Reviews tagging 'Car accident'

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

6 reviews

aisclaradm's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A really good thriller that had me trying to piece information together right from the very beginning. It was so fun to read a book with such unreliable narrators, because it allowed you to come up with so many different theories. Ultimately, everything tied up really well and I found the plotline and reveals made a lot of sense. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Violence, Infertility, Murder, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Blood, Child death, Death, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Abortion, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Stalking, Grief, and Sexual assault

Minor: Drug abuse, Abortion, Toxic friendship, Car accident, and Drug use

vaguely_pink's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Addiction, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Grief, Child death, Stalking, Pregnancy, and Mental illness

Minor: Excrement, Sexual harassment, Kidnapping, Infertility, Confinement, Death of parent, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug use, Car accident, Blood, and Abortion

_mariah_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, Murder, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Addiction, and Child death

Moderate: Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Infertility

Minor: Infidelity, Car accident, Grief, Misogyny, and Cursing

pabi's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Child death, and Car accident

soundlysmitten's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.5

The Girl on the Train is a suspenseful mystery revolving around a questionable disappearance. The backstory and subsequent fallout is relayed in simple, sometimes eerily haunting prose from the perspective of three different women. Some people have said they guessed the culprit early on, but the foreshadowing didn’t register for me till right before the identity was made known. And personally, I found the way the author disclosed relevant details to be clever. Especially in how she’d leave certain parts a bit vague, only to follow up with precise information that makes sense in retrospect, but initially serves as misdirection. 

 

As for character development, it’s definitely complex, as there isn’t just one true “bad guy.” I believe the author did a good job at telling the emotional side of the story, really delving into the minds of these women who are struggling with trauma and distorted perceptions of reality. Each player unravels pretty thoroughly over the course of the book. But I appreciated the fact that all three women end up making a decision—if brutal or to no avail—to free themselves of whatever dangerous circumstances/mindsets they’ve found themselves tangled up in by unconsciously subscribing to the world’s idea of what it means to have value as a woman. Although, I will say it was hard to feel anything for one specific character because women not being there for women is something that has always bothered me and she embodies that specific toxicity in the most extreme way.

 

The author has mentioned the novel’s themes involve “women’s place in society, the impact of trauma on our bodies and minds, the slipperiness of memory, and the stories we tell about ourselves and each other.” I really couldn’t put it any better. The narrative definitely covers some heavy sh*t, though most instances of graphic trauma occur/are recalled in the last quarter of the book, as the question changes from what happened to 'whodunnit'. Still, please check the content warnings before giving this a read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Mental illness, Murder, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Fatphobia, Gore, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, and Sexual content

Minor: Abortion, Car accident, Drug abuse, Drug use, Pregnancy, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

katsbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

"...the holes in your life are permanent. You have to grow around them, like tree roots around concrete; you mold yourself through the gaps.”

“There’s nothing so painful, so corrosive, as suspicion.”

Usually I really don't like books with unlikable characters. I disliked Gone Girl and really hated We Need to Talk About Kevin, however, I somehow found myself rooting for Rachel. I think, perhaps, it's less that I don't enjoy unlikable characters as much as a I don't enjoy outrightly mean/selfish characters. I didn't like Rachel as a character but I found myself pitying her much more than disliking her and ultimately, I wanted her to figure out the who-dun-it and move on with her life. Speaking of the who-dun-it, I figured out the ending about half of the way through. However, I read this back when it came out about 6 years ago but I forgot almost everything. So I can't decide if I figured it out because I vaguely remembered the plot or because of the writing itself. Either way, I bumped up my rating to a 4 star from a 3.5 for that reason. It didn't seem fair to rate a book less because I had already read it. Overall, I think this book is a bit formulaic but really engaging. It's a solid thriller and I would recommend. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Infertility, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Confinement and Cursing

Minor: Body shaming, Car accident, Fatphobia, and Pregnancy