Leigha
In my early twenties, I loved watched, reading, or listening to sensationalized news. Ripped from the headlines? I'm there. Recounting the acts of twisted sociopaths? Front row seats, baby. Shock and awe stories? Count me in! And Gone Girl? Well, this book is an homage to such stories. So while this story would have been right up my alley ten years ago, now I could barely finish it.
At its core, this story is about a broken and toxic relationship between two problematic people. It makes for a disappointing thriller, an uninteresting mystery, and a deeply disturbing romance. The atmosphere is oppressive, fitting perfectly with the disturbing narrative. You will find very few sympathetic characters here and lots of disturbing imagery. So while I did not like (or even love) Gone Girl, I understand the appeal. If you're interested in reading or re-reading it, I highly recommend the audio book. The production is top notch.
Personally, I'm hesitant to read another Flynn novel. While I really enjoyed the mystery of Dark Places, this novel just left a really bad taste in my mouth. Time for me to go buy some mouth wash.
tl;dr A ripped-from-the-headlines story for readers interested in an oppressive atmosphere and unsympathetic characters.