Gone Girl in Crazy Challenge Connection

Aug 25, 2013 Book Concierge rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: marriage, audio, book-club, murder, psychology, mystery, new-york, mental-illness, suspense, abuse

After both Nick Dunne and his wife Amy lose their writing jobs in New York City they make the decision to move back to Nick’s home town of Carthage Missouri to help his ailing parents. There they can save some money while they ride out the recession and figure out what to do next. On their fifth anniversary, a neighbor calls Nick at work to tell him his front door is wide open and the cat is outdoors. When Nick arrives he discovers the living room in disarray, Amy’s nice dress half-pressed and t After both Nick Dunne and his wife Amy lose their writing jobs in New York City they make the decision to move back to Nick’s home town of Carthage Missouri to help his ailing parents. There they can save some money while they ride out the recession and figure out what to do next. On their fifth anniversary, a neighbor calls Nick at work to tell him his front door is wide open and the cat is outdoors. When Nick arrives he discovers the living room in disarray, Amy’s nice dress half-pressed and the iron left on, and no sign of Amy anywhere. But when the police begin to investigate Nick is evasive and oddly unemotional. Amy’s parents, the police, and the media put increasing pressure on him as his web of lies and little deceits begin to unravel. Before long even his twin sister is wondering if he is really a killer.

This is a complex psychological drama that had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Told in alternating voices – Nick and Amy’s story is full of prevarications big and small. Nick’s story is immediate, starting with Amy’s disappearance and relating the events that follow from his perspective. Amy’s story begins with her diary entries, going back seven years to the day they met and chronicling their courtship, newlywed stage and the difficulties of their marriage once they move from New York to Carthage. Neither is who s/he seems to be, both excel at playing a role, both lie easily.

The reader is constantly forced to change allegiances – alternately believing and distrusting Nick, and trying to figure it out ahead of the police. Without giving anything away, I had guessed the first big reveal (start of part 2) pretty quickly, but I still was caught up in the story and wondered how Flynn would get me there. And, of course, Flynn still had plenty of surprises in store for me as the novel progressed. At the end I am left stunned, disturbed, giddy with relief that it’s over, wishing it were NOT over, wondering what will happen next.

NOTE: I had started the audio book, performed by Julia Whelan and Kirby Heyborne, but abandoned it at disk 2. Not to take anything away from the performers, but I was just in a hurry to read it, and once I started reading I could not stop. I stayed up late last night and woke up early to finish. It was that gripping!
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Aug 10, 2014 Charlotte (Buried in Books) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: crime

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 05, 2013 Toni rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-fiction, suspense, suspense-thriller, fiction, adult-fiction, mental-health, psychological, mystery, drama, family-dysfunction

Okay, I've had time to sleep on it. I think I can semi-coherently organize my thoughts now. We'll give it a go. . .

As much as I pride myself on an extensive vocabulary, I can only settle on one word to describe this book: Wow.

I felt the story started out a bit slow but by halfway through, that is long forgotten. There are a dizzying number of twists, turns, forks in the road, dead ends, etc. In fact, I felt quite a bit as though I were in a wooden cart, being towed by a car down a gravel road: ...more

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Apr 22, 2013 ilovebakedgoods (Teresa) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: killeen-library-paper, suspense, crime, mystery, contemporary-fiction, thriller, 2013, relationships

I'm not even sure where to begin with my thoughts. I've been participating in a Q&A on this, a "answer questions as you read" kind of thing. My feelings for the people in this book have been all over the place. It's so hard to really review this book without giving things away. I admit I was sucked into the suspense, the drama, the wondering how much of what I was reading was true (it's written by two very opposing perspectives and I really liked that aspect). I've read so many "I hated the endi I'm not even sure where to begin with my thoughts. I've been participating in a Q&A on this, a "answer questions as you read" kind of thing. My feelings for the people in this book have been all over the place. It's so hard to really review this book without giving things away. I admit I was sucked into the suspense, the drama, the wondering how much of what I was reading was true (it's written by two very opposing perspectives and I really liked that aspect). I've read so many "I hated the ending" rants and I can see why. This book has stayed with my thoughts for days now. I keep thinking... was the ending a deus ex machina? I'm just not sure. It feels like it when I think of certain things. Felt like the author couldn't come up with a clever way out of the clever traps she set for herself so bam, insert some outrageous scenario to the rescue. As far as the very last few pages, UGH! I can only think of one innocent victim in all of this and if you've read the book you should know to whom I refer. That is what stuck with me as I closed the book. WTF. Ugh. Seriously.

The characters are two of the worst people I've ever met. He was spineless, she was a sociopath. It really isn't so much that Nick was a horrible person, but good grief, I wanted to throttle him because of how dumb he could be about some things. It was crazy being in their heads. Sometimes it was just so absurd, I had to laugh. Honestly, I was floored when the final clue of Amy's anniversary gift was revealed. (view spoiler)

I liked the writing itself, I found the author to be pretty talented at some of the phrases she used, scenarios she set. I simply LOVED the Ellen Abbott character! She had me rolling with laughter, especially considering she was basically inspired by Nancy Grace. HILARIOUS stuff as I read her description and kept picturing Nancy Grace. Gave me giggle fits. Much of this book gave me giggle fits because (view spoiler) ...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Melissa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: comes-highly-recommended, mystery-suspense-thriller, kindle-books, new-authors-i-like, read-2014, movie-tie-in

4 1/2 Stars - Really good read!

Wow! What a wild ride! I really liked this book. The alternating view points worked really well. And I really loved the way the author kept twisting and twisting the story. I would put the book down and tell my husband "OK. This just got weirder." My only real complaint (and why I didn't give it 5 stars) is I didn't care for the ending. I would have preferred everything to be neatly tied up, but it's not. I don't want to say anymore... ...more

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