Review: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Gone Girl
written by Gillian Flynn
published by Crown

find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, iBooks, Book Depository, Goodreads

Why did I pick this book: This was the January book for our book group. You can read Belinda’s review here. (I share a lot of her thoughts as well, especially about “winkily.”)

Did I enjoy this book: Not really. But it kept me reading until the end.

Here’s the thing. It is a different story with some different angles. But I didn’t like any of the characters. None of them. There was no one that I cared about. There were quite a few times I wanted to DNF this book. If it hadn’t been for book group and a willingly read spoiler, I probably would have DNF’d this book way before the halfway mark. (Probably before the quarter mark.) That’s how much I didn’t care.

So, you may ask, what kept me reading? Well, I wanted to see how it ended. I wanted to see if there was a clever catch, an interesting twist, something redeeming for any of the characters.

***SPOILER ALERT — STOP READING NOW IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW DETAILS.***

There was nothing redeeming. I thought Amy was a psychotic, bored, rich bitch. Nick was spineless, weak, and pissed off (with good reason). The cops were incompetent. Boney I liked because she knows the truth. Unfortunately, she can’t prove it. Go was an afterthought. I’m not sure what purpose she served. The parents were crazy. I was hoping it had been their plan to salvage the Amazing Amy books. The ending?!?!? What?!?!? I don’t even remotely understand that. It was a let down.

***SPOILER OVER – YOU MAY RESUME READING.***

Okay. The book is fairly well-written. A few too many words and descriptions for my taste. It could probably lose about 100 pages and be just as good, maybe even better because it wouldn’t be so long. The plot was different and well-thought out. Every angle was covered and explained. It was an intriguing story. Just too much for me. I wish I had cared about one of the characters. I wish one of the characters would have received their just desserts.

Would I recommend it: Tough question … I may if someone asks me about it. But I wouldn’t actively recommend it to all the people I know.

Will I read it again: I will not.

About the book – from Goodreads: 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?