Books review of The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins.

Train journeys can be really exciting and intriguing. They give us joy rides, take us to our destination, and the whole journey could be thoroughly enjoyed if you are any near to that of the window seat. Now imagine you traverse through the same train each day, and witness almost the same ‘out of the window experience’ but suddenly you are into a plot of a dreadful game, a murder, a betrayal, a saga… with these expectations I picked,  

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. 

Read further to dive into the detailed review of the book!

One-line review: 

"A riveting plot dividing relationships unearthed emotions, doubt, suspicion, thrill, betrayal and the utmost of all LOVE"

Extended review: 

Plot synopsis (spoiler-free ):

The book takes off with Rachel who catches the same commuter train every morning, and the train exactly pauses at one particular signal from where she witnesses a house, and a young couple residing in it. She even starts to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. One day Rachel witnesses Jess {Actual name- Megan} with some other man, kissing. and she is dumbstruck. And soon Megan is in the news about her death. Rachel heads to Jess {actual name Scott} to help him find the murderer. [Megan’s body is found mutilated in a grave, and concludes it to be a murder]. In this process, Rachel encounters Tom, her ex-husband, who now stays with his new wife, Anna, with a small child, Eve. The story takes a turn when Rachel is suspected, as Anna complains of Rachel being present at the spot on the day Megan went missing, And the story unveils itself as the true murderer is revealed eventually!

 

Review:

The title itself caught my attention, and I was engrossed with the narrative. The narrative shifts with different perspectives, with corresponding chapter titles. A simple yet smooth writing style is what Paula has when she pens down this story. The story keeps the reader engaged despite considering the fact there are only a mere number of characters involved in the book. The story proceeds with twists now and then and attracts you to read further! I loved how the mystery slowly unfolded without too many gory scenes, or many unethical practices and so on. Considering that I could guess the murdered at about half the book, Paula Hawkins, covers all the elements of a proper thriller novel, and that too in a  stand-alone book. There were instances where I felt an exaggerated description of Rachel’s mental situation was not required. Once I got into the ending of the book,  I guess, giving such vivid descriptions was much necessary. 

The character development was flawless, and you can imagine both the mental and physical features of the character being introduced into the book. 

The most stunning aspect of this book is that the plot accommodates many chapters from the perspective of Megan[who GOT murdered]. This brings chills into your spine as you read further. The setting was perfect, and so was the story. The only regret I have in this book is the bizarre ending. Despite revealing the mystery in the plot, the ending didn’t track the story of Rachel or that of Anna. This made me cringe to the core!

Appreciable aspects of the book:

1. Flawless portrayal of emotions.

2. Good character development.

3. Spine chilling thriller 

4. No gory scenes or bloodshed.

Repelling aspects of the book:

1. Ending could have been more explanatory.

I generally don't gauge books, but.

Who doesn't like scores??

Well, I would give this book 4.7 out of 5 points.