Libby Day was seven years old when her two sisters and mother were murdered by her fifteen year old brother Ben. It was little Libby’s testimony that put Ben behind bars for life and now, 24 years later Libby stands by her testimony and has never went to see her convicted brother.
While Libby was a sole survivor of what was known as the “The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas.”, the term “survive” is a loose definition. Libby is used to being cared for by a trust fund and has never held down a job. She suffers from bouts of depression and often finds it hard to get out of bed. However, the trust fund is running dangerously low after all of these years and Libby needs to figure out what she is going to do with her life and how to finally take control of her future.
When Libby agrees to be paid to speak to a group called The Kill Club, a group of people who follow true crimes, she thinks this will be an easy task. She is shocked to find out the group has other theories on what really happened that night and they believe Libby’s brother Ben is innocent. For a fee, Libby agrees to take another look at what happened the night of the killings, which means she will have to reconnect with the shadows of her past.
A few years ago a friend of mine recommended I read this book. She described it as being even better than Gone Girl (by the same author) and I meant to read it then, but we know how that can go. Finally, recently I picked up this book and found it engaging right from the start. While Libby is a strange protagonist (lazy at times, disengaged in real life…) she grew on me.
I flew through this book in two days and enjoyed another twisty turny read from Gillian Flynn. I guessed at the ending, and I guessed wrong. It was much more twisted than I had thought and I loved the super craziness of it all.
If Gone Girl was a book you enjoyed to be shocked by, do not miss out on Dark Places. This book will be a movie released in 2015. Be ready… I will be. 🙂
- Paperback: 349 pages
- Publisher: Broadway Books; 1 Reprint edition (May 4, 2010)
Book Journey 
Totally agree–with both your review and your friend’s recommendation. I think the reason I preferred this book is that the protagonist was (eventually) much more likable than ANY of the characters in GONE GIRL (but I liked that book, too).
Just not sure I can handle the movie. For one reason involving (spoiler alert) cows. If you’ve read the book, you know what I mean.
I watched the movie trailer and was not real impressed. What I seen in the trailer after I had just finished the book was too many differences in how things happened (I always find that annoying lol)
Hmmm…bummer. I actually read the book because it was in a “book to screen” Facebook club I joined January of last year, but then the movie didn’t come out in 2014 anyway.
Yes, I will probably watch it anyway, but not at the theater. I will wait for it to come out in video.
I read this, too, and I agree that it is better then gone girl. As a matter of fact, I’ve read all three of this author’s books. So I see that she has A common style in all three books
I read Sharp Objects accidentally (I pulled the wrong book off my shelf when I was goign to read this one a while back). It was good, but I like this one and Gone Girl better. I think it was the whole cutting thing that got me in that one.
Sorry to but in, but I bought Sharp Objects and then my reading buddy warned me that it disturbed her so much she wished she hadn’t even read it. Now I’m thinking of donating it to the library. I can be a wimp at times and movies and books can haunt me (in a bad way) long after I’ve seen or read them, so I’m thinking I might just pass this one by.
Your advice?
Honestly Ann, I would pass on it. When I picked it up (thinking it was the one my friend recommended) I was shocked at the content and then realized I had grabbed the wrong book. I dont remember a lot about it other than the cutting, but I know I would never read it again.
Thanks for assuring me I made the best decision in passing–I’ll just donate this one and save myself the disturbance. 🙂
I really liked this book too, and Libby is a more likeable character than Amazing Amy. 🙂
I had a hard time relating to Libby. I think it was because Gillian made her so short with big breasts blond hair with red roots. I had trouble with the image of her. Just me I think 🙂
I had no idea this was going to be a movie! It’ll be pretty interesting to see how they deal with the flashback aspect. I think this is probably Flynn’s best.
Its funny when I started to write this post I was thinking it would make a good movie…. then something made me think maybe it was going to be. I looked it up and sure enough! 😛
I read this one…and Sharp Objects. I don’t know if I enjoyed them more than Gone Girl, but they were engaging reads. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Thanks Laurel. I still think Gone Girl is the best of the three 😀
Oooh fabby, I just bought this and Sharp objects yesterday. Looking forward to reading them, fab review, thanks.
Lainy http://www.alwaysreading.net
I would love to hear your thoughts on both of the books! 🙂
Haven’t read anything by this author but this sounds very good. Creepy bt good.
OOH Gone Girl Mystica…. come on. 🙂 But… this one is good too.
Did anyone cry after reading this book? I know I did and some parts of the book I still don’t quite understand what happened. Like when katniss killed coin. And the whole part of the biting with peeta. UGH!! They need to make on more movie about Katniss,Peeta,their children,and the book, also their marriage. JEEZE! HOW HARD IS IT TO GET A DECENT BOOK/MOVIE THAT DOSENT LEAVE YOU HANGING. Am I right!!
