Book Analysis: Sharp Objects Army

For my book analysis, I read Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects. Sharp Objects is a book about Camille Preaker, a journalist from Chicago who is headed to her hometown to cover a murder case. Camille goes through a lot of stress in the book, as she reminisces over the terrible things that happened in her childhood, as well as the hidden monstrosities of her Wind Gap, Missouri. Throughout the book, Camille deals with the pain of her lost sister, which she dealt with by cutting words into her skin; only stopping a few years before the book takes place. The theme of her sliced skin is very prevalent as Camille traverses her path to self-fulfilment.

The book is considered to fill in to a plethora of different genres, but the most relative genre to the book is mystery. I believe that the book fits into the mystery genre well. You can tell that this book is mystery because of the story’s basic setup. The entire time, a gruesome serial killer is seemingly impossible to find. As you go through the book, you begin to make assumptions and find clues as to who could possibly be the murderer. Even though it is a major theme of the book, the book does a good job of distracting your attention from the investigation. Every time that Flynn goes into detail outside of the main character’s job over the murders, you are left with a feeling that she is in some sort of danger. Flynn keeps you guessing until the very end.

I very much enjoy the style that Flynn is attempting to convey with this book. It’s gritty, dark, and brutal while also being based off of true events and emotions. The book does not pull any punches in the description of real life events and atrocities. I feel that the effect of the story and the characters would not work as well if Flynn decided to lighten up the themes or language. Even though many people believe pieces of art like this to be obscene or unneeded, I think that it is necessary for enjoyability in this instance.

Despite the narrator being a victim of many real life offenses, the book avoids digging itself into a hole of heavy, depressing tones. She stays interesting, while not revealing too much about herself. This leaves you wanting to learn more. I believe that Flynn can relate a lot to the narrator, as she once aspired to be a crime reporter similar to Camille. This connection between Flynn and her character creates a sense of genuinity that amplifies the character both in depth and believability. Camille is intimate with the reader, and throughout the book you may change your opinion of her as she makes one decision for the good or bad. Even as Camille is a conflicting character, no part of her is written unrealistically. Camille is written geniusly by Flynn, as she feels like a real person as opposed to a character in a book.

In conclusion, I would recommend the book Sharp Objects. However, the book is probably not for everybody. The themes are very mature, and at many points the details can be too much for some people. For anyone that enjoys dark subject matter, this book is perfect. Gillian Flynn encapsulates what it is like being a victim of harsh trauma and shows the effects that such conditions can do to a person over time. Sharp Objects is an excellent book that can reach out to many different groups of people. Overall, I would give this book an 8/10.

Cite this page