book review: Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

The backstory: Like so many of you, I read and adored Gillian Flynn's most recent novel, Gone Girl, in 2012. I finally got around to reading her first novel, Sharp Objects.

The basics: Camille, a wounded young woman who recently spent time in a psychiatric hospital, must return to the small Missouri town where she grew up to cover the murders of two pre-teen girls for the second-rate Chicago paper she works. Forced to stay with her mother, stepfather and half-sister, Camille must also confront the childhood death of her sister.

My thoughts: As many of you as know, I majored in journalism in college (and women's studies and art history--I've always been a multi-disciplinarian at heart!), and I adore stories of journalists. Camille is a fascinatingly flawed character. I loved to glimpse inside the combination of her hardness and softness. She was simultaneously a character to whom I could relate and understand and one who baffled me, yet Flynn merged both seamlessly. Sharp Objects may not be a page-turner in the classic sense, but its combination of character development, compelling backstories, and current plot made the book hard to put down.

Favorite passage:  "You’re crazy to think what you’re thinking. You’re crazy to not think it."

The verdict: Sharp Objects is delightfully creepy but also richly realized. Flynn's characters are a delight to read about, and I was as enchanted by the characters as the mysteries themselves. Ultimately, I liked Sharp Objects even more than Gone Girl.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: September 26, 2006
Source: purchased (at Parnassus Books!)

Convinced? Treat yourself! Buy Sharp Objects from an independent bookstore or Amazon (Kindle edition.)

Want more? Visit Gillian Flynn's website and like her on Facebook.

As an affiliate, I receive a small commission when you make a purchase through any of the above links. Thank you for helping to support my book habits that bring more content to this blog!

Comments

  1. Oh boy! Gone Girl was one of my favorite books of the year - I'll have to pull this one out of the TBR stack!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yea - I put this one on my TBR Pile Challenge list for this year. So glad to see that I'm going to enjoy it!

    ReplyDelete

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