Gone Girl

NOTE: I'm a bit out of practice for writing these reviews. So I apologize if this one isn't as well written or readable as my other ones. I will practice and get better in the future... hopefully.

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?

With her razor-sharp writing and trademark psychological insight, Gillian Flynn delivers a fast-paced, devilishly dark, and ingeniously plotted thriller that confirms her status as one of the hottest writers around.

One of the most critically acclaimed suspense writers of our time, New York Times bestseller Gillian Flynn takes that statement to its darkest place in this unputdownable masterpiece about a marriage gone terribly, terribly wrong. The Chicago Tribune proclaimed that her work “draws you in and keeps you reading with the force of a pure but nasty addiction.” Gone Girl’s toxic mix of sharp-edged wit and deliciously chilling prose creates a nerve-fraying thriller that confounds you at every turn.

~*~

I have realized after reviewing my blog entries from the other two Gillian Flynn novels that Flynn is exceptionally good at creating characters that I hate [If you wish to review what I thought of her other books, you can look at Sharp Objects's post here, and Dark Places' here]. It's funny, because at any given time I am rooting for a different character in this book, only to realize that actually I don't like this person, or to have something change to make me determine that I never should have been happy for them in the first place. I find that I often go back to rooting for one the ass kicking women, although ask me who I choose to favour by the end and I won't have an answer for you (maybe Go? or Boney? who knows)... 

It's an extremely interesting perspective to take, because I really did significantly like this book. Flynn is amazing at her craft. She weaves an incredibly complex story without confusing or losing her readers (that being said, I also read this book in 4 days, so perhaps reading it quickly helped). This is a deeply woven story of struggles in a marriage to an extreme. It's basically got everything that could possibly ruin a marriage in one story. So if that isn't a match made in disaster, then what is? 

Also, I kind of wonder if Flynn is actually a psychopath. How can anyone come up with this kind of stuff without having something wrong with them? I am sure there is a way to prove with criminal science that it's not possible to do a lot of the things that happen in this book, but I am not knowledgeable enough to figure it out. Many of the things that happen in this book are almost unbelievable, with enough viability in order to make it seem possible. I feel that coming up with a story with so cleverly created intrigues in order to hurt other people is a bit... immoral? Not that I don't respect Flynn. I just honestly wonder about her mental state.

Gone Girl, if nothing else is extremely captivating. It is a book that's hard to put down, not because you're rooting for anyone, but because you're not sure where the information you're being given is leading to, you must read further. This fantastic web of a story is easy to get entangled in. 

If you like mysteries or Flynn's other novels this is definitely a recommend. 

Now on to the movie! (which is no longer on Netflix, btw. Totally missed the boat on that one)

This time I'm not making any promises.

I fully recognize that the last 4 posts I have made have spanned over 3.5 years and have all promised that "I'm back!" and that I have great intentions of picking up this blog again. And every time I DO FEEL like I am going to make more of an effort to get back into blogging. But... I am horribly flaky on this matter apparently.

Part of the reason I keep doing this to myself is that I have loved blogging in the past. It was an amazing outlet at some pretty important times in my life, but now that those little important things have become school aged children, and the life changes that comes with all of that, I find myself very short on time. Parenting is hard, yo!

Another big change since the last time I blogged (Over a year ago, WHAT?) was that I have gone from being mostly a stay at home mom (work on the weekends) to being a full time teacher (get my momming in on the weekends and evenings). And that has been a big change. When the kids were little the naps gave me a bit of time to myself at home, but as they got bigger, the naps disappeared. So no blogging time. Then my kids grew and went to school, but then I was cramming in so many errands into the time that they were at school so I wouldn't have to bring them along with me later. No down time. Then I worked 12 hour shifts on the weekend. It wasn't even so much that I didn't have time to blog. I really didn't have time to READ! (I know, almost unfathomable, right?)

So what changed to make me want to pick up on the ol' blog again??

In only a word... Covid.

In slightly more words... This whole epidemic we're going through as a global community with social distancing and reduced contact and all that jazz, has given me a bit more time. Plus due to the changes at work has me working with fewer students and not always needed for help all the time, I found myself reading until I was needed. Initially this meant grabbing a book I had already read (a favourite that I hadn't read in forever) so that I wouldn't get too invested and could put it down easily when needed. But then after I finished that one (didn't take me as long as I expected), I couldn't bear to reread another book. I wanted NEW I wanted fun! I wanted something else! So I picked up a book that I bought years ago... and polished it off in 4 days. So... ya know... if y'all were worried about my bookishness... it's still there. It was just in hibernation.

SO I'm hoping this is the opportunity I need in order to usher in a new era of blogging. I'm writing the blog for the one I just finished as I'm posting this one. So wish me luck! I hope you hear from me soon!