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Halcyon's Reviews > Dark Places

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
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it was ok
bookshelves: thrillers
Read 2 times. Last read March 16, 2025.

The Days were a clan that mighta lived long
But Ben Day’s head got screwed on wrong
That boy craved dark Satan’s power
So he killed his family in one nasty hour

Little Michelle he strangled in the night
Then chopped up Debby: a bloody sight
Mother Patty he saved for last
Blew off her head with a shotgun blast

Baby Libby somehow survived
But to live through that ain’t much a life


—schoolyard rhyme, circa 1985

This certainly sets the tone of the book.

You’ve heard the cautionary tales—the dark tragedies that shake a town, the crimes that leave ripples, still whispered about years later. Well, that was the Day Massacre in Kinnakee, Kansas. But what if the the truth is not what it seems after all?
At seven years old, Libby Day survived the brutal massacre of her family, and her testimony sent her older brother to prison for the crime. Decades later, directionless and desperate for money, she crosses paths with a group obsessed with re-investigating infamous murders. They believe her brother is innocent, pushing Libby to dig into a past she’s tried to forget. But the deeper she goes, the more she realizes that the truth is far more complicated than she ever imagined.

Grim, macabre, and unapologetically disturbing—this should have been my twisted cup of tea. But I was just... bored and detached, despite the brilliant writing and how the premise hooked me instantly at the beginning. As the story unraveled at agonisingly slow pace, I felt nothing (see, the story'd pacing drags, at least it would be because the characters are being fleshed out and developed, but that was sadly not the case). By the end and the supposed banger of a reveal, I wasn’t shocked or satisfied—I just didn’t care.
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Reading Progress

Finished Reading (Hardcover Edition)
December 26, 2019 – Shelved (Hardcover Edition)
December 26, 2019 – Shelved as: to-read (Hardcover Edition)
March 16, 2025 – Started Reading
March 16, 2025 – Shelved
March 16, 2025 – Shelved as: thrillers
March 16, 2025 – Finished Reading

Comments Showing 1-9 of 9 (9 new)

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Esta Sorry this was a flop my friend! I totally get why. A fair review! Onwards love ❤️


message 2: by Akankshya (new) - added it

Akankshya Gillian Flynn's plots are so dark, this one seems the darkest though. I didn't like Libby's narration much tbh, but I'm still hoping the plot would be better. Sad that this was so boring, hope your next read is better 🤗


message 3: by Zaynab (new)

Zaynab Sounds disturbing and dark but then that's what Flynn flaunts in her complex novels. Good luck with your next read, H. Great review my friend ​💗​�


Halcyon @Esta Thank you, my friend ❤️
I read your review and I'm glad you enjoyed this, Esta. Onwards it is!


Halcyon @Akankshya Yes, exactly. Libby's narration failed to pull me into the book and even though Gillian Flynn's writing is quite brilliant, I was just not as into the book as I hoped I would be, especially since I was bracing myself for the familiar dark and disturbing storytelling of hers that makes me want to crawl into myself haha.


Halcyon @Zaynab We know what we are getting into when we pick her book, and this was no less disturbing than her other books. Thank you, my friend ❤️


message 7: by Vaishali � [V.L. Book Reviews] (last edited Mar 20, 2025 08:14AM) (new)

Vaishali • [V.L. Book Reviews] And there really is nothing worse than coming away from a promisingly dark read feeling little more than unbothered Halycon. And this certainly seemed like it harboured a thrilling concoction of some exciting elements. Clearly although the author sports quite the talent for exploring a dark narrative, and although I know much you've enjoyed previous books from her, it seems that this selection struggled to maintain that integration factor. I do hope your future read from the author improve my friend. A wonderful sum up! ❤️


Halcyon @Vaishali Oh, it is the worst! You're all braced up for the dark, twisted writing to hit you and make your breath catch but you're just detached and unbothered. I hope so too, my friend, thank you!


message 9: by Taufiq (new)

Taufiq Yves I get what you mean about being 'bored and detached' despite brilliant writing. It's frustrating when a premise has so much potential, but the pacing and character development fall flat.


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