The Girl on the Train (2016) by Paula Hawkins: My Honest Review After Missing My Stop

I finished The Girl on the Train at 11:47pm on a Tuesday and I confess I was a little drunk on cheap wine. Not drunk like Rachel. Just that tired, cozy drunk you get when you are alone in your apartment.

I started reading it on the actual train. I was going to visit my mom. Two hour ride. I thought it would be funny to read The Girl on the Train on the train, you know? But then I got too into it. I missed my stop. I had to get off in the next town and wait 40 minutes for the train back. The book made me miss my stop. Literally.

This book was published in 2015 but everyone still talks about the 2016 movie, so I will call it The Girl on the Train (2016) for SEO. It is by Paula Hawkins. It is about Rachel, who takes the same commuter train every day. She watches a couple. She calls them Jess and Jason. In real life they are Megan and Scott. One day she sees something from the train window. And she thinks Megan is missing.

The Messy Woman We All Secretly Love

Look, let's be honest. Rachel is a mess. She is an alcoholic. She lost her job. She stalks her ex. She blackouts. Most thrillers give you a cool, smart heroine. This one gives you a woman who cries on the train.

And that is why it works. To be honest, I liked her. I felt bad for her. Sometimes I was annoyed. Like girl, stop calling him. But then I remembered times when I also called someone I shouldn't. So I get it.

Paula Hawkins writes all three women in first person. Rachel, Megan, and Anna. You have to pay attention to the dates at the top of each chapter. If you skip the dates you will get lost. I had to go back three times.

Look, let's be honest. Rachel is a mess. She is an alcoholic. She lost her job. She stalks her ex. She blackouts. Most thrillers give you a cool, smart heroine. This one gives you a woman who cries on the train.

And that is why it works. To be honest, I liked her. I felt bad for her. Sometimes I was annoyed. Like girl, stop calling him. But then I remembered times when I also called someone I shouldn't. So I get it.

Paula Hawkins writes all three women in first person. Rachel, Megan, and Anna. You have to pay attention to the dates at the top of each chapter. If you skip the dates you will get lost. I had to go back three times.

My Unpopular Opinion About This Book

Here is my hot take that will make people mad in the comments. I think Megan is way more interesting than Rachel. Everyone loves Rachel because she is the main character. But Megan? She is the real story. Her chapters are dark. She is bored. She is not a good person either. But she is honest about it.

Also, and please don't hate me. The book is kind of slow in the middle. The first 100 pages and the last 100 pages are insane. You cannot stop. The middle 150 pages? It drags a little. I almost put it down to watch TikTok. But I am glad I didn't. Because the ending is crazy. In a good way. Not in a fake twist way.

Scorecard: My Honest Numbers

Plot: 4.5/5 - You think you know who did it. You don't. I guessed wrong. My mom guessed wrong too.

Characters: 5/5 - No one is likable. And that is the point. Real people are not likable all the time.

Writing: 4/5 - Super easy to read. Short chapters. You can read it in two days even if you are a slow reader like me.

Pacing: 3.5/5 - Starts fast. Then slows. Then punches you in the face at the end.

My Verdict on The Girl on the Train

If you love Gone Girl, you will love The Girl on the Train. If you hated Gone Girl because the women were too mean, you will hate this too. Simple.

I give The Girl on the Train 4 stars. Not 5. Because the middle part really tested me. But the ending gave me closure. I closed the book. And stared at the wall for 10 minutes. Thinking about all the houses I see from the train and what is happening inside them. That never happened to me before with a book.

Would I read it again? No. Once is enough. The suspense only works once. But would I recommend it? Yes. 100% yes. Especially if you are going on a long train ride.

So, what team are you? Team Rachel, the messy girl who is trying her best, or Team Megan, the one who says what we all think but never say out loud?

If you read The Girl on the Train, tell me in the comments who you guessed was guilty before the reveal. I need to know if I am the only one who got it wrong.

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