Sharp Objects
Book description
NOW AN HBOÂŽ LIMITED SERIES STARRING AMY ADAMS, NOMINATED FOR EIGHT EMMY AWARDS, INCLUDING OUTSTANDING LIMITED SERIES
FROM THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF GONE GIRL
Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, reporter Camille Preaker faces a troubling assignment: she must return to her tinyâŚ
Why read it?
14 authors picked Sharp Objects as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Before her mega-hit Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn penned this diabolical noir set in the deep South. Itâs an edgy story, presenting a gallery of disturbed charactersâincluding the deeply troubled protagonist, a journalist who returns to her hometown to report on the murders of two young girls.
Some books I forget a week or two after reading, others just stick with me for a year or more, and some leave bootprints in my mind forever. This is one of the latter.
From R. K.'s list on mysteries and thrillers set in the Deep South.
This is Flynnâs debut novel and my favorite. I liked it even more than Gone Girl. Camille, the protagonist, had me cheering for her at every turn, yet I couldn't shake a persistent sense of dread.
Some scenes are so vivid and disturbing that theyâve stuck with me long after I finished the bookâespecially the chilling scene at a pig farm. And Camilleâs mother, Adora? Letâs just say she isnât adorable.
The ending? Bone-chilling and unforgettable.
From Barbara's list on domestic thrillers unraveling dark family secrets.
I loved this story because it had the rarest combinations: a great twist ending I didnât see coming when I read the novel and a different but effective vehicle for the big reveal when HBO made it into a limited series. As I approached the end of the series, I was a little jaded, assuming theyâd hew to the source material in a way that wouldnât surprise me given my familiarity with the plot, so when they caught me off guard with their new ending, it was like I got to enjoy it twice!
Further, Gillian Flynn did a greatâŚ
From Arthur's list on endings that make you go, âWhoooooaaaaâ.
If you love Sharp Objects...
I appreciate that this is a slow burn. Itâs the perfect way to unfold a mystery while focusing on whatâs going on in the characterâs headâand, letâs face it, this book is really about the character more than the mystery. Donât get me wrong: the mystery is still there. Itâs strong. Itâs interesting. But the protagonistâand what happened to herâis far more thrilling than the murders are.
I was stuck inside her head all the while I was reading, and I was uncomfortable. She made me squirm. This book reassessed my view of other people, making me more compassionate towardâŚ
From Laura's list on mystery that takes you into the characters head.
I love this book because a sense of unease fills this novel from page one. Camille returns to her hometown to cover the unsolved murder of a preteen girl. Itâs not an assignment she wants, preferring to avoid her family and her memories. Her recollections of her disturbing, abusive childhood and the death of her sister make this a compulsive read.
Her own fragile mental state and self-harm force the reader to question her even as she questions herself. I loved this book because it made me so uncomfortable while I was reading it that I just had to knowâŚ
From Nicole's list on helping you explore the darker side of suburbia.
Iâll always read Gillian Flynn, for the simple reason that her writing style is the closest thing to Truman Capoteâs In Cold Blood written by a modern writer. Sheâs just that good.
This book is my favorite because of how it explores taboo topics (see the theme here?) and because she creates richly complex characters that showcase the range of what people are capable ofâthe greatest kindness and the darkest cruelty.
From Alex's list on female protagonists who you hate to root for.
If you love Gillian Flynn...
I just love a dark family saga with disturbing characters. I was obsessed with thrillers, and many just made me yawn. This one didnât disappoint.
The story crept in with shivering twists. I canceled all appointments to finish the book. The small-town dark mentality was so sick. I simply admired the storytelling.
The ending hit me hard. I was paralyzed in bed for a while after finishing the last page. I wanted more. Luckily, HBO turned it into a major limited series which allowed my obsession for the book to linger on.
From Kevin's list on family saga books that unravel dark secrets.
I am a sucker for a psychological thriller that revolves around a character with a troubled past.
This story tackles so much from the protagonistâs own traumatic history and strained relationships with her family, but it is the deep dive into the relationship with the overbearing mother that had me hooked. The matriarch was so strict and emotionless, and that made her relationship with her daughter fraught with hate.
I loved Flynnâs intense and atmospheric storytelling and the unexpected, horror-filled ending that has never quite left me.
From Kylie's list on losing yourself in motherhood (the good and the bad).
There is no question (in my mind anyways) that Gillian Flynn is the master of suspense and weâre all just spectators in her ring.
This is the suspense book that really did it for me and made me want to run to my laptop and write. Yes, the infamous Gone Girl, that launched her career is likely more well-known. But I vividly remember getting chills, tingles, and inspiration as I read this terrifying yet thrilling story about troubled reporter, Camille Preaker and the demons she faces going back to her hometown.
Sometimes there is nothing darker than confronting unresolved issuesâŚ
From Ellen's list on satisfying your dark, suspense craving.
If you love Sharp Objects...
Scarred by a manipulative and narcissistic mother Flynnâs brilliantly drawn protagonist Camille Preaker is a lonely, disturbed, alcoholic, self-harming mess.
But her spiky resilience and Flynnâs wonderful prose, fearless exploration of intergenerational trauma, and depictions of small-town American life drew me into Camilleâs inner and outer struggles and made this book strangely uplifting. The novel drips with dirt, blood, grime, and brutality, so beautifully and unflinchingly described I devoured it in one gulp.
From Sam's list on troubled women struggling to hold it together.
If you love Sharp Objects...
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