lukutoukkaems's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Violence, Torture, Sexual violence, Suicide, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Blood, Rape, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Death of parent, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Miscarriage
david_slack110507's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Gillian Flynn's writing is brilliant and feels much more complex than some of the other writing I've read before, the way she writes both Nick and Amy but particularly Amy is amazing (Pun intended). She makes sure that they are presented as awfully complex and toxic people yet gives them many layers that the reader can both love and hate them at the same time. I will admit that the supporting cast of characters isn't really developed beyond bits and pieces of detail, but they don't really have to be, this is a story between Nick and Amy and their complexities as characters.
The book really hits its stride when it begins its second part, reading about Amy was much more fascinating to me because she's written with such brilliance that she genuinely believes that the things she is doing are a reasonable reaction to what Nick has done. She's a well-written example of a morally complex and grey female protagonist/character. I didn't expect this book to go into such gritty detail about Amy's plan, but it made her all the more interesting in how she rationalises her behaviour whilst Nick's perspective is also intriguing as he goes from loving his wife to hating her and planning to kill her within a second's notice.
I'm really glad that I read the book rather than watch the movie first (which I will be doing soon hopefully) as I feel like I wouldn't have had the motivation to read this if I already knew what happens and if I knew how long it would take me to finish it. Looking forward to potentially reading more of Flynn's novels in the future and seeing how their adaptations fare in comparison to the source material.
Graphic: Injury/injury detail, Cursing, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexual assault, Stalking, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual content, and Rape
Moderate: Gaslighting, Self harm, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexism, Misogyny, Grief, Kidnapping, Death, Gore, and Miscarriage
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Deadnaming, Vomit, Drug use, and Dementia
zuppakappa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Murder, Sexual assault, Stalking, Sexual harassment, Torture, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Self harm, Rape, and Physical abuse
kaddyren's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Murder, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Miscarriage
sharknerd's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
the characters are very interesting, i enjoy how small, seemingly unimportant things they say/do add to their characterization. it also had some great criticism of true crime culture
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Violence
Moderate: Sexism and Sexual violence
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"Gone Girl" follows Nick Dunne, a man whose wife, Amy, goes missing the morning of their fifth wedding anniversary. We know that Nick is hiding something, but did he murder his wife? In between the chapters we get Amy's perspective through letters that shed a lot of light that perhaps this marriage is not as great as we were led to believe.
Spoiler
I was really enjoying this story until it is revealed that Amy is still alive. She staged her death and framed her husband so that she could escape her life because she feels like everyone is leaching off of her. I had heard from other people that they really loved Amy because she is such a "boss bitch", but I did not get that vibe from her at all. Amy really infuriated me as a character because she is such a toxic person. Nick is not a terrible person, and he does not deserve to be framed and sent to prison for a crime he did not commit. Yes, he cheated on Amy and had an ongoing affair, and that is inexcusable, but there is NO justification for Amy to behave as she did. She came across as an entitled woman who threw a hissy fit when things did not go her way. She is a highly unlikeable character, and I disliked her so much that I ended up empathizing with Nick for most of the novel.Amy aside, I really enjoyed this story. The writing and prose are so beautiful and poetic. Nick is a writer, and his inner dialogue is enchanting to read. Gillian Flynn knows how to write the perfect prose that is not too flowery but still so eloquent and captivating. This mystery was also riveting. We know very early on that everyone has something to hide, but it takes a while to peel back all of the layers and uncover what the truth is. I have really grown fond of domestic thrillers and this one set the bar high.
This was the perfect thriller for me, and ultimately, I only subtracted half a star because of how much I disliked Amy.
Graphic: Violence, Pregnancy, Infertility, Emotional abuse, Gore, Toxic friendship, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Murder, Blood, Misogyny, and Torture
ellejune's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, and Violence
ayearinbookswithzoe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Rape, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Sexism
Moderate: Self harm, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Vomit, Stalking, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Murder, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Mental illness, Injury/injury detail, and Alcohol
zoemorana's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, Self harm, and Injury/injury detail
_rio's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Self harm, Rape, Violence, Stalking, Torture, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Suicide, Blood, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Pregnancy, Violence, Vomit, Death, Murder, Rape, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Sexual assault