To Read Or Not To Read

Two books that I constantly see on lists recommended if you liked Gone Girl are The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison and Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight. I've read both and was disappointed by both. The Silent Wife felt entirely too predictable right from the beginning. It is certainly a quick read and the basic storyline appeals to readers who enjoyed Gone Girl. However, Harrison's novel doesn't create nearly the same depth and intricacy in her plot as Flynn does. In the end, it was an unsurprising and generally unsatisfying read for me. If you're hopes aren't too high and you're just looking for a quick read about a messed up marriage, this one's for you. 

Reconstructing Amelia isn't meant to be any sort of copycat of Gone Girl by any means. In its own respect, it is a modern mystery that keeps the reader's attention and delivers surprises throughout. Now, I don't know how familiar you are with Gossip Girl, (a guilty Netflix indulgence of mine) but as I got into this book, I couldn't shake the thought from my mind that it felt like I was reading a lengthened episode of Gossip Girl, or maybe just a bad episode of Pretty Little Liars (is there such a thing as a good episode?). Anyway, McCreight sprinkles in different mediums and different narrators throughout the book so maybe the juvenile style of text messages she included in the story really just put me over the edge. If you can look past the mild silliness of it all, then Reconstructing Amelia would be an easy and captivating read. 

One book that I have read recently that achieves the same level of messed up creepiness as Flynn's book, is The Dinner by Herman Koch. It's a bit slow moving to start - the entire novel is literally one dinner - but once you get past the first bit and into the true story-telling of it all, a horrendously weird and f***ed up tale is told. The end of the book left me reeling, confused, and wanting more, as a good book should. 

I suppose my takeaway from this is that not all books are created equal. By definition and by summary, these books should appeal to those who enjoyed Gone Girl. But just because a book seems to fit in the same genre, doesn't mean it'll live up to its expectations.