Overall Rating: B. Great as a novel, underwhelming as a thriller.
Book titles are more important
than people realize. Their mission is to
evoke intrigue, attract the reader, and make them wonder what the story is
about all within a word or a sentence. The
Girl on the Train is a great example of that; when I first scanned the
title, I thought, “Who is this girl?
What happens on the train?” So my
imagination began to shape different scenarios of what could be held within
these pages…and I should have stopped there, because this novel that held such
great hope turned out to be just another ‘wannabe’ thriller.
The story of The Girl on the Train is simple enough:
English commuter and alcoholic Rachel Watson’s life has gone to shambles, and
she has done nothing to make it better.
Her husband divorced her because of her alcoholism (the causes behind it
don’t make it more justifiable but a bit more understandable), his mistress
moved into their home after she was kicked out, and now she spends her free
time pretending to go to work by riding the train to and from London. As she looks out the window, she makes
careful observations of the scenery and takes a special interest in the new
neighbors a couple of doors down from her old house; giving them fake names, (Jason
and Jess) and an imaginary life that placates her own fantasies.
One morning on the train,
Rachel noticed Megan (aka Jess) outside with another man, which becomes the
catalyst to a string of terrible events. (Hence the name, The Girl on the Train…)
Soon there's a disappearance, and Rachel gets in over her head by not understanding
the difference between being helpful and being a pest, especially in an
investigation where she may be a suspect.
What saved this novel was
the writing and the pace. Hawkins knew
how to get you sucked into the story, (which may come from her 15 years’
experience as a journalist) and relate to the characters on some pretty deep
levels. She’s so good with conjuring emotion that I found myself steaming with frustration
toward Rachel’s character. If the story
was centered on her, why not make her a strong heroine? Why make her a pathetic alcoholic who,
granted was a good person, lets her poor judgement affect her decisions? If she was to have started off this way and
then grow into a stronger, more confident person, then I would feel differently,
but there was no growth in Rachel. Yes,
she was able to take down her own demons by the end but I don’t give her credit
for doing so. She didn’t go searching for them to become a better person, she
took them down because they were right there in her face and had no choice.
It
may not sound like it but The Girl on the
Train was honestly a good, solid novel.
As I said, there are great characters (despite Rachel’s shortcomings) that
are extremely real and complex, a great pace that will keep you reading to the
end, and a decent twist that will leave you momentarily satisfied. Unfortunately, compared to other thrillers
I’ve read, this did not stand up to them and made me wonder if this novel
should have been about a different girl on a different train.
~Shelly-Beans
