Gone Girl

by Gillian Flynn

[Stephanie]

Really a 3.5.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn is one of those books that left me unsure of how I felt about it when all was said and done. It is also one of those books that I can’t really discuss without spoiling a) the plot line and b) the ending.

I can very easily see where this book got all of it’s hype. It is riveting, it is engrossing, it is a fantastic suspense novel. My rating is entirely for personal reasons. The ending turned my stomach and has stayed with me. Some people would measure this as success and that would be true if it were in a “Wow. I still can’t believe how that ended.” said in an awestruck whisper. For me it was more like “Wow. I still can’t believe how that ended.” said in a horror struck whisper with nervous darting eyes.

The alternating point of view every other chapter kept the suspense pumping. Flynn showed us what was going on in the present through Nick and glimpses into the past through Amy’s journal entries. I also loved the characters in Gone Girl; particularly Detective Rhonda Boney.

I will say this, if you want to read a thought provoking suspense novel that will leave your head spinning, do not miss Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.
Audiobook Review:

After seeing April of Good Books and Good Wine suggest people listen to the audiobook version of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, I didn’t hesitate to plunk down one of my Audible credits. This girl knows her audiobooks. The performance of the audio book is quite possibly what saved this book from being a total wash for me. Nick and Amy were voiced by two different people; one man and one woman. I think hearing the story in their voices helped to bond me closer to the characters than I would have reading it on my own. I also plunked down the $12.99 for the Kindle version so I could continue the story when listening wasn’t appropriate. This was before Amazon’s amazing Whispersync between Audible and Kindle books.

In the end, if I had to make a recommendation, I would say do yourself a favor and listen to the audiobook if it’s available to you at a decent price. If all you can get is the written version, I don’t think it will affect how you feel about the story. The audio just embellishes it.