Boy, can Gillian Flynn write. It amazes me that this is only her second novel for she writes with such passion and authenticity. There is no loose footing here as she tries to find her literary pace. She is gifted and at the same time very dark. Her first novel SHARP OBJECTS was also an excellent novel that traveled a path definitely on the darker, more disturbing side. It is amazing that Ms. Flynn could have gone even further to that dark side with her second novel. But she definitely has and succeeds in spades. The novel opens with the introduction of our heroine Libby. She was the sole survivor of a true massacre when her mother and 2 sisters were killed in their home when she was 7. She testified against her brother Ben who has been in jail ever since, Libby is now 25. Many caring people had set up a trust fund for Libby, the sole survivor of the Day family Satanic Massacre. She is running out of money and hooks up with a club of true crime enthusisasts KILL CLUB who are willing to pay her for artifacts and research on the murders. Libby is not very likable at all and the beginning of the novel is slow for it really is difficult to care about her. Biut what author Gillian Flynn manages to do with this beginning is amazing. The story unfolds going from present day to the time of the killings and keeps going back and forth and we get to see the story from the perspective of many participants. The unfolding of the mystery and lives of each character in the days leading up to the murders is meticulously told and the reader can begin to feel like they are reading a true crime novel. Also, we see how much Libby is dealing with the aftereffects of the murders and how they have formed the person she has become. She evolves in very realistic ways as she works to solve the mystery of who really murdered her family. Was it her brother Ben or not? The story is very graphic and very violent. It might be too much for some to take. The thing I can honestly say is that none of the violence is gratuituous. It all serves a purpose in the telling of the story. Through all the gore and blood this novel emerges as a very literary piece of work. It is a deep character study of the lifes of many people and how one event and the build up to it affected them all. Even if you figure out the ending before getting there it still develops a wallop. So yes, the story is disturbing so be prepared. But it is very well written and a journey you will love if you can handle it. It is a rare thing to find a thriller that is actually a well written piece of work and that is what we have here. I have gread admiration for the author Gillian Flynn and love how in her acknowledgements she thanks her husband and says "What do I say to a man who knows how I think and still sleeps next to me with the lights off?" Her sense of self and sense of humour is obviously how she can approach these dark subjects and make them work. Can't wait to see what comes next.
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