leann_bolesch 's review for:

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

3.5

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

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Felt more like a mystery than a thriller. Most of the plot was about trying to figure out who was responsible for Megan's disappearance, without much of a sense that anyone else was in danger of anything worse than the police telling them to stop snooping around. I liked the pace at which information trickled out, but the actual plot progression felt very slow. Since the plot largely exists because Rachel can't reliably recall the evening Megan vanished, and with her working to regain that memory through much of the book, it felt more like the revelation was a matter of the author deciding to return her memory to her once it was time for the climax, rather than that she made a key discovery, although I guess there's something to be said for her getting that information while taking steps that could theoretically help her with her alcoholism. (Speaking of, she had a remarkable total of 0 withdrawal symptoms. Wild.)

The reveal felt chilling as it crept up, though. I had entertained that possibility, but most because

the lack of in-story suspicion combined with the amount of page space given made that character seem best positioned for a twist reveal

. I wasn't paying close enough attention to notice some of the seeded foreshadowing for it that came up early on.