Reviews with content warning for Child abuse - Sharp Objects

This is the first of Gillian Flynn’s books that I’ve read, and I’ll certainly be picking up her others.

Sharp Objects is an unsavory story, to say the least, but I can appreciate a protagonist that I truly cannot stand behind the actions or thoughts of. Partying with 13 year olds and essentially sexualizing their bodies, particularly in the case of Camille’s 13 year old sister, Amma, is difficult to stomach, not to mention her proclivity for drunk driving, which is a particularly personal subject matter for me.

However, I came into this book expecting a somewhat gruesome plot, and it delivered just that.
I think it captures Adora’s torture in a way that shapes the characters significantly throughout the novel, and it illustrates how Camille and Amma separately cope with being their mother’s daughters. Their feelings towards their mother are extremely complicated, craving the security that her affection provided them, while wanting to be as far away from her as possible at the same time.
“This should be miserable, I murmured as I grabbed a tumbler. But underneath that, a thought: time alone with her! A leftover rattle from childhood. Get that fixed.”

I thought I saw the ending of this book coming from an early point in the book, which I was only slightly right about. Gillian Flynn successfully built my sympathy towards Amma, leaving me to believe that Camille and her younger sister would rebuild a healthier life their mother had stolen from them, but the twist truly did have me surprised. While I did not enjoy Amma’s character in many tangible ways, I began to believe that her cruelness was simply a facade.

Despite the gritty nature of the book, I could not put it down, and I’m looking forward to reading Gillian Flynn’s other works.

Content Warnings

hypofocus's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0

Wtf did I just read? And I mean that I the best/worst way possible. I'm gonna need at least 24 hours to recover. This book is one big trigger warning, but worth the read in the right headspace.

Content Warnings