Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

91 reviews

kaaaaaaaa's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is the first of Flynn's books that I've read, and it's the first of her books to be published. It was good, I just wasn't able to emotionally connect to the characters for some reason. In general, the mystery kept me interested more than the characters. To me, this book reminded me of Stephen King and Shirley Jackson, but it didn't have whatever secret sauce Jackson and King have that pushes the writing and the characters into top-tier. That disconnect makes some of the "disturbing small town details" come off a little forced, despite the fact that I'm well aware of and familiar with disturbing small-town details. I find them believable, but they're missing... something... that integrates them fully into the story; so instead, IMHO, they give a Hostel-style "violence for violence's sake" vibe.

I have a couple more of Flynn's books on hold from the library, so it will be interesting to see how she grows as a writer and if she can clear whatever this je ne sais quoi hurdle is.

Also, this isn't a real make-or-break thing, but how flexible is Camille

that there's only one spot on her back missing the words? How good at writing backwards while looking in a mirror can she be?

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Mental illness, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, Murder, Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Child death, Incest, Self harm, Addiction, Death, Classism, Drug abuse, Terminal illness, Body horror, Rape, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, and Grief

Moderate: Vomit and Infidelity

Minor: Eating disorder, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Suicidal thoughts, and Fatphobia

lvosler21's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Alcohol, Blood, Addiction, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Body horror, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Dysphoria, Kidnapping, Torture, Infidelity, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Self harm, Sexual violence, Vomit, Toxic relationship, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Body shaming, Chronic illness, Dysphoria, Terminal illness, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, and Pregnancy

Minor: Animal death and Animal cruelty

auggiebug's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Murder, Misogyny, Infertility, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Pedophilia, Stalking, and Suicide attempt

this book is HEAVY! don't read without checking the trigger warnings first!

daisyrain98's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Damn, started this because I love the show with all my heart and it was so amazing to read the source material, to get behind every scene in the show that I wanted more from. The book gave me all the dialogue I never knew I needed and had me so drawn in every time I sat down to read. Could read this again and again.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Rape, Self harm, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Blood, Child death, Sexual assault, Chronic illness, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Murder, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Body horror, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexism, Suicide, and Vomit

graceslibrary's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Murder, and Self harm

Moderate: Fatphobia, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, and Body shaming

Minor: Vomit

brennerson's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Child abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Murder, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Self harm, Blood, Chronic illness, Rape, and Violence

hayleyfonhof's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Alcoholism, Child death, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, and Murder

cateyeschloe's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

My main praise of this book is that it had a really excellent twist ending. The twist, while not wholly surprising, was deeply disturbing in its reveal, and I really enjoyed that aspect. 

The writing is interesting; however, the word “fine” jumps to mind more than any other in regard to the writing style. That being said, the story is definitely compelling. There’s a great mystery and the characters are complex and intriguing. 

Hands down, the thing I grappled with the most about this book is the rampant misogyny throughout, especially internalized in the main character. I feel like tackling misogyny and the way society treats women as a whole is a big part of Gillian Flynn’s writing, in general, but I definitely struggled with it here. 

I think one of the most compelling quotes in the entire book, to me, though is when someone asks:

“Besides, why would a woman do something like that?”

and the response given is:

“Why would a man do something like that?”

The book shines a light on the idea that women can only (and should only) be feminine, soft, vulnerable, submissive, etc. 

Wind Gap has instilled in its citizens that woman are one dimensional creatures who serve their purpose as wife and mother and sister and daughter. Even the main character carries the scars of these ideals with her. 

“… Wind Gap, a town that demands utmost femininity in its fairer sex…”

“‘I don’t mean this to sound cruel… but it seems like a part of your heart can never work if you don’t have kids. Like it will always be shut off.’”

“‘…I mean there’s all this talk these days of God versus science, but it seems like, with babies, both sides agree. The Bible says be fruitful and multiply, and science, well, when it all boils down, that’s what women were made for, right? To bear children.’”

At one point, after a schoolgirl has been forced to do something sexually she did not want to do, a teacher makes her apologize, citing:

“‘Young ladies must be in control of their bodies because boys are not.’”

Everyone in town (including the main character) insists a man must be the killer, that women aren’t often killers, and they seem to imply that this is because women are too physically weak and mentally soft for such things. 

“Women didn’t kill this way, they just didn’t. You could count the list of female serial killers on one hand, and their victims were almost always male…”

Camille is the only character in the book that I truly struggled with. Her internalized misogyny is so prevalent and her version of feminism is so wildly misplaced that it circles all the way back around to putting women down, to the point when she rails:

“‘You’re sexiest. I’m so sick of liberal lefty men practicing sexual discrimination under the guise of protecting women against sexual discrimination…

“‘… And sometimes drunk women aren’t raped; they just make stupid choices - and to say we deserve special treatment when we’re drunk because we’re women, to say we need to be looked after, I find offensive.’”

I could be missing something and be glossing over the bigger picture, but often I find my expectations in a setting such as this to be that the main character, at minimum, has enough character growth to counter statements and ideals such as these by the end of the book. 

Camille doesn’t really make it there, and I find it difficult to hold up a main character  as a beacon of feminism or overcoming the plague of misogyny when she consistently has so many bad, dangerous, and self-deprecating takes. 

And maybe that was never the author’s intention. Maybe Camille isn’t supposed to represent growth to us, maybe she just has to take the beating of misogyny and be an example to us of what can (and does) happen under its influence. 

If that’s the case, then I understand that and can say that writing choice simply wasn’t for me. 

And despite my nit-picky criticisms and overanalyzing, I definitely did enjoy the story and thought it had a very satisfying twist at the end. 

I’d like to give this one another read at some point and digest a little more of its perspective. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Grief, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Self harm, Sexism, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child death, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Homophobia, Medical content, and Drug use

Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Pregnancy, and Suicide

There are many graphic displays of active self harm and the effects self harm leave behind. It is integral to the plot and prevalent throughout.

There is a side character who commits suicide while in a hospital for their mental state.

Child abuse from a parent is prevalent throughout and very disturbing.

smixter88's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I don't really know how to put my review into words. It's a very intense, dark, and disturbing book. I was unsure I'd be able to finish it. I did not read what this book was about. I saw the cover and one quote on the front of the book. That's what I get for judging a book by the cover. It's a bad habit I have. I put the book down telling myself I wasn't going to finish. In fact I opened another book up and started to read it. While reading the other book, I kept thinking about this one and if justice was served. That's when I found myself reading this book again. Her writing is great. She really knows how to draw you in. Had I known what was in this book, I wouldn't have read it. I can't say that I'd recommend it unless you have absolutely zero triggers because this book is full of them. Almost every page has one. This is her debut novel. What a way to start your career. It's hard for me to rate this book. Did she suck me in? Yes. Did it disturb the hell out of me? 1,000% yes. Did I enjoy the book? Unknown. Will it live rent free in my head for far too long? Yup. I usually have a star rating system, but I can't use that for this book, because by no means does it need to be up on someones TBR. Unless you absolutely can leave your feelings and your stomach at coat check. I'll be rating it based on her writing, her ability to grab my attention, and need more. For that I have to give her five stars. Read at your own risk. Check the trigger warnings and READ what the book is about before you crack it open. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Sexual content, Torture, Cursing, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Blood, Drug use, Grief, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death, Fatphobia, Gore, Chronic illness, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Mental illness, Self harm, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit

lynchca's review against another edition

challenging dark lighthearted sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Death, Medical content, Murder, Chronic illness, Drug use, Child death, Grief, Medical trauma, and Suicidal thoughts