Sharp Objects/Flynn - 4 stars

[Anita]

You know how you eat a bag of potato chips? You pull it off the shelf, and you begin with a small handful. And then you take some more. And some more. And before you know it, you are just eating the whole thing. In one fell swoop.

And then you feel a little sick afterward. Not sick to your stomach, but sick that you gobbled all those chips and enjoyed them so dang much when they really aren't good for you AT ALL.

That's pretty much analogous to how I felt about this book.

It was so good going down. And then, at the end. I felt a little gross.

The basic plot is that a young reporter, Camille, returns to her hometown to cover the murder of two pre-teen girls. Slowly, Camille's backstory is revealed, and it's a doozy. She lives with her family while covering the murder story, and the tension of her family life combined with the unresolved murder mystery just amps the book into an incredible page turner.

Flynn sure can propel a reader through a book. She deserves big props for how she cranks up the suspense until you literally can't put the book down.

But was it satisfying? Yeah, not really. Not on a literary level. Not on a cleverness level. Yet, like the potato chips, I'm sure I'll reach for this author's books again and again. And hate myself a little afterward.

[Jen]

ha ha! I love this review so much. I haven't felt the pull to read her books. I did read Gone Girl and thought it was okay but I didn't quite get the hype so I never felt compelled to read more of them but then again it's not really my genre.

I definitely know the feeling though. There are some books/authors who I feel compelled to read but then hate myself for it afterwards.

[Anita]

Jen wrote: "ha ha! I love this review so much. I haven't felt the pull to read her books. I did read Gone Girl and thought it was okay but I didn't quite get the hype so I never felt compelled to read more of ..."

Thanks, Jen! I guess sometimes you just need a little junk reading.

Honestly my natural inclination is not toward this type of book, but there's something about being able to fly through a book that is really fun on some level. I feel like it released endorphins.

I didn't like this one as much as Gone Girl frankly, but I'll certainly try Dark Places which most fans think is her best.

[Joi]

Love the potato chip metaphor! It's so accurate.

I feel like Gillian Flynn is the 'beach read' of psychological thrillers.

[Anita]

Joi wrote: "
I feel like Gillian Flynn is the 'beach read' of psychological thrillers."

Couldn't agree more! Totally perfect for the beach . . .easy, time flying by, I can feel the sunshine now. I will save Dark Places for my next beach vacation for sure.

[Book Concierge]

You had me at Potato Chips ....

[Jennifer]

I like to read her books because I feel like it bridges the gap between every day and readers and occasional readers. I love reading "what everyone else" is reading too just because I like talking about books.

[Brandy]

I definitely preferred Dark Places over Gone Girl, but liked them both. Well, as much as you can like dark and sick and twisted. I'm looking forward to reading Sharp Objects.