselt den Leser bis zum Ende, wo man aufgrund der finalen Dramatik fast sprachlos zurückgelassen wird. Für mich ein kurzweiliges Buch, spannende Story und gut geschrieben.

I read this after having enjoyed Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn so very much. She has a very compelling writing style which makes it easy to read- even hard to put down, however this one was a little too dark with no redeeming ending- although, I guess, Gone Girl wasn't happily ever after either! There are not many likeable, admirable female characters in Sharp Objects and some of them are downright cruel, twisted, subverted and even perverted!!! More than a few uncomfortable moments in this book but it is good to be affected- even shaken up-by a reading experience!