REVIEW : The Girl on The Train by Paula Hawkins

The Girl on The Train - Paula Hawkins
Publisher : Riverhead Books
Release Date : January 13th 2015
Genres : Psychological Thriller
Pages : 336
Rating : ★★★★☆

The debut psychological thriller that will forever change the way you look at other people's lives.

EVERY DAY THE SAME
Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning and night. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. Jess and Jason, she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

UNTIL TODAY
And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel goes to the police. But is she really as unreliable as they say? Soon she is deeply entangled not only in the investigation but in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

 "They don't believe me. I'm an unreliable witness."

The story is told from three perspective : Rachel, Megan and Anna. The different narrators keep you on edge. They all have secrets. They all lie.

Rachel, an alcoholic obsessed with her ex-husband takes the train every morning and watch through the window a couple. They seem happy. They seem to have everything she has lost.

However, one day, she witnesses something the shatters her illusion. Jess and Jason (the names she's given them) are not that perfect after all. This information can be valuable for the police, so she tells them. But who's going to believe a drunk stalker ?

This book is creepy. The writing is intense. I felt every bit of desperation in Rachel's perspective. The longing in Megan's. The fear in Anna's.

The main characters are very realistic. I have a special spot for Rachel, though. She's completely wrecked. She's drunk most of the time. She's desperate, depressed and the only thing that gives her purpose is this mysterious case. She's lost everything : Her husband, her job and even her credibility. The only thing giving her comfort is imagining the life of her favourite couple. There's always a story hidden behind doors and Paula Hawkins shows us how looks can be deceiving. No one can't be trusted.

They're all awful. They lie and deceive each other. They play games and back-stab one another. And I think this is why I liked it so much. They're not all white or black. They're flawed and sometimes hateful but I felt a large range of emotions for all of them. From pity to distate.

I also liked how the author shows the incompetence of the medias. I think you'll see what I mean once you read it because you MUST read it. It's brilliant.

The original ending of this review was "Now excuse, I have to go watch the movie" but I just realized it's released in October... *sigh*