This is a book about which one can say very little in a review without spoiling it.
What I can say:
This book takes a look at a very dysfunctional relationship between a very dysfunctional (but in some ways frightfully normal!) married couple, the wife of whom has “gone missing” on their fifth anniversary.
Nick and Amy both take turns spinning the history of their relationship as we get a look back into the past to see what has transpired in this marriage. The “he said, she said” style yanks the loyalties of the readers back and forth as the account of events switches between these two most unreliable narrators.
Yes, there are many parallels to “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf,” but Flynn takes us way beyond that story with her clever, sophisticated and often shocking transmogrification.
This book is sort of beyond surprising. It’s meant to be a thriller, so beware of reading too many reviews! I read one from “Entertainment Weekly” that was somewhat spoilery, and I wasn’t happy about it!
Note: Special thanks to the publishers for clarifying: “This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, event, or locales is entirely concidental.” To which I say, “Thank the Lord!”
Evaluation: You ought not to have a phlegmatic response to this book!
Rating: 4/5
Published by Crown Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., 2012
Rhapsody in Books Weblog 
this author has never disappointed me — looking forward to this one –sounds good.
Sounds very interesting, but I’m not sure I’m in the mood for dysfunction right now 🙂 Glad you didn’t add spoilers though since I might pick up this book some time.
I’m convinced I need to read this!
Yes, dysfunctional but frightfully normal is a great way to describe their relationship, LOL. This book is so crazy but what’s even crazier is how it sort of is a good analysis of a marriage too!
I’m planning on reading this as soon as it is available “over here”. I’m glad it isn’t inspired by a true story.
I’ve got this on hold at the library. Can’t wait to read it!
Hell, by the time my review comes out next week for the tour, it will be old news! Yes everyone, just READ THE THING. It is incredibly entertaining, frightening, and one of the best summer reads going!
The ONLY think I know about this book (Thanks to Jenn Devourer) is that this book is about marriage. It’s all I care to know. So I skimmed your post but found this interesting: “in marriage: we should be the best person we can for our spouse, yet the point of marriage is unconditional love, which allows us to often dissolve into our worst selves.” Yes, that often is the case isn’t it?
To clarify–it’s all I care to know because you ALLLLLLLLL have me REALLY wanting to read this book. (not because I’m not interested…)
I’m intrigued! I’ve read one book by this author and liked it enough that I’m eager to read this one too. I have it on my kindle all ready to go…I just need to find the time to read it 🙂
I’ve had my eye on this one for a while now….it sounds really good 🙂
I initially turned this one down. Silly me. Now I have to run out and get it.
I just finished this book a couple of days ago and I loved it too! I saw the author speak last week and she said that she doesn’t plan out the twists and turns, she just lets them come to her as she writes. I can’t imagine!
Absolutely dying to read this one! Ten more people to go at the library!
So glad you enjoyed this one as well! I loved it, couldn’t put it down. Her debut Sharp Objects is just as disturbed. Loved it!
I’m on the library hold list – can’t wait to read this one!
I wasn’t even remotely interested in reading this book until reading your review. I love your “note 1” BTW! 🙂
I just wrote my review for this one a few hours ago!! I loved it and that last paragraph me steam come of of my ears!! 😀
intriguing! true, I know nothing more about the book, but now I want to…lol
I was on the fence about her first book but this one does look like a uniques experience. I love what she said about marriage. Any book that results of me being nicer to Jason will surely be hit around here.
Someone else just recommended this to me the other day. I have it next in the reading queue. Your review reinforces it. And I think I did hear about it initially from Sandy but forgot to add it to the list. The fact that stellar reviews keep cropping up only reinforces my initial instinct to get it read!
I was unconvinced by all the reviews of Gillian Flynn’s last book (cause it sounded way depressing), but even though this sounds sort of depressing too, I think I’m going to read it. I fancy the hell out of a book that can be a page-turner and I won’t be able to wait to see what happens next.
Wasn’t this so good? I’m thinking of giving it as a wedding present to new brides and grooms — HAHA! I gobbled it up in two days and thought it was so well done — her best book so far!
“in marriage: we should be the best person we can for our spouse, yet the point of marriage is unconditional love, which allows us to often dissolve into our worst selves.”
In other words, I should be the best bitch that I can be?
I will definitely be reading this book. I have seen other positive reviews as well. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
I recently bought this one. This will be my first time reading anything by this author so I am looking forward to it.
There you go, giving me an entirely new reason to read this book – I must find out what made you think that you did the same things!
I finally read it — review up tomorrow. I had a different experience.
They r will start filming this book into a movie nxt monday!!! Sure hope they change the ending!!! They r filming in Cape Girardeau, Mo went to high school there awesome little town!!