Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn {Thoughts On}

Title: Sharp Objects
Author: Gillian Flynn (website)(Facebook)
Pages: 321 ebook
Source: Library
Rating: 3 of 5

Summary from Goodreads:

WICKED above her hipbone, GIRL across her heart
Words are like a road map to reporter Camille Preaker’s troubled past. Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, Camille’s first assignment from the second-rate daily paper where she works brings her reluctantly back to her hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls.

NASTY on her kneecap, BABYDOLL on her leg
Since she left town eight years ago, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed again in her family’s Victorian mansion, Camille is haunted by the childhood tragedy she has spent her whole life trying to cut from her memory.

HARMFUL on her wrist, WHORE on her ankle
As Camille works to uncover the truth about these violent crimes, she finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Clues keep leading to dead ends, forcing Camille to unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past to get at the story. Dogged by her own demons, Camille will have to confront what happened to her years before if she wants to survive this homecoming.
With its taut, crafted writing, Sharp Objects is addictive, haunting, and unforgettable.

I was such a huge fan of Gone Girl that I was eager to read Flynn's previous books. When my request for Sharp Objects came up, I put aside the other book I was reading to read this one instead. I was sucked in from the start but didn't love it the same way I loved (not sure loved is the right word) Gone Girl. Had I not read Gone Girl  first, I think that I would have liked Sharp Objects better. The writing was vastly improved between this, her first novel, to Gone Girl, her third. I don't make a point of trying to figure out a mystery but I thought that I had this one figured out pretty soon. Turns out I was sort of right and sort of wrong. It seemed like there were some inconsistencies but it could have just been me. I tried to find holes in the plot of Gone Girl and couldn't find them but this one seemed to have a couple. 

The characters in this one were just as screwed up as I've come to expect with Flynn's characters. Seriously screwed up. At points, painful to read screwed up. Camille was a seriously flawed character but the look into her life was strangely fascinating. I liked her matter of fact way of seeing things. 

The story itself is interesting and I enjoyed the mystery surrounding the murders. The Kansas City Detective, Richard, was a welcome distraction from the rest of the crazy home town people. What a bunch that was! Even he wasn't entirely likable but at least he didn't have all that history with the town and its people. 

I personally found the writing style to match the character of Camille quite well but have read others dislike of the choppy, incomplete sentences. The pacing was well done with the suspense lasting throughout the book. The only thing I didn't particularly like was the ending which felt a bit rushed. Sharp Objects is another solid work from an author that is quickly becoming a favorite. I look forward to reading Dark Places soon.

A solid 3 out of 5 stars...I enjoyed it but had a couple of issues.