Review: The Grownup by Gillian Flynn

The Grownup by Gillian Flynn

Published: November 3, 2015

Publisher: Crown

Format: via Overdrive

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

A canny young woman is struggling to survive by perpetrating various levels of mostly harmless fraud. On a rainy April morning, she is reading auras at Spiritual Palms when Susan Burke walks in. A keen observer of human behavior, our unnamed narrator immediately diagnoses beautiful, rich Susan as an unhappy woman eager to give her lovely life a drama injection. However, when the "psychic" visits the eerie Victorian home that has been the source of Susan's terror and grief, she realizes she may not have to pretend to believe in ghosts anymore. Miles, Susan's teenage stepson, doesn't help matters with his disturbing manner and grisly imagination. The three are soon locked in a chilling battle to discover where the evil truly lurks and what, if anything, can be done to escape it.

My Thoughts

This was one creepy and outrageous read that had me guessing until the very end and even then I wasn’t sure what was true and what wasn’t. These two women meet when one is conning her into believing she is a psychic who can clean her home of evilness. We soon learn that maybe this home is indeed possessed and she soon realizes she is in over her head. We meet Susan’s stepson who is pure evil and will do anything to get rid of her.

Now what happens next is when things get weird and I didn’t know what was what. You see we find out the real reason how these two women are connected…in a way. Soon the stepson pits these two women against each other so you don’t know what is true. Miles is rude and crude and definitely scary beyond words, and he wants the younger girl to take him with her or else he will call the cops on her. This read was weird beyond everything but in a crazy good way. You see these two are cut from the same cloth because they are both crazy and have this odd and sinister way about them. It’s a short read and people either like this read or they don’t there is no middle ground but I liked it. You have to take Gillian Flynn’s work for what it is. It's usually dark, twisted and a little sick but that what I like about her work. This is one read that will take you for one crazy and odd ride, I for one was definitely intrigued by it.

Review: You by Caroline Kepnes

You by Caroline Kepnes

Published: June 16, 2015

Publisher: Atria Books

Format: audiobook via Overdrive

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

When a beautiful, aspiring writer strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe Goldberg works, he does what anyone would do: he Googles the name on her credit card.

There is only one Guinevere Beck in New York City. She has a public Facebook account and Tweets incessantly, telling Joe everything he needs to know: she is simply Beck to her friends, she went to Brown University, she lives on Bank Street, and she’ll be at a bar in Brooklyn tonight—the perfect place for a “chance” meeting.

As Joe invisibly and obsessively takes control of Beck’s life, he orchestrates a series of events to ensure Beck finds herself in his waiting arms. Moving from stalker to boyfriend, Joe transforms himself into Beck’s perfect man, all while quietly removing the obstacles that stand in their way—even if it means murder.

My Thoughts

I had heard so much about this read that I was scared to see if the hype was real. Well to me it was real and I loved it! I had bought a physical copy but I’ve been in an audiobook kind of mood so I listened to it that way and boy am I glad I did!

You is the story of Joe who works in a bookstore and becomes obsessed, to say the least with Beck who comes into the store one day. He soon gets her info and starts to stalk her as a way to get into her life. Joe is one the best characters I’ve encountered in recent years. He is creepy and listening to this via audio just made it for me. The narrator Santino Fontana IS Joe, he gives that creepiness that it scary but also gripping at the same time. The things that we find out that Joe does is so disturbing that I felt like I needed a shower to wipe off the griminess. This book was everything I wanted it to be and way more than I thought I could have imagined.

If you want a thriller that will take you for the wildest ride of your life look no further than You. This isn’t for the faint at heart so if you don’t like creepy reads or you get easily offended then this isn't the one for you but if you aren’t then I highly recommend this awesomely unforgettable read.