Throwback Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Renee at It’s Book Talk. Throwback Thursday is an awesome opportunity to share old favorites as well as older books in our TBR. I love this idea as I’m often distracted by all of the shiny, new books I see every day and don’t make it back to the ones that have been sitting on my shelves.
My pick of the the week is:
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
I’ve had Sharp Objects sitting on my shelf years now. When I heard that one of my favorite actresses, Amy Adams, was going to be starring in the HBO adaptation, I knew I needed to get to it soon so I wouldn’t have to feel the guilt of watching before reading. And what better way to work it in than a TBT post?
The Blurb:
Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, reporter Camille Preaker faces a troubling assignment: she must return to her tiny hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls. For years, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed in her old bedroom in her family’s Victorian mansion, Camille finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Dogged by her own demons, she must unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past if she wants to get the story—and survive this homecoming.
My Review:
At only 252 pages, Sharp Objects made for a quick and compelling read. I’d read the reviews saying how dark and disturbing it was but still wasn’t fully prepared. I know many of you have already read this book and I don’t want to ruin it for those of you who haven’t so I won’t discuss the details of the plot. Suffice to say that it’s one of the most bizarre, twisted, and depraved books I’ve read in a long time. At the same time, it is one of the most creative, imaginative, and consuming as well!
If you love books with gut-wrenching crime scenes and deeply dysfunction families, Sharp Objects is a must-read. At the end of this book there were all sorts of nature vs. nurture questions swirling around in my head.
Though I found Sharp Objects to be quite different from Gone Girl, and I’m not sure I loved it quite as much, I think it was a great read. I’m definitely glad I read this book before the TV adaptation.
4.25/5 stars
**I think it’s worth mentioning that there are some graphic descriptions of the protagonist’s struggle with self-harm/cutting.**
Great throwback choice. I agree with you that it wasn’t quite as good as Gone Girl, but I know others who liked Sharp Objects better.
Thanks, Susie! I always wonder if the order I read an author’s books in influences my opinions. Like you, I often find that the author’s debut is their best work but lately I’ve noticed I prefer the first book I’ve read by that author. I hope to read A Man Called Ove soon to prove or disprove my theory. I’ve read many of Fredrik Backman’s books but not his first.
This was extremely dark and disturbing! I only recently picked up Gone Girl and while it was a bit creepy (and even more so as a movie), I found myself relieved it wasn’t quite as dark as this one.
I agree, Katie! I loved Gone Girl and don’t recall thinking it was much beyond usual thriller creepy when I read it. I must admit I was disappointed in the movie. I was expecting to love it since she also wrote the screenplay and it really didn’t deviate from the book but something about it just didn’t work that well for me.