Best known for her book Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn has a knack for writing morbid stories. Her books all center on some grim event, sometimes a disappearance but more often a murder. Sharp Objects is no exception. Drawn to her hometown to cover the murder of two young girls, reporter Camille Preaker is forced to revisit her disturbing childhood to figure out who committed the heinous crimes. As she learns more about the case, she must face her own dark past.
Sharp Objects is not for those with a weak heart. If child murders alone aren’t enough to scare you off, perhaps the manner in which the girls were killed might (both girls were strangled before their teeth were pulled out, one by one). In addition, Preaker faces a rare disorder that compels her to carve various words into her skin. As a result, her body is covered with scars so that not a single patch of skin, save the small of her back, is smooth.
Despite the gruesome nature of this novel, or perhaps because of it, the plot is extremely compelling and the book is nearly impossible to put down. Sharp Objects explores the darker side of human nature, such as our natural tendency to speculate and gossip about those we know personally who were involved in major events. The novel also touches on our basic instinct to care for those around us and the point at which that may become harmful.
Throughout the book, Flynn keeps the reader guessing, even until the very end. At various points you will think you know who the killer is only to have your theory turned upside down on the very next page. This leads to an emotional, thrilling and intense page-turner that is impossible to stop reading. In fact, the end is so powerful that you won’t be able to stop thinking about it for days after you finish. With Sharp Objects, Flynn delivers another exhilarating masterpiece.