We started out the year by reading Gillian Flynn’s Dark Places – author of Sharp Objects and Gone Girl. We follow Libby Day in present time as well as her life back in 1985 – when the gruesome massacre of her family happened. Dark Places is a mystery thriller type book in which we follow along with Libby in her quest of really finding out whether or not her then 15 year old brother, Ben Day, was the murderer.
The book has an interesting structure in which it is told from 2 different time periods, present and 1985 as well as a few different perspectives. I personally thought this was helpful as a reader, since we were able to slowly get a more holistic picture of what happened and didn’t happen ahead of Libby putting her own ideas together.
Personally, I felt a few things were rushed and not very well put together on how Libby for example, got from point A to point B (metaphorically). I think we potentially missed out on some more background for things. Libby, for me, borders on a character deserving of understanding and pity and simply being a bit annoying and/or absent minded.
As you read through the book, you start to develop your own ideas about whether or not Ben was the actual culprit or if it was one of the other character’s that Gillian seems to very strongly be suggesting is a strong possibility.
The ending for me, ultimately felt a little underwhelming and disappointing as a reader. I see what the author tried to do and I did not enjoy it. Overall, I do still recommend the book to those that enjoy this type of genre and style of writing! Still a fun book with some gruesome scenes and some really bad luck if you take things at face value. Solid 7 out of 10 for me.