a fast, gripping and disturbing read
342640
This book is hard to read. The material and the realities it brings up will make your skin crawl and your arms itch to hold your little ones tight. Still, the characters are engaging and the story is compelling.
1918068
I felt like I was reading something very personal, dark and oddly familiar. Thoughts weave in and out of past and present and come together in a perfectly interesting and riveting manner. The main character is charmingly sane and sarcastic despite the horrific details of her life. This is a very quick, easy and gripping read. You will want to read more from this very talented author! I look forward to more of her work.
4747160
I received a complimentary copy of the e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I will be honest - this book is seriously disturbing at times.  As the title leads you to believe, we are dealing with internal organs.  Lots and lots of internal organs - as well as their removal and insertion from one physical body to another.  However, readers will soon discover as the story unfolds that the true heart of the tale is less about the organs themselves (or the bloody and hasty removal of them, which is often depicted in grisly and vivid detail), but more about the existential question at the heart of it: are we really more than just the sum of our parts?

This is a fast-paced and heart pounding visceral experience I have not had in some time.  It starts off with the foot on the accelerator and does not let off until the end... I am eagerly anticipating diving into the next book in the series and will continue following the work of Mr. Werbeloff with eager anticipation.
797131
Fast paced, hard hitting, and somewhat disturbing, it makes for a great read.
33128
I especially love Marc Sorondo's writing style...and this story is both disturbing and timely!
1604056
absolutely loved "Gone Girl" so I couldn't wait to read more from the very talented Gillian Flynn! "Sharp Objects" was a superb but quite disturbing book. Ms. Flynn has a knack of developing characters who get under the reader's skin, which I find riveting, yet borderline creepy at the same time. I read somewhere that characters should be the vehicle in which the story is told, and that is certainly true of this book. Slowly but surely, the layers of each character are stripped away, to reveal the nitty gritty of the plot underneath.
I didn't particularly like the protagonist, Camille Preaker, nonetheless I found her compelling. The more we discover about her past, the easier it is to understand her personality. Let's just say that she has the mother from hell, and that's an understatement!
This book is a dark psychological thriller, and not for the faint-hearted. I enjoyed it, and plan on reading "Dark Places" as soon as I've digested "Sharp Objects".
4321779
This is a fast-moving, gripping thriller with character development that is as strong as you can get without slowing down the pace excessively. The mixture of elements is an incendiary one: religious fanaticism, divorce, the military, old grudges from high-school, and terrorism.

It starts with great intensity, the scene of a protest by ultra-judgemental religious fanatics at the funeral of a woman who died from Aids. They condemn anyone who suffers from Aids and call the dead woman a whore in front of her family. This intensity gives the book great impetus from the start, and it successfully sustains a high level of energy, intensity and intrigue right to the very end.

The language is tightly coiled, economical. Meg Gardiner uses many short phrases and sentences to keep the pace up. This passage illustrates this:

"Within the swaying bushes slid a shapeless form, dark on dark. Weightless and smooth against a backdrop of moonlit leaves, for a moment it took human shape. Gleam of metal, aiming skyward.
My pulse exploded. It was a man with a gun."

The language is also emotive, and for a thriller, the writing displays remarkable emotional depth and empathy for its characters, especially towards the end. Gardiner also has remarkable knowledge of religion, and applies it in a highly evocative way, both from a mainstream and fanatical viewpoint.

If the novel has a weakness, it is a lack of clarity in description of two important characters: 'Ice' Paxton and Curt Smollek, from the Remnant cult group. Gardiner did not describe their appearance much, beyond their ages. Hence I had some difficulty in picturing how they looked, but I guess we can always use our imagination to conjure something plausible. Some of the cult members are also at times a bit too caricature-ish, although Gardiner does manage to inject a human element into them as she unveils more about their background. In addition, the novel has a smart-mouthed American style, so if you have a low tolerance for that, you might not enjoy it.

Otherwise, this is a superb thriller with periods of intrigue, periods of incredible action, and moments of moving emotion and introspection. The ending is believable, touching and hopeful. All in all, a terrific read.
401718
Micou pulls you through a lightning fast, can't put it down story of the loss of privacy on the internet, sex, the new media and American, oh so American, politics and political ambition.  We know we've lost our privacy.  This story takes you through a case in point where consequences are real, hilarious and tragic.  Can something resembling justice arise in this uncontrollable world? Language is tight. The characters are all too real.  Simply gripping.  A fine tale raising issues that are exceedingly timely.  Monty
2177223
While I enjoyed Gone Girl much more, Sharp Objects is still a very good read in its own right. It's not a terribly difficult-to-solve whodunit; anyone who has watched a Lifetime movie or two will be able to figure it out quite quickly.

It's the details that really make this novel stand out- Camille's loneliness, her need to cut herself, the meanness of people, the heartbreak one person can enjoy inflicting on another. Sharp Objects captures the essence of cruelty perfectly.

It was an incredibly fast read, at least for me. Around 8 hours total, maybe (split up between a few evenings). It's not a feel good, by any means, but if you're looking for a quick and engaging read, this is definitely a strong choice.
820887
When I was given the opportunity to read and review this book, I didn't know quite what to expect. Key words in the blurb like out of his head on acid, abusive relationship and lost a fortune were intriguing yet left me wondering if it was a book I would be able to get into.

So, one morning after breakfast, I sat on the sofa with a large mug of tea and opened Red Dirt. 150 pages later, I emerged - rather reluctantly as I wanted to carry on reading - but dogs needed walking, washing needed doing and children needed attention. However, it didn't take me long to finish the rest of it!

Red Dirt is a fast moving tale centred around three Irish migrants  Fiona, Murph and Hopper  and it is divided into three sections told from three different perspectives (first person, second person then third). They flee to Australia following the collapse of the Celtic Tiger. Their stories are moving because they all have roots in the loss, confusion and hopelessness experienced by a generation of young people when their homeland seems to have nothing to offer them. The novel is certainly one about trying to find yourself, yet not being fully aware that you are trying to do that. Its about chasing the dream, and sometimes almost catching a glimpse of it, yet not quite reaching it. Its a novel of sensual experiences, whether strange or downright disturbing. And its about the human condition of wanting to matter, needing to matter, to someone, anyone, even if just for a moment.

The author is certainly one to watch. This is a fantastic debut and certainly bodes well for her future novels.

In summary, Red Dirt is raw. It is brutally honest. And it is, at times, appropriately elegiac.

*Many thanks to the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
4514263
This is a gripping, though very disturbing, book. I marveled at Margaret Humphreys' determination to research the families of the hundreds of people who were shipped to Australia and other countries as children as part of a secret plan ("scheme" as referred to in the book) and her sensitivity to the many psychological ramifications the re-unification had for both the families and the adult children. It is definitely a book that is worth reading. When I saw the movie based on the book several years ago, I found it upsetting but did not realize until I read the book the enormous number of people who were affected by this "scheme."
2458127
Wow!  Defragmenting Daniel is a chilling, shocking read.  It has a terrifying yet altogether possible storyline and well-developed characters with great dialog.  I kept turning the pages into the wee hours because, well, because I was compelled to.  That's just how gripping Daniel's story is.  With thanks to the author for my copy.
2810486
Disturbing and satisfying
This is a powerful and fascinating story which surprised and intrigued me with its original story-line, exploration of important themes and subtle understanding of human nature. Rather than being simply a story about a younger brother growing up in the shadow of his older brother, this book develops more as mystery in which the younger brother seeks the story of his elder brother's disappearance while serving as a peacekeeper. Reading the book, as you get to know the characters, you gain greater insights into conflict both on a personal level and within society, and you see how conflict starts with small acts leading to greater acts of retribution - in which both parties are victims and perpetrators.
I was very pleased to have read this book and found the unfolding of the mystery and the characters disturbing and satisfying. I recommend it to all thoughtful readers.
3528017
Hard To Put Down

  A really good story about a very strange group of people, mostly students, teachers and a principal. But also a great and disturbing story about a prosicutor and some deputies  who manuver the legal system and evidence to get the outcome they desire. And finally the defense attorney who fights for justice. The book is well written and moves fast. The disturbing fact is that there are prosicutors and law enforcement who will ignore the law and legal process to convict at all costs,allowing their personal beliefs to interfere.
3040361
I'm amazed that the other reviewer (so far) did not like this book. It was one of the fastest reads I've encountered. I literally could not put it down. Indeed, at one in the morning, my eyes would sag and I would have to fight to keep them open, I wanted so much to see what happened.  Codicil is a richly layered, gripping novel. Topor's ear is precise--his dialogue is superb, as are his insights. The only regret I had when I finished the book was that I had reached the end.  Well done!
34483
I recently downloaded Sean Costellos book Last Call. And while I am afraid to admit it, it was the fastest read I have ever done. I am not a fast reader, however this one I could not put down, two days is all it took, a personal record. Costellos exploration of addiction was amazing and helped build the story. However the true perfection in this book is the criminal, Bobcat. Never before have I been so creeped out and at the same time driven to read more about a character. It is like driving by a bad accident and having to look. It makes me wonder about him a bit to be honest. This book was truly a must read, it is both disturbing and inspiring. Read this book.
2020204
This is a fast paced story with lots of action.

Mark Taylor is an investigative reporter who is looking for a big story for the television 'sweeps' period.  He begins looking into the opinion polling industry and encounters incredible corruption in the way that results are skewed to manipulate particular outcomes of events.  During the course of his investigation, Taylor uncovers murder, kidnapping, and collusion on a grand scale.  The plot explores the effects of the polling industry on the outcome of elections, issues, etc.

Christian characters and ideas are interwoven into the story during the course of everyday life. This is a great book for anyone who enjoys a page turner that is difficult to put down.  It is also thought provoking for anyone who has ever had concerns about the rampant use of polling in today's political climate.  Jacobsen does an excellent job of theorizing how manipulations could occur.