As the green leaves turned to brown, and the cold air flew through Indiana, I was craving a read that would fully embrace this mood being set by the environment. At this time, I was actually in Ann Arbor, Michigan which had a head start in the beautiful fall weather.  As usual, I found the local bookstore and started exploring. I pick up many different books until I come across the perfect one. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn. I had read her other successful novel, Gone Girl, and loved it. I decided to read those other novels by her, and soon I was entranced by the literary world in Missouri that Flynn was able to create in a 328-page book. 

I read this book in about two days, which was very quick for my usual reading pace. Once I got about 50 pages into this book, I couldn’t put it down. I ended up finishing this book before I even was back in Indiana, although it was supposed to be a vacation read. 

The Preaker family that the book details is one of many scandals and mysteries. Even the main character Camille truly starts this tone as her mother had her out of wedlock. As the novel continues, we learn that Camille is sent from Chicago to her hometown of Wind Gap Missouri to report on the disappearance of two young girls. The town is considered safe and like the average Midwest town. Innocent, family-oriented, and happy. Every word you read of this book, you never saw coming. I tried to make some predictions while reading this novel, but I could not. All predictions were thrown out of the window and replaced with something I could have never dreamed Flynn could have come up with. 

This book is a true physiological thriller book. Although it is said on the back of the novel that it is a mystery, Flynn truly took this genre and ran with it. She was able to completely allow the reader to see this world of Windgap true with all the twists and turns as if it was someone’s real life. Along with the thriller aspect of it, it leaves you feeling unsettled in a way that’ll last a few days after the book is read.

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn is a true physiological thriller in all aspects. I believe that all readers should eventually read this book at some point in their lives, even if they are typically not mystery readers. This book became one of my all-time favorite novels, and I will be re-reading it every year around fall.

On this blog, members of the Carmel High School chapter of the Quill and Scroll International Honorary Society for High School Journalists (and the occasional guest writer) produce curations of all facets of popular culture, from TV shows to music to novels to technology. We hope our readers always leave with something new to muse over. Click here to read more from MUSE.