Title: Sharp Objects
Author: Gillian Flynn
Publisher: Shaye Areheart Books
Genre: Mystery Thriller
First Publication: 2006
Language: English
Major Characters: Camille Preaker, Frank Curry, Amma Crellin, Adora Crellin, Chief Bill Vickery, Alan Crellin, Marian Crellin, Richard Willis, Ann Nash, Natalie Keene
Setting Place: Missouri (United States)
Theme: Toxic Mother-Daughter Relationships, Abuse, Victimization, and Control, Secrets, Lies, and Disguises,
Narrator: First Person
Book Summary: Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
When two girls are abducted and killed in Missouri, journalist Camille Preaker is sent back to her home town to report on the crimes. Long-haunted by a childhood tragedy and estranged from her mother for years, Camille suddenly finds herself installed once again in her family’s mansion, reacquainting herself with her distant mother and the half-sister she barely knows – a precocious 13-year-old who holds a disquieting grip on the town.
As Camille works to uncover the truth about these violent crimes, she finds herself identifying with the young victims – a bit too strongly. Clues keep leading to dead ends, forcing Camille to unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past to get at the story.
Dogged by her own demons, Camille will have to confront what happened to her years before if she wants to survive this homecoming.
Book Review: Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
Gillian Flynn is one of the most worldwide famous and popular authors nowadays with best-selling novels like Gone Girl and Dark Places, along with the short story The Grownup, but her debut novel was this one, Sharp Objects.
Camille is a very troubled young woman, a mediocre journalist and a recovering cutter. Self harming herself in the most dreadful way, by inscribing words into her skin. All over her body. She returns begrudgingly to her home town that is probably only good at one thing, for churning out pork meat and alcoholics. The people in the town seem to be a mess, the teenagers horrible, and let’s not forget Ms. Horrible little sister.
For as much as she was troubled herself, she did try to help and nurture her in some way. This girl was too far gone to hope for any type of redemption. The women who grew from teens that Camille grew up with are equally as horrendous.
“The face you give the world tells the world how to treat you.”
Camille’s mother was a loveless soulless woman who had a strange marriage with a horribly boring man called Allan. Upon this homecoming we see Camille struggle with returning to this hell hole and trying to piece together a child serial killing situation. This just seems nearly impossible for her to do as she relives memories from losing her own little sister many moons ago.
Flynn’s style features broken characters, nasty acts, gruesome crimes and plot twists, showing a face of American contemporary towns that it’s not so common portraited…and a truly gripping narrative.
“Problems always start long before you really, really see them.”
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn is an absorbing reading having hateful characters and lovely ones too. I really did like John, the out of town Detective Richard and most of all the lovely Camille who it seems was facing her own redemption by the end. Silly me for leaving this author on my shelf for too long!
Turns out, it’s not scary. But it is quite disturbing. I can’t wait to watch the HBO series with Amy Adams. It has got to be pretty captivating and I am curious to meet all of these characters on screen.