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nreyno's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Child abuse, Medical trauma, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Murder, Child death, Grief, Self harm, Body horror, and Bullying
misha_ali's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
“A child weaned on poison considers harm a comfort.”
There is not a single relationship in this book that is not deeply fucked up and if that makes you want to read it, you'll likely enjoy it. As always with Flynn, this is a story from the point of view of a traumatised young woman who uses sex and attraction to get what she wants. This is also the story of small towns and how poisonous they can be and how a child that has never known love can never give love to their own child in turn. Three generations of women and the generational trauma that is passed down as they simply cannot love one another and, in some cases, actively try to harm each other.
If descriptions of thirteen-year-old children acting out in deeply troubling ways because of their trauma, a thirty-something-year-old woman hiding her self-harm scars, or a woman whose love language is abuse are not your cup of tea, skip this book.
For the most part, this was an engaging book, except for the last parts, which honestly have too little introspection from Camille for an adult who has escaped her horrible family and it frustrated me. Aside from that, it's not hard to guess the twist but it's well done and engaging, if not absolutely horrifying.
Moderate: Child abuse and Suicidal thoughts
cybervision's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Child death, Self harm, Child abuse, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Rape
mayaphobic's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Murder, Mental illness, Death, Self harm, Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Mental illness and Vomit
Minor: Sexual content
nialystic's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Self harm, Murder, Emotional abuse, and Child death
Moderate: Medical trauma, Addiction, and Alcohol
dakotajade's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Vomit, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Death, Eating disorder, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Medical content, Toxic friendship, Child abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence
kinic's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Torture, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Child abuse, Toxic friendship, Violence, Vomit, Mental illness, Death, and Drug use
Moderate: Bullying, Alcohol, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, and Death
jenna_lynn's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Self harm, Child abuse, Sexual content, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Drug abuse
rachelpcook's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
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.
Minor: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Child abuse, Drug use, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Self harm, and Suicide
hypofocus's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child death, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Mental illness, Vomit, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Blood, Murder, Self harm, Medical content, and Alcoholism