Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

I feel like I started reading Gillian Flynn’s books out of order.

To be fair, I really did. Not that it matters; her novels don’t need to be read in an order. Once I finished reading Gone Girl at the end of last year, I knew I had to add Flynn’s other works to my “to-read” list. It took a while for me to get my hands on Sharp Objects, but a copy finally came available at my library.

Just as it was with Gone Girl, I found myself intrigued by the mystery and suspense in the story. The twists and turns keep you guessing right up to the end. You might think you have it figured out, but you could be wrong. Flynn’s main character, Camille, truly drew me in. She is a reporter working in Chicago who is sent by her boss back to her small home town to cover the murder of two pre-teen girls. Not only is Sharp Objects the tale of how Camille discovers the truth behind the murders, but it is also a story about Camille’s troubled past and her twisted relationships with her family members. I am so accustomed to female characters being presented as the victims, with men perpetrating crimes. However, Flynn managed to create a story filled with women who are just as equally capable of being violent, self-destructive, and evil. The book is definitely dark in nature, but I enjoyed that about it.

Although it is going to be very hard to beat The Execution of Noa P. Singleton on my reading list from this year, Sharp Objects did not disappoint. It had me guessing from cover to cover, and I would certainly add it to your “to-read” list if you haven’t already.