Sharp Objects

I really like Gillian Flynn's books. They're twisty and turny and they don't shy away from the darker aspects of human nature, making for some great psychological thrillers. But I am glad that they tend to be shorter and that she's not all that prolific. Because these books can be hard to read. Reading about horrible people doing horrible things and all the damage they leave in their wake is emotionally draining. But it's so interesting that I can't stop.

Sharp Objects is actually Flynn's first book, meaning I've worked my way through her books in reverse. But it's just as dark and compelling as her other books, at least in my opinion. The narrator is a journalist who was abused by her mother and driven to self harm. Fresh out of a stint in a psychiatric hospital, she's sent back to her hometown to report on the disappearances and subsequent murders of two local girls. Which would be bad enough even if she weren't staying in her mother's house.

This makes for an incredibly unstable narrator who does some deeply stupid, but understandable, things. Her warped perception of her hometown and childhood help keep the mystery alive. And her willful blindness made me very happy that the main investigator ended up being a lot more competent than he initially appeared.

I liked this book a lot and read it really quickly. I can't read too many of these psychological thrillers in a row, but when I pace them properly I find that I really like them. And they're good for getting in the Halloween spirit.

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