The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Rachel catches the commuter train into London. Looking at the same scenary every day she wonders about the people who live in all the houses and begins to create a story about one couple in particular. One morning she sees something disturbing and then when someone is reported missing Rachel feels compelled to become involved.
First Impressions: I was unsure about Rachel’s alcoholism. Would it be cliched and tiresome? Luckily the answer is ‘no’ and it really adds to her characterisation and motivations. It’s actually really sad.
Highlights: What a pageturner! An excellent example of compulsive reading. All the characters and plots are believably linked. There were no outrageous red herrings and the ending was not completely obvious. I did guess the culprit but not all the details.
If I was an editor: It’s hard to think of how this particular novel could be improved but maybe it could be cut down a bit. I think that about a lot of novels though – if I ruled the world everything would be short, sharp and to the point! Rachel’s flatmate should not be so understanding but on the whole all the characters are pretty well rounded for the genre.
Overall: Will be a huge hit.
The Girl on the Train: 4 stars
Thank you to Random House /Transworld for a copy of the ARC.
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