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 . . .
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.
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 . . .
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.
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Reviews
Gillian Flynn's The Grownup is a psychologically taut novella told from the viewpoint of a con artist, who attempted trick is thwarted by a malevolent teenage boy.
Stories should be taut but humming with ambiguity, and The Grownup is both.
it manages to evoke an atmosphere of freezing dread before Flynn's by-now-signature sequence of twists enters the narrative
For millions who adored Gone Girl, this 60-page novella offers a taste of Flynn's brilliance.
The Grownup is accomplished storytelling, an impressive teaser to keep fans engaged while they await her next full-length outing.
a cracker... the story's sassy narration, Gone Girl twistiness and blend of comedy and chills are pure Flynn.
a chilling short story about a fake clairvoyant who gets tangled up with a mysterious family.
The Grownup will not disappoint expectant fans.
The Gone Girl writer gives us chills again with the story of a young woman conning people as a psychic who develops a real feel for the supernatural.
This chilling short story from the author of Gone Girl is not for the faint-hearted.
a fierce, sharply written tale
Flynn is as adept as ever at building up a character into someone likeable and believable while still corrupt.
Flynn is a brilliant plot-twister and manipulator of readers' expectations. The Grownup keeps you guessing until the end - and beyond.
A fantastic read that will leave you wanting more from Gillian.
fans of Flynn's work definitely won't be disappointed
Whilst the bestselling Gone Girl is still the title being devoured at every book club, author Gillian Flynn has moved on with her latest offering The Grownup. It's a short story about a woman who earns a living pretending to be a psychic.