excited to get Gone Girl because it has
How was the storyline?
I was excited to get Gone Girl because it has been pretty highly ranked lately. When I first started the book, I wasn't convinced it was something I would love; I didn't find the writing to be very engaging, believable, or well-done. As you keep reading the book, though, you could get the impression that this approach is purposeful, I suppose, because of one of the plot twists. For that reason, and because there was a good bit of suspense even early on in the novel, I did keep reading it. Ultimately, I even read to the very last page, increasingly cursing myself for having gotten myself too far in to quit now. I'll admit, there are numerous plot-twists and surprises that kept me going back to the book. I kept hoping that many of the traits that I so disliked about the novel, and the writing, would be revealed to be elements of the plot themselves, even. Retrospectively, though, I've got little to recommend in this book. You may read to the end, but it won't be a satisfying, fully-realized reading, and, if you are anything like me, you'll wish you had used that time for something else.Overall, here are my complaints with this book:1. The ending was terrible. It was a mishmash of cheap plot tricks, unlikely scenarios, and even more unlikely (and unlikable) character decisions. Yes, all the loose ends were tied up, but at what cost?2. The characters were ridiculous. There was not a single character that wasn't contrived from a number of stereotypical flat representations we've seen a million times (usually these flat characters are reserved for minor roles; not in this text).3. The plot never seemed very well thought-out. Frequently, when one problem got too big for the author to handle, there was a conveniently planned revelation that, no, the main character had already predicted this approach, and, two years earlier, had concocted a plan B, or C, or D, that itself was even more ludicrous than the original plot wrinkle had been.4. The writing wasn't particularly good. Sometimes, even poorly constructed plots could be saved by really stellar, awe-inspiring prose. Not in this novel.Good luck! 