Mini-Reviews: Gone Girl, Sharp Objects & Dark Places // Edge-of-the-seat thrillers by Gillian Flynn

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Hello everyone!

I think I fell back in love with writing reviews. The secret? Mini-reviews! The truth is, I never have that much to write about a book, even one that I love very, very much. After seeing some bloggers nail this approach (such as Marie @ Drizzle and Hurricane Books, and The Orangutan Librarian), I couldn’t help but give this a try.

Gillian Flynn is one of my favourite authors. After reading Gone Girl on my plane ride to China, I couldn’t help but devour Dark Places and Sharp Objects as well. I am amazed by her writing style and her mastery at psychological suspense.

Gone Girl

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From the back cover

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunneโ€™s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nickโ€™s clever and beautiful wife disappears. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isnโ€™t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wifeโ€™s head, but passages from Amy’s diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge.ย Under mounting pressure from the police and the mediaโ€”as well as Amyโ€™s fiercely doting parentsโ€”the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and heโ€™s definitely bitterโ€”but is he really a killer?

What I liked

  • Humorous and witty writing that makes you smile and wince at all the right places
  • Plot twists that keep you guessing
  • Main characters (Nick and Amy) who are flawed, messed-up, and very fascinating to get into the heads of
  • Sharp, quick pacing that will have you turning the pages

What I didn’t like

  • Without spoiling the story: The antagonist of this story is very thorough, methodical, and calculating in their ways, making it difficult to relate to this character

Overall: 4/5

Gone Girl is a roller-coaster ride without a single dull moment. It must-read for anyone who is a fan of the mystery and thriller genre.

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Dark Places

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From the back cover

Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in โ€œThe Satan Sacrifice” of Kinnakee, Kansas. She survivedโ€”and famously testified that her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, the Kill Clubโ€”a secret secret society obsessed with notorious crimesโ€”locates Libby and pumps her for details. They hope to discover proof that may free Ben. Libby hopes to turn a profit off her tragic history: Sheโ€™ll reconnect with the players from that night and report her findings to the clubโ€”for a fee. As Libbyโ€™s search takes her from shabby Missouri strip clubs to abandoned Oklahoma tourist towns, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she startedโ€”on the run from a killer.

What I liked

  • The plot twists!! There is never a dull moment
  • Libby and her family. Even though Libby’s mother and sisters are dead in present day, we get to learn about their personality and quirks through Libby’s memory
  • The disturbing details of the backstory

What I didn’t like

  • Libby’s character isn’t immediately likeable – she is bitter and calculating. However, I feel that this is the intention of the author, and Libby grew on me over time

Overall: 4/5

Yet another amazing novel by Gillian Flynn. As much as this is a murder mystery about Satanic rituals, Dark Places is also a story about the love that underlies a family.ย I absolutely loved this novel, maybe even more so than Gone Girl.

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Sharp Objects

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From the back cover

Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, reporter Camille Preaker faces a troubling assignment: she must return to her tiny hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls. For years, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows, a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed in her old bedroom in her family’s Victorian mansion, Camille finds herself identifying with the young victimsโ€”a bit too strongly. Dogged by her own demons, she must unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past if she wants to get the storyโ€”and survive this homecoming.

What I liked

  • Amazing prose and dialogue
  • A well-developed main character (Camille) who has depth and flaws
  • An intricately woven story line with plot twists that will keep you guessing

What I didn’t like

  • For a thriller, the pacing was incredibly slow. Nothing much happens for the first 80% (and then it is like %&$*#?!)
  • Repeated use of certain phrases, like “she is the type of woman who holds your hair back when you vomit”, and “smell like sex”

Overall: 3/5

If you can put up with the slow pacing, Sharp Objects tells a haunting tale about dead (and very, very sick) people that will raise the hairs at the back of your neck.

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PS.

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Are you a fan of the thriller/suspense genre? Have you watched the Gone Girl movie? What do you like writing better: full-length reviews or mini-reviews?

25 responses to “Mini-Reviews: Gone Girl, Sharp Objects & Dark Places // Edge-of-the-seat thrillers by Gillian Flynn”

  1. girlslikeherblog Avatar
    girlslikeherblog

    I’ve read and still got both of those books. I think they are absolutely smashing.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yes! Absolutely ๐Ÿ™‚ Glad that you enjoyed them as well.

      Like

  2. girlslikeherblog Avatar
    girlslikeherblog

    What other books have you been liking at the moment?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I am reading Carry On at the moment (loving it!) How about you? ๐Ÿ™‚

      Like

      1. girlslikeherblog Avatar
        girlslikeherblog

        I’ve just read The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater and i really did enjoy it.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Glad that you enjoyed the series! I havenโ€™t read it yet but Iโ€™ve heard good things about Maggie Stiefvater ๐Ÿ™‚ Iโ€™ll keep an eye out for this series

        Like

  3. Awesome reviews, Sophie. Definitely a practical way to approach it. It helps when you got a heavy backlog indeed. As a slow reader… I’d probably never be able to do this for novels, but maybe some day I’ll end up having to do it for graphic novels since I read a lot of those that I don’t always immediately do a full review for. I saw Gone Girl the movie when it was released (it had one of my favourite directors on it too) and absolutely loved it. Since then I told myself I’d try out all her books but have yet to pick them. Hopefully I’ll be able to change that in 2018 hahah ๐Ÿ˜€

