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rjdenney's review against another edition
4.0
Rating: 4 Stars!
I have to say that I loved "Sharp Objects" more but this was amazing on its own.
This book will be included in my Book Thoughts video coming soon.
I'm very interested in Gone Girl now but it's soooo big.
I'll get to it though. I will.
I have to say that I loved "Sharp Objects" more but this was amazing on its own.
This book will be included in my Book Thoughts video coming soon.
I'm very interested in Gone Girl now but it's soooo big.
I'll get to it though. I will.
esj2018's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
lando's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
brandyleigh_reads's review against another edition
DNF - Life is to short to finish reading books you don’t enjoy. The plot had such potential, but I couldn’t get into the story at all because I thought the main character was just a terrible person.
kaelaceleste's review against another edition
3.0
well that wasn't what I expected.
overall I liked this. Lots of different moving parts but it all mostly came together in the end. I didn't really overly like anyone - maybe Libby and/or Lyle but mostly everyone just seemed miserable lol. I like the way Gillian Flynn writes characters though, especially women who are crazy or unhappy - they feel fleshed out and real to me, more so than other thriller authors are able to do. even though I didn't LIKE them, I still wanted to know what happened to them and I was pretty invested the whole time.
Some parts of it felt out of place like all the Satanic stuff, and the ending felt pretty rushed to me. There was a lot of buildup and I would have liked to get there a bit sooner. The last few chapters were pretty wild though and I definitely didn't expectto be the big reveal. Respect for a thriller that wasn't predictable (at least to me).
Also trigger warnings for a few things including discussion of child SA and a pretty brutal description of animal death. I feel like checking TW for Gillian Flynn books goes without saying tho lol
3.5
overall I liked this. Lots of different moving parts but it all mostly came together in the end. I didn't really overly like anyone - maybe Libby and/or Lyle but mostly everyone just seemed miserable lol. I like the way Gillian Flynn writes characters though, especially women who are crazy or unhappy - they feel fleshed out and real to me, more so than other thriller authors are able to do. even though I didn't LIKE them, I still wanted to know what happened to them and I was pretty invested the whole time.
Some parts of it felt out of place like all the Satanic stuff, and the ending felt pretty rushed to me. There was a lot of buildup and I would have liked to get there a bit sooner. The last few chapters were pretty wild though and I definitely didn't expect
Spoiler
assisted suicideSpoiler
The reveal of the "baby" was also fun. I still think Ben is kind of trash for protecting the person who killed his sister but I guess we're supposed to just accept that he was 15 and stupid? But also why have a tattoo of that psychopath's fake name. Yeah not sure I vibe with all that lolAlso trigger warnings for a few things including discussion of child SA and a pretty brutal description of animal death. I feel like checking TW for Gillian Flynn books goes without saying tho lol
3.5
lothwolfjedi's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Un thriller très prenant, avec un ventre mou au milieu qui fait que ce n’est pas un five stars mais c’est efficace, dérangeant, presque obsédant. On a envie de le terminer rapidement. Je suis mitigée sur le dénouement, mais j’y repenserai, c’est sûr.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Sexual assault, and Murder
Moderate: Mental illness
bingo789's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed Sharp Objects more but this one was great too. I may have read too slowly and that’s why the first half of the book seemed to drag on a bit. It took a long time to get to the climax which is really the last 30 pages of the book. Once you’re there, it’s chilling!
jenreadalot's review against another edition
4.0
Insane. Crazy. Insanely crazy. My third favorite of the three books, because I felt like it almost fell flat at the end.
christel_booksmart's review against another edition
5.0
I'm really torn as to what rating I should give this book. Until the last 50-60 pages or so, I was torn between 3 or 4, but the book ended so damn well for me that now I'm struggling on either 4 or 5. The main reason why I'd give this book a 4 is because it really was unsettling. From reading Gone Girl, I knew Flynn was a Queen of Macabre, but in Dark Places she really took it to a whole other level. Never have I read about such disturbing, fucked-up people in a book before. A few times I literally found myself writhing with discomfort- Dark Places will stimulate your upchuck reflex and bring you to tears. I wasn't a big fan of the whole Satanic worship thing either- I feel it's been done so many times, and somehow "cheapens" a psychopath i.e their motives and actions don't feel quite as menacing, they appear more delusional and weird than horrifying and frenzied.
At the same time though, Flynn presented it in an original way, and in the end the Satanic bs didn't really play that much of a role in the story. The reason why I found this book to be 'amazing' 5 stars, is a number of reasons. 1: Flynn's characters. Just like Gone Girl, Flynn's characters in this book were authentic, original and believable. Not necessarily relatable, but when it comes to Flynn's novels, you don't want to relate to her characters, they are that messed up. Flynn really commits to her characters, and that's one major thing I love about her as an author. She has an amazing ability to force the reader to feel the way she wants you to- if she wants you to hate and revile a reaaaally fucked-up character, you will, throughout the entire book. If she wants you to pity and despise a pathetic loser, you WILL, throughout the WHOLE BOOK. Her characters are consistent and believable. 2: Another thing I loved about the book, much like Gone Girl, was the unique way in which the narrative was structured; you had three characters, Libby in the present, and her mother and brother both recounting back in the day of the murders. It was an interesting and compelling way of telling the story, leaving you with suspense at the end of each characters' separate account. Even though it jumped from character to character and to a different time when it came Libby, it all somehow linked together and kept you guessing throughout the whole story. 3: I found the story to be so compelling, and the ending so unpredictable and just downright GOOD-YES-OMG YESSS! (I was literally saying that to myself upon finishing) that I had to give this 5 stars. This, for me, was 10x better than Gone Girl even though it was 10x more messed up. Highly recommended to anyone who read Gone Girl and liked it, and any murder/mystery fans. This is very gory, disturbing and visceral though, it will make you squirm and wince and maybe, like me, almost cry, so it is not for the faint-hearted!!
At the same time though, Flynn presented it in an original way, and in the end the Satanic bs didn't really play that much of a role in the story. The reason why I found this book to be 'amazing' 5 stars, is a number of reasons. 1: Flynn's characters. Just like Gone Girl, Flynn's characters in this book were authentic, original and believable. Not necessarily relatable, but when it comes to Flynn's novels, you don't want to relate to her characters, they are that messed up. Flynn really commits to her characters, and that's one major thing I love about her as an author. She has an amazing ability to force the reader to feel the way she wants you to- if she wants you to hate and revile a reaaaally fucked-up character, you will, throughout the entire book. If she wants you to pity and despise a pathetic loser, you WILL, throughout the WHOLE BOOK. Her characters are consistent and believable. 2: Another thing I loved about the book, much like Gone Girl, was the unique way in which the narrative was structured; you had three characters, Libby in the present, and her mother and brother both recounting back in the day of the murders. It was an interesting and compelling way of telling the story, leaving you with suspense at the end of each characters' separate account. Even though it jumped from character to character and to a different time when it came Libby, it all somehow linked together and kept you guessing throughout the whole story. 3: I found the story to be so compelling, and the ending so unpredictable and just downright GOOD-YES-OMG YESSS! (I was literally saying that to myself upon finishing) that I had to give this 5 stars. This, for me, was 10x better than Gone Girl even though it was 10x more messed up. Highly recommended to anyone who read Gone Girl and liked it, and any murder/mystery fans. This is very gory, disturbing and visceral though, it will make you squirm and wince and maybe, like me, almost cry, so it is not for the faint-hearted!!
elisanolasco's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I was intrigued at the beginning but the middle dragged on too much and I didn’t find the reveal that exciting or worth the pay off.