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  • The Grownup

  • A Story by the Author of Gone Girl
  • Written by: Gillian Flynn
  • Narrated by: Julia Whelan
  • Length: 1 hr and 17 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (26 ratings)

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The Grownup

Written by: Gillian Flynn
Narrated by: Julia Whelan
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Publisher's Summary

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.

©2015 Gillian Flynn (P)2015 Random House Audio

What the critics say

"Julia Whelan narrates this ghost story with insight, depth, and passion.... As she skillfully merges the deceptive characters, a haunting tone, and compelling events, the audiobook doesn't need mood music. Whelan can raise goosebumps and keep listeners on the edge of their seats all by herself." (AudioFile)

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What listeners say about The Grownup

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Good but not great

I love Gillian Flynn and her characters but the plot was a little predictable.
Not the entire thing but the twist, I was onto very early on and even the name of one of the sons was an obvious homage.
I did very much enjoy the characters but the climax/denouement in particular felt rushed and a little too easy.
Didn’t finish the story feeling satisfied.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • C
  • 2020-08-05

Scary Mystery

Totally terrifying short story. Won’t forget this one for awhile. Gillian Flynn’s stories always have amazing twists.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
  • TL
  • 2024-02-06

Do not buy this book

This book is a total sham. Don’t waste your money. It’s a very very short story with no ending. Useless and a waste of time.

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