Sharp Objects Audiobook By Gillian Flynn cover art

Sharp Objects

A Novel

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Sharp Objects

By: Gillian Flynn
Narrated by: Ann Marie Lee
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NOW AN HBO® LIMITED SERIES STARRING AMY ADAMS, NOMINATED FOR EIGHT EMMY AWARDS, INCLUDING OUTSTANDING LIMITED SERIES

FROM THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF GONE GIRL

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.

Praise for Sharp Objects

“Nasty, addictive reading.”—Chicago Tribune

“Skillful and disturbing.”—Washington Post

“Darkly original . . . [a] riveting tale.”—People©2006 Gillian Flynn; (P)2006 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc. Women Sleuths Thriller & Suspense Mystery Psychological Suspense Fiction Detective Scary Exciting Heartfelt Genre Fiction Women's Fiction Self Mutilation

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Compelling Mystery • Complex Characters • Psychological Depth • Unexpected Twists • Vivid Setting

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It's hard to imagine a more depressing combination of factors: the neglected town of Wind Gap, its characters, architecture and ambience stalled in the 1950's, the completely unsupervised and unmanaged pre-teen cliques which get into all kinds of trouble that would be prosecuted in some form if it all happened in a more enlightened environment, and the main character and her desultory loveless family, which leaves the "apple" (Camille) not far from the "tree". Camille's hostile family life, an emotional desert, has left her ill-equipped to navigate the big bad world of the 2010's.

However, Camille is a plucky, resourceful "survivor" and uses her insights into her abusive upbringing to bring down the house of cards. Whatever her attitudes and emotional stance, she is certainly not a victim.

I read this after finishing "Gone Girl" which was an impressive, imaginative novel, more 2012-style."Sharp Objects" is more disturbing in many ways, yet not as sophisticated as "Gone Girl", and not as clever.There are some familiar Flynn themes - provincial life and its limitations, a shower phobia, obsessions with perfection and routine ritual.

After saying all this, I did on balance like the book, and foresaw the conclusion, but not before some diversionary and entertaining reading, especially the dialogue scenes and particularly the nuanced moment-by-moment interactions, where Flynn shines.

But next time you think you'd like to move or retire to a small town - think again.

Goes into the Abyss and Doesn't Come Out

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I didn't care for the narrator all her voice sounded the same. The story was good but felt rushed at the end. I still enjoyed it but it was my least favorite book out of the series.

good, not great.

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This book was highly disturbing, I do not want to give anything away so I will not elaborate. All I can say is every person in this book was not stable or healthy. I was a little bit disappointed after having read Gone Girl first, I could really feel how Gillian Flynn's writing and story telling developed over time, that being said this book was definitely still worth the read.

Gillian Flynn has a real nack for the damaged girl

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I enjoyed this book - it is a real page-turner (there surely is a way to convey this concept for an audiobook). The main character is has major mental health issues and used poor judgment from time to time. But I still liked her. Often authors have trouble ending books like this - not so here. It is a satisfying ending.

Compelling and Dark

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If you are looking for the "Feel Good Book Of The Year", this is not it! A most insidiously dark tale of an extremely dysfunctional family. I understand this is Gillian Flynn's first novel and it shows... not in her writing style, which is excellent, but in the storyline balance.

I liked the story, overall, however It stays dark and miserable throughout. Not a moment of lightness or joy. I was left feeling a bit empty. Maybe that was the author's intention... hmmm... However, I think she could have thrown in a bit of a happy moment, just to even out the ride.
Like when you see a photo of a fire ravaged forest, blackened and bleak, but then notice one small, green blade of grass or a single yellow flower popping up through the soot covered dirt. Just a little happy moment...

That said, it was well written, with depth to the characters and storyline, until the ending, where she seemed to rush, just to wrap things up. It felt as though this was an abridged version toward the end. Maybe it was done in the editing dept and not the author's choice.

I would read "Gone Girl", which was superb, highly recommended, and a more polished representation of this fine author's true talents.

The narrator did a fabulous job and I have enjoyed her work reading Lisa Gardner novels, as well.

A Most Insidiously Dark Tale...

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