Gillian Flynn

A Story by the Author of Gone Girl

“The” Grownup

Jen Estrella

That was mildly disappointing. The first twist was predictable. The second (the real twist) was plain confusing, and I don't know it just made the book seem cheap and messy. I need to think about my rating some more.

Kath Lau

Actual rating : 3.5/5

Gillian Flynn became one of my favorite authors after reading Gone Girl because I love how dark and twisted it is. So when I saw The Grownup on bookstagram, I just know that I have to buy it. And boy, I'm glad I did. This is also my first read for 2016.

“I didn’t stop giving hand jobs because I wasn’t good at it. I stopped giving hand jobs because I was the best at it.”

"What the hell?" - That was my reaction while reading the opening lines of The Grownup. I even read some of the lines to my husband out loud and he asked "What the hell are you reading there?". I wasn't expecting that kind of introduction but it's Gillian Flynn so what can I expect. It's actually catchy because you may think that it has a different meaning (just like what I thought) but you're wrong.

The Grownup is written on our nameless female protagonist's POV. Her job is to give pleasure by doing hand jobs (you've read that right) but after experiencing some symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome, she makes a career move. She's now an "aura reader" and one of her customers, Susan, who is living in a Victorian house, believes that the house is haunted and his stepson is being possessed. Our "psychic" helps her by "cleansing" the house and this is where everything gets creepy.

The main character is funny, clever and has a great sense of humor that's why I personally like her. The other characters are odly fascinating and they added more impact to the story. Although the book is (way) too short, it's still well-written. I love how Flynn can entertain and manipulate her reader's minds at the same time. As expected, there are great twists and reveals towards the end. The ending felt rushed (especially the revelation part) but this is a short story so probably it has to be like that but I wished it was a longer than 64 pages and the ending was not a bit of a cliffhanger. It left me with so many questions that I will probably never know the answers.

I totally enjoyed reading this book and I recommend this not only because it's from Gillian Flynn but also because it's one of the best short stories I've read.

“The” Grownup A Story by the Author of Gone Girl

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