If, for whatever reason, you’ve never heard of or read Gone Girl, then maybe you’re not a reader and you don’t keep up with the book scene.

Or maybe you just never bothered to read it because of its somewhat daunting length.

Or maybe the movie trailer was not inspiring enough.

Well, none of those lackluster excuses suffice, I’m sad to tell you, because you are sorely missing out.

If I am being completely honest, I didn’t know much about the book either until recently. I was aware of its popularity, of course, as I saw it on the best-sellers display table in just about all of the bookstores I’d visited. However, that wasn’t motivation enough to actually buy it. Needless to say, I’ve finally read it and it was amazing, to put it bluntly, astounding, to put it lightly and completely twisted and disturbing, if I were being 100 percent truthful.

Who doesn’t love a good thriller? Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn, is about Nick Dunne, whose wife Amy suddenly goes missing on their fifth wedding anniversary. The marriage has been far from stellar the past few years. Nick, a man who seldom shows emotion because of his need for everyone to see him as “Mr. Perfect,” is the prime suspect. Simple enough? Most definitely not.

This book is complex, and so are its characters. Most of the time, the main characters aren’t even a little bit likeable, but their story is so compelling that you keep on reading because you have to know how it’s going to end.

The book is a suspense novel, not a horror novel. I can assure you that if a coward like me can handle it, then I know you can too. We are taken down so many paths, so many twists and turns, and it’s not at all predictable. This novel is not about rainbows and butterflies, and it’s most definitely not a love story. The ending is intense; the whole novel is intense, but even more so as the last few pages are winding down.

I warn you now, it’s amazing and so unexpected and so terrible, but you’re going to love it.

If you’re the type of reader who loves a good, wholly-original, suspenseful mystery, then Gone Girl is the novel for you. You’re not going to be disappointed. Get ready for some truly authentic characters and a whirlwind of confusion, surprise, disgust, and sadness. It’s so well-written, creative, and gripping.

Go buy it. Read it. Then, go meet up with your friends (or a parent since the movie is Rated R), buy a large popcorn with extra butter and enjoy.

The movie comes out today, October 3, with Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. But don’t cheat—read the book first! It was fantastic, and here’s hoping the movie will be the same.