Gone Girl
By: Gillian Flynn

Challenge:  RIP VIII

Published: 2012

# of pages: 415

Official description:  Marriage can be a real killer. 
One of the most critically acclaimed suspense writers of our time, New York Times bestseller Gillian Flynn takes that statement to its darkest place in this unputdownable masterpiece about a marriage gone terribly, terribly wrong. The Chicago Tribune proclaimed that her work "draws you in and keeps you reading with the force of a pure but nasty addiction." Gone Girl's toxic mix of sharp-edged wit and deliciously chilling prose creates a nerve-fraying thriller that confounds you at every turn. 
On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick's clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn't doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife's head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media--as well as Amy's fiercely doting parents--the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he's definitely bitter--but is he really a killer?
As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn't do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?
With her razor-sharp writing and trademark psychological insight, Gillian Flynn delivers a fast-paced, devilishly dark, and ingeniously plotted thriller that confirms her status as one of the hottest writers around.

My opinion:  I thoroughly enjoyed this book!  I definitely neglected my children at times while reading Gone Girl.  The book moved at a good pace and constantly kept my attention.  The characters were both likable and unlikable at times.  When I wasn't reading the book I'd be wondering "What happened to Amy?"  And I started rooting against Nick, hoping he'd "hang for his crime," and changed my mind over time.  And can I just say - I know someone who is eerily similar to Amy.  I think that made me enjoy the book even more.

I do have to warn readers - this book is full of foul language.  It is also fairly sexually graphic.  The good parts of the book outweighed the bad in my opinion, but be warned.

And I'm excited that the novel is going to be made into a movie!


Why I gave this book 4/5 stars:  Interesting/unique plot, well-written, complicated characters, lots of language and not so great (as far as morals go) characters.

Other reviews:
S. Krishna's Books

Have you reviewed this? Let me know and I'd be happy to post yours as well.

It's that time of year!  And of course I'm lagging behind as usual.  I haven't been reading as much so I feel like I should stick with just 2 books, but this is a challenge after all!  So I'm going to try Peril the First of the R.I.P. VIII Challenge!  That's 4 books by October 31 that include one of these genres:
Mystery.
Suspense.
Thriller.
Dark Fantasy.
Gothic.
Horror.
Supernatural.

The Storyteller
By: Jodi Picoult

Published: 2013

# of pages: 460

Official description: Sage Singer befriends an old man who's particularly beloved in her community. Josef Weber is everyone's favorite retired teacher and Little League coach. They strike up a friendship at the bakery where Sage works. One day he asks Sage for a favor: to kill him. Shocked, Sage refuses…and then he confesses his darkest secret - he deserves to die, because he was a Nazi SS guard. Complicating the matter? Sage's grandmother is a Holocaust survivor.
What do you do when evil lives next door? Can someone who's committed a truly heinous act ever atone for it with subsequent good behavior? Should you offer forgiveness to someone if you aren't the party who was wronged? And most of all - if Sage even considers his request - is it murder, or justice?

My opinion:  Someone asked me what I thought about this book and I said "I love it!  I mean, I don't love it.  It's hard to read."  And that sums it up for me.  The novel is so well written and I couldn't wait to see what happened next.  However, it's a Holocaust book so it is very hard to read.  There were a couple of times where I thought I'd just put the book down and not pick it up again.  It's honest, people.  Picoult doesn't sugar coat what the Jews who suffered during the Holocaust went through.

I really liked the character of Sage.  Her scars made her a unique character and I loved how naturally she grew over the course of the book.  I guessed what happened with Josef, but that didn't ruin anything for me.
Overall, I recommend this to adults who enjoy historical fiction, WWII fiction, and who are looking for a serious, well written book to read.


Why I gave this book 4/5 stars:  Well written, great characters, hard read, brutal descriptions.

Other reviews:
Have you reviewed this? Let me know and I'd be happy to post yours as well.