Sharp Objects

by Gillian Flynn

Book Overview

WICKED above her hipbone, GIRL across her heart 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. NASTY on her kneecap, BABYDOLL on her leg Since she left town eight years ago, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0307341542
• ISBN13: 9780307341549
• Release Date: September 2006
• Publisher: Shaye Areheart Books
• Length: 254 Pages
• Weight: 1.01 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.5" x 9.7"

Customer Reviews

Highly recommend

A great read, if you are a fan of scary stories I highly recommend this book.

can't-put-it-down type of novel

Develops beautifully! Truly drags you into the story and the characters and holds you in suspense.

something different

interesting read , would definitely recommend if your into murder mystery that’s not too dark but just enough to keep you on your toes

I'm unable to give a full review

Very early on in this book I was highly triggered so I was unable to finish the book. I can not say if it is a good or bad book, but if live people to know that it could be triggering.

Enjoyed. Haven't watched show.

Only thing I didn't care for was the maturity level they gave Amma. I don't feel like 13 year olds speak that elaborate. Enjoyed the book still.

Don't bother

Probably one of the worst books I have ever read

Easy read with such a gripping story you can't put down

I read Gone Girl before this book and love Flynn's writing style, so I was skeptical at first to read this book. BUT it is such a great book. Her writing captivates you with her character development and stories you don't want to stop. Highly recommend

Fantastic book by a master thriller author

Gillian Flynn never lets me down. I loved the concept of this book and while the main character frustrated me at times, you really root for her. The ending was so unexpected and I really loved it.

Wow

Mind blown is all I can say. Honestly didn’t want it to end!

Not a favorite

It is def written in a good way but it’s kinda obvious. It’s a cute quick read

This book was amazing!

I couldn’t put this book down. Just when I thought I knew “who done it “ they didn’t. The story is fascinating but not for the faint or heart.

Enticing and dark read

Enticing and engrossing, but dark. Gillian Flynn does a great job with her narrators, making them flawed and engaging. I enjoyed the narrators, the characters and the grim story that unfolded.

Wonderful book

Kept me guessing the whole time, wonderful twist, lovely book.

Sharp Objects: Thrilling and Sharp

This book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. For the life of me I could not figure out who was to blame up until the last second. The characters aren’t exactly likable, but despising nearly everyone made the story that much more convincing. My skin was consistently crawling through the read. Highly recommend.

Eh, gone girl was better.

Not bad, but definitely not enthralling

Odd.

3 stars

Predictable

This story was very predictable. I’m also unsure on how it can be considered a thriller. This book is not thrilling in anyway. None of the characters are particularly likable and I never felt connected to any of them. I find it hard believe that the main character, a 30 something year old woman, would decide to take drugs with her barely 13 year old sister. Seriously?? The story is decent, but very easy to guess. No surprises or excitement. I had to force myself to finish it.

Twists

I loved this so much more than Gone Girl! I did not see the twist coming at all. Fast paced read

This was the worst of Flynn's novel.

Crazy story. Did not finish.

Sharp Objects

Although I figured out the plot a little sooner than I'd hoped, I still enjoyed reading this book. It was good.

Gripping and keeps you guessing until the very end!!

One of the better books of this genre I've read in a LONG time. She is an amazing author. So many different times you think you have it figured out and then....great book!

A good thriller, but a little slow

The ending makes it all worth reading, 80 percent of the story is build-up to the end, but the whole time you feel really creeped out by the subtleness of the warning signs. I would recommend this book because I think the unnerving part of the book is that it isn't completely unrealistic.

Fantastic!

So many twists and turns in this book. It was really hard to put down. Fantastic writing and story line. I loved it

A great thriller

Must read if you enjoy mysteries Gillian Flynn is one of the most talented authors !

Dark and twisty with some charm.

Riddled with themes of mental illness and dark family relationships, this book has everything. So many unexpected turns it will leave you wanting more. This book contains very mature content and would not recommend for under 17 or anyone especially impressionable. Suspenseful and charming all in one, you will not want to put it down.

So disappointing

As soon as I was introduced to the characters, I knew who the killer was. The main character was utterly unsympathetic, and the writing was convoluted. The same story written by a more competent writer would have been intriguing. Flynn just isn’t that writer.

Eeh.

Disjointed. Disappointed. Acceptable book had first 18 pages loose, I mean like pick them up loose.

Exciting in every turn

Really great book with a lot of excitement and details. Great read

Great Book

This book is the best of Gillian Flynn's in my opinion. So good

Absolutely Loved It

I loved this book from start to finish. While I was able to figure out the ending pretty early on (I watch and read a lot of things like this) it was still interesting. I'm a pretty slow reader, but I got this done in about two nights.

