Sharp Objects

A Novel

By: Gillian Flynn

Narrated by: Ann Marie Lee

Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

NOW AN HBO® LIMITED SERIES STARRING AMY ADAMS, NOMINATED FOR EIGHT EMMY AWARDS, INCLUDING OUTSTANDING LIMITED SERIES FROM THE NUMBER ONE NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF GONE GIRL

Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, reporter Camille Preaker faces a troubling assignment: She must return to her tiny hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls. For years, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful 13-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed in her old bedroom in her family's Victorian mansion, Camille finds herself identifying with the young victims - a bit too strongly. Dogged by her own demons, she must unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past if she wants to get the story - and survive this homecoming.

Praise for Sharp Objects:

“Nasty, addictive reading.” (Chicago Tribune)

“Skillful and disturbing.” (Washington Post)

“Darkly original...[a] riveting tale.” (People)

©2006 Gillian Flynn (P)2006 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Mystery Writers of America 2007 Edgar Nominee, Best First Novel by an American Author

"A witty, stylish, and compelling debut. A real winner." (Harlan Coben)

"Flynn delivers a great whodunit.... Piercingly effective and genuinely terrifying." (Kirkus Reviews)

"To say this is a terrific debut novel is really too mild. I haven't read such a relentlessly creepy family saga since John Farris' All Heads Turn as the Hunt Goes By, and that was 30 years ago, give or take. Sharp Objects isn't one of those scare-and-retreat books; its effect is cumulative. I found myself dreading the last 30 pages or so but was helpless to stop turning them. Then, after the lights were out, the story just stayed there in my head, coiled and hissing, like a snake in a cave. An admirably nasty piece of work, elevated by sharp writing and sharper insights." (Stephen King)

Wonderful Voice actress

The voice actress was perfect for the story it was surprising hearing her real voice at the end. She did such a good job with everyone’s voices. I was more pleased with the ending than Gone Girl, which I just read before this. Another story about childhood trauma manifesting in extreme ways. Lessons about how treating people affects them. I’m glad the main character was more likable in this one.

Definitely in my top 10

There's so much more here than an absorbing mystery. Flynn really captures the dynamics of a small town. The characters, even those who only appear briefly, are layered. Plus, the main character is as intriguing as she is unusual. The narration is perfect. I'm looking forward to the next Gillian Flynn.

cuts

I loved everything about this book. It's dark and unhappy but told beautifully. I felt like I could step into Camille's shoes and really understand her.

While many will find this book too creepy or morbid, I think it speaks to the real truths of the nasty things that happen in the world and their consequences.

As a side, if you're a cutter, this book may trigger you.

Brutal. Grotesque. Too, Too Real

As others have stated, there's something scarily magnetic about this book. It is unbelievably hard to listen to and impossible not to -- it is brutal and grotesque and somehow manages to allow every family disfunction ever to float to the center of this story. I cringed often as the story was exquisitely narrated, revealing horrors that I hoped are not real. But they are/can be. "Not every woman should become a mother," is one take away for sure. Another? Sicknesses can be passed along generation to generation. The need for pain, to hurt your self or to hurt someone else is a sickness that can only be overcome by purposeful correction. Or. . . can it? That is the question that lingers as yet another little girl goes missing, a body found, and the killer is yet another ghostly woman. On one level, this is an appalling story; on another is a story of mental illness run amok. I can't decide if I am glad or listened or not. It is certain to stay with me for a long time. Unforgettable.

Still holding my breath

Wow- a compelling story, purely written my Ms. Flynn. She has the chilling story down that keeps you drawn in. The web of crazy in a family, small town pettiness and secrecy, booze and drugs, cops and newspaper reporters all wrapped up in a heart-thumping novel.
The narrator, Ann Marie Lee, was amazing. She had all the players down. Don't know how she did it but kudos.
Some raw scenes but part of the novel. Hang onto your hats!

Read it more for the portrayal of human frailty..

than for a great reveal. Very early on we're given unmistakeable information that taints one guilty character, and a second reveal gives the nasty facts on the only other one we suspect.

Along the way our unreliable narrator creeps us out big-time.

After a number of years as a fan, I don't really choose the girl-meets-mayhem suspense genre much anymore, and this book illustrates for me why this constant flow of formulaic novels bores me. They are mostly unreal, contain plot features that strain my credibility to the breaking point, and are ultimately pointless.

Ann Marie Lee does a good job. She doesn't jar my head with clunkers. It just seems like every woman our narrator sees as shallow or hostile has a cloying southern accent (and I don't know that it's particularly accurate for Missouri) which the narrator somehow didn't pick up in all her time living there.

A bit much at times but overall kept my attention.

I needed something for a long car ride and this did the trick. it wasn't life changing but it served it's purpose to keep my mind occupied and I never found myself bored while listening. I would recommend this if you want something easy to listen to that is just a way to pass the time but still draws you in to want to find out more.

Dark and twisted, in a good way

This is my third book I've listened to by Flynn. As an author she definitely has a penchant for dark, but she's really good at it. She's good at creating fully fledged characters. And her observations about the way life is are accurate and interesting. Flynn also knows how to create truly frightening characters. I got the creeps numerous times during his story. I had already seen the HBO series which was based on this book. It was actually incredibly true to the way it was written, but it was nice to go further with it.
The narration was good as well. I flew through this book.
Just for comparison's sake, I thought Gone Girl was better than this but that this was better than Dark Places.

Not for the squeamish

Sharp Objects is a tight, integrated story that flirts with Southern Gothic, Stephen Kingesque horror without crossing the line. Although you will probably guess the villain and the specific syndrome early in the novel, the characterization and plot are so tightly interwoven that it holds your interest to the very end, and the reward is one more horrific detail. Flynn is an excellent writer, far above most who write in this genre. The plot is described elsewhere, so I won't rehash that. I do recommend this book to anyone who wants something a little different in mystery suspense.

Deliciously Dark

This book is one you need to prepare yourself for. The subject matter is unsettling, if not outright disturbing. The story is so well-written, though, you can't help but to keep listening. So after a few hours under the headphones, you feel pretty rotten. At least, I did. Gillian Flynn really drags you into the story; you are made to suffer the angush and anxiety of the narrator right along with her. I had to force myself to take breaks because I was getting so anxious myself.
Meanwhile, the narrator took a bit of getting used to. There was something about her voice that made me a bit uneasy, but I guess that worked out in the end considering the story.
All in all, it was a fantastic book and I look forward to more of Flynn's stories.