You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was an unexpected read! I laughed out loud when I read the last page. It was ironic, and so creative. Fantastic short book!
4.5* - Note that this is a single short story. Gillian Flynn must have some twisted mind to come up with what she writes. And I’m glad she does.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A good short story, the author's voice really draws you in.
Vibes are very creepy with some humor thrown in. Lots of good quotes that remind you to question everything.
Contradictory to some other reviews I liked the ending.The twists were both unexpected for me, and while I strongly prefer having all my questions answered, i think the ambiguous ending works well. Alrhough I still want to know the answer!
Vibes are very creepy with some humor thrown in. Lots of good quotes that remind you to question everything.
Contradictory to some other reviews I liked the ending.
This book was absurd. It was not the best story and it didn’t make sense. It moved quickly bc the book was so short, but the ending just didn’t make sense.
Okay, Gillian Flynn...probably the biggest superstar of an author in the last several years...its got to be a little intimidating to have something new (even if it's actually an "old" short story) published as a standalone after the ridiculous success of Gone Girl, Sharp Objects, and Dark Places.
Because of the buildup, I was a little reluctant to read The Grownup for fear I would be disappointed.
However, when I finally read this tribute to the classic ghost story, I enjoyed it. On the other hand, I was not completely satisfied.
I'll explain the ambiguity. For starters, I feel like I've read so many [poor] imitators of Gillian Flynn in the last couple of years that I feared that maybe, when I actually read something by Flynn herself, I would find that she was in fact as insipid as these other authors. I'd come to wonder if Gone Girl had caught my attention only because at the time it was something new. I wondered if, on rereading, I would still think it was something special.
Within a few pages of starting The Grownup, I was very happy to realize that Flynn DEFINITELY has her own unique, talented, voice. She's a writer. I was like, "oh yeah, this is why I found Gone Girl impressive." There's a confidence, a tone, that is pure Flynn, and that distinguishes her stories from others in the domestic-noir genre.
Another way to describe it would be this: when a friend of mine read The Grownup (and liked it) he said, '[Gillian Flynn] makes her point.' I thought that was an interesting comment, because to me, it implies some sort of literary merit, or theme, above and beyond just writing something with the goal of being a bestseller.
That said, I don't know that I fully loved The Grownup. I really enjoyed the narrator's voice, especially in the first part of the story as she sets the scene. However, as the narrator became involved in the ghostly part of the story, her swagger faltered. In part, this makes sense-when you're involved in something that's scary you may feel less confident. However, I felt like the narrator's voice became more generic; that her personality sort of diminished, and that it was perhaps a weakness in characterization and writing rather than fully supported by the events in the story.
As is characteristic of Flynn's writing, The Grownup has twists that mess with your mind. It also contains enjoyable references to classic tales. In the end, you're left wondering what exactly happened. I didn't love the ending, but it stuck with me...I kept trying to figure things out for the rest of the day.
If you're a fan of Gillian Flynn, I'd absolutely recommend this. If you, somehow, have escaped reading one of her novels, I'd also recommend The Grownup, if you'd like to get a taste of her style. However, ultimately, in my opinion, The Grownup is not as good as her later novels. Flynn seems to just get better the more she writes...so I look forward to whatever twisted and unique tale she has to tell us next.
Because of the buildup, I was a little reluctant to read The Grownup for fear I would be disappointed.
However, when I finally read this tribute to the classic ghost story, I enjoyed it. On the other hand, I was not completely satisfied.
I'll explain the ambiguity. For starters, I feel like I've read so many [poor] imitators of Gillian Flynn in the last couple of years that I feared that maybe, when I actually read something by Flynn herself, I would find that she was in fact as insipid as these other authors. I'd come to wonder if Gone Girl had caught my attention only because at the time it was something new. I wondered if, on rereading, I would still think it was something special.
Within a few pages of starting The Grownup, I was very happy to realize that Flynn DEFINITELY has her own unique, talented, voice. She's a writer. I was like, "oh yeah, this is why I found Gone Girl impressive." There's a confidence, a tone, that is pure Flynn, and that distinguishes her stories from others in the domestic-noir genre.
Another way to describe it would be this: when a friend of mine read The Grownup (and liked it) he said, '[Gillian Flynn] makes her point.' I thought that was an interesting comment, because to me, it implies some sort of literary merit, or theme, above and beyond just writing something with the goal of being a bestseller.
That said, I don't know that I fully loved The Grownup. I really enjoyed the narrator's voice, especially in the first part of the story as she sets the scene. However, as the narrator became involved in the ghostly part of the story, her swagger faltered. In part, this makes sense-when you're involved in something that's scary you may feel less confident. However, I felt like the narrator's voice became more generic; that her personality sort of diminished, and that it was perhaps a weakness in characterization and writing rather than fully supported by the events in the story.
As is characteristic of Flynn's writing, The Grownup has twists that mess with your mind. It also contains enjoyable references to classic tales. In the end, you're left wondering what exactly happened. I didn't love the ending, but it stuck with me...I kept trying to figure things out for the rest of the day.
If you're a fan of Gillian Flynn, I'd absolutely recommend this. If you, somehow, have escaped reading one of her novels, I'd also recommend The Grownup, if you'd like to get a taste of her style. However, ultimately, in my opinion, The Grownup is not as good as her later novels. Flynn seems to just get better the more she writes...so I look forward to whatever twisted and unique tale she has to tell us next.
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
meh good short story i guess