Easy read, pretty good

Good book, I like this one best out of all of hers. It was interesting to watch the series afterwards. Book was better

Must read!

If you like crime thriller, this book is a must read. This book is well done. Will make you curious and want to read more from the very beginning and will keep you guessing who’s the real killer until the end. Love this book so much!

Great Book

I love this book, keeps you interested

Enthralling

Have been excited to read this for a while now and while I enjoyed it, and had my suspicions as to who the killer may be, I wasn’t thrilled as to how it played out. Nevertheless, a great read I had diffuclty putting down!

Not up to gone girl standards

Obviously Flynn’s skills are improving. I was disappointed with this one though. The story was interesting but the main character left me feeling like I needed a shower. She was simply gross. I had a very hard time feeling sorry for her. The book also ends abruptly with just one or two lines telling what happened to the characters. It’s much better than I could write but if you are hoping of another gone girl, you will be VERY disappointed. I’m looking forward to her future novels but I’m done with her earlier work.

So addicting!

I read it in three sittings, and that is only because in reality, I didn't have time to do it in one! I loved this book so much! I'm never even letting anyone borrow it! Definitely a favorite!

Holy Razor Blades Batman!!!

Lots of hype for a first novel usually means an average story with a huge publicity budget. Boy was this an exception. Simply terrific, and I mean that in the eerie's possible way. One of the darkest, blackest, depressing, gut-wrentching "thrillers" I've ever read. I simply could not put this incredibly addictive novel down. Bravo Ms. Flynn. I can hardly wait for your next novel. There's nothing joyous, uplifting or even borderline happy here, but if you can handle that grab this book quick, you will not be disappointed.

Un-Put-Down-Able

This was one of those books that, once you start reading, you simply cannot put it down. I read it in one day and had nightmares about it that night. I've never had nightmares about any book I've ever read! I read several chapters before I even realized that the author was a woman and that this was a first time novel. The plot was tight and I was totally fooled about who the killer was, although I had my suspicions. If you love fast-paced, well-written thrillers, then this is the book for you. I'm eagerly anticipating her next one!!

Not your typical thriller

One gripe I have about most thrillers is that the plot is all-important, and the characters end up so dull -- interchangeable, really. Not so with Camille in Sharp Objects! She's an incredibly-flawed and fragile character who I'm sure will haunt me for a long time, and whom I'll be reminded of sometimes when I see a certain type of person on the street. I found this book to be an emotional experience because the deeper I got into Camille's world and the more I learned her personal story, the more I realized that her discovery of who the murderer was would have the potential to absolutely destroy her -- and she's someone who, by all rights, really should have hit bottom by now. A short, terse book you won't soon forget.

A STUNNING DEBUT WITH TOPNOTCH NARRATION

Exciting, promising, can't-put-it-down debut novels are hard to find - with Gillian Flynn's "Sharp Objects," it seems we've found one more to add to that all too brief list. It's a stunning story, tightly crafted, and appropriately chilling. Now a reporter for a class C Chicago newspaper, Camille Preaker is a survivor. Her recent past includes a stay in a psychiatric hospital where she was treated for various disorders, including self-mutilation. At the age of 13 she carved "queasy" around her stomach and at 29 "vanish" on her neck. Troubled? In spades. However, it looks like she may get a break as she's assigned to cover what is probably a serial killer story. On the downside is the fact that the scene of the crime is her hometown of Wind Gap, Missouri, a place she left some eight years ago. She doesn't want to return but the thought of a career making yarn is too tempting and off she goes, back to an old house that holds unhappy memories and a mother who gives new meaning to neurotic. Two young girls have been murdered, and the local police seem to think a transient is responsible. A handsome profiler from Kansas City doesn't think the answer is as easy as that. Throughout the investigation Camille is forced to relive childhood trauma and confront ghosts that have haunted her through the years. Those who enjoy psychological thrillers will have found a winner in "Sharp Objects," especially as read by actress Ann Marie Lee. Well remembered for her stage and television performances, she inhabits Camille's persona with nuance and modulation. As the climax approaches we find ourselves listening even more intently as Lee's voice builds, leading the way. - Gail Cooke

Breathtaking

Sharp Objects is a breathtaking, suspenseful, beautifully crafted novel. Not exactly a mystery, not exactly a thriller, not exactly horror, the novel has bits of all of them, and fine writing rarely associated with popular fiction. It's hard to say too much about the novel without giving anything away, but one thing that especially impressed me is the twist Flynn puts on the classic "don't open that door!" moment in books and movies. You know - when we know something bad will happen if the door is opened, but the dumb character does it anyway. Well, here the protagonist is not dumb; she knows along with us what is being revealed and share our sense of impending doom - but cannot help but open the door even so. Brilliant!