Book Review: Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn
★★★ and ½ (rounding up to 4)

Synopsis: 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?
In A Sentence: This book scares me…

My Thoughts: So this book is effed up (excuse my language, but it really is). I spent the first half of the book feeling really depressed. I felt like I could relate to Amy; it seemed like her reactions were the same as mine would be, and I had to keep telling myself “Dave and I are happily married…Dave and I are happily married.” I even felt compelled to snuggle up to my husband and ask him if he was happy with our relationship as it was. I began to feel like I wasn’t going to enjoy this book after all, despite the assurances of other people claiming it was a creepy story.
….And then the second half started. And I found myself quickly going from feeling depressed to feeling absolutely disturbed. And the ending…that was the creepiest part! I refuse to spoil anything. Suffice it to say that this book holds up to all of the reviews I’ve read. I also refuse to say that I liked it. The book deserves a high rating; it successfully tricked me into thinking I knew the ending, and manipulated my emotions to the point that I needed comfort from my husband. But I can’t like the story; it’s disturbing, and depressing, and now that I’ve finished it, I still need my husband to hold me and say that everything is all right.
So on that note, this is a good, dark psychological thriller. I will not ruin the experience for you by explaining why, I only say that if you like dark novels, then you should definitely read this. And do not give up reading the book if the first 200 pages turns you off; trust me, the first half is a setup. It’s the second half that will keep you glued to the book.


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