Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

139 reviews

fkshg8465's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

2.0

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Bullying, Infertility, Violence, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny

haleybspiegel's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

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

3.5

Very good plot, very good writing, just not my genre so I didn’t enjoy it very much 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Gaslighting and Murder

Minor: Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Child death, and Rape

risemini's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Domestic abuse, Vomit, Physical abuse, Drug use, Child death, Death, Infidelity, Infertility, Murder, Gaslighting, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Abortion, Emotional abuse, and Alcoholism

woweewhoa's review against another edition

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? Yes

2.75

I don't think anyone in this book should be allowed to get married. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Alcoholism, Fatphobia, and Infidelity

Moderate: Child death, Gaslighting, Murder, Pregnancy, Violence, and Vomit

Minor: Racism

angielivesandbreathes'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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Alcoholism, Death, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, and Alcohol

Moderate: Child death and Murder

Minor: Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, and Body shaming

vaughanreads's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad 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

4.0

Rachel, a depressed alcoholic, is working through a recent break-up. Tom is thriving with his new partner and child in the house he once shared with Rachel.

On her daily morning commute to London, Rachel reaches the same stop every day overlooking her old home. Pained by old memories, she fantasises over a couple a few doors down. When the wife goes missing, Rachel thinks she has key information and throws herself crashing into their world.

This novel had me engaged from beginning to end. An excellent thriller to pull you out of any reading slump!
The characters are amazingly fleshed out. I found myself invested in them and feeling the stakes when trouble found them. The plot was paced really well, I didn't feel a lull in interest at any point and the narrative was excellently crafted. You can't have a thriller without a twist and boy are there some good ones!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse

wildautumnchild's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, Alcohol, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Body shaming, Infidelity, Stalking, Pregnancy, Infertility, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship

mellifluousmemos's review against another edition

challenging 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

4.0

This was my first thriller book that got me into thrillers, so it will always hold a special place in my heart. This was also my first experience with an unreliable narrator, and coming at it from that angle was very interesting. There were some chapters where I was rooting for the FMC and other times when I was so fed up and disgusted by her that I wondered if we'd ever solve the mystery. But, ultimately, you want her, as the underdog, to come out on top. Finally, the end reveals all, and my only complaint is that it felt too much like a convenient movie where the villain explains everything to close up loose ends. However, I genuinely loved the thrill of this book, and will always recommend it to others. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Gaslighting, Blood, and Physical abuse

sprout_monster's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

I am always hesitant about books with an obsessed character, but I really liked this book. The twist at the end was good and the ending was very fitting and sort of satisfying with the character development.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Gaslighting

carina_dreamer's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

🚅 Para ser honesta, estava com receio de ler o livro e ficar desiludida, porque as opiniões são muito polarizantes - ou se gosta ou se odeia.
Comigo, deu-se um misto...

🚅 O enredo fala-nos de Rachel, que viaja ida e volta todos os dias até Londres para trabalhar. Vai de comboio e este abranda quase sempre junto de umas casas germinadas que ela observa sem falta. Há uma casa que lhe dá calma e faz sonhar e há outra mais acima na rua que lhe traz boas e más memórias. E em cada uma dessas casas vai estar mais uma das nossas narradoras.
Temos então: a Rachel, a Megan e a Anna; ou como as resumo: a testemunha bêbada, a vítima e a amante.

🚅 Enquanto leitora, este foi um livro complicado de amar. Todas as personagens são complicadas, a maioria são mesmo más pessoas. A escolha da autora de escrever quase que em formato de diário não resultou para mim (acredito que tenha sido melhor para o filme).
As nossas narradoras são todas não fiáveis, especialmente a Rachel com as suas bebedeiras e fantasias, ambas intermináveis.

🚅 Enquanto alguém que gosta de escrever, eu leio a anoto os meus livros analisando um pouco os autores subconscientemente. Pelo que esta foi a parte de mim que gostou deste livro, porque a Paula Hawkins foi uma mestre para conseguir fazer sentido de toda a confusão desenrolada e de ter deixado pistas fantásticas para quando se deu a revelação.

🚅 Não recomendo para novatos no género de mistérios/thriller porque consegue ser muito messy de entender.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Violence, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Grief, Murder, Death, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Blood, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Child death, Fatphobia, Body shaming, and Injury/Injury detail