[Review] Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn

Title of Book : Gone Girl
Author : Gillian Flynn
Publisher : Crown Publishing Group

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?

First of all, if you want to fully enjoy Gone Girl I suggest you to just read it. It’s a great book. Avoid reading the summary from Wikipedia or other sites. If you want to know what this book is about, the back cover is all you need. Also try to not read the reviews (including mine, don’t worry I don’t mind), because some people are just so naive that they accidentally spoil the twist and ruin the fun. Thankfully, I read those reviews after I finish the book. But if you insist on reading this review and not convinced enough to start reading Gone Girl, as a fellow reader, I try my best to avoid spoiler. Even though I’m actually dying to have a full spoiler discussion about this book, I want you to have the same reading experience that I had. Also, I’m not being paid or sponsored by the author or the publisher. Gone Girl is just that good.

Gone Girl is an example of how marriage could go terribly wrong. Surely not all marriage ends up like The Dunnes (Gee I sincerely hope not), but marriage is messy. We’ll see the ups and the downs in Amy and Nick’s marriage life that finally lead to the tragedy. In the first half of the book we’ll see their struggle and I cannot help but feel sympathize towards Amy. Later as we learn more about both of them I feel sympathize for Nick too.

As for the mystery, imagine yourself riding a car with Ms. Flynn as the driver. You don’t know where she’s driving to and you’re dying to know. The scenery and the signs along the way are so interesting that you’re tempted to guess where the destination is. Then, when you think you have the answer, suddenly Ms. Flynn does a turnaround and the destination (of course) changes completely. Since you've collected enough clues from the previous journey, you finally understand where Ms. Flynn is taking you to. If you think that Gone Girl is just another crime or police procedural novel, you’re wrong. It goes way beyond that. Want proof? Like I said, read it.

What intrigued me isn't how the suspect did the crime (well it intrigues me too a bit), but more of why. The motif. Once you know the ugly truth, it’s freaking mind blowing how a person could go at such length only to prove a point. It’s difficult to tell which true and which not. The characters involved are so unreliable that I had to figure out myself who’s telling the truth. The characters are complex and their personalities are super twisted! This not only applies to Nick and Amy, but the characters around them including their parents. Because their parents (of course) took a big part in shaping Nick and Amy’s personalities. Once I learn about it, I’m kind of afraid to read the ending. I’d love to talk more about the characters but since it relates to the mystery, I have to end it here. 

All in all, I recommend this book. If you feel bored reading the first half, just keep going. It gets better. It’s an easy five rating for me. Gone Girl is sick and disturbing. I’m definitely adding Ms. Flynn’s other books to my wish list. Also, if you've read this book and want to have a full spoiler discussion with me, just tell me in the comment.