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Sharp Objects

by Gillian Flynn

Other authors: See the other authors section.

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingConversations / Mentions
9,253519796 (3.75)1 / 410
Returning to her hometown after an eight-year absence to investigate the murders of two girls, reporter Camille Preaker is reunited with her neurotic mother and enigmatic, thirteen-year-old half-sister as she works to uncover the truth about the killings.
  1. 40
    Heartsick by Chelsea Cain (MarcusH)
    MarcusH: Twisted female antagonists.
  2. 30
    Generation Loss by Elizabeth Hand (cetera_desunt)
  3. 20
    The Bad Seed by William March (dara85)
  4. 21
    The Snow Garden by Christopher Rice (VictoriaPL)
  5. 10
    Killing Critics by Carol O'Connell (citygirl)
    citygirl: Dark, so dark, twisty, disturbing murder mysteries with very unusual female protagonists written by skilled writers who may write with knives dipped in blood rather than pens.
  6. 10
    The Twisted Thread by Charlotte Bacon (RidgewayGirl)
    RidgewayGirl: These books share a troubled but brave protagonist and buried secrets among the wealthy.
  7. 10
    The Secret Place by Tana French (wandering_star)
  8. 22
    Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane (derelicious)
  9. 00
    Crazy Love You by Lisa Unger (BookshelfMonstrosity)
    BookshelfMonstrosity: Dysfunctional relationship dynamics are at the heart of these compelling psychological suspense stories. Both feature women who expose -- and exploit -- buried secrets and long-hidden lies.
  10. 00
    The Accomplice by Lisa Lutz (quartzite)
    quartzite: A dark, moody suspense/murder mystery. Lutz is every bit as good as Flynn, while slightly less dark.
  11. 23
    Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill (kraaivrouw)
    kraaivrouw: Different types of plots, but both great examples of what newer writers are accomplishing in the horror genre.
  12. 02
    The Elementals by Michael McDowell (SomeGuyInVirginia)
    SomeGuyInVirginia: Both books feature clusters of Victorian mansions.
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Group TopicMessagesLast Message 
 Missouri Readers: Sharp Objects21 unread / 21Kate.Beem, January 2015

» See also 410 mentions

English (505)  Dutch (6)  Spanish (1)  Swedish (1)  Hungarian (1)  French (1)  German (1)  Danish (1)  All languages (517)
Showing 1-5 of 505 (next | show all)
I'm still processing how I felt about this book. Don't mistake five stars to signify enjoyment, rather it's respect: Gillian Flynn is doing something different. As far as I can tell, she's doing something different and creative and she's the best in her genre. I've never experienced anything quite like it.

Do I like it? I mean, I guess. I mean, kind of. I mean, I definitely wouldn't torture myself by rereading this book. I found it compulsive reading. Literally -- I would try to put it down, but I would keep thinking about it, about the characters, about the atmosphere, until I just had to pick it up and read more. It was the most disturbing thing I've ever read. You know how, when you're a tween/young teenager, and you and your friends tell gross out stories, because you've realized that the world can be dark and you're trying to figure out the boundaries? This book reads like this. Think of the most disturbing thing you can possibly think of, and that's this book.

On the one hand, that takes all the suspense out of the book, because you know the twist and turn to literally every mystery. On the other, there is all this tension as you read thinking: "Flynn cannot possibly be going there, right?" I was mostly relieved when Camille and Amma went home to Chicago, because I thought: thank goodness I was wrong and Adora was the killer, not Amma. And then I was a little disturbed that I came up with a more morbid ending than Flynn did. And then the final twist happened. And then the teeth went into the dollhouse, which was even more gruesome than I could have imagined

But honestly, I don't read anything just for the gross-out factor, psychological horror or the other type, so there's another reason that I stuck with this book, besides that it made me feel physically ill the way no other novel has succeeded. And that is, Flynn has something really interesting to say about female villains. Sharp Objects is an apt title -- Flynn explores the weapons that women, socialized out of traditional violence, use against themselves and each other and the deep damage that everyone involved sustains as a result. There are literal sharp objects: the knives that Camille uses to cut, girls who scratch with their nails, women and girls who bit, scissors that one of the victims once used to stab someone; and infinite metaphorical sharp objects.

Flynn had said in interviews that [b:Gone Girl|21480930|Gone Girl|Gillian Flynn|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1406511734s/21480930.jpg|13306276] was the book in which she explored feminism by exploring female villains, but I didn't buy it when I read Gone Girl: Amy was too stereotypically evil and stereotypically female and I felt like it was derivative. But in Sharp Objects, Flynn clearly succeeds ( )
  settingshadow | Aug 19, 2023 |
Another reviewer talked of how certain words came to them when thinking about this book. This is somehow an excellent way of reviewing this particular book. Some of the words I might pick would be wince, flinch, brow furrowing, shoulder scrunching, and shudder.

Don't let those words dissuade you from reading it though. They are said with a fair bit of respect for the author's ability to get me to feel all those things while reading her words. And now, I'm on to reading her newest book, Gone Girl Girl. ( )
  beentsy | Aug 12, 2023 |
I love Gillian Flynn and her writing story! I decided to read this novel after I became obsessed with all things Gone Girl.

This novel, from my understanding, was the first one she had ever written that was published. Even for a first novel, it was amazingly thought out and had me hooked at every word. I found it to be a little short and I saw the ending coming, but I still found the book addicting and well planned.

There's not much wrong that I can critique about the book, other than wanting more action to happen or the book to be longer (but I think that's because I adore Gillian Flynn and I just want more books and writing by her out right now). I did see the ending coming from the very beginning, but that might be due to the part that I read and watch a lot of books and television shows about crime.

I found this book not to be as good as Gone Girl, but still an amazing read. For me, the book was a five out of five stars. A good crime novel mystery that made me want more out of Gillian Flynn immediately.

Wonderful novel! 5 out of 5 stars! ( )
  Briars_Reviews | Aug 4, 2023 |
miss flynn pulled all my teeth out and I said thank you ( )
  Deah | Jul 31, 2023 |
I figured out who did it halfway thru, then was wrong, but then was right again. Yup, there's twists! Well written and scary, that people like this live.Wow. ( )
  kwskultety | Jul 4, 2023 |
Showing 1-5 of 505 (next | show all)

» Add other authors (5 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Gillian Flynnprimary authorall editionscalculated
Lee, Ann MarieNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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For my parents, Matt and Judith Flynn
First words
My sweater was new, stinging red and ugly.
Quotations
“The photo showed a dark-eyed girl with a feral grin and too much hair for her head. The kind of girl who’d be described by teachers as a ‘handful.’ I liked her.”
“Sometimes I think illness sits inside every woman, waiting for the right moment to bloom. I have known so many sick women all my life. Women with chronic pain, with ever-gestating diseases. Women with conditions. Men, sure, they have bone snaps, they have backaches, they have a surgery or two, yank out a tonsil, insert a shiny plastic hip. Women get consumed. Not surprising considering the sheer amount of traffic a woman’s body experiences.”
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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Wikipedia in English (2)

Returning to her hometown after an eight-year absence to investigate the murders of two girls, reporter Camille Preaker is reunited with her neurotic mother and enigmatic, thirteen-year-old half-sister as she works to uncover the truth about the killings.

No library descriptions found.

Book description
Reporter Camille Preaker tries to unravel the truth of her own troubled past as she returns to her hometown to investigate the murders of two preteen girls.
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Average: (3.75)
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