The Girl on the Train

by Paula Hawkins, Paula Hawkins

316 pages

English language

Published April 27, 2016

ISBN:: 978-0-552-77977-7
OCLC Number:: 961899656

Rachel catches the same commuter train every morning. She knows it will wait at the same signal each time, overlooking a row of back gardens. She's even started to feel like she knows the people who live in one of the houses. 'Jess and Jason', she calls them. Their life - as she sees it - is perfect. If only Rachel could be that happy. And then she sees something shocking. It's only a minute until the train moves on, but it's enough. Now everything's changed. Now Rachel has a chance to become a part of the lives she's only watched from afar. Now they'll see; she's much more than just the girl on the train.

14 editions

Soubhagya reviewed The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Review of 'The Girl on the Train' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

The girl on the train is a thriller centered around a murder. The narration is captivating. The author also does a decent job is building the story from the points of view of three characters. I like the way the characters of Anna and Megan are built over time. One can find the reason of their current behavior from their past experiences.

The story is narrated by three female characters. The protagonist Rachel is an alcohol addict. Her alcohol addiction has cost her marriage and job. Even after losing her job, she continues to commute to her workplace daily via train. Even after getting divorced, she continues to call her ex-spouse. Her ex-husband Tom is now married to Anna. Anna is the second narrator who is very opportunistic and self-centered. During her commutes, Rachel observes a couple and assumes them of having perfect married life. Rachel names them Jason and Jess whose real names are Scott and Megan respectively. Megan is the third narrator of the story. Megan is carefree and promiscuous. Megan works as a nanny in Tom's household for a brief period. While you find the female characters in grey zone, you will find the male ones in dark zone. Tom is a very selfish and manipulative person. The only thing that he cares for is having sex. Scott is shown as a overtly possessive and abusive person. The author builds the female characters and explains the reason of their eccentricities. The same effort is not spent on the male characters. The plot is built around the murder of Megan.

tivasyk reviewed The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Review of 'The Girl on the Train' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

вагався між 4 та 5, але нехай вже, буду поблажливим: трилер непоганий, попри певну схильність авторки змальовувати жінок дещо інфантильними істеричками з купою комплексів замість мізків, а чоловіків… читайте, втім :-)

Rob Warner reviewed The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Review of 'The Girl on the Train' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

I was a little lost at the outset of this book, and found myself flipping pages backward to figure out what day things were happening, how the pieces fit the big picture, what was going on, and why was I reading this anyway? After a bit, though, it all came together and was gripping through the denouement. Seeing inside the heads of so many characters and seeing the same events through so many points of view was amazing.

Kadomi reviewed The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Review of 'The Girl on the Train' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Best thriller I have read since Gone Girl, with the one difference that it was way more predictable. I was able to pick out the villain from a mile away. Despite that flaw, I really enjoyed it.

Acton reviewed The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Review of 'The Girl on the Train' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

(How did I manage to delete my review?)

I liked this novel, though I also have mixed feelings about it. The story is told by three very unreliable narrators named Rachel, Megan, and Anna. It is cleverly paced, but still, in the end there are a couple things I still wonder about. (This will make for an interesting discussion, anyway.) There is a climatic scene at the end that doesn't seem to be written in a way that fits with the rest of the book, in my opinion.

The only character I found truly sympathetic was Rachel, despite the fact that she made me cringe and stressed me out. Both main male characters are abusive jerks, and the third guy isn't much, either. Comparisons with Gone Girl are inevitable, but this is a much different plot. I do recommend it.