Lit with Alyssa

Anderson reviews “The Girl on the Train”

More stories from Alyssa Anderson

Getting Weird
December 13, 2018
Lit with Alyssa

As someone who struggles with anxiety on a daily basis, you would think that I would steer clear of anxiety-inducing stimuli like scary movies or creepy, suspenseful novels like this one.

But that is not the case. I literally can’t get enough of all things horrifying.

Even though this book was the catalyst for some pretty intense nightmares, I pushed through the stress it caused me and read all 336 pages in approximately two days. Once I started, I just couldn’t stop. This book was quite literally impossible to put down.

Paula Hawkins’ 2015 novel chronicles the stories of three women: Rachel, Anna and Megan. Honestly, the plot is pretty elaborate and I doubt I can explain it very well without giving too much away. You’ll just have to figure it out for yourself.

Long story short, Rachel is a recently divorced, recently fired alcoholic who has an unhealthy obsession with her ex-husband, Tom. Anna, Tom’s former mistress, is now married to Tom and has a child with him, which is a big source of jealousy for the emotionally unstable Rachel.

In an effort to convince her roommate everything is fine and dandy, despite the fact she gets blackout drunk every night, Rachel sits on the train for hours every day.

On these daily trips, Rachel spies on Tom and Anna and becomes increasingly obsessed with their neighbor, Megan. It doesn’t take too long for things to get weird. Like, really weird.

Rachel soon discovers things are not as they appear. With many disturbing twists and turns, Hawkins has created a deeply disturbing psychological thriller on par with “Gone Girl.”

Representatives from DreamWorks have announced they have bought the movie rights to the novel, but details about the potential film have yet to be revealed.

I am extremely picky with my reading selections and I usually steer clear of psychological thrillers because they have a habit of disappointing me. This book did not disappoint.

I had low expectations for this book, but those expectations soared as soon as I finished the first chapter. This novel grabbed ahold of my mind and didn’t loosen its grip until I had read every word.

The thing about most psychological thriller novels that usually grinds my gears is the fact that the plots are always so transparent. I like reading books that surprise me; I love when a book keeps me guessing until I reach the climax and everything gets linked together in a totally unexpected way.

During the two days it took me to read this book, I found it impossible to predict what was going to happen in the end. The plot is so intriguingly obscure that I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what would happen at the end.

Obviously I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I will say future readers are in for a wild ride. Trust me, the ending is sure to blindside you. Proceed with caution.