On Book Review| The Grownups by Gillian Flynn

The Plot: 

A young woman is making a living faking it as a cut-price psychic (with some illegal soft-core sex work on the side). She makes a decent wage mostly by telling people what they want to hear. But then she meets Susan Burke.

Susan moved to the city one year ago with her husband and 15-year-old stepson Miles. They live in a Victorian house called Carterhook Manor. Susan has become convinced that some malevolent spirit is inhabiting their home. The young woman doesn’t believe in exorcism or the supernatural. However when she enters the house for the first time, she begins to feel it too, as if the very house is watching her, waiting, biding its time . . .

My Take: As you begin to read- you quickly get through a few pages of risqué language that Ms Flynn is so good with. Her writing makes another impact on the reader and I go without judging. After all I do come back to her again and again and wonder when her next book would be out.

As you read about a con-artist who works as a whore keeping the psychic business on the side for show. She is good at it and in the beginning we see how monotonous the job was. She is alright with giving the women her fake psychic advice while getting into the male customer pants, literally and earning her keep. Coming from a downtrodden family, she is thinks her everyday job as a kind of promotion. Her favourite customer, Mike was actually a book enthusiast like her and that makes him the memorable one. She is very methodical about her business and she makes sure everyone leaves happy.

Susan Burke, the woman who has problems at home approaches her. Seeing this as an opportunity to make more money, she plans to get inside the house and keep using her fake powers for a year or so. But the Carterhook Manor gives her the vibes of an eerie, she had not thought about. Susan is troubled by the step-son who keeps threatening to kills others and even her own son. Obviously something about Miles gives everyone the creeps.  Will the truth about the Carterbook Manor be out? Will Miles really kill everyone?

These are the questions that come to mind while you go along with this short story of 64 pages. Its an entertaining read who is looking to pass an hour. And I do hope that it expands as a novel because the ending did leave loose ends that i wish to know more about.

What’s not?

Its just too expensive for one short story. It would reach a greater audience if the price reduces. But then Gillian Flynn is now a famous name, obviously making loads of money for her publishers.

Final Thoughts – A commendable job indeed and no wonder Ms Flynn makes the best of her writing and connects with her reader at a different level.

Rating: 5/5