Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl is the perfect read for a long hot summer. I'm not a huge fan of suspense/thrillers, but Flynn is a master. Her characters are so developed. You feel like you know them. So much has already been said about this book. It's a huge hit. What's left to say?

I'll keep this short. I loved the alternating chapters between Nick's present (in Summer 2012 no less!) and Amy's diary entries. This is where Flynn's skills at character development are in full glory. Flynn's portrayal of Amy's parents is so clever. You understand how Amy is the way she is...how could she NOT be who she is with parents who exploit her childhood to make Perfect Amy children's books??

I wasn't too keen on the final quarter of the book. I thought Flynn lost her way a bit, as the story veered into an almost comical farce (even pushing to absurd maybe?) about true crime and Nancy Grace-esque "news" programs and whodunit territory. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it...I just wished Flynn had taken a different route.

Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

I'm still reeling from reading this novel. This isn't so much a review, but more like a collection of my thoughts.

Esch is a female protagonist unlike any other. She's growing up in rural Louisiana surrounded by boys and men. The theme of motherhood is thread throughout the story which starts while China, Skeet's prized pit bull, is giving birth to her first litter. We learn that Esch's mother died giving birth to Junior. Then we learn that Esch is pregnant as Hurricane Katrina swirls around in the background. As the hurricane warnings build, life goes on. I've lived in the Midwest my entire life. You don't go to the basement when you first hear the tornado warnings. The warnings slowly build while you go about your life.

One of my favorite elements of this book is the relationships between the siblings. Skeet, Randall, Junior and Esch stick together. They're loyal. They look out for each other as their Dad is adrift in alcohol and grief. Esch's romantic obsession with the myth of Medea and Jason permeates the story as she becomes obsessed with Manny.

There are several dreamlike scenes: looking for chicken eggs from chickens who roost everywhere but the dilapidated chicken coop, the dog fight involving China and 2 other pit bulls in the eerily silent woods as the sun light filters down while the hurricane winds pick up above, Skeet and Esch's journey through the woods to the white farmer's medicine, Randall and Esch's journey through the woods for supplies.

Violence and tenderness are woven together throughout the story. When Esch watches Skeet skin a squirrel, she thinks of her love for Manny as she watches the pulsating heart. China is a majestic character. She is Medea. Skeet's devotion to China makes Esch crave Manny's attention more.

I'm adding Jesmyn Ward to my list of must read authors. Her storytelling skills are major. She often uses one two many metaphors, but I can adjust to that. I anxiously await her next novel.