Sharp Objects

by Gillian Flynn February 6-26, 2013 Whoa. Have you ever read a book where almost all the characters are unlikeable? And the more you read, the more you dislike each and every one? Sharp Objects is a perfect example of that. I would be so tense after reading a few chapters each night that I had a hard time falling asleep. I'm quickly learning that this is one of Flynn's strengths (I just started Dark Places this week and am already engrossed). Camille has escaped her mother and dead sister by moving from rural Missouri to the bright lights of Chicago. Working for a small newspaper trying to make her way as a reporter, she accepts an assignment to return home to investigate two child murders. Her mother, a hypochondriac, is not too happy to see Camille appear on her doorstep. She also forbids Camille to speak about the murders in her presence, claiming to have been close to the dead girls. Camille is also reintroduced to her half-sister Amma, a precocious 13-year old with a wicked mean streak. Despite herself, Camille begins to bond with Amma, and they form an unhealthy, unbelievable relationship. “Safer to be feared than loved.” Between Camille's self-loathing, what 13-year old Amma had already experienced, and the ruse she kept up at home, made for incredibly difficult reading. Their mother's flamboyant ways and her husband's blind-eye were enough to make my heart pound. I have never been great at figuring out the plot of a book, and this one was no exception. I'd bet most people would be kept guessing until the last few pages. * * * * *