natalie16j's review against another edition
4.0
This is not a book that you can easily get into. I found myself having to stop often and think about which character was which, and how they all connected. I listened to this book on audiobook and I found it hard to do anything but sit down and listen. I choose to listen to certain books than read them because I enjoy cleaning the house or doing everyday chores while being entertained. This book had a deep, very interesting plot. But, you need to be paying attention to what is going on very closely and you have to be able to keep the characters straight. I often found myself wanting to take notes just to keep the characters and point of views straight. This would be a great book to read during some down time or listen to while in traffic. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars because it was at times confusing but it was still a great book. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who doesn't enjoy books with a change in point of view. This book dips heavily into the topics of depression and suicide, so please don't try to read this book if that is something that triggers you.
jeffreyreads's review
2.0
I wanted so badly to not rate this book below 3 stars, but my god, it just becomes insufferably bad in the last 200 pages. I was intrigued enough within the first 150 pages to want to continue, but I just couldn't with the rest. Ridiculously twisted story that makes little to no realistic sense, most of which I'm sure Paula Hawkins was just trying to write for shock value.
Also, it must be said: TOO. MANY. DAMN. PERSPECTIVE. CHANGES. The cast of characters in this book is just too big. To spell it out a little clearer for you: there are 14 different characters with their own chapters IN THE FIRST PART ALONE. No. A thousand times, no. Make it stop.
I won't discourage you from checking this book out because you most probably loved The Girl on the Train, but just beware: it's not the same kind of book on any level. Not in tone, not in style, and (at least in my opinion) not in quality.
Also, it must be said: TOO. MANY. DAMN. PERSPECTIVE. CHANGES. The cast of characters in this book is just too big. To spell it out a little clearer for you: there are 14 different characters with their own chapters IN THE FIRST PART ALONE. No. A thousand times, no. Make it stop.
I won't discourage you from checking this book out because you most probably loved The Girl on the Train, but just beware: it's not the same kind of book on any level. Not in tone, not in style, and (at least in my opinion) not in quality.
yksisarvisprinsessa's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
gwenhwyfar82's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ms3194's review
2.0
It started out well and managed to hold my interest. But reading it was a waste of my time. The book slowly became predictable and had me rolling my eyes way too much. The ending was terrible.
findyourgoldenhour's review
3.0
In a half-star universe, is give this 2.5 stars, but I'm feeling generous so I'm rounding up to 3.
I just closed the cover of this book after reading the last page and my immediate feeling is "meh". Not exactly the satisfying end to a mystery/thriller when you find out whodunit on the last page.
When I first picked up this book, I was frustrated by all the characters and points-of-view. Once I got my bearings and got into the story I was enjoying the ride and wanted to keep reading. She builds a modern-day narrative while including some history of society punishing "troublesome" women. It was compelling for a while. But by the time I got to the last third of the book I really didn't care; it all felt so disjointed and unbelievable, and not a single character was particularly likable.
I enjoyed The Girl On The Train, and of course whenever a new author comes out of the gates with a runaway bestseller, the next book the author writes is inevitably compared to the first. My one critique of TGOTT was that all of the characters felt so dark; not evil, but just flattened under the weight of a dark cloud. The same is true with this book. Add that to a disjointed plot and a mediocre mystery and you get a 2.5 star book.
I just closed the cover of this book after reading the last page and my immediate feeling is "meh". Not exactly the satisfying end to a mystery/thriller when you find out whodunit on the last page.
When I first picked up this book, I was frustrated by all the characters and points-of-view. Once I got my bearings and got into the story I was enjoying the ride and wanted to keep reading. She builds a modern-day narrative while including some history of society punishing "troublesome" women. It was compelling for a while. But by the time I got to the last third of the book I really didn't care; it all felt so disjointed and unbelievable, and not a single character was particularly likable.
I enjoyed The Girl On The Train, and of course whenever a new author comes out of the gates with a runaway bestseller, the next book the author writes is inevitably compared to the first. My one critique of TGOTT was that all of the characters felt so dark; not evil, but just flattened under the weight of a dark cloud. The same is true with this book. Add that to a disjointed plot and a mediocre mystery and you get a 2.5 star book.
edottiffany's review
3.0
Three stars, an indicator of just how flat this book was to me. It's not awful, but it wasn't really good either. It lacked tension, and the many overlapping narratives felt cluttered and repetitive instead of driving the story forward.
If you liked The Girl on the Train, there's absolutely no guarantee you'll like Hawkins latest.
If you liked The Girl on the Train, there's absolutely no guarantee you'll like Hawkins latest.