READ THIS! {Sharp Objects}

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March's READ THIS! choice was Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn...

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Amazon describes this novel as, "Words are like a road map to reporter Camille Preaker’s troubled past. Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, Camille’s first assignment from the second-rate daily paper where she works brings her reluctantly back to her hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls. Since she left town eight years ago, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed again in her family’s Victorian mansion, Camille is haunted by the childhood tragedy she has spent her whole life trying to cut from her memory. 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. With its taut, crafted writing, Sharp Objects is addictive, haunting, and unforgettable."

To sum my reaction to this novel up in one word? Wow. Just ... wow. Having read Flynn's two other novels (Gone Girl and Dark Places) I knew that I was in for something good, but I think I have to say that I found Sharp Objects to be the creepiest of the three novels, and right up there with Gone Girl in "unputdownability." Yes, that's a new READ THIS! review term - unputdownability. And this book was one I could not put down. Flynn's descriptive language makes you feel as though you have entered Camille's world, and Flynn makes you feel as if you are haunted by the same demons haunting Camille.  One of the things that captivated me the most in this novel was the theme of motherhood throughout the story. Seeing how Camille, Adora, Amma, and a few of the supporting characters, all view motherhood - how it should be conducted, how children and parents should behave, etc. - made this a powerful piece of emotion in the plot. As I said, this novel was a creepy one - describing behavior that makes the reader cringe, imagining the terrible harm that such destructive behavior would cause. Although it was certainly creepy, it was well-written and engaging - and I absolutely loved every moment of this fantastic novel. 

Did you read along with Sharp Objects this month? Did you get equally creeped out by Adora's way of being a good mother? Did Flynn's character descriptions engage you, or were you distracted from the character development by the plot? I'd love to hear what you thought - and if you've read Flynn's other books, how you would compare the three! 

Getting a jump start on the month of April, April's READ THIS! pick is Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan... 

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Amazon describes this novel as, "Cambridge student Serena Frome’s beauty and intelligence make her the ideal recruit for MI5. The year is 1972. The Cold War is far from over. England’s legendary intelligence agency is determined to manipulate the cultural conversation by funding writers whose politics align with those of the government. The operation is code named “Sweet Tooth." Serena, a compulsive reader of novels, is the perfect candidate to infiltrate the literary circle of a promising young writer named Tom Haley. At first, she loves his stories. Then she begins to love the man. How long can she conceal her undercover life? To answer that question, Serena must abandon the first rule of espionage: trust no one. Once again, Ian McEwan’s mastery dazzles us in this superbly deft and witty story of betrayal and intrigue, love and the invented self." 

Keeping with our repeating author's trend, I thought it would be fun for the next READ THIS! pick to be Ian McEwan's Sweet Tooth. I hope you'll join me in reading this novel in the month of April! 

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CONVERSATION

1 comments:

  1. Emily of BostonMarch 29, 2013 at 3:03 PM

    I was so disappointed by the end of Gone Girl... I have high hopes for this and Dark Places, though. I've added them to my summer reading list. I'm stockpiling for when I'm done with school. Thanks for the suggestion! :)

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