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rsagarin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Car accident, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
kaylee14's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Cursing, Death, Violence, Car accident, and Abandonment
Minor: Animal cruelty
em_gauts's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Murder
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Grief, Stalking, and Death of parent
chelle22's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Blood, and Alcohol
Minor: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, and Gaslighting
literatureleaf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Reading time: 4 days
Difficulty level: 2/5
Rating: 6.5/10
The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn follows Anna Fox, a no-longer practicing child psychologist who finds herself suffering from agoraphobia after tragedy strikes her household. While battling her own mind, Anna passes the time by watching her neighbors. Most of the time she sees nothing but the mundanity of rich, suburban lifestyles, but one fateful day a new family, the Russell’s, move into the neighborhood, and everything changes.
After observing the new neighbors through her windows, and getting to know Jane Russell, the woman of the house, and Ethan Russell, her teenage son, Anna begins to suspect that everything is not quite as it should be within the household, and the root of the domestic strife lies with Alistair, Jane’s husband and Ethan’s father. One night the situation reaches a boiling point, and Anna witnesses something that no one was meant to see, sending her spiraling into a web of deception and mystery where she quickly finds that she can trust no one, not even herself.
Finn pens a gripping portrait of a psyche ravaged by loneliness, substance abuse, and mental illness. Anna is a flawlessly executed unreliable narrator, and an air of tormented despair permeates throughout the book, creating a continuous feeling of dread and uncertainty. At times the narration can become a bit longwinded, and Anna tends to ramble, but for the most part, within the context of her fragile mental state, this works with the story rather than against it.
At the heart, The Woman in the Window is a thriller, and Finn is certainly a master of the genre. The book centers around one large mystery, with several other, smaller, interconnected mysteries at play that intertwine seamlessly into one main plotline. Each element is given just the right amount of attention, and the different subplots serve to flesh out the main story, rather than overshadow it. The suspense scenes are not only plentiful, but executed to near perfection, igniting a feeling akin to holding a live wire. Holding your breath is nearly a guarantee!
Despite the expertly crafted suspense elements, the book struggles with the mysteries themselves. The twists were, for the most part, largely unoriginal, and despite the riveting leadups, the reveals themselves were underwhelming, leading to a feeling much like eating a delicious dinner, then following it up with a prepackaged Hostess cake from the local gas station for dessert. When considering the high caliber of the rest of Finn’s writing, the twists can’t help but feel phoned in.
Unfortunately, the mysteries aren’t the only aspect of the novel that leaves something to be desired. At times, it feels like the book is taking on more than it can handle. Without giving too much away, in addition to being a simple thriller, The Woman in the Window attempts to delve into mental health, family, resiliency, domestic abuse, grief, and drug addiction. While some of these are explored in detail and very well done, others fall by the wayside and are not given the respect and attention that such heavy topics deserve. However, when so much is crammed into one book, it is almost inevitable that certain themes will take precedence over others.
At its core, The Woman in the Window is a fun and suspenseful read that excels at keeping the reader on the edge of their seat. Anna is an outstanding main character, and Finn makes it startlingly easy to empathize with her, even when revelations are made that don’t cast her in the best light. The plot is solid and entertaining throughout, and, despite the predictable twists and less-than-stellar exploration of some of the heavier themes, Finn is undeniably great at writing a novel that’s no less than a great time.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief
Moderate: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Violence, Blood, and Car accident
Minor: Animal cruelty, Cursing, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
az_makro's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
- little bit too much about her drinking, but it showed her mental state clearly
- good plot twist, I was not expecting (author toyed with readers emotions), - but the ending was not exactly connected to the story, it could have been the ending of any story and you would most likely not expect it
- possible to see into Anna’s thought, through both the writing style and her thoughts
Graphic: Addiction, Chronic illness, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Car accident, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Medical content, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Cursing, Physical abuse, Violence, and Blood
luckyone's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Moderate: Grief, Stalking, and Car accident
Minor: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent
serendipity421's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Violence, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Cursing, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
bloodredscar832's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The writing was descriptive, which I prefer, however I agree with other reviews saying this book could have been 100 pages less and still worked/ been even better.
After reading, I looked at reviews and searched up the author, and just - wow. Yeah, I do not support him at all. I know that he probably shouldn’t affect the way that I view the book, but he does. What a terrible guy.
All-in-all, it was good for what it was, but nowhere near the best psychological thriller I have read/ will read. If I had known anything about the movies that the protagonist was watching, I would have 100% been able to predict the plot.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Animal cruelty and Stalking
frantically's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Violence, Grief, and Car accident
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Death, and Infidelity
Minor: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, and Suicidal thoughts