The Girl on the Train
A #1 New York Times Best Seller, USA Today Book of the Year, and now a makor motion picture starring Emily Blunt. Paula Hawkins’ debut novel The Girl on the Train is a suspenseful thriller filled with a complex plot, shocking twists at every turn, and an ending that will both stun and leave the reader wanting more.
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Readers say *The Girl on the Train* is a fast-paced psychological thriller with suspenseful twists and multiple perspectives that keep you guessing. R...
Rachel is a lonely divorced alcoholic who rides the train to and from work everyday, and who has become familiar with a couple that she regularly passes on her ride. She's made up lives for the couple, given them names, and feels as if she knows them. One day she sees something, and later learns that the woman she's watched every day has been reported missing. Rachel finds herself enmeshed in the drama surrounding the disappearance of Megan (the real name of the woman she's been watching from the train), while having things further complicated by her raw emotions regarding her ex-husband Tom and his new wife Anna.
Suffice to say, things get very complicated.
My final word: A little reminiscent of Gone Girl, with varying narratives and perspectives, it has some twists and turns that keep you guessing. You think you know what's happening, but then a twist is thrown in and you realize maybe you were wrong. And as with Gone Girl, I didn't find any of the characters very likable. They were all self-absorbed and annoying. So...it was okay...pretty good. I don't quite understand what all of the hullabaloo was, but it was okay. It was a pretty good mystery, keeping you guessing, and very readable. Probably about 3 1/2 stars.
Suffice to say, things get very complicated.
My final word: A little reminiscent of Gone Girl, with varying narratives and perspectives, it has some twists and turns that keep you guessing. You think you know what's happening, but then a twist is thrown in and you realize maybe you were wrong. And as with Gone Girl, I didn't find any of the characters very likable. They were all self-absorbed and annoying. So...it was okay...pretty good. I don't quite understand what all of the hullabaloo was, but it was okay. It was a pretty good mystery, keeping you guessing, and very readable. Probably about 3 1/2 stars.
Predictable. I have no idea how or why this book has the ratings it does, but the character depth and believability was severely lacking; and, the back and forth timeline attempt at suspense was almost comical. Meh.
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The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins
323 pages
What’s it about?
This is an old fashioned thriller. Rachel sees something from the train that she cannot get out of her mind. She is an alcoholic and an unreliable witness, but this does not stop her from getting involved in a very dangerous situation.
What did it make me think about?
Hmmmmm. This book was like a good B movie. It moved along at a good pace but it just lacked that special something that makes it great.
Should I read it?
It is quick and you want to turn the pages but most of the time I was exasperated with Rachel. In fact most of the characters are flawed to the point of being unlikable. This book did not live up to the hype for me.
Quote-
"I can see that Cathy's bedroom door is open. I peer into her room. Her bed is made. It's possible she has already got up and made it, but I don't think she stayed here last night, which is a source of some relief. If she isn't here, she didn't see or hear me come in last night, which means she doesn't know how bad I was. This shouldn't matter, but it does: the sense of shame I feel about an incident is proportionate not just to the gravity of the situation, but also to the number of people who witnessed it."
The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins
323 pages
What’s it about?
This is an old fashioned thriller. Rachel sees something from the train that she cannot get out of her mind. She is an alcoholic and an unreliable witness, but this does not stop her from getting involved in a very dangerous situation.
What did it make me think about?
Hmmmmm. This book was like a good B movie. It moved along at a good pace but it just lacked that special something that makes it great.
Should I read it?
It is quick and you want to turn the pages but most of the time I was exasperated with Rachel. In fact most of the characters are flawed to the point of being unlikable. This book did not live up to the hype for me.
Quote-
"I can see that Cathy's bedroom door is open. I peer into her room. Her bed is made. It's possible she has already got up and made it, but I don't think she stayed here last night, which is a source of some relief. If she isn't here, she didn't see or hear me come in last night, which means she doesn't know how bad I was. This shouldn't matter, but it does: the sense of shame I feel about an incident is proportionate not just to the gravity of the situation, but also to the number of people who witnessed it."
I found this one strange…I have to admit, had I not been recommended it and known there was a movie made from it, I might not have finished it. Quite a journey to get where it’s going but still a unique story line!
Listened to this on audiobook. Kept me entertained and wanted to know what happened next. Honestly, none of the characters are very likable because of how screwed up they are, but it felt real and raw in that way. It does put you in the mindset of someone struggling with alcohol abuse, so it could be triggering for some people. The twist was both predictable and surprising in some ways.
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