TEAM PEETA & KATNISS FOR LIFE!!
LOL, wrong post Jessa – this is a review of Dark Places. However – if we are talking Mocking Jay, I did cry.
Your advice on the book Shelia. Here’s my question WHAT ARE THE CHILDREN’S NAME AND DID PEETA AND KATNISS GET MARRIED! Please answer my question I am dying to know and btw I just finished watching catching fire AGAIN and this time the end of it brought me to tears because when katniss says” Where’s Peeta” and Haymitch says” Him and Johanna are in the capital they got them.” That literally made me want to scream KATNISS THEIR GOING TO HIJACK HIM IN THE CAPITAL AND HE WONT REMEMBER YOU HE WILL TRY TO STRANGLE YOU SO GET HIM OUT NOW WHILE YOU CAN BEFORE ITS TO LATE!! BTW AGAIN I AM OBSESSED WITH THE HUNGER GAMES AND THIS BOOK IS THE ONLY BOOK AND MOVIE I HAVE EVER SEEN THAT MADE ME CRY I DONT CRY FROM MOVIES BUT WHEN YOU SEE ME CRY BECAUSE OF A MOVIE IT MUST HAVE BEEN REALLY GOOD AND REALLY SAD AND THIS ONE IS.
I thought it said something about the kids names in the book but I read it so long ago I do not recall.
It literally took me a day and a half to read this book and now I can’t stop talking and thinking about it now every time I see catching fire I start to cry. Any advice? For me Sheila.
HI Jessa. Have you read Mockingjay yet? I would recommend that, finish the series. If you already have I would move on to another great series to take your mind off this one. Have you read Divergent? Knife Of Never Letting Go is pretty awesome too.
You definitely have to read Sharp Objects as it was my favourite of Flynn’s initial three books!
I did read that one Deborah, I didn’t like it as much as you did 😀
I just read Dark Places too! Soo creepy, and so Gillian Flynn. But I feel like I’m the only person who didn’t like Libby? I don’t know, she kind of creeped me out. Of course I got that creeped-out feeling from Nick and Amy too, but in a different way. Kinda hard to explain! But this was such a good book.
I didn’t really like Libby either. I feel mean when I say it – but she relied on other people too much, expecting to betaken care of forever and that annoyed me. I know she was better in the end but still came with a lot of quirks that I had a hard time wrapping my head around as there were sooooo many. 😀
Yes! The relying-on-other people really got on my nerves. But then again, I think the entire point of Gillian Flynn’s main characters (another thing you get with Camille from Sharp Objects) is that they’re deeply, seriously flawed. So I suppose I understand the idea even if I didn’t enjoy it.
That is true!
I really loved this book! You should also read Flynn’s other one, Dark Places. It was awesome as well.
This one is Dark Places. Did you mean Sharp Objects? I did read and review that one but didn’t like it as much as her other two. 🙂
I read this one shortly after reading Gone Girl (which I loved) and it was just too much for me. Too dark. Too twisted. 😦
This one is darker for sure. I think Sharp Objects is even darker.
I read and (kind of) enjoyed Sharp Objects so I was surprised when I found Dark Places a difficult read; I really struggled through it. For me, the content was just too much. I wouldn’t say I was traumatised by it, but I really didn’t like what I was reading. I’m intrigued to see how the film turns out, though.
I can see what you mean Katie – I struggled in parts with it too.
Okay thanks Sheila but I already read divergent insuregent and the other one so that doesn’t really help me and yes I read MOCKINGJAY.and catching fire and the hunger games
I loved Gone Girl and Sharp Objects. I definitely need to read this one too!
I hope you do Rachel!
I’ve been wanting to pick up another book Flynn. I enjoyed Gone Girl and heard her other books were better. I tried Sharp Object and ended up putting it down but I think it was because trying to read it on an iPad in waiting rooms. Neither of which are conducive to real reading. Thanks for sharing!
I’ve been trying to decide whether to read this and had just set it aside to return to my mom…but you might have changed my mind again! My husband read all three Gillian Flynn books and said this one was really dark and disturbing, so I wasn’t sure I wanted to read it.
I read Sharp Objects this fall and loved it – much more than Gone Girl which didn’t have any likable characters.
Hmmm…to read or not to read?
Sue
Book By Book
I read Gone Girl and thought it was a terrific read then read Sharp Objects and to so turned off Flynn I thought I might never pick this one up. Such awful people and I felt like Flynn was just trying more and more to shock. But maybe I’ll have to give this one a chance.