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Into the Water
by Paula Hawkins
I have to confess I wasn't the biggest of fans of The Girl On The Train. I loved the plotting and the slow suspense that built up but I thought there were a lot of things that I just didn't relate to, mostly because of the characters who were unlikable.
I see the same here but with vastly different results. Every character may come across as likable initially but slowly Hawkins masterfully builds them into actual human beings. Some of those are vulnerable, some filled with rage, some psychologically tortured, some simple psychopaths and some just normal people stuck in a place that doesn't want them. All the emotions seem real and palpable and that gives extreme value to the end reveal.
It is possible that the book is never about the suspense but about how a simple thing like a river has shaped a small town and its people; about how death and secrets that are long buried can destroy the lives of everyone around and yet, how, if people try hard enough, they can surpass even something like this.
If that's what the author was going for then I have to say it was exceedingly well done. No action or twist would have carried meaning if not for expert characterization.
I enjoyed this book thoroughly and look forward to Hawkin's future work. If this trend is anything to go by then the next one should be an absolute stunner.
I see the same here but with vastly different results. Every character may come across as likable initially but slowly Hawkins masterfully builds them into actual human beings. Some of those are vulnerable, some filled with rage, some psychologically tortured, some simple psychopaths and some just normal people stuck in a place that doesn't want them. All the emotions seem real and palpable and that gives extreme value to the end reveal.
It is possible that the book is never about the suspense but about how a simple thing like a river has shaped a small town and its people; about how death and secrets that are long buried can destroy the lives of everyone around and yet, how, if people try hard enough, they can surpass even something like this.
If that's what the author was going for then I have to say it was exceedingly well done. No action or twist would have carried meaning if not for expert characterization.
I enjoyed this book thoroughly and look forward to Hawkin's future work. If this trend is anything to go by then the next one should be an absolute stunner.