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In many ways, Nick Dunne and Amy Elliot seemed to have lived charmed lives. Nick grew up a small Missouri town near the Mississippi River. He often makes references to having a “Tom Sawyer” kind of childhood in this “magical place, the most beautiful in the world.” Ever present during his adventures and misadventures is his twin sister, Margo, who happens to be his best friend. Nick and Margo adored their mother, who was always extremely caring and nurturing, making up for their father’s lack thereof. As an adult, he is “distractingly gorgeous,” a talented writer, and used to being liked by everyone.

Amy Elliot is an only child. Her parents are “soul mates,” still deeply devoted and in love after many years of marriage and are forever doting on their precious daughter. Amy’s parents are not only both child psychologists, but also co-write a series of children’s books entitled Amazing Amy, based on their own daughter. Because of the huge success of these books, Amy is never wanting for anything. She is brilliant and beautiful and also pursues a career in writing.

It seemed like fate that Amy and Nick were put into each other’s lives. They are instantly attracted to one another. After meeting Nick, Amy describes their relationship as “so far beyond fine that you know you can never go back to fine. That fast. You think: Oh, here is the rest of my life.

It’s finally arrived.”

They are married within a year and are happier than ever. Their marriage is “laidback and calm, smart and fun and uncomplicated. Untortured, happy. Nice.”

Then suddenly, it’s not…

After five years of marriage, they have both become people that they no longer like. The normal stress of a marriage magnified by unemployment, ailing parents, money problems and moving from Amy’s beloved New York City to Missouri have changed their fairy tale life. They each seem to have given up on one another. Nick recalls “Amy’s story could have gone a million other ways, but she met me, and bad things happened. So it was up to me to stop her.”

Then on the morning of their fifth anniversary, Amy goes missing. Nick becomes the main suspect in her disappearance. He tries to prove his innocence to the police, the public, and his in-laws, but finds himself making many missteps as he lies about the state of their marriage, and where he was the morning his wife disappears.

Gone Girl is a very gripping, twisted novel about what can happen when a marriage goes terribly wrong. Written from two points of view, this book plays with your emotions of doubt, anger, and revenge. Your empathy for Amy or Nick sways back and forth as the plot twists and turns. It is a “catastrophically romantic” love story. The ending is exciting and unexpected leaving you wanting more.

Amazon.com puts Gone Girl in their Best Book of the Month Category for June 2012, and we concur.

Gillian Flynn is an American author and a former television critic for Entertainment Weekly. She has published two other novels: Sharp Objects (2006) and Dark Places (2009).

All three novels are available at the Yankton Community Library. Gone Girl is also available as an e-book downloadable from South Dakota Titles to Go…