The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

by Maria (follow)

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The Girl on the Train was hyped up to such an extent that I really felt that I would be missing out on something if I didn't read it. It has been plastered over bookshop store fronts and has had it's own dedicated display areas which lead me to believe this was the next big thing. Sadly, I was mistaken.

I started with the best intentions. I like to keep an open mind before totally discarding a book, which I feel I did with this book. But, I also feel one of the reasons I did finish it is because it's not really a long read.

We meet the character Rachel. From the offset I got the impression that she was quite a lonely, sad character, however, as the plot goes on I got to learn not only is she sad and lonely but an alcoholic, love sick, overdramatic, non-sensical human being. Her character is annoying and foolish but honestly it doesnt stop there, as I soon learned there would be no love lost between me and any of the characters in this book.

Rachel goes for a journey on the train everyday, passing by the house she used to live in with her cheating ex-husband Tom, who now lives there with his new wife and child, Anna and Evie.
Although Rachel has no real reason to be travelling this route, she is quite obsessed with the fact that a new woman has taken her place in the house she was so happy in.

The train tracks run alongside the gardens of this street of houses, giving Rachel a clear view of the goings on in each house. In her own mind she gets to know the neighbours, she creates names, identities and stories for them, all from her intense study of them from her seat on the train.

One day whilst passing on the train, she witnesses something quite out of the ordinary in the neighbours house and soon learns a missing woman has been reported.

We join Rachel on her unrealistic, detective mission to find out what really happened to the woman.

There is no mystery as to what I thought of this book. It felt like a poor attempt to be in the same category as Gone Girl. There were very similar elements to this book, especially the writing style and diary entry layout but for me it just didn't work. I can appreciate a murder- mystery but this is not one I'll be recommending to friends.

In a sentence: A very mild, boring version of Gone Girl.

Rating: 2/5
Published: 2015

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