Originally posted on my blog With Her Head in a Book. 
 A fast-paced psychological thriller about a meddling alcoholic caught in a game of Clue gone wrong when a woman suddenly goes missing. 
 Rachel's life has been taken over by her need to drink. She's lost everything she's once loved - her husband, her job, her body, her mind. She even suffers from terrible blackouts from drinking, leaving her unaware of her nightly deeds. There are many times where I felt remorse, disgust, anger, and compassion for her (sometimes all at once!). On the other hand, her husband is living the dream life she's always hoped for with his new wife and child. Rachel's remaining joys are limited to drinking and watching Jess and Jason during her train commutes. 
 Rachel is a people watcher with a creative mind, hence Jess and Jason. She's never met the couple, but she's created a whole life for them based on her observations. But can readers truly believe what she sees? Rachel is an unreliable narrator which adds to the novel's conflict. Being a drunk with memory issues repeatedly bites her in the rump. It's like she's the girl who cried wolf, except she's actually onto something here. Her very splotchy memory leads to second guessing on figuring out who-done-it and unfortunately for Rachel, every moment matters - even the ones she can't remember. The best part about Rachel's characterization is what she gives to readers. She provokes us to look beyond the images of people we create based on what little we see of their lives. Even when you think you know someone, you don't. 
 The use of different points of view was very fitting and well done for the novel. The writing style for each POV is very different and reflective of the character's personality and opinion. It's easily the best element of the novel, adding to the level of writing and suspense of the novel. 
 Personally, I found the plot to be a bit slow or at least not suspenseful enough for a thriller. Having said that, it's a decent thrill in the end, but there's not too much mystery. If you're like me and you like to play the guessing game "How Will It End?", you WILL be able to uncover this ending with ease. 
 My expectations were high. I read a lot of thrillers and don't accept anything less than perfection. The scenes that actually were suspenseful ended up on a train to nowhere (ha) - pointless in the grand scheme of things. I also thought more would happen on the train itself! The Girl on the Train is a quick read; it couldn't really keep me interested in the long term, though the author does a splendid job touching on issues such as domestic abuse, alcoholism, and infertility in a very raw way. Overall, the novel isn't bad, but there is room for improvement. Still, I would recommend this for anyone that wants to add another thriller to their shelves and for readers that liked Gone Girl. 
 Plot: 2/5 
 Characters: 4/5 
 Writing style: 4/5 
 All around idea: 3/5 
 Final Score: 3/5