Gillian Flynn's "Sharp Objects" is a relatively quick read that grabs readers from the very beginning. The book is set in Wind Gap, Missouri (not an actual town in Missouri), a small town that Camille Preaker, a Chicago-based reporter, wishes to never see again. Unfortunately for her, she is sent back home in search of a story that will help boost her employing newspaper's prestige. As Preaker guides the reader through Wind Gap, the darker details of her past and present situation rise to the surface and peel away to reveal a darker, denser layer underneath.
Each of these layers is placed evenly throughout the book, accelerating into the spectacular, convoluted ending one can expect from a Gillian Flynn novel. The book keeps readers on edge, causing the roller-coaster plot line to take a dip that makes stomachs drop and eyebrows raise.
The only small issue I had with the book actually had nothing to do with the pages of the novel, but the back cover. I personally read the backs/inside sleeves of books before reading them to get a general idea for what I will be getting myself into, and when I read one particular sentence on the back, I guessed right away who the murderer was, and was eventually proven right.
That being said, this guess was more of a fleeting thought which was challenged and then changed as I read on, changing back only after the murderer was revealed. It was only when I reached the epilogue that I fully digested what I had just read, and although one can ultimately predict "whodunnit," the journey Flynn leads the reader on to discover the criminal is beautifully gripping and thoroughly satisfying.
The plot is not one-dimensional by any means. While there is one clear story throughout (Camille's quest to find out who the murderer is for her story), smaller, but equally important, stories crop up, adding detail and dimension to the basic structure of the novel. These details help generate the jarring twist that ultimately leads to the jaw-dropping ending of the book.
If you enjoy a thrilling murder story that explores much more than finding a murderer, "Sharp Objects" is for you. The psychological and physical exploration of Wind Gap and its people is very satisfyingly different, and if you have not read it and you're looking for a good read, I would definitely recommend you give it a chance.
