The Girl on the Train

by Paula Hawkins

336 pages

Published Jan. 8, 2015 by Penguin Books.

ISBN:: 978-1-59463-366-9

(123 reviews)

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.

2 editions

govmarley reviewed The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

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

2 stars

Man, I hated these characters. The only characters I hated more were the ones in Gone Girl. What a frustrating story!

Rachel. She's a mess. She is a mess, and needs serious therapy. She is a liar, and an alcoholic, and a terrible, terrible roommate. I. Do. Not. Like. Her. Everything bad that happens to her is basically her fault. When the main character is so awful I have a hard time caring what might happen to them.

And the other characters? They are just as bad. It was like a train wreck reading about their messed up lives. I can muster not an ounce of pity for any of them. Simply atrocious behavior that ruined everything about the mystery for me.

unicorndeburgh reviewed The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

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

No rating

The protagonist is unpleasant, and so are all of the characters except for the saint who lets her stay in her apartment. The mystery is implausible -- I don't buy the convenient amnesia.

Sharyl 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.

NightDrake reviewed The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

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

3 stars

I thought it was a pretty good book overall. I did find the ending to be a little bit predictable though.

Gossamerchild reviewed The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

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

4 stars

I'm not going to add much to the conversation on this one. It was good, I really enjoyed it, though I had to slog through the first sections as Rachel seemed too pathetic for words. Glad I worked through it, though.

John B reviewed The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

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

2 stars

Almost every character a jerk, and a plot that unwinds about half way through. Finished hoping for a new twist, but it really just continues to be a character development piece. If you don't mind a weak story and you want to look into the lives of sad people, this is your book.

pithypants reviewed The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

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

3 stars

A convoluted hangover.

This books started strong, but ultimately tested my patience. The very thing that makes the story suspenseful - an unreliable narrator/witness - grows tedious by the end of the book. The set-up was well-crafted and it was fun to speculate who the actual "bad guy" was early on. As the book went on, however, I was frustrated that none of the characters were sympathetic. The end (when it came) was such a twist that it seemed to fall from no where - and was wrapped up just as fast. For a book that spent a lot of time spinning its wheels in the middle, the end seemed too abrupt to be satisfying.

Don't get me wrong - I think this will be a hit with book clubs because there's ample opportunity to speculate and compare notes. And it does start out in a way that compelled me …