Sharp Objects, by Gillian Flynn

 

Characters

Camille Preaker Adora and Alan Crellin Amma – step-sister Marian – deceased step-sister Joya – Adora’s mother   Frank Curry – editor (wife Eileen)   Murdered girls: Ann Nash Natalie Jane Keene Brother – John   Chief Vickery Detective Richard Willis   Misc. Friends Adora’s – Annie B. (best friend), Jackie O’Neele (had falling out with Adora) Camille’s from high school – Katie (now aide at school), Angie Amma’s – Kylie, Kelsey, Jodes (Kelsey), Lily Burke (Chicago)

 

For discussion:

1. Discuss the party Camille went to with her high school girlfriends.  Why was she so different from them?
2. Did you know anything about people cutting themselves before reading this novel?  What understanding did you gain into this problem?
3. Compare Adora's pulling out her eyelashes with Camille cutting herself.  Why did each woman do that?  Is there a relationship between the two problems?
4. When did you start to expect that Adora had murdered Marian?  That Amma and her friends had killed the two girls?
5. How did Adora's parenting (or lack thereof) contribute to both Camille and Amma's personalities and problems?
6. How did you explain Amma's fixation with the doll house?
7. What did Alan know?  Should he have done anything?
8. Discuss the dynamics of the Nash family - Ann had the plainest name of all three girls and was described as the "extraneous third daughter" who was born when parents were trying to have a boy.
9. What was the significance of both Ann and Natalie being biters?  Also of their personalities - they both were described as having strong personalities and minds of their own.  Consider Natalie being violent and stabbing a girl in the eye with scissors in her old school and Ann with a needle during sewing class in Wind Gap.  Why did she do that?
10. Consider Camille and Richard's discussion about sexism on pages 110-111 of the hardback edition.  Camille thought it was sexist to give women special consideration and that sometimes rape is really a drunken woman making a stupid choice.  How does this relate to her rape episode with the football team when she was a young teen? 
11. Which characters did you see as positive?  Negative?  Why?
12. Did you like this book?  Why or why not?

First Semester Success: Study Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is now available at wordassociation.com, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com.