The Girl On The Train by Paula Kawkins
**Originally posted @ ReadingDiva's Blog Rating 3.5 of 5
REVIEW: The Girl On The Train is the first book I read by author Paula Hawkins, and it certainly will not be the last. The Girl On The Train is the story of Rachel, a woman who has gone through a rough time in life. She failed at marriage, failed as a woman, and to make matters worse she is an alcoholic.
There is something to be said about a character that though knows she has a problem she constantly keep adding more stress and drama to her life without at times stopping to actually consider the consequences. Either because they are too invest in whatever it is their head and heart tells them, or because they are reckless enough to dismiss it.
Rachel is not a typical woman by any means, she is a woman who has been broken. A woman who has suffered rejection and betrayal from the man she promised to love and to cherish. Though Rachel goes on with life as best as she can she can’t help but imagine others life as she would’ve picture & imagined hers. It is how she finds herself involved in the lives of Scott and Megan.
Rachel commutes for work, and everyday she witness people around her, their coming and going all through a passenger window or simply while waiting for her train at the station. Rachel’s problems come in many forms, mostly in her inability to stay sober, her friends and family are kept a bait but all because she has let alcohol take over her life. While traveling to work, Rachel meets these two strangers, or rather imagining who they are, how they live. She creates a whole world around these two people she has never met, but she imagine them as the perfect couple. Megan who she names Jess, a beautiful blonde, with soft features and manners and Scott who she names Jason a strong and handsome and protective of the woman he loves. And while Rachel does not know the couple in person, she knows where they live and who their neighbors are, all because she too used to live on the same street, just a few houses over. As Rachel travels back and forth between home the pub and her job, she witness Megan kissing another man. It is then when it all starts, the story flows as Rachel witness how their life unravels in front of her eyes, every bit of it all while she watches it unfolds through the window of a train car.
The Girl On The Train is a well crated murder mystery, it brings to the table all the suspense and twists one expect to see from an well seasoned writer. While it is at times frustrating and unnerving, the author does a great job bringing the frustrations and suspicions of a woman that almost seems paranoid. I think the story itself is great however it is a bit slow. Rachel’s problems and lack of self control gave the story a very realistic twist. The blackouts, the abuse and the many other twists and unexpected turns made The Girl On The Train a page turner.
If you are looking for a realistic and heart felt story with a few unexpected twist and turns then you must read The Girl On The Train, you will not regret it.
