The Girl on the Train

Source: Amazon.com

Yes! I actually read a recent release within a decent amount of time after publication! Thanks to Catherine at The Gilmore Guide to Books for offering me her copy of The Girl on the Train, by Paula Hawkins, so I could read this raved about story and not break my personal TBR challenge.

For many readers the obvious draw to The Girl on the Train, just out this past January, is its comparison to Gone Girl. (Read here for a thought provoking post from Shannon at River City Reading about such comparisons being spoilers.) Having read Gone Girl awhile ago and seeing the movie (loving both), I couldn't resist the comparison, even though I know better.

And the result? I loved The Girl on the Train, a story about Rachel, who rides the same train every day and gets to know the surroundings of the trains stops. One neighborhood in particular catches her eye and she makes up lives and names for the people she often sees. One day, as she watches from the stopped train window, she witnesses a scary confrontation between the people she often watches, a husband and wife. And then the wife goes missing. Is Rachel's eye witness any good though? After all, she's just a girl on the train. And she's a drunk...double unreliable narrator whammy.

Of course, the story and characters twist deeper than any brief summary or jacket cover will say. Rachel is the main narration, but we also catch glimpses from Anna, the wife of Rachel's ex-husband, as well as Megan in the months leading up to her disappearance. And while there are definitely psychological and storyline aspects like Gone Girl, it's not quite the same either. It's hard to explain what I mean by that without spoiling too much. I think if you liked one, you'll like the other and vice versa. I thought both were great page turners and I like both books, each for their own qualities. So suffice it to say, I endorse this book as a great read that can stand on its own.

Also, as I was waiting to read it, I ended up collecting a group of reviews that I didn't want to read until after I'd finished the book. And apparently, I'm trying to set a record number of links in one post! Here are the links to those reviews:

Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Sarah's Book Shelves

The Gilmore Guide to Books

Read Lately

Words for Worms

Do you plan on jumping into the hype readers? Or have you already...did you like it?