Published: May 10th, 2009
Publisher: Crown
Synopsis: Libby Day was just seven years old when her evidence put her fifteen-year-old brother behind bars.
Since then, she had been drifting. But when she is contacted by a group who are convinced of Ben's innocence, Libby starts to ask questions she never dared to before. Was the voice she heard her brother's? Ben was a misfit in their small town, but was he capable of murder? Are there secrets to uncover at the family farm or is Libby deluding herself because she wants her brother back?
She begins to realise that everyone in her family had something to hide that day... especially Ben. Now, twenty-four years later, the truth is going to be even harder to find.
After the big hit of Gone Girl movie on top box office, which was also adapted from Gillian Flynn's book, I was tempted to read her another works. I've heard a lot before. How Flynn is a lunatic author, writing disturbing stuff that somehow you can enjoy. Isn't that sick?
The premise of the book sounded really intriguing for me. I'd managed to finish it in three days. I skipped my sleep time even I was having this fever. Flynn has the talent to keep you awake and keep reading. Every chapters revealed another clue about what happened and you just couldn't stop.
I'm still new with Adult Fiction/Thriller books, but I really thought the writing was fine. I was kinda disappointed how this book went through. On Gone Girl, there were lots of twists here and there which kept me reading because I was so stunned to stop. I didn't once get bored while reading it. Dark Places was different though. I got bored in most part of the book but kept reading it because I needed to know who had done the massacre!
The list of the suspects just kept going on and on and sometimes I felt sick of it. It was also more predictable, though Flynn successfully did the big surprise coming so smooth and still shocking.
When you read Flynn's books, it's impossible to expect anything ordinary. This book was so dark and I swear there were times I just put it down to cool down. It had some disturbing materials such as underage sex, Satanic cult and ritual, bullying and other stuff that could possibly freak you out.
Fair warning, this is not a book with a character to cling on. One of the author talent is to make the readers hate all the characters. I mean, seriously there were like zero likeable character. Even the main character sometimes got on my nerves.
There were several times I just wanted to jump right into the story and punch each of the characters in their faces because I was so freaking annoyed. Is it possible to be filled with so much rage just by reading a book? Because I was pissed once I finished the book.
Overall, I think Dark Places was quite an enjoyable read but I won't say it's better than Gone Girl. I'm so disappointed how slow the story went on and some of the twists just not... working.
My final judgment for the book would be 3.5 out of 5 stars.
I was hoping more for this book.
I guess I've put my expectation way too high.
