I just got this book, haven't read it yet but it's the talk of the town. Even the librarian said it was a good book as I was checking it out. Here's an interview on GoodReads with the author. This is so exciting for a book that has only been out a year:
I just recently finished it and thought it was just okay. It reminds me of "Gone Girl," a bit. The mystery was extremely slow-paced and unsatisfying. Most of the characters were miserable, had emotional problems or were abusive / manipulative, so I didn't like any of the cast. I feel like there are better mysteries and thrillers out there, but I don't normally read this genre, so part of it may be personal taste.
I liked it, but I agree it seemed less fantastic than the rave reviews. I started the thread before I read it because it was a one book to famous writer fame. I'd love to know how the book was pitched, sold and promoted. Not that she wasn't a writer before hand, she was. But the novel was still a rapid rise on the fiction author circuit. I liked the main character. She was unlikeable yet she still garnered some empathy. That's hard to pull off. Spoiler: plot giveaway I thought the turn around for the main characters made the plot twist more than average. I also liked the way the author used the setting so effectively.