Book Review: THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN BY PAULA HAWKINS

My Thoughts on this 'must read' page-turner debut ......


THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN
BY
PAULA HAWKINS


Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. 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.

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 offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

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It's hard to believe that this is a debut novel, with assured writing, a unique plot and incredibly well-drawn characters that take on a life of their own.

I found this a little slow going to start with while the author developed each character, three very different and distinct female voices.  Once I'd got used to the writing style and the confusing going back and forth in time narrative, I was hooked!

The main narrator, Rachel, is lonely, unhappy, obsessive about her ex-husband, drinks too much and has blackouts, "I have lost control over everything, even the places in my head."  She is a liar, though she doesn't know why she lies, the police think she's mentally unstable and don't listen to her.  Not surprising!

I can see why this has been such a popular read recently, I was constantly changing my mind as to which way it was going to go, wondering how believable a narrator Rachel really is.  The three various narrations gave me a different perspective on events and I kept wondering who can I trust?!

The author drags out the story tantalisingly slowly, the tension building, this is a compulsive page turner of a book.

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About the Author

Paula Hawkins worked as a journalist for fifteen years before turning her hand to fiction.

Born and brought up in Zimbabwe, Paula moved to London in 1989 and has lived there ever since. The Girl on the Train is her first thriller.

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Available from Amazon UK - Amazon US - BookDepository

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.