Review: Sharp Objects

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I really had a lot of hope for this novel.

I mean people really enjoyed this, enjoyed this author's novels a lot.

And I felt guilty since I had only heard about this author, and her novels being adapted into films. So naturally I pushed myself to pick a novel of hers. And this one had been gaining recent hype ever since it landed on HBO as an adapted tv show.

But like all things that are meant to wreck a person's sanity, this one made me question whether I actually had good taste in books or Mother Luck was just not by my side.

And I got to also star alongside other 1/2 star reviews. Hurray! (*rolls eyes*)

So let me explain why I feel like I've been given an ice cold bath bomb on my head.

..................................

The cover: Well I really loved the cover. I never got a cover that actually represented it's adaptation, like this was...holy shit...my first ever time. So naturally, the cover had got me squealing in happiness. Plus it made me so curious about the story itself because of the stern expressions on each of the character's face on the cover. So really fell for this one. Points to that.

The summary: I've read summaries like this one before. Reporter/detective/police officer battles her own past, meanwhile solves a mystery case as well. It's kinda like a Murder she Wrote Episode. So I was all down for it, even more so by the tv adaptation. So points to that.

But the other points screwed up my ratings. To the point where I even fought with myself whether I should bother at all to give a rating. But the brain won out, so I had to rate.

The characters: As one reviewer said before, it's like the author was desperately trying to show how only evil ruled human nature and no good ever surfaced. All the characters seem intent on being materialistic, shrewed, flawed, and evil.

That's it. Literally they have no other agenda other than accomplishing their own goals.

I'm sorry but if you cannot show humanity then what's my point reading this? -Note to Author. They should have flaws yes, but not so many that they can barely see past them.

The mystery: Well Camille is too busy criticising people and even the victim murdered. And then she complains why she never got promoted. Well if you can't analyse or even sympathise, or even try and help, then there's no point in even being a reporter. She's supposed to be uncovering more about the mystery rather than be so absorbed in solving her own mystery.

The mystery and her own problems should go hand in hand, not overlap each other. It makes things so darn confusing, I don't even understand what the author is trying to achieve.

Overcoming problems: Well none of that was seen. But then again it was only 38 pages when I DNFed so makes sense. So I won't comment much on this aspect.

But overall, I think it's the most ridiculous novel that ever graced the bookstagram and goodreads community.

Everyone's just doing their own thing and I think the author just let them do whatever they wanted. That's what's happened.

Call the writing police, wake this darn author up! Her characters, and plot need work! Call them!

So, overall, I'm never trying any of her books again, because I only have patience for so much.

Until the next read,

-J.B

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