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The Girl on the Train

Paula Hawkins

Start date: September 1, 2016

Finish date: September 30, 2016

Discussion: After the Book Discussion

Why we're reading this: Scare Challenge
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After the Book Discussion

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last updated Oct 30, 2025 05:31AM

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What Members Thought

Jun 22, 2016 Keli rated it liked it

There are books that are bloody brilliant that you want to read and re-read and the enjoyment doesn't lessen the more you do it, like drinking really good scotch or bourbon. Then there are books that are enjoyable while you are reading them, might even have you hooked for the journey but when you finish it's not left you feeling particularly great, like a night out on town downing on offer cocktails. This book is a well Singapore sling, looks tasty, goes down okay but leaves you feeling you've p There are books that are bloody brilliant that you want to read and re-read and the enjoyment doesn't lessen the more you do it, like drinking really good scotch or bourbon. Then there are books that are enjoyable while you are reading them, might even have you hooked for the journey but when you finish it's not left you feeling particularly great, like a night out on town downing on offer cocktails. This book is a well Singapore sling, looks tasty, goes down okay but leaves you feeling you've paid too much in the end. I could talk about how the plot was a wee smidge predictable or that the characters were hard to like or flat out horrible, except Rachel who was pitiful, or that the twist left a few questions unanswered for me. But I won't because I mostly enjoyed it during consumption. What I really liked about the book was not it's fast pace or engrossing (even with the above disclaimer) characters or the plot that was well written (even if predictable) but the drinking. See I love to have a drink myself. I like to have a nice glass of red wine or a gin & tonic while I read for a few hours in the evening but I found myself sipping tea with this one. Ms. Hawkins wrote Rachel so well she put me off booze. Now that's good writing, if it alters the reader's behaviour. I think Rachel's fight with alcoholism, her self-loathing, her resignation, embarrassment and patheticness were brilliantly portrayed and made this book better than it really was. I didn't really like any of the other characters. I kind of understood Megan and Scott. Her back story and his current situation made it easier to empathise with some of their actions/choices but ultimately I didn't like them. I skipped over the whole section towards the end where we find out what happens to Megan. I knew that was coming and since I didn't like her I didn't care. We won't even mention Anna or Tom. But Rachel, her I wanted to know the answers to. Was she actually reliable, would she get better, would she fill in her black holes, how would it turn out for her? I won't deny that I am a little disappointed with the ending. Again predictable and it could have gone in other more interesting or, at the very least, less cliché ways. Ultimately, The Girl on the Train is a fast-paced, well written, entertaining read, with a singularly engaging character who takes this from a two star rating to a three. ...more

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