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chelle22's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Blood, and Alcohol
Minor: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, and Gaslighting
schrammanda's review against another edition
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Death
Moderate: Child death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
racheltori's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death
Moderate: Drug use and Car accident
ferdie's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I cheered for Anna, I doubted Anna, and I was surprised by Anna. Overall, I enjoyed The Woman in the Window and connected with the characters just enough.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Infidelity, Car accident, and Gaslighting
Minor: Animal cruelty and Blood
smixter88's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Oh my gosh. I loved this book from the second I opened it to the very last page. I keep typing stuff and deleting it, because it will probably spoil the book. There is just so much I can say about this book. I was in such a huge reading slump, but this brought me out of it. I went in completely blind, as I do most of the time. I highly suggest doing that. As always, if you have triggers, you should check them before going in blind. This was just a great thriller. I found myself trying to solve a mystery. I felt compassion when necessary. The writing is 🤌🏻. You feel what you're supposed to feel. You gasp at all the right places. Maybe even hold a breath you didn't realize you were holding. 😂 What more can I say? Read it.
⭐️ wasted my time
⭐️⭐️ not terrible but not great
⭐️⭐️⭐️ good, but wouldn't read again.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ really liked it and recommend it!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ absolutely loved it! Move it up on your TBR
⭐️ wasted my time
⭐️⭐️ not terrible but not great
⭐️⭐️⭐️ good, but wouldn't read again.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ really liked it and recommend it!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ absolutely loved it! Move it up on your TBR
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Car accident, and Alcohol
literatureleaf's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Age: 16+
Reading time: 4 days
Difficulty level: 2/5
Rating: 6.5/10
The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn follows Anna Fox, a no-longer practicing child psychologist who finds herself suffering from agoraphobia after tragedy strikes her household. While battling her own mind, Anna passes the time by watching her neighbors. Most of the time she sees nothing but the mundanity of rich, suburban lifestyles, but one fateful day a new family, the Russell’s, move into the neighborhood, and everything changes.
After observing the new neighbors through her windows, and getting to know Jane Russell, the woman of the house, and Ethan Russell, her teenage son, Anna begins to suspect that everything is not quite as it should be within the household, and the root of the domestic strife lies with Alistair, Jane’s husband and Ethan’s father. One night the situation reaches a boiling point, and Anna witnesses something that no one was meant to see, sending her spiraling into a web of deception and mystery where she quickly finds that she can trust no one, not even herself.
Finn pens a gripping portrait of a psyche ravaged by loneliness, substance abuse, and mental illness. Anna is a flawlessly executed unreliable narrator, and an air of tormented despair permeates throughout the book, creating a continuous feeling of dread and uncertainty. At times the narration can become a bit longwinded, and Anna tends to ramble, but for the most part, within the context of her fragile mental state, this works with the story rather than against it.
At the heart, The Woman in the Window is a thriller, and Finn is certainly a master of the genre. The book centers around one large mystery, with several other, smaller, interconnected mysteries at play that intertwine seamlessly into one main plotline. Each element is given just the right amount of attention, and the different subplots serve to flesh out the main story, rather than overshadow it. The suspense scenes are not only plentiful, but executed to near perfection, igniting a feeling akin to holding a live wire. Holding your breath is nearly a guarantee!
Despite the expertly crafted suspense elements, the book struggles with the mysteries themselves. The twists were, for the most part, largely unoriginal, and despite the riveting leadups, the reveals themselves were underwhelming, leading to a feeling much like eating a delicious dinner, then following it up with a prepackaged Hostess cake from the local gas station for dessert. When considering the high caliber of the rest of Finn’s writing, the twists can’t help but feel phoned in.
Unfortunately, the mysteries aren’t the only aspect of the novel that leaves something to be desired. At times, it feels like the book is taking on more than it can handle. Without giving too much away, in addition to being a simple thriller, The Woman in the Window attempts to delve into mental health, family, resiliency, domestic abuse, grief, and drug addiction. While some of these are explored in detail and very well done, others fall by the wayside and are not given the respect and attention that such heavy topics deserve. However, when so much is crammed into one book, it is almost inevitable that certain themes will take precedence over others.
At its core, The Woman in the Window is a fun and suspenseful read that excels at keeping the reader on the edge of their seat. Anna is an outstanding main character, and Finn makes it startlingly easy to empathize with her, even when revelations are made that don’t cast her in the best light. The plot is solid and entertaining throughout, and, despite the predictable twists and less-than-stellar exploration of some of the heavier themes, Finn is undeniably great at writing a novel that’s no less than a great time.
Reading time: 4 days
Difficulty level: 2/5
Rating: 6.5/10
The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn follows Anna Fox, a no-longer practicing child psychologist who finds herself suffering from agoraphobia after tragedy strikes her household. While battling her own mind, Anna passes the time by watching her neighbors. Most of the time she sees nothing but the mundanity of rich, suburban lifestyles, but one fateful day a new family, the Russell’s, move into the neighborhood, and everything changes.
After observing the new neighbors through her windows, and getting to know Jane Russell, the woman of the house, and Ethan Russell, her teenage son, Anna begins to suspect that everything is not quite as it should be within the household, and the root of the domestic strife lies with Alistair, Jane’s husband and Ethan’s father. One night the situation reaches a boiling point, and Anna witnesses something that no one was meant to see, sending her spiraling into a web of deception and mystery where she quickly finds that she can trust no one, not even herself.
