Reviews with content warning for Bullying - The Girl on the Train

This book was deeply annoying. First of all, there was no girl on the train. The main character is a woman who deserves to be treated as a woman. To call her a girl would indicate she is immature in some defective way. She’s got issues, deeper than most, but she is most definitely a woman. (Pet peeve of mine to infantilize women - that only serves men.)

Secondly, not one single character is likable or even decent as a human being. So I had no sympathy for any of them, and as a result, there was too much antipathy on my part to care about any of their plights.

Why was this book so popular and on so many must read lists? I’m annoyed at myself for having finished. Should’ve DNFd it.

Content Warnings

neverlandpages4's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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? It's complicated

2.0

I was excited to read this because it’s what inspired many of the more recent thrillers like “The Woman in the Window” and “The Woman in Cabin 10” and the hundreds of other thrillers that have “woman” in the title. Unfortunately, this was one of the least thrilling and one of the least suspenseful books I’ve ever read.

I should’ve known I wouldn’t like this because one of my least favorite tropes in thrillers is the alcoholic unreliable narrator. I quickly get tired and annoyed with the amount of times that drinking is mentioned and the main character constantly being confusing about the details of what might’ve or might’ve not happened.

I was also really confused by the timeline. We follow 2 or 3 timelines that are leading up to each other but at the same time, they constantly switch to a random time and I just couldn’t keep track of it.

Also, there’s the matter of the racist stereotypes and the wrong portrayal of Muslim characters.

Part of me finds it hard to believe that this is the book that a lot of people were raving about years ago when it first came out. Same with the movie (which I won’t be watching now). It felt so mundane and predictable and not unique. If I hadn’t written my thoughts on the book as I was reading it, I wouldn’t have been able to write a review because I honestly remember nothing.

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kayleyb's review

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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mecmccann's review against another edition

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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

3.75

I thought this was a good book. Not something I’ll still be thinking about a year from now, but good. I loved reading from this type of unreliable narrator’s perspective. I liked the parasocial relationship aspects. I guessed the twist pretty early on, but that’s okay

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farah_2007's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.75

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scruffie's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad 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

3.75

I actually enjoyed reading this book. I've seen people compare it to Gone Girl but I haven't read that one so I can't say anything about that debate. Two things bothered me the most: (a) all women in the book seem to be defined by the men in their lives and/or their feelings towards motherhood, and (b) the end was somewhat out of character, given what you've learnt about the characters throughout the book. I liked the plot overall though, but then again I have very little experience with the crime/thriller genre so I don't know how novel it really is. (3.75/5.00)

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soundlysmitten's review against another edition

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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.

Content Warnings

katsbooks's review

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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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