Amy and and Nick Dunne seemed like the perfect couple leading perfect lives, until Nick looses his job at a print magazine as everything was turning to digital, they soon find themselves struggling to make ends meet in NYC. Nick decides, despite Amy's misgiving, to move back to him hometown North Carthage, Missouri for work and to take care of his dying mother, but Amy is never really happy there. On the day of Amy and Nick's 5th wedding anniversary Amy Dunne is missing. Nick is beside himself with grief and he feels that the only way to find Amy is to piece together the treasure hunt that she does for him every year (even though he is not very good at it). As Nick puts the clues together he tries to hide them from the police, making him the number one suspect but could Nick really have murdered his wife?
I'm not going to lie, I did pick this book up because I saw that it was going to be made into a movie. I had heard of the book before and it was on my TBR shelf but no where near the top (But I am extremely happy I moved it up, this book blew me away, I was not expecting it to be as good as it was). I am one of those people that does like to read the book before the movie and compare. So I am interested to see how they portray this book in a movie as it is written in a format that I do not think that would easily translate on to the big screen.
The format of this book is mainly divided into sections that transfer back and forth between Nick and Amy. In the first part of the novel Nicks POV is in the present as he is dealing with his missing wife and Amy's POV are from the past, a diary that she has written while her and Nick were dating and eventually married. These past point of views are to show how Amy saw their relationship and how she has dealt with the hardships that have been in their lives. It was an interesting format, and one that I had not read before, I have read some book where they go between the past and present but never from the POV of two different people. I liked the contrast that it provided in the novel and gave a back history to the events, though you really do want to get to the part of Amy Elliott Dunne Day Of. To see what happened on that day. If you are not a fan of flipping in time each chapter as well as character you will not enjoy this book, this format is key to the plot and the unfolding of the information and I do not think that this plot would be successfully executed with a regular single POV writing style.
I don't think I have ever read a book where I did not like either of the main characters. But this does not mean that I did not enjoy the book. I found it very entertaining to the point of being in the edge of my seat wanting more. Even though there was no action in this book but it was more like watching a train wreck you cannot look away from . We seem to have this fascination with watching people ruin their lives and how they have gone about it, but Flynn has created a surprisingly complex plot that I do not think that anyone will see coming as she continually reveals new information each chapter that will flip your opinion as to what has happened, who is responsible and keep you guessing to the very end and the end (it is really something that I did not see coming).
This is the first book that I have read by Flynn and I will be sure to pick up her other books now. I love the complex nature of this book and how Flynn took a different way to create a mystery/thriller book where the body count does not add up. Although I enjoy serial killer books, they seem to be getting a bit monotonous lately, it's nice to read something different, it is refreshing. This is a must read for people who enjoy mystery novel, the reviews do not lie.
Enjoy!!!
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Keeps you on your toes. I couldn't put it down and the writing style is unique, almost eloquent in a mysterious way.
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