I had some trouble with this one because of how dark it was. I had to close it occasionally and put it aside due to the blunt tone which was used in some uncomfortable scenes. The book is actually quite short but can at times feel long amd it took me a while to read because I had to be in the right headspace for it. The book was very good and I did enjoy it but its was just quite dark and sometimes hard to read.
Blurb:
When two girls are abducted and killed in Missouri, journalist Camille Preaker is sent back to her home town to report on the crimes.
Long-haunted by a childhood tragedy and estranged from her mother for years, Camille suddenly finds herself installed once again in her family’s mansion, reacquainting herself with her distant mother and the half-sister she barely knows – a precocious 13-year-old who holds a disquieting grip on the town.
As Camille works to uncover the truth about these violent crimes, she finds herself identifying with the young victims – a bit too strongly. Clues keep leading to dead ends, forcing Camille to unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past to get at the story. Dogged by her own demons, Camille will have to confront what happened to her years before if she wants to survive this homecoming.
My Thoughts:
I had some trouble with this one because of how dark it was. I had to close it occasionally and put it aside due to the blunt tone which was used in some uncomfortable scenes. The book is actually quite short but can at times feel long amd it took me a while to read because I had to be in the right headspace for it. The book was very good and I did enjoy it but its was just quite dark and sometimes hard to read.
The main character Camille Preaker is an interesting character and I would love to know how Gillian Flynn came up with this character. I loved that Flynn used a female protagonist who had mental health issues. I think it’s something that needs to be spoken about with more freedom. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where the protagonist has mental health issues so this book was a first for me.
The story revolves around Camille Preaker who is a journalist, when the newspaper she works for hears about the disappearance of a young girl, they send Camille – much to her displeasure – out to her home town to investigate it and bring back a good report.
The thing is though that Camille hates her home town, she had a lot of bad experiences there and with the death of her sister still looming over her childhood home she gets very uncomfortable very fast. We then start to learn of her cutting. From a young age she has cut words into her skin until only a few years previously and has covered most of her skin with words. We also learn of her half sister who appears very strange and eratic while her mother (Adora) judges and dismisses Camille but is completely adoring behaviour towards Amma.
As I was reading the book I could actually feel the discomfort when the whole family were together including Alan, Camilles step-father, and the oppression which seemed to radiate from the family home.
You can get Sharp obejects from amazon.
booksforall245 
I don’t know if you read science fiction at all, but two other books with good portrayals of mental health disorders are Planetfall by Emma Newman and The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal. I particularly love The Calculating Stars. Great review!
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Ooo thank you! I’ll add them to my tbr list! I think it’s really important to have mental health disorders portrayed more often in books, TV and films!
Thank you very much
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I have this book sitting on my shelf, but I haven’t read it yet. It’s good to know that the story can be dark & discomforting. It’s also good that Camille’s mental health issues are included in the book since like you said there’s hardly any representation of mental health in books.
Karalee
Tales of Belle
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I definitely recommend reading it even though it can be difficult at times! It’s a very good story
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Wonderful review! I still haven’t read this one. 😲 I know, I know, I’m getting to it😀
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Haha take your time with it! It actually took me a while to finish it
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