All reviews of Gone Girl: A Novel

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  Psychological chess game

  by Allison

  2 days ago

  At the risk of sounding cliched this book was a spine tingling page turner that kept me on the edge of my seat. Just when you think you know what's going to happen next Gillian Flynn turns that on its ear. What starts out as a simple mystery turns into a psychology chess game.

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  I'm torn :-)

  by Tracey Flynn

  8 days ago

  I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was very engaging and the writing kept you wanting to read one more chapter before putting it down. Loved the twists and turns and "didn't see that coming" moments. The author brilliantly leads you along with the information presented. I loved the different storylines and that they were brilliantly intertwined. I really really enjoyed the book BUT was left with a bad feeling at the end so that's what makes this book a 4* as oppposed to a 5*. I felt let down at the end of it all.

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  EXCELLENT

  by Mary Weedmark

  6 weeks ago

  Excellent beginning to end. A brilliant intellectual thriller with little gore to speak of, which is refreshing. For guys who cheat, or think they want to, this book is highly recommended. Loved the ending. Top notch.

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  Eight Bookcases

  by E. Guest

  2 months ago

  Check out my review of Flynn's work on my blog at: http://8bookcases.blogspot.ca/2013/03/gone-girl-by-gillian-flynn.html

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  Good Book

  by Cora Miller

  2 months ago

  I thoroughly enjoyed Gone Girl. There are very few times when I pick up a book that I become so engrossed I cannot put it down. It was very clever and very well written. Of course I didn't care for the ending but I think that's just human nature. Don't we all like to see the "bad people" caught and punished. Also it was a little far fetched that anyone would allow themselves to end up in Nick's position. It is also human nature to strike back and not concede defeat.

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  Would not recommend

  by Marisa Cassar

  2 months ago

  This book was predictable and the ending was nothing less than disappointing. A group of us read this book and discussed it as we read and once we were done, and we all agreed that this book was not as wonderful as it had been made out to be. Certainly would not be on my list of books that I would recommend.

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  marriage gone wrong...

  by ChrisM

  • Top Book Reviewer

  4 months ago

  That I read Gone Girl so soon after finishing Dark Places is a tribute to Gillian Flynn’s talent. With so many books on my tbr shelf, I don’t generally read books by the same author back-to-back. Gone Girl had a few extra things going for it, though. Virtually everyone has been talking about it and I just couldn’t resist its lure any longer. Nick Dunne and Amy Elliott Dunne are just about to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary when Amy goes missing. There are signs of a struggle in their rented Missouri home and Nick can’t really account for his whereabouts that morning, so it doesn’t take too long for the police to start treating him like the prime suspect. Flynn uses a dual narrative approach to tell the story of their courtship and life in New York where Nick was a magazine writer and Amy wrote quizzes for a variety of publications. Life was pretty good for them. They were beautiful, smart and rich. Well, Amy was rich because her parents – Rand and Mary Beth – had written a series of books called Amazing Amy which had, until recently, been a bit of a cash cow. Then Nick and Amy’s fortunes take a turn for the worse and suddenly they find themselves back in Nick’s hometown. From the start we know that the golden lives of these two protagonists is slightly tarnished. On the morning of the anniversary, Nick’s reaction to his wife’s greeting of “Well, hello, handsome” is one of “bile and dread” inching up his throat. Then: Amy’s missing. Gone Girl is a supremely entertaining game of cat and mouse. Their married lives had been marked with anniversary treasure hunts and this year is no different. Amy has left the first in a series of clues for her husband. The clues, and the letters which accompany them, seem to indicate Amy’s awareness of her husband’s unhappiness and her own part in it. But Amy wants to patch things up. The treasure hunt also seems to point to Nick as the person responsible for Amy’s disappearance and slowly the media, Amy’s parents and even his twin sister, Go, start to regard him with suspicion. But there is more to Gone Girl than a suspenseful mystery. There’s actually quite a damning indictment of the fakery of relationships; the potential for infidelity, boredom, entitlement. We want the fairy tale until we don’t. Marriage is hard work. Nick and Amy’s story is extreme, but recognizable nonetheless. Flynn is a terrific writer. I mean – gifted. She inhabits Nick’s brain as easily as she inhabits Amy’s. They are sympathetic and reprehensible and downright scary in equal measure. To say much more about the plot would be to spoil the novel’s twists. Suffice to say, this is one married couple I wouldn’t be inviting over for dinner any time soon!

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  Bit of a letdown

  by RPKos

  4 months ago

  After seeing all the ads and reading excellent reviews, I was hoping for something astounding, but I didn't get it. The book was a page-turner initially, but in the second and third sections, I found it predictable. All the main characters are writers, as well, which I always find to be a copout and overdone. The ending was an anticlimax for me, but I can't say why because I don't want to spoil it it case you read it. Don't spend the money on the hardcover - get it at the library later...it can wait.

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  Brilliant!

  by Book Genie

  4 months ago

  Nick and Amy's relationship is sick and twisted - and youl love every minute of it. The manipulative, shrewd Amy has spent her charmed life pretending to be something she's not. The handsome, philandering Nick is riddled with insecurities and doubt. When his wife disappears he becomes the prime suspect and his life will never be the same. Gillian Flynn grabs you from the first page and you become completely absorbed in these characters. A gratifying read!

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  Great thriller/suspense novel

  by Worthwhile Reading

  5 months ago

  I had read many positive reviews of this book and decided to buy it in hardcover to see what the fuss was about. I was not disappointed. If you want a fairly quick read that keeps you very engaged to the point that you don't want put it down until it's finished...this is the book for you. On the edge of your seat thriller!

