I’ve had this book on my reading list for the loooongest time, pretty much from the time of release, but I just never got around to reading it because I keep getting put off by the mixed reviews it was receiving. It’s quite clear, from reading all the reviews, that this is the type of book that you’re either going to love or hate. It’s not mediocre. You’ll either find it brilliant or utter crap.

Marriage can be a real killer. One of the most critically acclaimed suspense writers of our time, New York Times bestseller Gillian Flynn, takes that statement to its darkest place in this unputdownable masterpiece about a marriage gone terribly, terribly wrong. As The Washington Post proclaimed, her work “draws you in and keeps you reading with the force of a pure but nasty addiction.” Gone Girl’s toxic mix of sharp-edged wit with deliciously chilling prose creates a nerve-fraying thriller that confounds you at every turn.

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick Dunne’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick Dunne isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but hearing from Amy through flashbacks in her diary reveal the perky perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer? As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister Margo at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was left in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

Employing her trademark razor-sharp writing and assured psychological insight, Gillian Flynn delivers a fast-paced, devilishly dark, and ingeniously plotted thriller that confirms her status as one of the hottest writers around.

So did I love it, or did I hate it? That is the million dollar question.

The story sucked me in almost immediately and I couldn’t put it down. It was one of those reads that when we had a social engagement or, something else inconvenient like, um, being at work, all I could think about was getting home and getting a few minutes to read more of the book. I was desperate to know what was going to happen. I had all sorts of highfalutin theories over who had taken Amy but I was wrong! So very very wrong.

I don’t want to give too much away for those of you who haven’t read the book but I will say this. I loved Gillian’s writing. It was witty & intelligent and I thought the story was well thought out. It did have me gasping in shock a number of times with the twists and turns that the story took.

Right up until the last page, I was convinced I’d give this book a 5 star rating, it was just that good.

Then I read the last paragraph and found myself figuratively (I was reading on my kindle) flipping between the last page and the acknowledgements thinking… this CAN’T be it? Surely this is NOT how this story is going to end… with such a none end??? Surely not!

Those of you who have read the book, did you also feel the ending was sort of a non-ending? It felt like the last chapter was very rushed and then book just ended abruptly with no proper closure, with no one “winning” (because let’s be honest, the book turned into a who’s going to one up the other). I couldn’t help feeling it was as if the author had gotten bored with the book, or was under a tight deadline and so she wrote the most non-ending ending possible.

That last chapter absolutely ruined the book for me and in the end I can only give it a 2 star rating, because it was well written and well thought out, up until the last paragraph.

Have you read Gone Girl? What did you think?

If you’re keen to read the book and see what all the hype is about, you can buy it here:

Paper back

For Kindle: