Review: Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Title: Dark Places

Author: Gillian Flynn

Publisher: Broadway Books

Release Date: May 05, 2009

Source: Purchased

Find it Here: Amazon, Goodreads

Libby Day was just seven years old when her evidence put her fifteen-year-old brother behind bars.

Since then, she had been drifting. But when she is contacted by a group who are convinced of Ben's innocence, Libby starts to ask questions she never dared to before. Was the voice she heard her brother's? Ben was a misfit in their small town, but was he capable of murder? Are there secrets to uncover at the family farm or is Libby deluding herself because she wants her brother back?

She begins to realise that everyone in her family had something to hide that day... especially Ben. Now, twenty-four years later, the truth is going to be even harder to find.
Who did massacre the Day family?

My thoughts: 

When I read my first Gillian Flynn book, I knew that I had just entered crazy town. I read Gone Girl first because I really want to watch the movie (even though I haven't yet) and as soon as I finished it I knew I had to read her other books! I picked up Dark Places immediately after I finished Gone Girl and, in my humble opinion, it's even better! 

Dark Places takes place in the present and in the past from two perspectives. 1. Libby Day's perspective in the present about fifteen years after the murder of her family. 2. Ben Day in the past, mostly on the day of the murder and sometimes a little bit before that. Ben is accused and convicted of murdering the Day family so his perspective in the past of what happened that day is very interesting and had me on the edge of my seat! I wasn't sure what to believe about who committed the murders. Which is good because the reader finds out everything at the end, thank God! 

Libby is an okay character. And I say only okay because she is one of those annoying people who is help back by her past and she just won't get over it. I know that sounds harsh but I come from the perspective that no matter what, you can always open a new door and choose a new path for yourself. Libby let's the murder of her family control her for at least fifteen years. If she really didn't want to be bothered by crazy murder fanatics trying to solve the mystery than she should have changed her name and moved to Canada. But I digress. 

The story was crazy though! As much as I liked Libby's story, I was on the edge of my seat during Ben's chapters because I just had to know what happened to him and that crazy-ass girlfriend of his! And I would have never even imagined the ending! 

Now lets talk about the movie (did you know they are turning this into a movie too!). Did you also know that Charlize Theron is playing the part of Libby Day!?!? Talk about the worst casting ever! While reading the book I could tell that a lot of what held Libby back was that she felt like she never grew up. She is supposed to be a women in her thirties but she still looks like a teenager.  Barely over five feet tall with a baby face and the same red hair she had as a child. And here comes six foot Charlize Theron who is well into her forties playing a women who is supposed to still look like a teenager. She is exactly the opposite of Libby Day. So I'm very interested to see how this is all going to work out.

Dark Places was absolutely excellent! I can't wait for the next book that Gillian Flynn writes! She is definitely on my auto-buy list.