“I just think some women aren’t made to be mothers. And some women aren’t made to be daughters.”

As my first blog post, I’m starting off with a book that is not for the faint of heart. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed this book very much, but it is gritty. I often wonder why many people seem to love stories with violence. More thoughts on this later.

In the case of this novel, much of the violence lies in the details that are uncovered regarding two murders committed in the small town of Wind Gap, Missouri. Camille Preaker, a journalist in Chicago from Wind Gap, is assigned to return to where she grew up after staying away for many years, to report on these murders. The murdered are two little girls, ages 9 and 10, one of which is only missing until after Camille arrives in Wind Gap and the body is discovered.

As the novel progresses, we learn more about Camille’s childhood, her relationship with her mother, and her younger sister that died many years previously of an unknown illness. We also learn about Amma, Camille’s 13-year-old younger sister that is still living, who seems to have the town wrapped around her little finger. It also must be said that Camille for much of her life was a cutter and cuts words into her skin which is alluded to by the razor blade on the cover of the novel.

The characters in this story are deeply flawed which I think is part of the appeal. I think although many can’t really relate to the characters in this story in most ways, there are some fundamental aspects that they can relate to. One of which is that the reality of a person’s life is not always what it may seem. And for that matter, a person might not be who we think he or she is.

I read a few other reviews that picked up on a theme I found particularly interesting: That we assume women to be delicate creatures, incapable of committing despicable and brutal acts. But the truth is that people can be bad regardless of sex. Gillian Flynn is a master at weaving this into her stories.

As for the gruesome violence in this book, I think it adds to the mystery and the intrigue. In a seemingly perfect little town, why would someone murder two little girls and pull out all their teeth? What kind of dark and twisted person would do this? What motivation could they possibly have? I think most readers of this novel would be dying to find out.

Thanks for reading!