Gone Girl

This is a 3-star book that I wanted to knock down to 2 because it includes a female character lying about being raped, a lot. I'm not okay with fictional stories including the narrative that women can easily make false rape accusations. But I'm going to stick with 3 stars after a day of waffling, mainly due to the intent of the author.

The rest of the book was okay. All the characters are unlikable, which works for the story. It was pretty predictable and unsurprising (which I was disappointed by) and the last half was a bit boring and uneventful. I kept waiting for a second twist that never came. I was intrigued enough throughout the story though, so that's why I lean toward 3 stars. It just wasn't as exciting as I was hoping it would be.

I get that this book is supposed to pit the misogynist against the misandrist. However, I didn't find the characters particularly complex, so this battle fell very flat for me. Instead, it landed in a weird spot that dangerously resembled fuel for misogynists. Maybe it's because cheating husbands and misogynists are less villainized in society, especially compared to women who lie about rape or “trap” a man with pregnancy. There was not enough discussion on these points to prevent it from easily fulfilling a misogynist's wet dream of a “feminazi” or evil women. Couple that with Nick being a mostly-innocent, framed husband whose only crimes were cheating and calling his wife names in his head. It's not hard to see which character is more “right” and sympathetic, at least on paper. When the goal of the book is to portray the clash between misogyny and misandry, but the misogynist commits lesser and fewer crimes, there's a foregone conclusion. Combine this with Amy's own internalized misogyny, plus other flat female characters, and I ended up very frustrated. I just needed much more complexity than there was, instead of walking stereotypes.

Like I said, these unlikable characters worked for the story, and I would be fine with Amy doing all the stereotypical “evil woman” things if there was more commentary on it. Same with Nick and his stereotypical “bastard husband” behavior.

Finally, I understand the love for the “Cool Girl” speech Amy writes and how women identify with it. I think it resonates strongly with a lot of people, and not many excerpts from thrillers accomplish that.