Sharp ObjectsGillian Flynn
Camille Preaker has all the makings of a great reporter, except she just can’t get past, well, her past. Were it not for the pain she endured as a child, she might be a better functioning adult, one who doesn’t cut herself when stressed and one who doesn’t hide from anything and everything that reminds her of her childhood. Of course, it’s not easy to hide from one’s memories. Oh, those pesky childhood memories, always coming back to haunt us when we least expect it, unexpectedly flooding us with shameful moments in Thrift Drugs and Center-City parking lots.
It’s true, though, that Camille has had a worse childhood than most. When they were still little girls, her younger sister died, leaving a hole in her mother’s heart that Camille could simply never fill. (You might think this is simply Camille’s own feelings of inadequacy, but no; her mother tells her not long after the novel begins that she doesn’t love her, not that you couldn’t tell from the moment the bitch first walks on page. And, as much as the mother deserves a good c-bomb more than any other fictional character I’ve encountered recently, her name is Adora, which I kinda really dig, so I have to give her points for that. It has a nice ring to it: Adora. Adora. Adora the Explora. Nah, forget it.)
It’s true, though, that Camille has had a worse childhood than most. When they were still little girls, her younger sister died, leaving a hole in her mother’s heart that Camille could simply never fill. (You might think this is simply Camille’s own feelings of inadequacy, but no; her mother tells her not long after the novel begins that she doesn’t love her, not that you couldn’t tell from the moment the bitch first walks on page. And, as much as the mother deserves a good c-bomb more than any other fictional character I’ve encountered recently, her name is Adora, which I kinda really dig, so I have to give her points for that. It has a nice ring to it: Adora. Adora. Adora the Explora. Nah, forget it.)
wow, dora's a whora
With a mother like that, Camille would do well to stay away from her childhood town of Wind Gap, and she does, never visiting or speaking to her mother until she is forced to return to that awful little town when a murderer begins plucking off girls. Camille’s editor, smelling a scoop, sends Camille down to report on the monster killing these children – killing them and pulling out their teeth. Who could do such an awful thing?
As Camille struggles to dig up some facts despite a police force resistant to speak to her, she is filled with awful memories of her childhood in Wind Gap. Contact with her mother causes painful memories to resurface, and Camille is forced to relive high school all over again when the cattiness of narrow-minded townsfolk continues to thrive on any weakness a person is fool enough to show. A recently rehabbed cutter, Camille once again feels the urge to cut.
Camille must overcome inner demons, a family full of assholes, and the petty behavior of every person in town, all who seem to be jealous of a small-town girl done good. Meanwhile, the killer's identity can be any one of several people, and finding whodunit seems to be damn near impossible for both Camille and the police. Unfortunately, the longer Camille stays in Wind Gap, the closer she comes to losing her mind.
Let me stop here and call a spade a spade: while this book is certainly a thriller, it’s not so much a mystery. Any reader of any great depth will guess the killer’s identity well before Camille does – but that’s not to say that the journey to her revelation isn’t a fun ride. I tore through this book in less than a day, unable to stop until I had finished it all. It's this riveting quality that saves Sharp Objects from falling prey to its flaws and turns what would be a mundane novel into an exciting and fun trip.
In a nutshell: Disturbing and fun at the same time. As long as you aren't expecting anything more than a good, gruesome time, you should enjoy yourself.
Bibliolatry Scale: 4 out of 6 stars
As Camille struggles to dig up some facts despite a police force resistant to speak to her, she is filled with awful memories of her childhood in Wind Gap. Contact with her mother causes painful memories to resurface, and Camille is forced to relive high school all over again when the cattiness of narrow-minded townsfolk continues to thrive on any weakness a person is fool enough to show. A recently rehabbed cutter, Camille once again feels the urge to cut.
Camille must overcome inner demons, a family full of assholes, and the petty behavior of every person in town, all who seem to be jealous of a small-town girl done good. Meanwhile, the killer's identity can be any one of several people, and finding whodunit seems to be damn near impossible for both Camille and the police. Unfortunately, the longer Camille stays in Wind Gap, the closer she comes to losing her mind.Let me stop here and call a spade a spade: while this book is certainly a thriller, it’s not so much a mystery. Any reader of any great depth will guess the killer’s identity well before Camille does – but that’s not to say that the journey to her revelation isn’t a fun ride. I tore through this book in less than a day, unable to stop until I had finished it all. It's this riveting quality that saves Sharp Objects from falling prey to its flaws and turns what would be a mundane novel into an exciting and fun trip.
In a nutshell: Disturbing and fun at the same time. As long as you aren't expecting anything more than a good, gruesome time, you should enjoy yourself.
Bibliolatry Scale: 4 out of 6 stars
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