Search

Search only in certain items:

Dark Places (2015)
Dark Places (2015)
2015 | Drama, Mystery
6
6.4 (5 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Contains spoilers, click to show
Mediocre adaptation from a book by Gillian Flynn. I couldn't fathom Theron's character, Libby. Yes she was young when the murders happened but she seems so detached and unemotional about what happened she just didn't seem believable to me. Also, by the end of the film I still didn't understand why she lied about the evidence she gave, why had she never visited her brother in prison when they seemed quite close when they were young, DNA and fingerprint testing was around in 1985 so how come this was not used or further tested in the intervening years re the gun and the neck of the sister? More holes than a sieve!
  
The Grownup
The Grownup
Gillian Flynn | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry
4
7.4 (15 Ratings)
Book Rating
Ambiguity in a story isn't necessarily a bad thing, but there's also a point where it becomes too much. In Gillian Flynn's award winning short story, "The Grownup," the reader is presented with a perfect example of exactly what happens when there is simply too much story left unanswered.

I would be doing myself a disservice if I didn't admit that Flynn immediately snared my attention with the opening to her short story: a main character whose job is to... well... to pleasure men, but not by having sex with them (oral or otherwise). Of course, this profession of hers is masqueraded by a front as a psychic. Because of this need to cover up her actual job, the main character meets a troubled woman by the name of Susan Burke and from there, things get a little crazy to say the least.

Plot-wise, Flynn does a great job at sticking to what many horror fans might describe as a classic ghost story, only she doesn't really go too far in depth as to the details of the haunting - or lack thereof. Instead, she introduces several characters, a plausible chain of what might be paranormal events, and then an inconclusive ending where no fault is actually placed.

For a short story, "The Grownup" isn't all that bad, though I must admit that the title doesn't mesh well with its contents. I would much rather have read this as a full length novel, as Flynn undoubtedly has a knack for unexpected twists and turns. Even though I found "The Grownup" to be unsatisfying, Flynn's talent at the element of surprise still shined through brightly in this short work.
  
The Girl on the Train
The Girl on the Train
Paula Hawkins | 2016 | Mystery, Thriller
6
7.6 (173 Ratings)
Book Rating
✵✵✵ <b>2.5 Mediocre Stars</b>

This was a fairly entertaining book overall but I found it so slow to start. I must admit I did struggle a bit in the beginning as not a lot happened.
I got swept up in the hype when it came to this book so I couldn't resist giving it a go. It has often been compared to [b:Gone Girl|19288043|Gone Girl|Gillian Flynn|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1397056917s/19288043.jpg|13306276] however, Gone Girl it is not. It doesn't have the same break-neck speed and the characters are somewhat lacking.
The main character got on my nerves immensely...I got tired of her acting like a wet lettuce all of the time. That aside I found the plot to be ok and the twists ok but that's all this book was to me really...ok.