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A review by book_concierge
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
5.0
After both Nick Dunne and his wife Amy lose their writing jobs in New York City they make the decision to move back to Nick’s home town of Carthage Missouri to help his ailing parents. There they can save some money while they ride out the recession and figure out what to do next. On their fifth anniversary, a neighbor calls Nick at work to tell him his front door is wide open and the cat is outdoors. When Nick arrives he discovers the living room in disarray, Amy’s nice dress half-pressed and the iron left on, and no sign of Amy anywhere. But when the police begin to investigate Nick is evasive and oddly unemotional. Amy’s parents, the police, and the media put increasing pressure on him as his web of lies and little deceits begin to unravel. Before long even his twin sister is wondering if he is really a killer.
This is a complex psychological drama that had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Told in alternating voices – Nick and Amy’s story is full of prevarications big and small. Nick’s story is immediate, starting with Amy’s disappearance and relating the events that follow from his perspective. Amy’s story begins with her diary entries, going back seven years to the day they met and chronicling their courtship, newlywed stage and the difficulties of their marriage once they move from New York to Carthage. Neither is who s/he seems to be, both excel at playing a role, both lie easily.
The reader is constantly forced to change allegiances – alternately believing and distrusting Nick, and trying to figure it out ahead of the police. Without giving anything away, I had guessed the first big reveal (start of part 2) pretty quickly, but I still was caught up in the story and wondered how Flynn would get me there. And, of course, Flynn still had plenty of surprises in store for me as the novel progressed. At the end I am left stunned, disturbed, giddy with relief that it’s over, wishing it were NOT over, wondering what will happen next.
NOTE: I had started the audio book, performed by Julia Whelan and Kirby Heyborne, but abandoned it at disk 2. Not to take anything away from the performers, but I was just in a hurry to read it, and once I started reading I could not stop. I stayed up late last night and woke up early to finish. It was that gripping!
This is a complex psychological drama that had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Told in alternating voices – Nick and Amy’s story is full of prevarications big and small. Nick’s story is immediate, starting with Amy’s disappearance and relating the events that follow from his perspective. Amy’s story begins with her diary entries, going back seven years to the day they met and chronicling their courtship, newlywed stage and the difficulties of their marriage once they move from New York to Carthage. Neither is who s/he seems to be, both excel at playing a role, both lie easily.
The reader is constantly forced to change allegiances – alternately believing and distrusting Nick, and trying to figure it out ahead of the police. Without giving anything away, I had guessed the first big reveal (start of part 2) pretty quickly, but I still was caught up in the story and wondered how Flynn would get me there. And, of course, Flynn still had plenty of surprises in store for me as the novel progressed. At the end I am left stunned, disturbed, giddy with relief that it’s over, wishing it were NOT over, wondering what will happen next.
NOTE: I had started the audio book, performed by Julia Whelan and Kirby Heyborne, but abandoned it at disk 2. Not to take anything away from the performers, but I was just in a hurry to read it, and once I started reading I could not stop. I stayed up late last night and woke up early to finish. It was that gripping!