On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy’s diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media–as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents–the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter–but is he really a killer?
As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet? (Goodreads)
I have literally just finished reading this book and boy am I glad I decided to buy it out of boredom in the airport!! I had heard a lot of amazing things about this book, and thought it would be a great buy. The story follows Amy, a woman who goes missing on her fifth wedding anniversary and Nick, her husband who quickly becomes the first and only suspect in her kidnap/murder. The first half of the story is told from Nick’s perspective and from Amy via her diary entries. The second half is then told from Nick’s perspective and then from Amy herself – in which we find out that things are not all as they seem.
Nick is a seemingly lovable creature. Sure, he makes mistakes and very bad decisions, and he is painted in a light that just isn’t him. He is easy to hate throughout the first half of the book because of the perspectives that are shown by Gillian. However, as we enter the second half and we begin to find out the truth, it is clear that the reader has been mislead into believing one thing about Nick, when in fact the opposite is true. I think this reflects the ideas and the feelings toward the media that are shown throughout the book. As soon as the media turn against you, everyone turns against you – whether the media is telling the truth or not.
Amy, on the other hand, is the other way around. She is seemingly lovable throughout the first half until we get to know her fully. Then we begin to realise how ill she is. She is a product of pressure of having to be perfect all the time due to her parent’s and the best selling books that they wrote (Amazing Amy). I think the pressure got to her too much and nobody tried to help her or tell her that she was perfect the way that she was. Again, it seems like a good message from the author about mental illness and the fact that no one wants to see it or can see it. They would rather pretend that it isn’t there.
I really enjoyed this book and I rated it 4 out of 5 stars. 🙂 Have you guys read this book??
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