A missing, devious wife. A shocked, ignorant husband. Accusatory police. And the media dead set on incriminating one man. Gone Girl was a great read; it was my introduction to the works that are mystery novels.

I decided to read it after watching Knives Out and thinking about getting into mystery novels. I made a good choice; it's subject matter was particularly applicable in the present era, as it deals directly with false accusations and the media's twist of situations. Gone Girl is a story of Nick Dunne, an aloof writer in Missouri who has a whole list of reasons to dislike. He drinks, parties, and above all tends to mistreat his wife, Amy Dunne. That is, until she goes missing. This story describes realistically how the media can easily be swayed back and forth by calculated moves, and uncovers an elegant plot and a secret crime.

I really loved this novel; Gillian Flynn does an incredible job of misleading the audience into not knowing who to trust and whether the narrator is a reliable one. One technique that really stood out was her use of characterization and point of view. Throughout the novel, each chapter alternates from Nick and Amy's point of views, so you can see events unfold in real time from both situations. It also highlights biases and how events can be told very differently by different people.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a gripping read and characters who are easily hate-able; honestly, in the end, I really was hoping that everyone was brought down.