"Gone Girl" Book Review...

...so if you haven't heard, which if you're not from the Midwest you probably haven't, but the film "Gone Girl" was shot in my hometown with Mr. Ben Affleck and Neil Patrick Harris. I couldn't tell you who the other actors are in the film other than maybe Tyler Perry. Since my entire Facebook feed was filled with statuses like:

"Look who's working out next to me!" with a blurry shot of Ben

"Doogie Howser ate dinner at the table beside us!"

Not to mention the endless posts about people who were asked to be extras in the film! I felt I was obligated to read the book. I put my name on the waiting list at the library and the day before Thanksgiving, my name came up! I put all other reading on hold and sat down to read this 700 page monster.

 

Summary

"On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?

As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?"

 

Review

It took me about 300 pages to really get into the book. When I finally got interested, I couldn't put it down! All last Sunday, I was sneak in a few pages here and there. AR kept handing me my bookmark to put it away and play with her.

 

It's hard to give a real review without spoiling it for anyone who hasn't read it, but I'll do my best. Every page was a twist and turn. The author did a FABULOUS job with the first part of the book and I felt totally duped when it was revealed I was set up to feel that way. I don't know what's scarier, that there are people really in the world like Amy Dunne or that the author created her. Either way, it was totally freaky. I wasn't a huge fan of the ending which I'm afraid to admit for fear that Amy will come after me. I almost think it could've ended a few pages earlier and left something to the reader's imagination. I'm very excited to see how the movie turns out and how each character is portrayed. I'll be putting my name on the waitlist for her other books now, too.