The Girl on the Train
by Paula Hawkins
How
well do you think you know your neighbors?
Rachel
Watson, an alcoholic, her life less than perfect, took to the train- and drink-
for comfort. She watched from the window the cookie-cutter neighborhoods go by
and the idyllic lifestyle they represented. She used to live such a life, until
her husband became involved with another woman and pushed Rachel out of his.
On
the train, she imagined anyone else’s life but her own, wanted to help solve
anyone else’s problems than her own.
She
found the perfect couple in the cookie-cutter neighborhood. Jason and Jess, she
called them; she didn’t know their real names. She found them in the comfort of
their home, and watched them every day.
Something
didn’t seem right. Jason and Jess were
fighting, and then their former babysitter went missing a few days after. She
was found dead in the woods. At that point, Rachel was at her lowest. Even her
imagined perfect couple had problems. If they needed help, there was certainly
no hope for her. One night, she had a little too much to drink after
discovering Jess had an affair with another man, leaving Jason in the dust.
Rachel wanted to avenge her own circumstance by helping Jason get back at Jess
for what she did to him. She knew the feeling all too well.
Blackout.
Betrayal. Disappearance, murder. Her
clothes stained with blood, Rachel couldn’t remember what happened the night
she passed out. Jason and Jess’s story had an uncanny parallel to her own. Rachel
knew she had to become sober in order to solve this crime, because somewhere in
her memory was the answer; she needed to prove her own innocence.
Characteristics
of Thrillers, a Summary of Saricks' The Readers' Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction, Second Edition (2009):
- "Fast-paced story
- Language known by professionals sprinkled throughout the story, but not enough to confuse or overwhelm readers
- Easily adapted into movies because of their fast, complex plots, and sometimes there are plots within plots
- Troubled heroes/heroines with dark pasts usually save the day
- Graphic details about the characters, dead or alive, are often included" (73).
Reviews
According
to http://www.bustle.com., this book was in
the top 11 that even scared Stephen King! In an article written by Amy Sachs
(2016), King said, "Really great suspense novel. Kept me up most of the
night. The alcoholic narrator is dead perfect" (1).
Below
are other spine-chilling thrillers with similar stories, as suggested by
Goodreads.com:
The Last Mrs. Parrish
by Liv Constantine
The Couple Next Door
by Shari Lapena
The
Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
Works
Cited
Goodreads. (2018). The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. Book image and suggestions retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com
Hawkins,
P. (2015). The Girl on the Train. New
York: Riverhead Books. A Member of Penguin Group (USA).
Sachs,
A. (2015). 11 Books That Scared The Master of Horror, Stephen King, And Will
Terrify You, Too. Retrieved from https://www.bustle.com/articles/
.
Saricks,
J. (2009). The Readers’ Advisory Guide to
Genre Fiction (2nd e.d.). Chicago: American Library Association.
I really enjoyed your synopsis of the story. It contained more detail than the back of the book or any other synopsis that I've read. I really want to read this book. So many of my friends have read it and they say it's great! Unfortunately, I have seen the movie first. I really enjoyed the movie, but I'm sure the book is better. This will have to go on my pile of books to read! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Paige! Thanks! I'm happy that you want to read the book and I'm glad my synopsis gave you more information! I have yet to see the movie- Emily Blunt is an amazing actress!
DeleteInteresting story! I've seen the title pop up a few other places, but never took the time to get a summary. It sounds like it's a story within a story that evolves into a single story? Instead of a story that "reveals the intricacies of [a particular profession]" the story seems to reveal fine details about the main characters relationships (Saricks 71). Did you find it to be a very complex storyline?
ReplyDeleteThank you.
Hi Lisa! In a way, a story within a story that evolves into a single story is a great way to sum it up! Hawkins writes in a similar style to that of Dean Koontz, where she builds up one characters' climax, and then when it piques, she changes to the other character's story and leaves you hanging. The story does get resolved, but it definitely made me step out of my comfort zone. It had content that I do not like reading about. However, knowing that the book even scared Steven King made me feel like less of a chicken!
DeleteHi April! I'm not a big fan of thrillers, so I can't really say if it is run-of-the-mill at all. You are right- it is very dark and moody. I have not watched the movie yet, either, but I'm not so sure if I want to!
ReplyDeleteI love the way your annotation is organized. Your synopsis was well done, giving just enough information without spoiling the important details. It's all very organized and easy to understand.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Brittany! I'm glad you liked it!
DeleteFantastic annotation! Full points! Great job with your summary, it's detailed without giving too much away. I also liked that you included other reviews (especially that bit about Stephen King!). Excellent work, you generated some great comments!
ReplyDelete