Finn pens a gripping portrait of a psyche ravaged by loneliness, substance abuse, and mental illness. Anna is a flawlessly executed unreliable narrator, and an air of tormented despair permeates throughout the book, creating a continuous feeling of dread and uncertainty. At times the narration can become a bit longwinded, and Anna tends to ramble, but for the most part, within the context of her fragile mental state, this works with the story rather than against it.
At the heart, The Woman in the Window is a thriller, and Finn is certainly a master of the genre. The book centers around one large mystery, with several other, smaller, interconnected mysteries at play that intertwine seamlessly into one main plotline. Each element is given just the right amount of attention, and the different subplots serve to flesh out the main story, rather than overshadow it. The suspense scenes are not only plentiful, but executed to near perfection, igniting a feeling akin to holding a live wire. Holding your breath is nearly a guarantee!
Despite the expertly crafted suspense elements, the book struggles with the mysteries themselves. The twists were, for the most part, largely unoriginal, and despite the riveting leadups, the reveals themselves were underwhelming, leading to a feeling much like eating a delicious dinner, then following it up with a prepackaged Hostess cake from the local gas station for dessert. When considering the high caliber of the rest of Finn’s writing, the twists can’t help but feel phoned in.
Unfortunately, the mysteries aren’t the only aspect of the novel that leaves something to be desired. At times, it feels like the book is taking on more than it can handle. Without giving too much away, in addition to being a simple thriller, The Woman in the Window attempts to delve into mental health, family, resiliency, domestic abuse, grief, and drug addiction. While some of these are explored in detail and very well done, others fall by the wayside and are not given the respect and attention that such heavy topics deserve. However, when so much is crammed into one book, it is almost inevitable that certain themes will take precedence over others.
At its core, The Woman in the Window is a fun and suspenseful read that excels at keeping the reader on the edge of their seat. Anna is an outstanding main character, and Finn makes it startlingly easy to empathize with her, even when revelations are made that don’t cast her in the best light. The plot is solid and entertaining throughout, and, despite the predictable twists and less-than-stellar exploration of some of the heavier themes, Finn is undeniably great at writing a novel that’s no less than a great time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief
Moderate: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Violence, Blood, and Car accident
Minor: Animal cruelty, Cursing, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
elkiebear's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Car accident
Minor: Animal cruelty
moraina's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Unreliable narrator being gaslit for a large portion of the book. Several twists - I thought I had it figured out but things kept changing, it really picked up in pace for the last 100 pages or so. Things wrapped up nicely at the end. I don’t know that I would ever reread this, so I am not giving it five stars, but it was quite entertaining.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Blood, and Abandonment
dlatorre's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Car accident, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty
lenagf's review against another edition
4.0
El otro día estaba en Netflix y decidí poner La mujer en la ventana. Al principio no estaba muy segura, pero dije "bah, no creo que lea el libro"; a la mitad tuve que pausarla y corrí a buscar el libro, porque necesitaba saber que estaba pasando.
Es muy loco como la mayoría del tiempo no parece estar pasando nada, de hecho, la "acción" se demora harto en empezar (pasadas las 100 páginas) y hay miles de descripciones, información y líos mentales de la protagonista que a mí, personalmente, no me interesaban mucho. Como punto a favor, debo confesar que no tengo mucha experiencia leyendo thrillers psicológicos, por lo que puede que sea algo común de este género (por algo se llaman así, ¿no?); además, igual fue entretenido y la historia avanzó bastante rápido.
Por otro lado, Anna es una protagonista muy poco confiable que de verdad te hace cuestionar si lo que pasó fue real o está delirando, y cuando se revelólo de la familia de verdad que tuve que parar de leer por un momento, porque quedé un poco en shock.
Luego, la revelación finalla VERDADERA revelación acerca de Ethan vino cuando pensé que se estaban atando todos los cabos y estaba tipo "bueno, ¿y ahora qué?", así que realmente me sorprendió. No sé si los demás se lo esperaban, pero al menos yo no.
Quiero hablar sobre muchas cosas de este libro, pero lo terminé ayer y todavía lo tengo fresco y no sé cómo ponerlas en escrito, pero si dejaba pasar la reseña luego no la iba a escribir nunca. En general, lo disfruté bastante y lo recomiendo si les gustan los libros con una narradora no confiable llena de enredos mentales y problemas.
Es muy loco como la mayoría del tiempo no parece estar pasando nada, de hecho, la "acción" se demora harto en empezar (pasadas las 100 páginas) y hay miles de descripciones, información y líos mentales de la protagonista que a mí, personalmente, no me interesaban mucho. Como punto a favor, debo confesar que no tengo mucha experiencia leyendo thrillers psicológicos, por lo que puede que sea algo común de este género (por algo se llaman así, ¿no?); además, igual fue entretenido y la historia avanzó bastante rápido.
Por otro lado, Anna es una protagonista muy poco confiable que de verdad te hace cuestionar si lo que pasó fue real o está delirando, y cuando se reveló
Luego, la revelación final
Quiero hablar sobre muchas cosas de este libro, pero lo terminé ayer y todavía lo tengo fresco y no sé cómo ponerlas en escrito, pero si dejaba pasar la reseña luego no la iba a escribir nunca. En general, lo disfruté bastante y lo recomiendo si les gustan los libros con una narradora no confiable llena de enredos mentales y problemas.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Car accident
Minor: Sexual content