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natreadstheworld's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-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
3.75
Rachel is adrift in a life that feels meaningless, her days marked only by her routine commute on the train, passing the same stretch of housing that represents both her dreams and her sorrows. Everything changes when she is witness to something she wasn't supposed to see, and becomes drawn into the tangled lives of strangers. Set in the UK, the book is a puzzle defined by an otherwise mundane trip on the train.
This book was intriguing from the moment I opened the page - I can see why it became a bestseller. From start to finish, the story carries an even level of tension, as opposed to a roller coaster ride you find in some books. Generally, I can figure out the mystery/spoiler early on in a lot of books, just by connecting the dots. This one, though, keeps that mystery just around the corner, always on the next age, dangling like a carrot.Part of the success of that ongoing mystery comes from the fact that Rachel doesn't even remember what happened on that night around which the plot centers. Not only can she not remember, but the shattered pieces of her own life, combined with the troubling clues that do remain, make it impossible for her to completely write off her own role in the events of that night. Even when I can figure out part of the mystery, there's just enough intrigue to keep me second-guessing, or to be uncertain about the other half of the story. The book is somewhat slow-paced, but the tension makes up for it, so that it doesn't ever feel like a drag. To top it off, that twist at the end - I never saw THAT coming!
I don't think I'll read this one again, but only because it isn't my style. But if you like intrigue and a reflective, pondering style of writing, this might be the book for you.
This book was intriguing from the moment I opened the page - I can see why it became a bestseller. From start to finish, the story carries an even level of tension, as opposed to a roller coaster ride you find in some books. Generally, I can figure out the mystery/spoiler early on in a lot of books, just by connecting the dots. This one, though, keeps that mystery just around the corner, always on the next age, dangling like a carrot.
I don't think I'll read this one again, but only because it isn't my style. But if you like intrigue and a reflective, pondering style of writing, this might be the book for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, and Infidelity
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Child death
innastholiel's review
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Infidelity, Murder, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Blood, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Minor: Confinement, Cursing, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, and Vomit
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