The Grownup
A Story by the Author of Gone Girl
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3.8 • 894 Ratings
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- $2.99
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- $2.99
Publisher Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Gillian Flynn’s Edgar Award-winning homage to the classic ghost story, published for the first time as a standalone.
A canny young woman is struggling to survive by perpetrating various levels of mostly harmless fraud. On a rainy April morning, she is reading auras at Spiritual Palms when Susan Burke walks in. A keen observer of human behavior, our unnamed narrator immediately diagnoses beautiful, rich Susan as an unhappy woman eager to give her lovely life a drama injection. However, when the "psychic" visits the eerie Victorian home that has been the source of Susan’s terror and grief, she realizes she may not have to pretend to believe in ghosts anymore. Miles, Susan’s teenage stepson, doesn’t help matters with his disturbing manner and grisly imagination. The three are soon locked in a chilling battle to discover where the evil truly lurks and what, if anything, can be done to escape it.
“The Grownup,” which originally appeared as “What Do You Do?” in George R. R. Martin’s Rogues anthology, proves once again that Gillian Flynn is one of the world’s most original and skilled voices in fiction.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
A con woman posing as a clairvoyant snags a dream job: rid a rich woman’s gorgeous home of a perceived “evil.” But a series of mysterious incidents rattle the conniving narrator, making her believe she may be facing a dangerous supernatural force. Gillian Flynn’s unmistakable voice shines throughout this novella. Sizzling with lively banter and clever turns of phrase, The Grownup’s got all the psychological twists and turns that made Gone Girl a blockbuster.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This intriguing, suspenseful short story by the author of Gone Girl packs a powerful punch in audio, thanks to the excellent narration by Whelan, who sounds completely truthful and earnest as the unnamed, unnerved young woman telling her unsettling tale. The quirky protagonist earns a living giving hand jobs in the back parlor of a fake fortune-teller's shop, and Whelan conveys her unconventional personality perfectly. When the young woman is promoted to the role of fake fortune-teller herself, she sees an easy mark in Susan, a rich socialite who believes her house is haunted. But when she comes to "spiritually cleanse" the house, the fake psychic finds more than she bargained for and fears that she herself may truly be in danger from a supernatural force. Whelan uses her voice to gradually increase the suspense and sense of dread, and she perfectly portrays the hysterical, desperate housewife and her sullen, hostile teenage stepson, in addition to the protagonist. Fans of Flynn's novels and listeners who enjoy Twilight Zone style suspense stories with surprise endings will love this one. A Crown hardcover.
Customer Reviews
If you like Flynn’s writing style you will enjoy this short story
I’ve noticed a lot of people were upset they didn’t realize this was a short story, though the page number is listed. If you enjoy Flynn’s writing style, you will appreciate this creative and brief story with dark undertones.
Unremarkable
So predictable. Characters are cliche to the point of being boring.
So much unnecessary set up and then a sloppily quick storyline.
Very intriguing until until it stopped short. Kind of fun for the imagination though.
This book is the usual dark, clever story you’ve learned to expect from Gillian Flynn. I thoroughly enjoyed it until the end. The problem is that you suffer from whiplash by the sudden stop. While I’d love for the story to continue… part Ii perhaps? I wonder if Ms. Flynn is challenging our imaginations as to how this plays out. I’m certainly going to think on it…