The girl on the train is one of the most hyped about books of the last few years! Although i haven’t seen the film (and don’t intend to after a scathing review from my mum) it has attracted a lot of positive attention for the book.
The plot focuses on a recently divorced woman struggling to cope with her new life. Her seemingly perfect marriage has broken down, she failed to conceive a child, she gained weight and now relies on alcohol to escape from her many problems. Her life is meaningless.
The Girl on the Train- Paula Hawkins (Black Swan, 2016)
Her life is meaningless until one day, from the train, she witnesses something shocking. The story centers around what the protagonist witnesses, as she pieces together the stories of everyone in her life. Although at times repetitive (for understandable reasons, i mean, how interesting can an unemployed alcoholic’s day to day life really be?) the climax of this book is utterly thrilling.
Modern thrillers have never really been my go to read. I much prefer a classic. But my mum loves thrillers and is eager for me to keep up with her literary adventures.
The Couple Next Door- Shari Lapena (Bantam press, 2016)
The Couple Next Door is also a very popular recent thriller. The story follows a detective and a fractured family dealing with the kidnapping of a young baby. Again, this story is repetitive but definitely worth sticking with. The Girl on the Train provided me with that satisfying moment when i realised what was going on. The same satisfaction doesn’t come with The Couple Next Door. What happened in the kidnapping is partially revealed very early on, but Lapena skillfully unfolds the story so it retains the shock factor.
Despite the basic, almost childish narrative, the plot of The Couple Next Door makes it thrilling and entertaining.
Before I Go To Sleep- S.J. Watson (Black Swan, 2012)
Before I Go To Sleep is the thriller that has had most impact on me! It differs quite a bit from the other two mentioned, in that it doesn’t follow a typical crime narrative. The plot focuses on Christina; an amnesiac who wakes up every day with no recollection of who she is. Her husband is on hand to fill in the blanks, but is he telling her everything? The journal entries that make up this novel can get a bit repetitive (she is being reminded of the same things everyday, of course) and it can be frustrating that every moment of deceit seems to have a logical explanation, but the ending of this book is where the thriller really kicks in!
Unpredictable and completely original, Before I Go To Sleep is a must read for everyone!
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