How are you guys on this blistering Sunday?

Me, I’m hiding from the heat and my house (Unending renovations ugh!), trying to get a little work done. But you know I’m also feeling kind of lazy too. For once, I’m all caught up on my reading (10 books ahead of my Goodreads reading challenge. Woo hoo!) and I even have a review done and scheduled to post in the morning. I NEVER do that lol!

So since I’d like to get into a new book today, I figured I’d post a rerun, AKA “Classic Review” I originally wrote and published for my column on Booknista. I know it’s cheating but it’s just too hot to think. Forgive me?

I finally got around to reading The Girl On the Train by Paula Hawkins. I had been dying to see what all the fuss was about!

The Girl On The Train is a British psychological thriller about a woman who takes the same train every day. She travels by the same houses every day and likes to imagine what the inhabitants are doing and what their lives are like. Her obsession with these people leads her into a terrifying mystery, shattering her delusions one by one.

Three women, three men, connected through marriage or infidelity. Each is to blame for something. But only one is a killer in this nail-biting, stealthy psychological thriller about human frailty and obsession. Just what goes on in the houses you pass by every day?

The Story…

Rachel takes the same commuter train every day. Travelling over the same junctions, past the same townhouses. The train stops at the same signal daily and she sees the same couple on their terrace. Rachel calls them Jason and Jess.

One day Rachel sees someone new in their garden. Soon after, Rachel sees the woman she calls Jess on the news. Jess has disappeared.

A police investigation is soon underway and Rachel is drawn deeper into the lives of the couple she learns are really Megan and Scott Hipwell. Compelled to help Scott, the main suspect, Rachel pieces together what really happened the day Megan disappeared. When Megan’s body is found, Rachel finds herself under suspicion.

Plunged into a world of betrayals, secrets and deceptions, Rachel must confront the facts about her own past and her own failed marriage.

If you liked Gone Girl, you will love The Girl On The Train

Or will you? Written in a similar way, The Girl On The Train is told in sequential passages by each major character. Primarily Rachel. For me that’s where the similarities ended. But people keep comparing the two books so I had to see for myself. I loved Gone Girl.  It was brilliant, dark and superbly written. Even though you knew you were supposed to hate a character, the writer made you feel for the character instead.

The characters in this book are awful! Truly terrible people! I couldn’t empathise with a single one. I actually felt like the girl who was murdered, deserved it! That definitely made for a unique reading experience. That said, I did find the story compelling. Though I figured out who the culprit was early on, there are many twists and red herrings to keep you guessing.

It’s a pretty good story, but sometimes I felt like I was reading a sad melodrama about six pathetic individuals instead of a gritty who dunnit. I will say this, I think this book will translate beautifully onto the big screen and I can’t wait to see the film adaptation.

After finally reading The Girl On The Train, I don’t get what all the fuss was about. There really shouldn’t have been any fuss. It was as fuss free as my daily makeup routine (which is none). It is a good mystery which will make a better film (yep I said it) and I’m sticking to it!

Rating… C

I’m sad to say the film was as much of a let down as the book and you can read my review here!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!