Review: Gone Girl

Nick and Amy have been married for five years. Every year Amy plans a treasure hunt, leading her husband down that memories the couple have shared. Things have been rough for the past year, but Nick has no idea how weird things are going to get when he kisses his wife goodbye that morning then heads to work.

When he comes home, it’s to discover that his wife is gone. The police are alerted and are puzzled by the strange scene of the living room, in which things have been purposely knocked over. What’s more puzzling is Nick’s answers to the police’s questions; they just don’t add up. Soon the whole town is alerted to Amy’s disappearance, and everyone wants justice to be brought to the young, beautiful, smart woman.

But before Nick knows it, he’s the prime suspect in the investigation. All the clues point to him, and the evidence starts to pile quickly…too quickly. Is someone trying to frame Nick for murdering his wife?

So I’m kinda late to the party. This book was a huge blockbuster last year, but I’m only getting around to it now. And I’m so glad I did!

This book is a tour de force. Flynn’s intricate plot and haunting characters grab you by the hair and refuse to let go. They seep into your head and your heart and stay there long after you’ve turned the last page. This book was GOOD.

But let’s start with the beginning. The beginning was slow. Luckily I had read some reviews and was constantly told by people that it would get better. I’m not sure what my experience would’ve been like if I didn’t have that caveat; it was interesting, but nothing exciting really. I was constantly told to watch out for the ‘black page’ in the middle of the book, where everything changes.

And once it did? Whoa, I was on a roller coaster! That’s the point that the book grabs you by brutally and pulls you along for a violent, exhilarating, haunting ride, a ride that makes your heart pound painfully in your chest. Once I started that second section, where all the evidence that had been presented thus far is looked at in another light, I didn’t want to stop. While I had guessed that there would be some sort of twist, I wasn’t prepared for the level of creativity that Flynn pulled pulled off.

Now let’s talk about the characters. Nick is clever, apathetic, caring, and suspicious. Even though half the narrative is told from his point of view, you don’t quite know what to make of him. Everything he says and does is ringed with suspicion and it’s only later that you’re able to find the reason for his lies.

And Amy? Wow. I don’t know what to say about her. She is truly a force to be reckoned with. Flynn paints her beautifully; she is equal parts brilliant, horrific, clever, witty, and crazy. She is a true three-dimensional character, filled with desires and flaws, and lives and breathes beyond the page. Many times, I got goosebumps reading through her scenes; her plans speak volumes of her brilliance, yet also of the scary condition of her mind.

The plot is woven intricately; it surprises you with cliff hangers and witty dialogue. While there are some slow moments, there is never a boring scene or moment. Nick and Amy’s relationship is an explosive one, one filled with passion, love, hate, pride, and ego. While Gone Girl is as far from a love story you can get, as I read, I couldn’t help but feel that the true characters, as horrific as they were, were meant to be.

While the majority of the story canters at breakneck speed, the ending left me wanting more. After such a roller coaster plot, I expected a grand finale, filled with surprises. Yet, the ending left me cold; it spoke nothing of the story that had preceded it. To be honest, it disappointed me, especially after everything that had happened.

So for that: 4/5.

Sorry if this review is so cryptic! There’s a big reveal in the middle of the book that CHANGES EVERYTHING and so I tried my best not to spoil it for those of you who haven’t picked this up yet.

Thanks for reading,

Ikhlas