GONE GIRL by Gillian Flynn

Gone Girl
Gillian Flynn

Rating: B
Release Date: 06/05/12
Synopsis from goodreads.com:
"'What are you thinking, Amy? The question I've asked most often during our marriage, if not out loud, if not to the person who could answer. I suppose these questions stormcloud over every marriage: What are you thinking? How are you feeling? Who are you? What have we done to each other? What will we do?'"

Just how well can you ever know the person you love? This is the question that Nick Dunne must ask himself on the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary, when his wife Amy suddenly disappears. The police immediately suspect Nick. Amy's friends reveal that she was afraid of him, that she kept secrets from him. He swears it isn't true. A police examination of his computer shows strange searches. He says they aren't his. And then there are the persistent calls on his mobile phone. So what did really did happen to Nick's beautiful wife? And what was left in that half-wrapped box left so casually on their marital bed? In this novel, marriage truly is the art of war...


My thoughts on the book:
Gone Girl is one of those novels that will mess with your head and stick with you long after you've finished it. The first half of the book lulls you into a false sense of familiarity. We've all heard the story a thousand times, a loving and devoted wife goes missing, this time on her fifth wedding anniversary. Who is to blame? Well the husband, of course. He's lied to the police, and come to find out their relationship wasn't doing so well. However, in Gone Girl, nothing is as it seems, and the second part of the novel will blow your mind. This story is told between Nick's present-day POV and Amy's diary entries from the past, so who can you trust? Flynn teaches the reader that sometimes you can't trust anyone... even the narrators.


The first half of the book made me feel bad for Amy, especially, but also Nick (in some parts). These characters really played on my sympathies by telling me only certain parts of the whole story. In the second part of the book, it becomes apparent rather quickly that both narrators are big liars. At first I was kind of angry about this. I mean I trusted these narrators, and for what? So they could lie to me? But after I thought about it, I realized that the story would not have been half as intriguing if Flynn had not written it in this manner. Being unable to trust the narrators made it hard for me to believe anything that happened, though. So I finished the novel feeling unsure about what was real and what wasn't. Basically, no one is innocent and everyone is guilty of something. It's insane. 


The story was quick-moving, and I never felt like it lagged at all. It also didn't feel rushed, which is a good thing. However, the pages flew by, and before I knew it, the book was over. I was left sitting there staring at it, trying to recover from the intensity. The plot is scary, dark, twisted, and captivating. Once you start this novel, you will not be able to put it down until the very last page. I'm going to end my review here before I spoil anything for future readers of this book.


Overall, I'd recommend this novel to anyone who loves a good mystery/suspense. The book is wonderfully written, and the story will draw you in. Gone Girl is a horrifyingly intense roller coaster that you do not want to miss. 


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