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  Amazing!

  by Kendra Bianco

  5 months ago

  This was one of my favourite books of 2012! Gripping and suspenseful the whole way through. Loved this book :)

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  Amazing!!!

  by Jocelyn Henderson

  6 months ago

  First book that EVER made my stomach drop!

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  Great Book

  by Tianna Yaskow

  6 months ago

  I really enjoyed this book. It was extremely well written. It had some mystery involved but in the end I think the book was more focused on developing the characters which I really enjoyed. I didn't expect the ending but staying true to the characters and the rest of the book I think it worked. It is definitely worth a read.

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  Pure psychological GENIUS

  by boundbywords

  6 months ago

  I wish there was a way for me to reach inside myself and paste onto this post the actual emotions I felt while reading this book. There is no doubt in my mind that this is one of the most thrilling books I have read all year. This review will be solely my feelings on this book, to write any type of synopsis-based review will have me spoiling the whole thing, guaranteed. I first heard about Gillian Flynn through ChapterStackss on Youtube (check her out here), and was instantly intrigued by her admiration for the author and her work-I had to pick one of her books up. I had decided to read them in chronological order, but ended up getting my hands on Gone Girl first. Best.move.ever. Not that I'm doubting the greatness of her other works, I'm just ridiculously happy that I decided to read something by her, period. This book was outstanding, and written with tremendous thought and detail. I was in pieces with awe after each new development unfolded. This book had me speaking out loud the entire time-I kept saying "HA! How is she going to explain THAT one!"..and then she did, perfectly. I'll admit it: I tried, and failed miserably, to find holes in the plot, I really did-but Ms.Flynn had her detail down to an art, an absolute art. And those characters..my goodness. They were the type of characters that you just knew you should despise, loathe, want to condemn. But she knew it, Gillian knew we would do no such thing. The cleverness and the wit of them. The naivety and pathetic charm. I was instantly hooked, and I didn't want it to end. The conclusion of this book was the real mind blaster. I felt like I was reading the last few chapters while submerged underwater. I didn't want to believe what was happening, but it was happening, and I could either accept it for what it was, or give this book a horrible rating for it. I chose the former, for the simple reason that it was genius. Pure, horrible, insane, wonderful, intellectual, psychological..genius. I sat there, and once again spoke out loud to myself. This time with.."What..did I just read?.. I don't know if I can pick up Gillian's other 2 books fast enough. But I must, and I will. Bravo..just..BRAVO Gillian Flynn.

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  INCREDIBLE, must read!

  by Francine Long

  6 months ago

  I loved loved this book. It was a fantastic well written read, and I had to finish it before moving on with my life. I love the twist (although slightly predictable) it had, and felt very relatable to the character themselves. The story & characters felt very real. Reading the alternating thoughts/views of Nick/Amy on the different scenarios that overlap (for example how they felt about their anniversaries) was thrilling. It is also comical in places, when Amy describes what a 'cool girl' should be. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who thinks in depth about relationships between women and man. I am looking forward to more Gillian Flynn books. Wish I was starting this book again.

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  Amazing Amy

  by MissLiss

  7 months ago

  Books like this are why I READ! Literally could not put this book down. Extremely well written and near impossible to figure out. The author pulls and pushes you in a million different directions, I think you love and hate all the characters at different points throughout. I am hoping for a sequel!

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  Well written...

  by Lynnie Mac

  8 months ago

  This book had me hooked from the start, I loved the alternating chapters of Nick in real time and from Amy's diary from the previous 6 years. Some great reveals, and a quite "twisted" truth was very intriguing. The end did leave me wanting for more closure...I certainly would be interested to see what is happening in the story a year or two further in the future. It was written so well it made me want to read Ms. Flynn's previous two titles.

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  Interesting Twist!

  by Gwen Fernandes

  8 months ago

  I found this book to be very interesting. Definately a page turner. There were a very few parts that I found a little slow...but that was far and few between. The book over all was well written and the story line kept me intriuged. The ending was a little disappointing.

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  Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

  by Linda Eden

  8 months ago

  I haven't read a book this page turning in so long! I couldn't put it down. Gillian Flynn pulls you into the main characters with such finesse. I felt I was right in their small Missouri town, living each twist and turn along the way. Incredible! Wonderful read. Thank you Gillian Flynn

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  Gone Girl

  by Arlene Smith

  8 months ago

  We hear the husband's side of the story first. Nick Dunne, out-of-work writer, spends his newfound leisure hours writing the story of his wife's disappearance. Then we hear from his wife. Amy Elliott Dunne, out-of-work writer, spends her newfound leisure hours telling her version of events, first in a diary and then in a tell-all truth spilling. Flynn alternates between the voices of Nick and Amy to unfold her elaborately plotted story of Amy's disappearance. Or, so it seems, anyway. It's a sign of the intricate plotting of this book that, even after you've finished it, you're not absolutely certain whose version of events you have read. It's a sign of the intricate plotting of this book that, even after you've finished it, you're not certain what is "truth" or "fiction" in the telling. It's a book that leaves you pondering delicious possibilities. You will find yourself turning back pages to see how Flynn managed to pull something off. You will want to re-read it to see how she did it. Flynn creates skillful mental images of her characters, making it easy to picture them and their surroundings. Nick, for example, "should cough out yellow Tweety Bird feathers when he smiles." His twin sister, Margo, has the "face of a '30s screwball-move queen" who would prompt a man from that period to "tilt back his fedora, whistle at the sight of her, and say, 'Now, there's a helluva broad!'" Flynn adopts the nickname "Go" for Nick's twin sister, and I never could settle into that name. I repeatedly mistook it for the verb. Other than that, this is an engaging book, well worth the read. When you've finished it, let me know what possibilities you ponder.