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thank you Lashaan! Yes it is a practical approach. Iโ€™ve been putting off writing full-length reviews for some books, which is why I have a backlog :โ€™) It sounds like it would be a good idea to write mini-reviews for graphic novels. I used to read a lot of graphic novels, but recently I donโ€™t know where to start, so I look forward to seeing your reviews!
      Thatโ€™s great to hear that you also enjoyed the Gone Girl movie. I would definitely recommend the book as well. It is different from the movie in that you can get to know more about Nick and Amyโ€™s thought processes ๐Ÿ™‚

      Liked by 1 person

  4. I seldom have the time (or patience) to write a full length review, so I am totally into mini reviews which I also broadcast.
    Thriller/suspense is nice but I am not heavily into it. I’ve only watched the Gone Girl movie which was nice although I am certain the book will better!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Yes same here! Patience is what I lack!

      I definitely enjoyed the Gone Girl book even more than the movie (which I also loved). It is interesting to get into the heads of the characters, which I find not so much with film in general.

      I still am terrified about watching the video you uploaded this week haha :โ€™)

      Liked by 1 person

  5. All the 3 books are my favorites. I.need to reread them. It was several years ago I read them.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Glad that you liked these books as well Asha! I would definitely want to reread these books in the future, especially Gone Girl and Dark Places ๐Ÿ™‚

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  6. Oh great reviews, Sophie! I’m so glad you’re doing these little reviews and thank you for mentioning me, I’m glad if I could influence you to do this in any way ๐Ÿ™‚
    I haven’t read any of these books and I am not really sure they are for me – I am not too into these kind of thriller reads, but I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much ๐Ÿ˜€

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you Marie! โค When I read your bullet-point reviews, I thought that Iโ€™d definitely try it out for myself one day ๐Ÿ™‚
      Thatโ€™s all right, I think we all have genres that we prefer!

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Hi Sophie! ๐Ÿ™‚
    Mini reviews are definitely way to go I think. ๐Ÿ™‚ It’s got to be easier to write them than the massive reviews that take ages and (well in my case for sure) go off on strange tangents. ๐Ÿ˜€
    I haven’t read any of Gillian Flynn’s books but I’ve heard incredible things about them. Everyone I know seemed to read Gone Girl when the film was released so for a while at work it was all anyone was talking about. The thriller genre isn’t really my thing I have to say, I’ve read a few YA thrillers I’ve enjoyed but I’m always going to be a fantasy reader it has to be said, but I’m glad you enjoyed these books Sophie. ๐Ÿ™‚
    Great reviews! ๐Ÿ˜€ โค

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you Beth! โค Yes I think I am going to be writing more mini-reviews! These days Iโ€™ve only been reviewing a few of the books that Iโ€™ve read, because I donโ€™t have much to say. However I will be more motivated to write them if I know they can be short ๐Ÿ™‚ Do you prefer to write full-length reviews?
      I love Gillian Flynnโ€™s books, but of course the thriller genre isnโ€™t for everyone! I also like fantasy though I havenโ€™t read many books in this genre lately- hoping to get back into it ๐Ÿ™‚

      Liked by 1 person

      1. That’s all right, and yeah I guess in that case there are so many positives to writing mini reviews right? ๐Ÿ™‚ I prefer full length reviews, mainly because when I write mini reviews they tend to be full length reviews just because I have so much to say about most of the books I read. ๐Ÿ˜€
        I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you in that case Sophie. ๐Ÿ™‚ โค

        Liked by 1 person

      2. I can see how you would prefer writing full length reviews, since you have a lot to say about them! I always wished that were the case for me haha. I guess mini-reviews will have to do :’)

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Youโ€™re mini reviews were great to read Sophie, I think theyโ€™re just too hard for me to write because I can never get the hang of the mini part! ๐Ÿ˜€

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Haha I suppose it is great that there is a format that works for each person ๐Ÿ™‚

        Liked by 1 person

  8. Thank you so much for the shoutout! That was very kind of you! I completely agree about Flynn- I love her style and I really enjoyed Dark Places too ๐Ÿ™‚ I get what you mean about Libby, but she grew on me too. I’ve not read Sharp Objects yet, but it sounds awesome, even if it is a little slow. Great reviews!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Haha you are welcome! When I saw you and Marieโ€™s reviews, I thought โ€œI should write reviews this way too!โ€ Yes I love Flynnโ€™s writing style! Sharp Objects is my least favourite of the 3 books, but there are some unexpected twists and creepy parts too. Thank you ๐Ÿ™‚

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Ah I’m glad ๐Ÿ™‚ Fair enough!! You’re welcome! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Liked by 1 person

  9. I absolutely LOVE Gillian Flynn and I can’t wait for her to write another book.. Is she still writing? She better be!! Her books are so twisted and I want more.. Great reviews! I really like the format ๐Ÿ™‚

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi Lara! Thatโ€™s great to hear from another Gillian Flynn fan. I am also looking forward to her next book, although I donโ€™t know when that would be. Thank you ๐Ÿ™‚

      Like

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