The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Release Date: January 13, 2015
Publisher: Riverhead Books
Rated: Adult
Format: Hardcover
Source: Borrowed from my sister
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website

The debut psychological thriller that will forever change the way you look at other people's lives.

EVERY DAY THE SAME
Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning and night. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. Jess and Jason, she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

UNTIL TODAY
And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel goes to the police. But is she really as unreliable as they say? Soon she is deeply entangled not only in the investigation but in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

Oh man. Oh man, oh man, oh man. This one was stellar. Like, mind-blowing levels of fantastic. I've wanted to read The Girl on the Train ever since I watched the thrilling trailer for the upcoming film, and thankfully my sister owned a copy. I finally dove into the book one night and could not stop reading until the very end. I tend not to read books aimed for an adult audience, because I've never gotten into them, but I'm glad that this was the exception, because, oh man–it's good. Really, really good.

It's really weird, because I actually hated most–if not all–the characters. It's basically the same reaction I had to watching Gone Girl: I loved the story but absolutely hated the characters. But hey, it's because of all these characters being so unlikeable and unrelatable that made this a fascinating read. The story drove the novel for me, but it's all the characters' flaws that made this book twist and turn as much as it did. I literally would change my mind about what happened to Megan every chapter or so just because I couldn't trust anyone or anything that was going on, like when character would suddenly show a different side to them that threw all previous theories away. The three alternating perspectives–Rachel, Megan, and Anna–all added to the story, and created this rich web of motives, plagued with secrets.

❝I am not the girl I used to be. I am no longer desirable, I'm off-putting in some way. It's not just that I've put on weight, or that my face is puffy from the drinking and the lack of sleep; it's as if people can see the damage written all over me, can see it in my face, the way I hold myself, the way I move.❞

–p. 11

I actually figured out the mystery before the end of the novel, because there was a detail or two from maybe a third into the book that stuck out for me, and actually puzzled me until I made the connection. It made more sense the more I thought about it, and I was glad to see I was right. Nonetheless, the reveal was THRILLING. Absolutely spine-tingling. The reveal did not fall flat and was worth staying up late to finish the book.

The Girl on the Train was phenomenal. Not only was it well-crafted, it was executed excellently. Paula Hawkins spins a bone-chilling story that will keep you up all night. I'm really looking forward to watching the film, and I hope that it'll capture the magnificently creepy atmosphere that Hawkins has created with this unputdownable novel.

If you like this, try...

• We Were Liars by E. Lockhart ● Goodreads
• Wicked Games by Sean Olin ● Goodreads

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