The Best Book that I Hated This Year

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book gets top honors for being the best book that I hated this year. Excellent writing by Ms. Flynn for suspense thriller fans looking for a very contemporary story.  This is seriously the most twisted book I remember ever reading, or actually, listening to.   Twisted like the 1989 movie War of the Roses was twisted.

The book starts with Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary, and Amy is missing. Nick's story doesn't make sense, but he seems like such a good guy that you want to read on, and you want to yell at him: "Yeah, but DID YOU DO IT?" The story progresses with flash backs in Amy's voices, talking about being in love with Nick, how they met, painting such a pretty picture. Of course, she is now missing, and her account is so different than Nick's that if you ever start reading the book you can't possibly stop, because you just must find out who is telling the truth, and what actually happened after all. As a lawyer, I was especially dubious, because while you always expect stories to be different, these stories were so incredibly different that I was just sure there was a quite devious/pschyo personality at the bottom of it all. I figured out who it was before the book told me, but I didn't see the final resolution coming, at all!

I had fun with this book until the last 25% or so, and then I had to honestly admit that the book was just not for me, and I wish I had continued resisting listening to it.  I wonder if I could have handled it better as a book reading it?  But, if you are into twisted suspense thrillers you need to go out and read it right now.  Also, as an attorney, the witness prep session made me laugh out loud and was worth the whole, crazy mess.  And, if you have read the book, I am going to have to talk with you about it, so I guess the book did what it was supposed to! 

Having said that, I have to admit that the voices, the characters, and the plotting were so amazing that I had to give it a star 4 rating even though I hated it. I also may have to check this author out again.  So long as the other books have at least ONE person that I can care about!

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