The Girl on the Train

This just sucked me in and wouldn't let go! Rachel is a complete mess, and you can't help but shake your head at her decisions throughout, but even as I recognized all her self-deception and poor choices, I was rooting for her somehow. She has enough residual intelligence and grit that she remains sympathetic and compelling.

Hawkins has woven a completely alluring mystery with the unreliable narration and the slow revelations of three different but connected women, all while managing to juggle a spliced timeline for maximum dramatic effect.

I'll say no more - just go check it out!

This book was a good read. It drew me in and had me guessing until near the end of the book about what happened and what would happen. I read a review about the book somewhere that said that you would end up not liking any of the characters, but I didn't find that to be true of one of the main characters. She was just up against more than she was equipped to handle, surrounded by people who didn't know how or didn't want to help her. Wish we had picked this for book group, because it would make for interesting discussions.

I feel like just about the last person in the world to have read this best-selling thriller, and while I can understand why it was popular (it's fast-paced and reasonably engaging), I have to admit it didn't wow me. I'm not sure she sold me on all of the plot twists, and there were some characterization issues as well. A great airplane/beach read but not much more than that.

I put off reading this book for a long time because of some of the reviews and now I wonder why I waited; I really enjoyed it. The story starts out being told by one person and then eventually adds perspectives from two others. It is an evolving plot, brilliantly and thoughtfully written, and the characters are well developed and believable. I can imagine knowing Rachel, Megan, and Anne. And even though I figured out who the culprit was, I continued to enjoy the way the plot logically unfolded. This is an astounding first thriller, and Paula Hawkins will have a tough time outdoing herself in the future. Let's hope her success continues.

What could have been.

When I heard about this book it was from a co-worker who was clamoring amongst the crowd to get us all to read this book. That but of hype may have built my expectations to a point that would be hard to meet. There was only one character fleshed out enough for me to care about. Everyone else was just white noise and I'm this book the author needed you to care about the others as well. I hate to say that it felt like the story changed direction multiple times and left loose ends all over the place that did little to create suspicion as to who committed the murder. Instead it felt like the author was going down one path and a sudden flash caused the story to go somewhere else without cleaning up after itself. Don't get me wrong, it's worth a read, just in the same way that some made for tv movies are worth a watch.