Standalone Sunday | The Girl on the Train

Just like many of the other memes I take part in, it’s been a while since I’ve done a Standalone Sunday post. Last one I did was for The Song of Achilles, and I chose that as a standalone I WANTED to read rather than one I’ve already read. Luckily, I managed to check that one off my list last month.

This time around, I actually have a recommendation for you, one that I’ve already read!

As a reminder, Standalone Sunday is a feature created by the lovely Megan @ bookslayerReads where each Sunday you share a standalone book (a book not part of a series) that you loved or would like to recommend! Please be sure to check out Megan’s wonderful blog to see her original post and recommendations. And be sure to check around the blogosphere for more posts like this!

My standalone pick this week is:

Girl on the Train| Paula Hawkins

“EVERY DAY THE SAME
Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning and night. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. Jess and Jason, she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

UNTIL TODAY
And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel goes to the police. But is she really as unreliable as they say? Soon she is deeply entangled not only in the investigation but in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?”

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I’ll be honest and say this book can be a hit or miss with some readers. Though the premise is intriguing and the suspense is wonderfully written, the characters are not particularly likable. This book’s cast of characters are nothing if not human, especially the protagonist, who is best labeled an unreliable narrator. Every single one of these characters have something to hide and each one makes a multitude of mistakes. Even so, I found that to be the most believable part of the story!

Even though the mystery is somewhat easy to figure out, the book’s appeal lies within its imperfect characters. In other words, if you liked Gone Girl, you might like this one too!

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