20 March 2016

Review #374: The Grownup by Gillian Flynn



My rating: 5 of 5 stars


What if an author does not give an ending to her mind-twisting and really excellent story? Does the book become bad and meaningless? C'mon y'all, we are smart and clever enough to think the possible ending as the author is trying to leave it her readers' best-possible imagination, the climax maybe bad or good, it all depends on how a reader precept it, and that's where the beauty and skillfulness of an author's work lies and that's when we, the readers, can gladly say that it is a fantastic piece of work by the author! I think if I had more than 5 stars I would give that to such an author.

Welcome to Gillian Flynn's world of horror/psychological thrilling short story called, The Grownup.

“She defines and eliminates problems. She’s practical in an evil way.”

----Gillian Flynn




Synopsis:

A young woman is making a living, faking it as a cut-price psychic working at Spiritual Palms (with some illegal soft-core sex work on the side). She makes a decent wage - mostly by telling people what they want to hear. But then she meets Susan Burke. Susan moved to the city one year ago with her husband and 15-year old stepson Miles. They live in a Victorian house called Carterhook Manor, built in 1893. Susan has become convinced that some malevolent spirit is inhabiting their home, and taking possession of the stepson. She has even found trickles of blood on the wall. The young woman doesn't believe in exorcism or the supernatural, but she does see an opportunity to make a lot of money. However when she enters the house for the first time, and meets Miles, she begins to feel it too, as if the very house is watching her, waiting, biding its time.


Gillian Flynn, the bestselling author, has penned an extremely creepy and overwhelming thriller-cum-horror short story which was originally published as What Do You Do? in George R. R. Martin's Rogues anthology. This story is centered around a woman who is a fake palm-reader by intercepting their so-called auras. When this woman meets another helpless and poor housewife who asks her to help her with her step-son's threatening and evil attitude by stating that there is something wrong with her new Victorian house. Research by that palm reader revealed that there is a horrifying past related to that house and it is obvious that history is repeating yet one more time.

The author has incorporated her trademarked style characters, lazy, laid back, trying to be quick cash without doing nothing, lying and manipulative. The writing style is laced with bone-chilling fear as the story delves deeper into the past of the house and the tantrums of the step-son. The narrative is engaging and kept me hooked till the very end and the tone is kept thrilling till the very last page.

The unfinished climax only got the best of me as the readers are left with their imaginations that something worse or something good may happen with the main character, although I could only think the worse case scenario considering the fact that this is creepy thriller. All through out the story line, the author kept throwing mind-twisting hints towards her readers that only made it difficult to predict its possible ending. I kept on anticipating till the very end but with each turn of the page, the story kept on changing its normal course and that's what made me love this book a lot. I think this is Flynn's best literary work till date.

Verdict: Expect the unexpected to happen with this tale! A gripping and horrifying page turner that is hard to miss.

Courtesy: The book is worth every penny! Must buy! 
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Author Info:
Gillian Flynn is an American author and television critic for Entertainment Weekly. She has so far written three novels, Sharp Objects, for which she won the 2007 Ian Fleming Steel Dagger for the best thriller; Dark Places; and her best-selling third novel Gone Girl.

Her book has received wide praise, including from authors such as Stephen King. The dark plot revolves around a serial killer in a Missouri town, and the reporter who has returned from Chicago to cover the event. Themes include dysfunctional families,violence and self-harm.

In 2007 the novel was shortlisted for the Mystery Writers of America Edgar for Best First Novel by an American Writer, Crime Writers' Association Duncan Lawrie, CWA New Blood and Ian Fleming Steel Daggers, winning in the last two categories.

Flynn, who lives in Chicago, grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. She graduated at the University of Kansas, and qualified for a Master's degree from Northwestern University.
Visit her here 



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