Guest review by the voice behind The Writer’s Cookbook, Kristina Adams.
First published May 5th 2009 by Shaye Areheart Books
Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller
Gillian Flynn is most famous for writing Gone Girl, but she’s also written two other novels: Dark Places and Sharp Objects.
Dark Places tells the story of Libby Day, a twentysomething whose life changed forever when she was just seven: her mother and two sisters were killed on the same night, and her brother got the blame. She’s spent her whole life living on the money donated by kind-hearted citizens, but twenty years later that money’s run out. She agrees to speak to a club that are fascinated by her family and convinced that her brother is innocent. Libby, on the other hand, has spent twenty years insisting that he’s to blame. Can she be persuaded to the contrary?
Style
The story is told from three perspectives: Libby, her mum and her brother. Libby’s perspective is in the present day whilst her mum and brother tell of the events leading up to That Night. I found some of the parts told by Libby’s mum and brother slow, but they were necessary to the story and discovering what happened. A lot of it is information that is vital to the reader that Libby must find out on her own or can never know.
Characters
Libby is a dark, dark person. When something triggers her PTSD or depression she refers to this as her ‘dark place’. For anyone with depression or PTSD she’s a very relatable character, and for anyone without it’s an insight into how the mind of someone with either condition works. That being said, I would be very careful reading this if you yourself are in a ‘Dark Place’ – I find dark books very difficult to read when in a dark place myself.
Opening
I found the book slow to get off the ground, but I decided to give it a chance, reminding myself that it wasn’t Gone Girl (which I’d read first). It doesn’t immediately grab you, but it is worth sticking with because there are some truly crazy characters and there’s a twist at the end.
Plot
The plot is intricately weaved with a twist or two, just like in her other books. I did predict part of the ending, but I don’t know if that’s due to writing style or me reading more crime novels.
Score
7/10
Recommended to…
If you enjoyed Gone Girl or Sharp Objects, I’d recommend this book. Likewise if you’re into crime, mystery, thriller or drama, or a fan of Tess Gerritsen. Gillian Flynn is classed as a crime writer but what she really writes about is the brutality of relationships that many people are scared to think about, let alone write.
The Writer's Write-Up 