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  • Sharp Objects

  • A Novel
  • Written by: Gillian Flynn
  • Narrated by: Ann Marie Lee
  • Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (1,248 ratings)

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Sharp Objects cover art

Sharp Objects

Written by: Gillian Flynn
Narrated by: Ann Marie Lee
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Publisher's Summary

NOW AN HBO® LIMITED SERIES STARRING AMY ADAMS, NOMINATED FOR EIGHT EMMY AWARDS, INCLUDING OUTSTANDING LIMITED SERIES FROM THE NUMBER ONE NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF GONE GIRL

Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, reporter Camille Preaker faces a troubling assignment: She must return to her tiny hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls. For years, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful 13-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed in her old bedroom in her family's Victorian mansion, Camille finds herself identifying with the young victims - a bit too strongly. Dogged by her own demons, she must unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past if she wants to get the story - and survive this homecoming.

Praise for Sharp Objects:

“Nasty, addictive reading.” (Chicago Tribune)

“Skillful and disturbing.” (Washington Post)

“Darkly original...[a] riveting tale.” (People)

©2006 Gillian Flynn (P)2006 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

What the critics say

"A witty, stylish, and compelling debut. A real winner." (Harlan Coben)

"Flynn delivers a great whodunit.... Piercingly effective and genuinely terrifying." (Kirkus Reviews)

"To say this is a terrific debut novel is really too mild. I haven't read such a relentlessly creepy family saga since John Farris' All Heads Turn as the Hunt Goes By, and that was 30 years ago, give or take. Sharp Objects isn't one of those scare-and-retreat books; its effect is cumulative. I found myself dreading the last 30 pages or so but was helpless to stop turning them. Then, after the lights were out, the story just stayed there in my head, coiled and hissing, like a snake in a cave. An admirably nasty piece of work, elevated by sharp writing and sharper insights." (Stephen King)

What listeners say about Sharp Objects

Average Customer Ratings
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Overall great

Good author, good narrator, good story. Well written and kept me interested the whole time!

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12 people found this helpful

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Intriguing

This was my first Gillian Flynn read but certainly won’t be the last. It gets you hooked from the start. Suspenseful, mysterious, dark and unpredictable. Recommend.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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So unbelievable

The story was awful. No twists, no turns just predictable and very unlikable characters. I rooted for no one and it made for a long slog. What 13 year olds act like this? Seriously. Any research done into mental illness would have changed the story. Almost turned it off so many times. Kept going. Not sure why.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Another great Gillian Flynn read

I had just finished reading Dark Places, and liked it so much that I had to get Sharp Objects. So, this review is going to be pretty comparative.

Narration:
I found the narration a little bit boring, but then again, it's told from the perspective of someone who is very depressed. It took a while for me to get into it because of this, but the story was compelling enough for me to get past it. Ann Marie Lee's voice reminds me of Amy Adams' voice, actually. However, I prefer under-acting to over-acting when it comes to audiobooks. The narrator seemed to have more emotion in her voice as the events of the story progressed.

Story:
In Dark Places, there were many character arcs that were delved into in incredible an compelling detail, and each character changed greatly throughout the course of the book. The perspective switched back and forth between the days of and surrounding the murders, and then to present, so it felt like there was a lot more "action", although it's still labelled as a slow build.

In Sharp Objects, I found the character arcs a little less compelling, but it was also a completely different style of storytelling, so it makes sense. The story is told only from the perspective of the main protagonist, and she is left guessing as to the motivation of others - of course, this keeps us guessing as well. It also felt like a much slower build, as the truth is mostly revealed in the last ten minutes of the book, rather than in pieces throughout. Once you get there, you can see where the groundwork and clues were laid. I felt like the ending was slightly, slightly rushed, but I'm not sure how much longer it could have been drawn out without ruining the surprises and suspense.

I very much appreciated, despite the above, that these books were so different, as it keeps things from getting boring or repetitive. I will definitely buy and read another Gillian Flynn novel. One thing that was incredibly similar was that there are many things that will make you uncomfortable in the book - but that's sort of the point! I also appreciate how the romantic subplots that Gillian Flynn does or does not include in her books seem only to serve the character development of the main characters, and aren't added as a seeming afterthought to appeal to people who like romance.

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Chilling Intrigue

A chilling yet intriguing story with neither a disappointing, or overly satisfying end. Fantastic narration.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Couldn't Stop Listening

Gillian Flynn writes fantastic books on deeply flawed characters. I love the twists and turns in this one.
I was vaguely aware of "cutting" mental illness and Camille was so damaged with it, I was moved by her vulnerability. I am so glad the author had Curry's added to give Camille support.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent HBO show lead to reading this novel

I really enjoyed Gone Girl and decided to watch the HBO show Sharp Objects as I knew it was based on Flynn's first novel. The Show was so good that when I finished it I had to read the book. I have a long commute to work so this has been perfect listening material for the drive. Very well done "who done it" story with a very female driven plot and characters. The one thing that bothered me for this audio book is the women reading it does these weird different voices for some of the characters. It kind of took me out of the moment sometimes but overall she did a great job.
Highly recommend this audio book to anyone who enjoys a murder mystery with captivating characters.

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If I could give more stars I would!

Loved it! Completely and instantly.
I will listen to this over and over again!

Loved the narration as well!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Sharp Objects- Awesome ride!

Great thriller! Lighthearted (coming from a horror fan though) with some serious twists. It’s been a long time since I read a book that actually stumped and shocked me in the end!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

good plot, easy listening

keeps your attention and peaks your interest. A few twists and turns in the plot that can leave you guessing. lots of baggage left behind or simply untold.

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