Book Review: Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

After reading Gillian Flynn's wildly popular "Gone Girl," I was eager to read more from this author. I decided to read Dark Places, for no reason in particular. If only I knew what I was getting myself into.

This book is about a girl named Libby Day who is the sole survivor of her family's brutal massacre, except for her older brother who is in jail for the murders. At 7 years old, Libby testified against her brother in court. She's always believed him to be an anti-social devil-worshiping murderer, but one group of murder-trial enthusiasts try to convince Libby otherwise, 25 years later.

That quick summary makes this book sound so dull, and I'm sorry. I can't do it justice. I promise it's not boring.

Each chapter is written in the present or in the past in the days leading up to the murders. As Libby digs deeper into the past to learn what really happened, more secrets are revealed to you, the reader. Each chapter leaves you wanting more. I couldn't stop reading.

Besides the captivating plot, the characters that Flynn has created come to life before your very eyes. It almost feels like these aren't characters, but real-life people, and Flynn is just doing a detailed job at describing them. But they're fictional. Despite this, I feel like I know these people. I feel like I have met them before. Small characteristics and mannerisms feel familiar, but come together to create uniqueness.

I didn't just read the actions on the pages, I saw them happening. I kept turning the page because I wanted to know who the murderer was, but I enjoyed every single page because of the rich detailed scenes that Flynn creates. I couldn't read fast enough but I wanted it to last forever.

There were some scenes, though, that were so grotesque and violent that I had a hard time reading them. But it's like a car wreck; you can't look away. I read certain passages with a cringe on my face, but I never once put the book down out of disgust. I loved it. Near the end of the book, Flynn puts you right in the house on the day the murders happen, and I felt like they were happening right before my eyes.

I honestly can't praise this book enough. I feel kind of spoiled now because I feel like my standards for good storytelling have been raised. I have a major book hangover. I've already read two books since I finished Dark Places, and neither of them have wowed me as much as this one has. 

Give me some good book suggestions to help me move on from this enthralling novel.