The Girl On The Train (Book Review) by Paula Hawkins

SPOILER FREE ZONE!

The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins was probably the most talked about book of 2015, people were comparing it to Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl which I have also read and loved.

I only just finished reading this book and my mind is swarming with madness. This book is brilliant, I don't think I have read a book so fast in my life and I am an incredibly slow reader (bad vision = weak eyes). This book is seriously an incredible interwoven tale of 5 people all connected through grief, failure and flaws.

One of my workmates whom I am close with is an expert when it comes to novels she has the same taste as me and she is also the one who lent me her copy of Gone Girl as well as another novel I recently finished called Remember Me This Way - I will also be writing up a review for that book soon -

Anyways this book was full of twists and complex characters that were fiercly rooted in reality that at times I found it hard to read as everything was so well written and I really felt the characters's pain.

The 5 central characters are all so contrasting yet share many qualities which binds their story together and the pieces of the mystery puzzle come together gradually in the book. The main character Rachel is the ultimate female anti-herp that we never knew we wanted. Rachel is a raging Alcoholic - in her early 30s she has let herself go depressed, overweight, lazy, hopeless and useless. Rachel was probably the hardest to relate to for me personally, I feel very strongly about Alcohol as in I HATE it. I hate everything about it. The smell, the taste, the effects - everything. I just hate it. So this was really my first real in depth exposure to a raging alcoholic and that is what was challenging for me to read. Rachel is a train wreck, absolutley devouring every aspect of her life in despair and loathing. Rachel seeks purpose and progression but cannot do so as she is constantly grieving over what she once had, she cannot forget her past. Rachel is a woman in deep depression struggling to climb her way out, drowing her entire life in booze 24/7. Hell, the reason why she got fired from her job was because she was drunk at work and got aggresive.

This was not the type of read I expected, it was so intense and thrilling - a real page turner, I knew it was going to be good but I had no idea what I was in store for.

SCROLL DOWN TO THE FILM REEL TO SKIP SPOILER SECTION!

What stiked me about this book was how graphic it became. The level of violence really threw me off. It was really descriptive but not in the way that gives away all the details, it gives you enough to work with to create the image in your head without giving away the final product (if that makes any sense) - it's like someone gives you the tools to paint a picture and a instructions you just have to utilise what you have been given. It's brilliant because sometimes too much information just ruins it. Especially with topics such as sex, it can become really tacky easily with too much information.

Something that I wasn't expecting and literally made me gasp out loud and clasp my had against my oen mouth was when Megan revealed that 'thing' that kept her up at night, the 'thing' that caused her insomnia and paranoia about being left alone, especially at night. That poor baby girl, Libby That part was shocking. A young Megan in the bathtub with her not even one month old baby in her arms, resting on her body died as Megan slowly fell asleep in the bathtub and let her body drift to sleep, submerging her own baby in water causing the baby to die. Waking up to YOUR BABY SUBMERGED IN WATER ON YOUR NAKED BODY IN A BATHTUB AT NIGHT IN A RURAL AREA IS FUCKING TERRIFYING. That scene was something I'd expect from a bloody Horror flick. That was down right scary, haunting - no wonder Megan became the way she was.

Another thing that I have to get off my chest is Tom. Fucking Tom Wastson. That guy is a fucking sick bastard with a smooth tongue. I know his type, charming and seemingly genuine but nope he is a downright pathetic man who needs to exert his power by convincing others that he is something that he is not. Hence, why he is such a professional liar. I didn't realise that it was all him until it was revealed. Tom played the part of 'husband trying to move on from drunk ex-wife' really well, I mean heck I thought he was harmless and boy I couldn't have been more wrong.

That insane climax at the end was absolutley heart stopping, as cheesy as that sounds I was literally short for breathe it was so damn intense!

In conclusion, what a fantastic read and now I am even more pumped for the film when it comes out later this year. The film has built quite an impressive cast so far and the people that have been casted are all super spot on HOWEVER I do have one complaint.

Emily Blunt is playing Rachel but it doesn't look like she gained any weight for the role which is frustrating because Rachel's weight is constantly brought up throughout the book (she used to be very pretty and healthy) but hey they may have pre-filmed that stuff or something.

I highly recommened this book for anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers and mystery. Be warned, there is some graphic material in the book and may disturb, I expect the film to be at least R16 considering several things that happen.

An absolutle knock out thriller, bring on the film!

#bookreview #mahareads #thegirlonthetrain