Novel Review I recently read The Girl on the Train written by Paula Hawkins simply because I have had multiple people suggest it to me. After finishing the novel I now know exactly why so many people have recommended it to not only me, but everyone around me as well.
The Girl on the Train is full of mystery, shock and surprise which all adds up to creating a wonderful novel. I can say this novel would make it high on the list of best books I have read. Right from the first chapter the novel is quite intriguing. Over the whole novel, there are many twists and turns, and everytime you think you know something….you don’t! It gets your emotions running and you are just not able to put the novel down. There are many parts that make up a good novel and this particular one had most all of them: interesting characters, a unique problem, and a captivating plot. But overall this novel wouldn’t have been so successful if the writing couldn’t display all these aspects of the novel. Paula Hawkins wrote The Girl on the Train in a great way which allowed the audience to connect to the characters, create suspense, and develop many different parts of the plot. I thought having chapters told by different characters was a great choice, especially for this mystery/thriller novel. The different point of views allowed for unbiased opinions to be made on situations. As the reader I could try to logically try to sort through what really happened the night Megan was murdered instead of going solely off information I learned the the unreliable narrator of Rachel. Being able to gather information from different people made me as the reader feel as if I am trying to solve the mystery as well i’m not just getting one side of the story. I get to hear and see out different people and be able to study how each of them act in certain situations. Having insight into their different lives, made me as the reader feel as if i’m living the book and not just following someone else live it. As the reader I was also given the chance to connect to each of the characters because I was given a first hand look into their head. I got to live their side of the story and learn who they are as individuals. Rachel made out Anna to look like a madwoman who was out to ruin Rachel’s life. But once I could read some of the story through Anna’s point of view I could see she was just trying to protect her daughter and had legitimate reasons for her behaviour. This novel gives the opportunity for any type of reader to be able to make a connect to at least one of the characters. Are you going through a tough time? An alcoholic? Recently divorced? Just out of an unhealthy relationship or been cheated on? Rachel is who you can relate to. Are you a mom? A mistress? Or feel like you have someone wanting to harm you and your family? Anna is in the same position as you. Are you in a relationship that’s not everything you want? Looking for more in your life? Lost a child? Have a troubling past that’s following you around? Megan has all of those same feelings. There are so many important characters in this novel it was easy to connect to at least one of them. I feel it’s important to be able to relate to a character to make the story feel real and not as if it’s just a made up story. As the reader being able to see some else else struggling everyday and feeling as if nothing is going their way gave me a sense of relief because it made me feel like I wasn’t the only one dealing with a bucket load of problems. The relation to the characters made me want to keep reading because it makes the novel feel more realistic when the characters have relatable life problems. I also found the word choice was a good complexity as it wasn’t an easy read but it also wasn’t grueling. Especially in this mystery novel with many different ideas and solutions being thrown at the reader within the flipping between different time periods from many different characters, the simple word choice allows the reader to still be able to understand what is happening. The pace of the novel is quite quick with all the suspense created. As the reader I just wanted to keep going and find out what happens next. With straightforward words the reader can maintain the quick pace which is essential in a thriller novel like this one. Thriller novels are meant to play with your mind and make you think one thing before telling you you’re wrong. In my opinion Paula Hawkins wrote a successful thriller novel. However, this novel isn’t just about solving a murder. This novel has many underlying messages. With in the story there’s talk about broken relationships, daunting pasts, love, hate and self discovery. This novel isn’t just about solving a crime. It’s about life. It’s about the problems that everyday people face and how people get through them. How if you take life day by day things will eventually get better and things will work out for the best in the end. You may have your rough patches and get down, but as long as you get back up it will all get better. One of the simplest messages I took from this novel is: you just need to be like a train, and keep on going... .......................................................... Want to buy this novel? Click here .......................................................... Works Cited Hawkins, Paula. “The Girl on the Train.” By Paula Hawkins, www.goodreads.com/book/show/22557272-the-girl-on-the-train. Hawkins, Paula. “The Girl on the Train.” Barnes & Noble, www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-girl-on-the-train-paula-hawkins/1119671425#/. “Paula Hawkins.” Paula Hawkins, paulahawkinsbooks.com/. News Article Connection The Past in the Present
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The Girl on the Train
Written by, Paula Hawkins
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