The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

What do book lovers do after a shit week of epic proportion? Yes, they buy books. I spent a fortune. I never buy new releases because they are so expensive, but I had heard a lot of good things about this one on Book Tube, and as it had been a horrid few days, I splurged. And I am quite happy I did so.

A woman takes the train every day into London. It is a slow train, and every day it stops next to these houses. She loves the one house and the people who live there. She has created their identities, given them names and personalities. They are the perfect couple, until dot dot dot. (You didn't really expect me to tell you, right?) Anyway, she gets involved, and then ...

I really enjoy books with unreliable narrators. In this book we follow three narrators. They are all female, which was interesting. I do wonder if having the narration from one of the males would have put a different spin on it, perhaps made it more exciting, added to the suspense - or confusion. But that is neither here nor there. It did not happen.

I enjoyed the internal struggle of one of the narrators. Her battle with alcohol was interesting to read, as was her struggle with no being able to have children. When she would slip up and hit the bottle, I did find myself getting frustrated, but then, as someone who had their first cigarette since August as a result of a shit week, I have no room to talk. Maybe we addicts just rely on our known comforts. I did enjoy how her character developed throughout this book.

“...let’s be honest: women are still only really valued for two things—their looks and their role as mothers. I'm not beautiful, and I can't have kids, so what does that make me? Worthless.”

― Paula Hawkins, The Girl on the Train

Because I have been on a bit of a feminist buzz of late, I just have to add how I appreciated the realistic commentary on most women's lives. It uncovers subtle and not-so-subtle abuse. It also put into words how so many women feel. From the day we are born, we are taught that beauty is important. So how do you make it in this world when you are not beautiful?

My problem is that this book is compared it to Gone Girl. Yes, there are a few similarities, but it is a shallow, very direct comparison. Gone Girl has a faster pace, whereas The Girl on the Train deals with other slower issues. The narrators in The Girl on the Train are unreliable in a completely different way. (Argh! This is so hard to discuss without spoiling either of the books.) As a result of this, I feel that people who read this because of the hype and the Gone Girl comparison are going to be disappointed. The Girl on the Train should really be seen as its own entity, and appreciated for its own value.

I gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads.