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Gone Girl
Gone Girl
Author: Gillian Flynn
Who are you? What have we done to each other? These are the questions Nick Dunne finds himself asking on the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary, when his wife Amy suddenly disappears. The police suspect Nick. Amy's friends reveal that she was afraid of Nick. That she kept secrets from him. He swears it isn'...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780753827666
ISBN-10: 0753827662
Publication Date: 1/3/2013
Pages: 512
Rating:
  • Currently 3.4/5 Stars.
 48

3.4 stars, based on 48 ratings
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed Gone Girl on + 22 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 25
I really did not like this book. I can agree that it had some interesting twists and I read it to the end to find out the downer ending. The main characters are completely unlikeable and creepy. If you want to read a book that leaves you feeling sick to your stomach, this is the one for you.
kcaddle avatar reviewed Gone Girl on + 6 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 23
You've got to be kidding me! I stayed with this book hoping to read some great twist of an ending. What a let down. It reads like the author lost interest and just come up with a lazy ending. Don't waste any valuable time reading this book.
reviewed Gone Girl on + 10 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 19
The novel begins as a fantastic character study. It's deceptively slow - read carefully as there a number of seemingly minor details that matter later in the story. The middle section takes off at a wonderfully fast pace, the kind of story that keeps you up too late because you just have to know what twist is coming next. And then the end...the momentum of previous chapters is lost, almost as though Flynn herself is worn out and the book loses the intensity that kept us so enthralled. Suddenly, all detail is lost making the end seem very abrupt, a tad contrived and even a little boring.
luv2cnewthings avatar reviewed Gone Girl on + 55 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 10
At the beginning, the reader is bounced back and forth from Nick's (Lance Nicholas Dunne) thoughts and experiences to excerpts of Amy's (Amy Elliot Dunne) diary. Nick sound pretty sincere that he didn't kill Amy...but all the evidence, diary entries and Nick's behavior would have you believe otherwise.

At about 200 pages in, the story takes an interesting turn. (On a more personal level, I really did questioned whether or not I've seen this as a Lifetime movie.) At this point the book itself is right when it stated further on: "We should be selling t-shirts: Team Nick or Team Amy?" (paraphrased)

Since this is supposed to be a "thriller" or "mystery" it wouldn't be right to go any further. However, the one quote that sums up the whole book for me was from the character, Tanner: "You two are the most f***ed-up people I have ever met, and I specialize in f***ed-up people." (389)

So, perhaps the review should end this way: And they lived happily ever after...or did they?
natalexx avatar reviewed Gone Girl on + 52 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 9
First of all, the characters in "Gone Girl" are not supposed to be likable, but they are supposed to be believable. The brilliance of this novel is that the author, through realistic details and use of human nature, makes the sheer audacity of the plot somehow convincing.

AVOID SPOILERS AT ALL COSTS. The novel is plotted in three parts and every one takes a twist that stunned me. In fact, reading it, I was a little disappointed about a third of the way through the book, nearing the end of the first section, thinking it had become a little predictable...until I realized that the author had skillfully made me THINK I had guessed what was happening, all the while with a deft hand building to something completely different. I disagree that the conclusion was flat. The end (which is NOT happy but is satisfying in tying the plot into a final knot) is stunning, unlike anything any other murder mystery could pull off. This is one of the most unique novels I've read in years, especially when compared to its genre, which tends to be more "entertaining" page-turners than "literary" tomes. (For all its literary-caliber brilliance, this is an entertaining novel.)

After reading "Gone Girl," I read every other novel by Gillian Flynn. This is her best. ("Dark Places" is decent; I didn't like the pitch-black plot/characters of "Sharp Objects" at all. It would likely please fans of the "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" series.) Flynn's novels do tend to portray a fairly dark world, blending "victims" and "bad guys" and set in desolate (often economically depressed) Midwestern towns. Since I hail from the very area she writes about, I must admit that for the most part, her descriptions are honest and insightful (if shaded a little dark).
Read All 149 Book Reviews of "Gone Girl"

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pittsteelfan avatar reviewed Gone Girl on + 14 more book reviews
I absolutely did not like this book. None of the characters were likeable. I kept reading hoping that it would get better, but sadly it didn't. I cannot give this book a positive review.
davidmartin52 avatar reviewed Gone Girl on + 35 more book reviews
I thought it might just be me, but after reading the reviews of some others, I now feel justified in saying that I was VERY disappointed in this book. Without being a spoiler, let me say that the book starts out veerrryyy slow for at least 100 pages, which almost caused me to stop and toss it. Then, it starts to pick up and the characters and the plot are better revealed, and I had some new interest in continuing. I kept waiting for an interesting plot twist or a gratifying ending. Yeah, neither came, and the ending was like waiting in great anticipation for your honeymoon night and your bride reveals that she's actually gay and just needs you for window dressing. About the only thing positive I could say about the ending is, the male character stayed true to the characterization the author gave him. If I had it to do over again, I would have read something else.

Overall, I think Gillian Flynn could (will?) become a talented author, because this book was fairly well-written, and the middle of the book will keep your interest, but the extremely poor ending tends to overshadow the good stuff.
cplakke avatar reviewed Gone Girl on
Great read. Keeps you guessing. Nice plot twists. Very enjoyable!
reviewed Gone Girl on + 38 more book reviews
Well done psychological novel / thriller. Amazing Amy is pretty nuts, but this is an interesting story!
wallyngina avatar reviewed Gone Girl on + 4 more book reviews
The book had me until the last 25%. I liked the written format of the he said, she said. I did not like the ending at all. I felt sorry for the husband until the end as well.
my2luvsemmyandmally avatar reviewed Gone Girl on + 758 more book reviews
BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Gone Girl
Author: Gillian Flynn

Marriage can be a real killer. One of the most critically acclaimed suspense writers of our time, New York Times bestseller Gillian Flynn takes that statement to its darkest place in this unputdownable masterpiece about a marriage gone terribly, terribly wrong. The Chicago Tribune proclaimed that her work draws you in and keeps you reading with the force of a pure but nasty addiction. Gone Girls toxic mix of sharp-edged wit and deliciously chilling prose creates a nerve-fraying thriller that confounds you at every turn.

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunnes fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nicks clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isnt doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wifes 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 mediaas well as Amys fiercely doting parentsthe town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and hes definitely bitterbut 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 didnt do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

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Gillian Flynn's BEST book so far! Grab a copy if you can find one!
reviewed Gone Girl on
Very good read, though the ending I wanted more.
winslet2 avatar reviewed Gone Girl on + 3 more book reviews
The general outline of the story is interesting. The problem is that all of the characters are horrible people with no redeeming qualities. That makes you not root for anyone or care how the story line plays out.
reviewed Gone Girl on + 12 more book reviews
This is a fast read, and keeps you interested. Follows the movie closely. Well written. Sadly, the ending felt rushed, but great story overall.

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