The Girl on
the Train by Paula Hawkins
(reviewed by Karen Payne)
A brilliantly
written thriller for the young adult audience, The Girl on the Train
is a suspenseful murder mystery novel that cleverly takes the reader
on a journey through the past and into the future. The main
character, Rachel, is an alcoholic who spiraled into depression following a break up with her
boyfriend. Angry and hurt by his betrayal, she tries to make sense
of her past, whilst struggling to maintain control of the present.
Her daily commute into and out of London takes her within feet of the
house she shared with Tom, regularly reminding her of the what might
have been. Her imagination takes over, amidst the fog of alcohol, and
she plays scenarios in her head over and over again. Unable to distinguish between what is real and what is imagined, and unable to let go
of the past, she attempts to get closure by reconnecting with the
people she loved the most – the ones who caused her such pain. As
she begins to piece together her confused past, she realizes that
people are in danger and others cannot be trusted. However, her delicate state of mind and fragile disposition make her an unlikely, and
unreliable, source of information.
As the mystery
unwinds, there are twists and turns on every page, as slowly the plot
unfolds. The Girl on the Train is an enticingly good read and one
that is hard to put down. It is a New York Times Bestseller and has
just been released as a major motion picture. Having read the book I
am now very interested in seeing how the story was retold in a
screenplay.
I was not able to put this book down! Thanks for the recommendation! Have you seen the movie yet? I went and saw it after finishing the book. As far as screen adaptations go, it wasn't the worst. I didn't like how the movie was set in New York. I felt that the setting in the book, London, added so much to the dark tone of the story.
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