Friday 19 June 2015

Book Review | Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins




There are a few books that give me goosebumps, especially in 28 degree heat, but there I was lying on my sunbed in Lanzarote with this book feeling all sorts of emotions. This book however had a twist which surprised me, and continued to surprise me until the end.

Warning: No Spoilers.

Blurb:  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?


Review:  Rachel was definitely me at one point in my life, sad and wishing I had another womans life. I still do that sometimes, but Rachel had such a warmness about her even when she was going a little stalkerish about her ex-husband. Needless to say she was a very loveable character. 

Her story starts on the train into London which stops at a red light at the same time every day, allowing her to glimpse into the lives of the houses opposite. She even goes as far as naming the people she sees there but there is one house she refuses to look at. It flips between the train there, the train back and her walk in through a friends flat. 

As it starts to move on she sees something that makes her mind whirl. Rachel becomes obsessed with finding out who what where and when, she even gets caught up with the police but one thing I never expected was the horrific, although pleasantly surprising ending. 

The story really takes off when she wakes up one morning, brushed and bloody with no recollection of anything. Not even how she got home. She then discovers one of the people living in the house a few doors down from her ex-husbands had been murdered on the night she lost her memory. Rachel is unable to keep her obsessive nature from finding out the truth. 

We meet Rachels ex-husband, Tom's wife Anna and these three women all get entangled together as the sporty goes on, however their ability to get through the terrifying ordeal is remarkable. 

I have to say the ending to this book took me by surprise it was written so well, and it's definitely worth the read. I'm usually pretty good at guessing the endings to book but this one, blew my mind. I loved it. 

Definitely a 4/5 stars for me. 

Have you read it? Let me know your thoughts!

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