Monday 26 August 2013

Review: Gone Girl


On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick Dunne’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick Dunne isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but hearing from Amy through flashbacks in her diary reveal the perky 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 left in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

Title: Gone Girl
Author: Gillian Flynn | Facebook | Goodreads | Website
Publication Date: June 5 2012
Publisher: Crown
Length: 432 Pages
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Source: Purchased (Kindle Edition)
Cover Love: Simple, but effective.
Point of View: Alternating 1st person between both Nick and Amy

My Rating: 5 Stars

Wow.  Wow.  Wow.

Holy mother of God... or should that be holy mother of all things evil?  It has been a few days since I finished Gone Girl and I am still in a state of... what exactly I have no idea.  Anger?  Shock?  Acceptance?

I have no idea how I am going to write this review.

“My mother had always told her kids: if you're about to do something, and you want to know if it's a bad idea, imagine seeing it printed in the paper for all the world to see.”

There is so little detail that I can go into in regards to the actual plot, as I refuse to give any of it away.  I'm sure this will not be the first review you will have read about Gone Girl, and probably not the last.  But, I want to stress how important it is that you stay with this book.

What do I mean by that?  Well, the first half has been quoted as being a little on the boring side.  I have to admit that I never felt that way... while I reading it.  But when the story completely exploded at just over the 50% mark it is a non-stop roller coaster ride till the very end.  So in retrospect, I can now look back at the first 50% and agree that yes, in comparison it was much slower.  However, the first half is a requirement.  You must get to know these characters.  You would never have been able to get to where you are emotionally at the start of Part Two if there was never a Part One.

“Love makes you want to be a better man.  But maybe love, real love, also gives you permission to just be the man you are.”

And what about the ending?  You will feel manipulated once you finished.  You will sit and stare at the final paragraph, you will want to throw the book, and or your reading device at the closest wall.  You will sit and stew over all of what you have read, wondering how things got to that final paragraph.  Then you will find yourself smiling.  Why?  Hell, you won't even know why... because I sure didn't.  I wanted to be angry, I wanted to scream, but in the end all I could do was smile.  To be fair it was probably one of those crazed, psycho killer smiles, but to be honest I would expect no other kind of smile after reading Gone Girl.

“There’s something disturbing about recalling a warm memory and feeling utterly cold.”

So yeah, this is a strange review to have written but I just refuse to spoil anything.  My only suggestion to you is READ THIS BOOK.  There is a film being made, which at the time of this review says will be out in 2015.  I have to say, I think this will translate perfectly on the big screen.  They are filming the movie in a small river town in Missouri, not too far from where I was born and grew up in Southern Illinois.  Be it this review, other reviews, the film due out a bit later... whatever it is that helps you to decide to read this book, just please choose to read this book.  You will not be disappointed.

“Friends see most of each other’s flaws.  Spouses see every awful last bit.”

MORE QUOTES FROM GONE GIRL

2 comments:

  1. Yey, you liked it! It is one of my favourites! It always makes me happy to see people liking it <3

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  2. Thanks for the review. I saw this at the book shop last week and really mulled over whether I should buy it. I didn't in the end, but maybe I should reconsider because it looks so intriguing.
    Gwynn
    http://gwynnethwhite.blogspot.com/

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I would love to hear what you have to say! I read and try to respond to every single comment I receive. Knowing there are people out there reading is what makes this all worth it... : )