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lindsayvale's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Infidelity, Alcohol, Sexual content, Blood, Death, Drug use, Grief, Car accident, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Alcoholism, Child death, and Panic attacks/disorders
rsagarin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Ableism, Car accident, and Child death
Moderate: Murder, Animal cruelty, Blood, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Stalking, Misogyny, Violence, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Classism, Cursing, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, and Injury/Injury detail
bessadams's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Death, Car accident, Child death, Blood, Stalking, Infidelity, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail, and Confinement
chelle22's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Stalking, Child death, Murder, Confinement, Sexual content, Deadnaming, Death, Violence, Car accident, and Cursing
ranjanireviewsreads's review against another edition
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Blood, and Mental illness
MC with Agoraphobiaferdie's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Car accident, Gaslighting, and Infidelity
Minor: Blood and Animal cruelty
literatureleaf's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Death, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Child death, Blood, and Violence
Minor: Animal cruelty, Sexual content, Cursing, and Suicidal thoughts
moraina's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child death, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, Infidelity, Stalking, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Drug abuse, and Addiction
az_makro's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
- little bit too much about her drinking, but it showed her mental state clearly
- good plot twist, I was not expecting (author toyed with readers emotions), - but the ending was not exactly connected to the story, it could have been the ending of any story and you would most likely not expect it
- possible to see into Anna’s thought, through both the writing style and her thoughts
Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Car accident, Alcohol, Grief, Mental illness, Abandonment, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, Death, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Violence, Cursing, Animal cruelty, Blood, and Physical abuse
arcy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Blood, Car accident, Child death, Murder, and Physical abuse