Whenever there is one of these books, you know the ones, where the movie rights are sold as soon as the book comes off the press, I am two things:  intrigued and skeptical.  Intrigued - what is it about this book that has captured so many people so quickly?  Skeptical – what did the marketing machine do to get this book out to so many people so quickly?  Usually I don’t trust the big brotheresque marketing machine that seems to decide what the population is going to like before we even get it.

With that being said, I like to think that I go into these things with an open mind, and to be honest, I was immediately drawn into Rachel’s story.  I loved the back and forth start of the story; I found that it complemented the confused storyline going on within Rachel’s mind.  At several points in the story, I found myself asking (just like Rachel) – “Wait, what just happened?”  I felt like I was right there with Rachel on that train ride to hell.

I’ve read quite a bit of complaining about the characters in The Girl on the Train.  Personally, I thought that they were created brilliantly.  Not one of them likable, hardly a redeemable characteristic amongst them.  From the cheating spouses, the raging alcoholic, to the liars and manipulators…I loved to hate them all.  Normally, I like to have a connection with a character, but with The Girl on the Train I was in complete shock at the depths of self-important assholery these characters could reach.  It was a character train wreck, and I could not look away.

I dragged my wife to the movie shortly after I read the book (she actually came quite willingly).  Did it live up to the book?  No.  Did it do the book justice?  Yes.  And my wife loved it!  Will I read another book by Paula Hawkins in the future?  Absolutely!

The Girl on the Train truly was a ride on a crazy train.

*5 Stars

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    2 Book Lovers Reviews

The Girl on the Train 

By Paula Hawkins