Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn Book Review: You Never Really Know Someone

Author: Gillian Flynn
Publisher: Crown Publishing (Penguin Random House Imprint)
Genres: Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Murder
Pages: 272
Format: Paperback
My Rating: ☕︎ ☕︎ ☕︎ ☕︎ ☕︎ (5/5 Lattes)

Have you read Gone Girl? I read Gone Girl years ago and loved both the book and the film, but hadn’t explored any of Gillian Flynn’s other works. As Flynn’s debut psychological thriller novel, Sharp Objects is a great piece of dark fiction and I’m glad I read it. It’s also been adapted into an HBO series starring Amy Adams, but I have yet to watch!

Returning to Wind Gap

Sharp Objects follows Camille Preaker, a journalist at a Chicago newspaper tasked with covering the brutal murders of two preteen girls in her small hometown of Wind Gap, Missouri. She’s avoided her hometown for years, so at first she hesitates to take on the story but is pressured by her boss, Curry. Once she arrives, she reconnects with her estranged mother, her younger sister and former friends. As she begins to dig deeper into the murders, she finds that some things in Wind Gap never change while others are far more dark and twisted than she imagined.

An Emotional Rollercoaster

I honestly think that to call this story an emotional rollercoaster would be an understatement. The plot takes your emotions through a whirlwind of sadness, anger, disgust, shock and more.

I started reading the physical paperback and finished it up using the audiobook version during my workday, where I was audibly gasping at each twist – to the point that my coworkers asked what I was listening to!

The novel explores deep family secrets and dysfunction, generational trauma, and the lengths people will go to keep things “business as usual”. Camille’s troubled family history and the small town investigation become intertwined by the end, leading to a crazy twist that I didn’t consider at the beginning of my read.

Content Warning

It’s worth noting that the book can get a bit sexual at some points, and touches on sensitive topics such as self-harm and child death.

If you’re looking for a thriller that will have your head spinning, be sure to pick this one up! Have you read Sharp Objects or any other of Gillian Flynn’s work? What did you think?

Perfect for: fans of twisty, atmospheric fiction who want a book that will genuinely shock them
Overall vibes: dark, southern-gothic, psychological chaos, emotional