Review: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins |

Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover (January 13, 2015)
ISBN: 9781594633669
Source: Publisher

Rachel is an alcoholic. Despite having lost her job due to her condition, she continues to ride the same commuter train each morning and evening. Afraid for her roomate to discover to she is unemployed, she spends the day instead in the city, sometimes looking for a job. Sometimes she drinks instead. She’s ridden this train so many times, she recognizes one couple who lives along the rail line. She watches them regularly as they eat their breakfast on the deck. She’s gone so far as to name them, come up with stories to detail their daily activities. Their life seems perfect, reminiscent of Rachel’s own life before her husband left her for his mistress.

Then one day something completely different happens that shatters Rachel’s perceptions of this couple. She has to to tell someone, and suddenly finds herself involved in a police investigation. Before long, Rachel is in too deep, her insistence and determination to get answers backfiring, putting her at risk. It’s too late for her to extricate herself from the investigation. Instead, she continues on, despite the deadly consequences.

Without a doubt, The Girl on the Train is one of the twistiest thrillers I’ve read in some time. Rachel is a completely unreliable narrator. The reader is aware of this from the beginning; Rachel admits to her alcoholism and history of black-outs early on. We shouldn’t trust her, yet as the story continues, desperate to wonder who we can trust, it is nearly impossible to not relent. Like the slow build up of a train as it leaves a station, the intensity of this thriller builds up to an explosive conclusion.

Admittedly, it did take me about 30-40 pages before I became invested in this story. Honestly, I didn’t like Rachel. I knew I couldn’t trust her, so it was difficult to allow myself to become captivated by what transpired. Then, suddenly, it was unavoidable. I became transfixed, just as desperate as Rachel to get answers. I never did warm up to her character, it was the storyline that propelled me through this read. Incredibly well-written, expertly crafted, this is one of those thriller that will generate reviews and reactions that run the gamut of positive and negative. Honestly, after I finished reading, I had to sit back and allow my feelings to percolate before I realized this novel’s brilliance. Highly recommended.