Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn

Goodreads Synopsis:

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick's clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-year Nick isn't doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife's head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge.

Under mounting pressure from the police and the media - as well as Amy's fierce doting parents - the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he's definitely bitter - but is he really a killer?

As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn't do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

Review:

First of all, I want to say that I may not be able to review this book without giving away too much spoilers (you have been warned).

I love how Flynn made every character in the book imperfect; except maybe for Margo, but she also has some glitch of her own - you know, covering up her brother's affair - but I think she was the most trustworthy character here.

First, let's talk about Nick. He does seem to have a murderous tendency - according to Amy's very convincing diary. No, he is not an angel. He does have an affair with a younger girl - his student. And he was not very happy with his marriage. To have a wife like Amy, I might also be unhappy and wishing I was married to someone else. He might be a adulterer but I was rooting for him since the beginning of the book. It might be because he reminded me of someone who is also inattentive to his wife but still loves her.

There was I point when I lost my confidence in Nick - when he hired Tanner Bolt as his lawyer. But that turned out to be a good move for him.

Amy, on the other hand is a genius. She has a manipulative prowess that can make anybody bow down before her. I think even her parents are victims to this. But the world get justice during her hiding-out period when her next door neighbors rob her. There's one thing she forgot about her very carefully-laid out plan, she can't control the thoughts and actions of other people. She was privileged while growing up and that was also her downfall. She never imagined how the mind of the less-privileged works.

I had mixed feelings for Desi. He was so much a victim here, but I also hated him for harboring Amy when she could not carry on with her plan. This incident proved again just how intelligent Amy is, stirring up another plan after the other did not work.

I totally flipped while reading this book. The plot twist was one anybody could never imagine. Even the ending was quite difficult to wrap my head around on. I can't believe just how well-written this book is. Every single thing that you might think unnecessary in the beginning or the middle of the book was a puzzle piece to the ending.

I finished the book early in 2014 and thought right away that it would make a wonderful movie.