Sharp Objects

Spoiler Alert: Sometimes a scar is better left unpicked at

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A deeply compelling and satisfying mystery, Sharp Objects was both haunting and memorable. Following the story of Camille, a drunken reporter with a dark past, and her journey back into the hometown that she promised herself she'd never return to, this novel is dark and gripping. When Camille is assigned investigate the brutal murder of two local girls, she is also forced to reconnect with her distant mother, who never seemed quite right. As the case begins to hit a little too close to home, Camille begins to spiral out of control, threatening to lose herself altogether. With only a well-meaning but ignorant (albeit sexy) detective, and a moody and strange half-sister as company, Camille soon finds herself falling into familiar habits -- ultimately revealing her true past to us. As readers are taken through twists and turns in this cinematic murder mystery, they will likely find themselves questioning everything, and likely, or at least in my experience, consider themselves lucky to not live in the rural South. I think what I found most compelling about this story was the fact that the protagonist of Camille seemed to be quite unreliable. Whether due to memory-impairment, trauma-induced repression, or even at times guilt, she kept many secrets -- even until the very end. Complete with flashbacks of her childhood, the reader slowly but surely develops the picture of what happened to Camille all those many years ago -- and the havoc these events have ultimately caused. While not necessarily a best-seller for being a social commentary, the novel also had some interesting things to say about the role of women -- especially in the deep South. The dialogue Camille has with local Moms, her former high school friend that is, is painfully realistic and charged -- it is clear to the reader that even in the modern day, Camille is resented and looked down upon for not being a mother. The role of motherhood as well as societal expectation play an interesting almost interchangeable role in this story; the lengths one will go to to appear perfect are astounding. Through vivid description and genius pacing, this book will not only keep you on the edge of your seat, but shock you to your core. For every dirty secret in Camille's small, close-minded town, there seems to be a different woman at the root of each mystery -- women that can be dangerous if provoked.

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Favorite Quotes: “The face you give the world tells the world how to treat you.” ~~ “Sometimes if you let people do things to you, you're really doing it to them.” ~~ “A child weaned on poison considers harm a comfort.” ~~ “I just think some women aren't made to be mothers. And some women aren't made to be daughters.” ~~ “It's impossible to compete with the dead. I wished I could stop trying.” ~~ “Every time people said I was pretty, I thought of everything ugly swarming beneath my clothes.”