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A review by abbeyroad1410
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-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
3.75
I should say that I actually really liked this book (and I am flabbergasted by the ending), but I had to take a lot of breaks from it because the content was a lot to take in. As a (former) English major, I could write a dissertation on the major themes of gender roles and the messages on parent-child relationships which made it interesting.
The main characters of this book, Camille and Amma, are super intriguing, and their relationship with each other makes you all the more fascinated to see what will happen. The book forces you to consider how the parenting impacts them individually and their distant relationship with each other. The girls almost act as mirror images of each other, with Camille drawing away from her mother's abuse and Amma accepting it as fact.
However, the plot is very, very slow and difficult to get through. Dark and disturbing things are described in drawn-out detail. At times, I had to convince myself to put the book down so that I wouldn't feel so mentally exhausted. That being said, the book's plot is important and compelling, propelling readers to keep reading even if the novel emotionally drains them.
If I had one flat-out critique of the book, it is the scene in which the main character (a thirty year old woman) sleeps with an eighteen year old boy. Something about it just made me feel slimy; however, I don't think it was meant to be portrayed as a fantastic situation.
Overall, I enjoyed this book...I just preferred Gone Girl.
The main characters of this book, Camille and Amma, are super intriguing, and their relationship with each other makes you all the more fascinated to see what will happen. The book forces you to consider how the parenting impacts them individually and their distant relationship with each other. The girls almost act as mirror images of each other, with Camille drawing away from her mother's abuse and Amma accepting it as fact.
However, the plot is very, very slow and difficult to get through. Dark and disturbing things are described in drawn-out detail. At times, I had to convince myself to put the book down so that I wouldn't feel so mentally exhausted. That being said, the book's plot is important and compelling, propelling readers to keep reading even if the novel emotionally drains them.
If I had one flat-out critique of the book, it is the scene in which the main character (a thirty year old woman) sleeps with an eighteen year old boy. Something about it just made me feel slimy; however, I don't think it was meant to be portrayed as a fantastic situation.
Overall, I enjoyed this book...I just preferred Gone Girl.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, and Murder