The Girl on the Train

Title: The Girl on the Train

Author: Paula Hawkins

Published in: 2015

Date read: 29th November 2016

Score: 4/5

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Crime, Psychological

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins, published in 2015, is a gripping psychological thriller known for its unreliable narrator and intricate plot twists.

The story centers on Rachel Watson, a struggling alcoholic who is devastated by her divorce. Every day, she commutes by train to London, meticulously observing the lives of people she glimpses from her window. She becomes particularly fascinated by a seemingly perfect couple, whom she names Jess and Jason, living in a house along the tracks, just a few doors down from her old home with her ex-husband. Rachel invents a blissful life for them, a stark contrast to her own misery.

One morning, Rachel witnesses something shocking from the train window – an act that shatters her idealized image of "Jess." Shortly after, Megan Hipwell (the "Jess" she observed) goes missing.

Compelled by what she saw, and fueled by alcohol-induced blackouts and a desperate need to feel useful, Rachel contacts the police, claiming to have vital information. However, due to her unreliable memory, her heavy drinking, and a past incident involving her ex-husband and his new wife, Anna, her credibility is severely questioned, both by the authorities and herself.

As the investigation into Megan's disappearance unfolds, Rachel becomes increasingly entangled. She starts inserting herself into the lives of Megan's husband, Scott Hipwell, and her own ex-husband, Tom Watson, and his new wife, Anna. She desperately tries to piece together fragments of her memories from the day Megan disappeared, which are hazy and contradictory due to her drinking.

The narrative shifts between the perspectives of Rachel, Megan, and Anna, often moving back and forth in time. This multi-perspective structure gradually reveals Megan's complex and troubled past, the hidden truths about Tom's manipulative nature, and Anna's own anxieties. It highlights how each woman's perception of events, relationships, and truth can be profoundly flawed.

The core mystery is not just what happened to Megan, but also what Rachel truly saw, and whether her unreliable memories hold the key. The climax is a tense and shocking confrontation where the truth about Megan's disappearance, and the true nature of the characters involved, is brutally revealed, forcing Rachel to confront the harrowing reality of what she witnessed and what she knew all along.

Comments:
I really enjoyed this book. Not only was it a great mystery, it was written in an an innovative way that not only kept you guessing, it leads you to wrong conclusions over and over again so that you never know where you are until it is finally revealed.

Books that we've read by Paula Hawkins (1):
The Girl on the Train (2015)