Gone Girl: A Novel
While there are several positive raving reviews about this book, I can only rate it as okay. I think this is one of those books that you will probably love or hate. The main reason for my lackluster rating is the fact that the ending was unsatisfying. I knew going in that it would not have a happy ever after ending (this is a thriller not romance), but I would have liked some closure.
As I plow through the first half of the book, I wondered when things were going to get interesting. Several times I checked my Kindle to see my progress. After an hour and a half reading, I was only 15% through. Two hours later, only 30% through. I usually read faster than that. I was afraid to skip ahead because I do not want to miss some important clue that will be crucial to the plot. Thankfully, the second half of the book moves along faster.
This book is told from the point of view from both sides: He said, she said.
Nick did not endear himself to me, because he seemed not to know how to handle difficult situations. I know part of that had to do with his upbringing, living with a misogynistic, borderline abusive father. He was spoiled by his mom in her own way probably to overcompensate for his father. It was a sad individual for whom at times I felt sorry. Then he would say or do say something that maybe wonder how much involvement he had with his wife’s disappearance.
Amy is in a sick, twisted category all by herself. Since she is missing, the reader learns about her through her journal entries. There is no doubt that her upbringing molded her views of what marriage life was supposed to be. Her husband continues to fail because he is not meeting the standards she has mentally set for him (without telling him of course). Her father and mother have this wonderful perfect relationship where they revolve around each other and nothing else matters. From her journal, the reader can see how determined Amy is, in a distorted fashion, to have the same type of relationship, only Nick is not like her father.
Marriage can be torture when one or both people wear mask to conceal their true nature. A sad truth that Nick has to face even though his character previously was able to deflect conflict and controversy.
There can be a thin line between love and hate, sane and crazy.
The author achieved her aim if it was her goal to write a novel to invoke strong reactions from her readers. I was angry annoyed at the lack of closure and frustrated by the injustice of it all.
Rating Scale of 1 – 5: ♥ ♥
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