Sharp Objects

Camille Preaker works as a journalist at The Daily Post, a small newspaper in Chicago. She is dissatisfied with her job, which involves covering stories about crime and human suffering. Camille has a complicated relationship with her boss, Frank Curry, who supported her after a recent hospitalization for self-harm. She has a history of carving words into her skin, driven by hallucinations. Curry assigns her to cover the case of a murdered girl and a missing child in her hometown of Wind Gap, Missouri.

Once in Wind Gap, Camille gathers information from the townspeople, including the family of Ann Nash, the murdered girl. The local police offer little insight, but Chief Vickery, the town sheriff, confides off the record that he believes the perpetrator is a local resident. When the missing girl, Natalie Keene, is found strangled with her teeth removed, Camille’s editor, Curry, asks her to stay in town to continue reporting the unfolding events.

Camille reconnects with her estranged mother, Adora, and her 13-year-old half-sister, Amma. Camille’s relationship with her mother has always been troubled, especially after the death of her younger sister, Marian, from an illness during Camille’s youth. Amma, born after Marian’s death, is a manipulative teenager who hides her rebellious behavior from Adora. Camille also forms a relationship with Richard Willis, a detective from Kansas City investigating the possibility of a serial killer.

As Camille continues her investigation, she enters into a sexual relationship with Richard but avoids revealing her scars. She also grows closer to Amma, who takes her to a party where they drink and use drugs. Afterward, Camille wakes to find her mother giving her medication, which makes her ill. Camille soon realizes that Adora suffers from factitious disorder imposed on another and was responsible for Marian’s death. A letter from a nurse who cared for Marian confirms these suspicions. Camille also learns that Richard suspects Adora of murdering the two local girls.

Camille returns to her mother’s house, where Adora poisons her and tries to “care for” her. Camille passes out but is rescued when Richard and the police arrive to arrest her mother. Richard is shocked by Camille’s scars, and their relationship ends. Adora is charged with the murders of Marian, Ann Nash, and Natalie Keene. Amma is sent to live with Camille in Chicago. Initially, Amma seems to adjust well, but after a classmate is found murdered with six of her teeth pulled, it is revealed that Amma was responsible for the murders of Ann and Natalie: jealous of the attention Adora gave to the victims, she killed the girls. Amma is arrested. Distraught, Camille resumes self-harming but is stopped by Curry and his wife, who take her in as their own daughter.

Last Updated: July 31, 2025 at 22:29