Book Review: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Gone Girl won the Goodreads award 2012 for Best Mystery and Thriller and I believe also a few more awards as well.  I’ve also heard a lot of good things about it.  I got it a few months ago and I’m really into these mysteries about marriage.  However, I’ve never read anything from Gillian Flynn.

Lets start with a little plot.  In the simplest way of saying it and not revealing too much, this book is about a couple in North Carthage, Missouri.  Amy and Nick Dunne is a married couple that has moved back to Nick’s hometown from New York.  Due to the recession and the technology boom, they both had lost their jobs and with Nick’s parents in need of care, the decision was made to head back to take care of them.  On their 5th anniversary, Amy disappears from her home  The police gets involve and Amy’s parents come to offer their help and Nick is trying his best to cope with the situation.  The question is now: where is Amy? Is she dead or alive? Conflict arises, suspicions go around and secrets are revealed as the investigation drags on.

I really don’t want to give away too much because the essence of the book is in the way they put it.  First off, I can tell you that reading physical books I am faster and dive into the story quicker.  Second, I haven’t been caught up in a book in a really long time.  Other than work, eat and sleep and the essentials, I literally have been reading ALL THE TIME! I started this on April 10th and finished it last night (April 12).

This book is a thriller above everything.  What I didn’t like was the fact that I do read the comments at the back of the book and some of them gave away a little too much so I figured out the angle that was used beforehand.  However, the depth of the characters surpassed a lot of what I was expecting and it captured me and carried me away. I kept wanting to see what was going to happen next.  It was captivating and kept my mind working through the whole thing.  Considering the possibilities.

The setup of the book was also done really well.  As we learn a bit more of Amy and Nick’s relationship, we see the characters crystal clear and we see how their marriage was, and the feelings of Amy and Nick with flashbacks from the past.  The basis of this novel is very psychological, psychotic, psychopath.  Whatever you want to use.  It was messed up (for lack of a better word to express it). The language of the book also seems to get more frantic and more vulgar as the situation worsens and everyone is falling deeper into a bad situation.

I recommend this book highly. It pulled me right in.  I mean seriously, because I dreamed about what might happened for a full night.  Another reason why I wanted to finish it last night.  It may have been predictable for the angle the author chose but the character development that was revealed bit by bit really made up for everything. It contributed to every part of the thrill and mystery that make this an awesome read :)!

Did you read it? Is it on your reading list if you haven’t? Are you into mystery and thrillers? Any recommendations?