Originally Published: September 26, 2006

By: Gillian Flynn

In her debut novel, Gillian Flynn keeps readers invested in the story by making them feel uncomfortable throughout her novel.

Journalist Camille Preaker is sent back to her small hometown to report on brutal murders of young girls. Not having been home recently, Camille has to face the ghosts of her past – brought up mostly by her mother Adora – while trying to save her career.

While Camille isn’t an overly charismatic character to read in the point of view of, the tidbits of information you slowly learn about her keep her interesting enough.

The ending is somewhat predictable – I had guessed it about halfway through – the way Flynn takes you there keeps you on your toes. The majority of the story is a bit slow, but the last 75-100 pages are commanding.

Final say: Sharp writing, but a dull read. ★★☆☆☆