Saturday, February 22, 2014

Sharp Objects

Sharp Objects
by Gillian Flynn

After another preteen girl goes missing in the small town of Wind Gap, reporter Camille Preaker is sent to cover the story for her second-rate Chicago newspaper. But this is much more than just a news story, because Wind Gap is Camille's home town. The town she swore never to go back to. In going back, Camille is forced to confront her haunted childhood memories, of her cold, cynical mother, and her younger sister that died when Camille was only thirteen. While investigating, Camille discovers that her young half sister has more control over the residents of the town than any thirteen year old girl should, and looking at the way her sister acts causes Camille to face her own scarred past. Including the scarred words that she has cut across her skin. The more involved Camille becomes in the investigation the more she she discovers about her family, and the darkness that seeps throughout the town. I am yet again amazed at how Gillian Flynn conducts a story. She is an immensely strong tonal writer and the book is written in the same cool detached manner as that of her main character. Gillian Flynn can pull of disturbing better than anyone and rivals Stephen King in the way in which she balances the dark themes. I also found the psychological aspects of the novel to be very interesting, showing the different character's reactions to abuse and loss. Sharp Objects is a very uncomfortable book, and the level it reaches speaks of the author's incredible skill. This is definitely not a book for those who get uncomfortable reading about dark subjects, it is however a very fascinating book regarding disturbed relationships and unhappy endings. -- recommended by Wyatt P. - Gere Branch Library [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Gillian Flynn's other novels, Gone Girl, and Dark Places. Movie adaptions of both are being released in theaters later in 2014.]

[Also available in downloadable audio and downloadable E-book formats.]

[ official Sharp Objects on the official Gillian Flynn web site ]


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