Book Club

I haven't posted a book review here on the blog in quite a while now. Oh well, there's no time like the present, right? Over the past few months, I have not been doing a good job of giving myself time to read which makes me sad because I absolutely love to read. Well, I take that back. I have been reading, just not fun books. I've been reading articles about pregnancy, babies, reviews of products for babies, etc. It's literally taken over my life. Oye vey. I promised myself that I was going to get back into reading for pleasure, and lately I have finally had the time to do so. Thanks to my insanely swollen pregnancy feet, I have to take time out of each day to sit down, elevate my feet and relax. This is not something I am good at. I especially hate propping my feet up, it makes me feel so antsy and trapped. However, I have found that the only way for me to successfully relax is to read while I do so. It keeps me distracted enough that I forget that I'm antsy and that I want to get up an move around. So now for an hour or two each day, my swollen feet get some relief and I get to enjoy some quality reading time. Win win.

I have finally finished a book that I have been trying to read for a little while now, which is the one I am reviewing today. This book has saved my swollen feet and forced me to sit down and relax.

Today I am sharing...

Here is a synopsis/review of the book from Amazon: 

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 thoughts...

To say that this book is a psychological thriller is quite an understatement. It is dark and suspenseful in ways I could never have dreamed in my wildest imagination. It keeps you guessing and analyzing every single minute detail with the turn of each page. However, just when you think you have it figured out, each new twist in the story is more shocking than the last. There are so many clues and finite details to figure out the meaning and significance of and just when you think you have accomplished that, you find that those details simply cover up an even deeper meaning. I can't even begin to fathom how an author could write with so many complicated layers as Flynn did in this book. The main characters, husband and wife, are so complex and manipulative that you don't know whether to trust them, like them or hate them. My opinion of them changed constantly throughout the book. Just when I thought I had pinned down that character's personality or motive, another detail came along and changed my entire perspective. The story just became more intense and complicated as you peeled back each layer. I never in a million years could have predicted the ending of this book. In fact, when I first read it, I actually hated the ending. Then, the more I thought about the ending, the more I realized how brilliant it was. It's actually very difficult to articulate my reaction and comprehension of this book without spoiling it. Let's just say that when I came to the end and closed the book, I just sat there. Mind blown. This book turned out to be nothing like I expected, which is what I loved about it.