The Girl On The Train - Paula Hawkins

The Girl on the Train is Paula Hawkins' first thriller novel. Before I bought a copy, I debated whether to buy it or not. I was unsure of getting it because I felt that this book wasn't really my type. But after a few customers at work asked me if I had read it, I decided to give it a go. Just a research so I would be prepared next time someone ask me. So here I am, done reading it and writing my review.

The Blurb:
Every day the same. Until today.
Rachel catches the same commuter train every morning. She knows it will wait at the same signal each time, overlooking a row of back gardens.

She's even started to feel like she knows the people who live in one of the houses. Their life - as she sees it - is perfect. If only Rachel could be that happy.

And then she sees something shocking, and in one moment everything changes.

Now Rachel has a chance to become a part of the lives she's only watched from afar.

Now they'll see: she's much more than just the girl on the train...

My Thoughts:
Wow... what a ride...(no pun intended). That was a lot of drama going on between the characters. While reading this book, I started to think, How am I going to write this review without giving anything away? So here I sit, bit clueless on how to do this, but luckily the ending gave me something to write about. Because, as always, there's usually a twist when it comes to thrillers and (luckily for me) this was no exception.

This is going to be a completely different kind of review from me, because this is just how I have to to it. I will try my best to not spoil anything. I will not tell what happened, just about the characters you're going to meet in this book. So I guess I'm going to give you "information" on what to expect from this book.

The story is about three women's point of view. Rachel - The "main character", Megan - The missing person and Anna - Rachel's ex-husband's wife.

The majority of the story is surrounded round Rachel's life as an alcoholic who lives with a "friend" in an apartment. She takes the train back and forth from London almost every day. While on the train, she's seated near the windows and likes to make up stories about the life of the couple living in one of the houses near the railway whenever it pulls to a stop near their home. She calls them Jess and Jason. A perfect couple with a perfect life. So when Megan goes missing, she wants to know what happened. Rachel was near their street that night Megan disappeared and can't remember anything because of the blackout from too much alcohol. She feels she's a part of their life after watching them from the train almost every day for over a year. She also saw something the day before Megan went missing and wants to tell Scott about it and try to help him.

Unfortunately, Rachel's ex-husband, Tom, and his new wife, Anna, lives on the same street as Megan and Scott. Anna is terrified of Rachel because of all the bad things she's done to Anna and her new family. She wants Tom to get rid of Rachel, but he tells her over and over again that he's going to talk with her, which he does every time. So when Rachel's starts to show up on their street more frequently, Anna gets scared, thinking she's there only to cause trouble for them. So Anna's entries are more or less surrounded round Rachel and the hate towards her. When things starts to uncover about Megan's past, Anna becomes uneasy and scared because Megan has been in their house few times in the beginning. So there's a lot of drama surrounding the characters...

Megan's entries is surrounded about her life from few years earlier and up to the day she disappears. She is completely different from what Rachel imagines to say the least. She's seeing a therapist about her trouble sleeping and other problems that she's been through. Learning what she's been going through is sad. I also got frustrated about the things she did (the same with Anna). Seriously! But, you know, it's not easy to love just one person sometimes when another one shows up I guess. Like I said.. a lot of drama.

Back to Rachel before I starts spoiling the whole thing!

I know it's not easy to be an alcoholic, but sometimes.. just sometimes... I was like, Mate... you know you get blackouts and do bad things when you're drunk...WHY ARE YOU STILL DRINKING?? Seriously! If I was you, I would have stopped ages ago! I know it's bad thinking this, but sometimes...When you're not dealing with this yourself it's difficult to look at it from their perspective. It's like telling someone with anxiety to get over it. It doesn't work that way. Trust me, I know! I know so perfectly well, dealing with anxiety myself. I'm better now though, finally. Still got some degree of Socially Anxiety, but I manage thanks to my job for making me socialize even when my heart beats faster, my face turns slightly red and feeling bit shaky.
So, Rachel and her drinking problem. Poor girl. I do feel bad for her, because she too went through not so good things. I think she was strong when she decided to try and drink less (and maybe stop drinking altogether) when the whole Megan thing started. Of course, it wasn't easy for her but she tried.

All in all. It was bit of a slow start. I didn't know what to expect from this book, but when I started reading, I felt that nothing bad would really happen but I wanted to continue just to see where this whole plot were going. And I also continued because this was a "research" for work. Not that I wanted to stop reading after a few chapters! When things started to happen, I wanted to know more. I got more or less hocked because I had questions and wanted the answers. The ending was a huge twist, that's for sure. I wasn't sure who had done this and had a few suspects in mind, but none of them were this person. It's like the Strike series by "Robert Galbraith" were you have no idea who the killer is. Or, you think you know, but the ending blows your mind. Same thing here.

I think The Girl on the Train was a great book. Thrilling and suspenseful and, also, drama (maybe a tad much but still good). I also found out today that this book is turning into a movie! I watched the trailer before writing and I'm glad I read the book first. It looks interesting and I will see it when it comes out, but there where few things that annoyed me about the trailer. First of all, the story in the book takes place in England, but in the movie, it somehow takes place in America. Second, some (or most) of the scenes they showed on the trailer could more or less be a part of a fifty shades trailer. Like I wrote further up, majority of the plot is surrounded around Rachel and her drinking problems, harassing Tom and Anna by turning up drunk on their doorstep and calling Tom in the middle of the night. And the last thing that annoyed me was that they didn't show that much of what was actually the story in this book. Which, more or less it Rachel and the other things I wrote about further up.

At least now I might know some of the reasons why this book is popular here in Norway. One, the book has finally been translated to Norwegian (started selling the Norwegian copies few month ago) and there's a movie adaption coming up next year.

Phew... that was a long review. I hope I didn't give that much away. You will find out about the things I wrote about almost from the beginning so don't worry about that :P

There's a lot more to the story so if you want to read it but not sure, then I hope I helped you with your decision. It is a great book. Well, at least I thought it was great :P

And that's all for now! I might do another review pretty soon, because I'm going to read Paris For One after this and it got round 100 pages so I think I will finish fast.

Bye x

4/5

Next book to read: Paris For One - Jojo Moyes

Behind Closed Doors - B. A. Paris

Behind Closed Doors is B. A. Paris' first novel and it was so good that I'm going to continue buying her books when they comes out! I did finish this a few days (or more like nights) ago, but didn't have the time to write this review until now.

The Blurb:
Jack 
- Handsome
- Dedicated lawyer
- Loving husband

& Grace 
- Elegant
- Consummate housewife
- Prisoner

Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace.
He has looks and wealth, she has charm and elegance.
You might not want to like them, but you do.
You'd like to get to know Grace better.

But it's difficult.
Because you realise they are never apart.
Some might call this true love.

Others might ask why Grace never answers the phone.
Or can't meet for lunch, without Jack.
And why there are bars on one of the bedroom windows.

Sometimes the perfect marriage is the perfect lie.

My Thoughts:
Where do I start without spoiling anything?? Aaah! This book was so suspenseful and I could barely put it down when I first started reading it in the evenings! I got hooked from the start even though nothing much happened. You know it's a great book when you stay up half the night to read it even though you have to get up little early the next day! I literally held my breath during the last few chapters!

So much things happened during Behind Closed Doors and I really felt sorry for Grace and actually wanted to jump into the book and save her from that psycho husband of hers. I got shocked when he revealed his reasons for marrying her and how much he manipulated and controlled her. I admired her for her strength (if I can say that) and that she never gave up no matter what and that she was determined to fight him one way or another until the end. Even though she felt beaten and almost wanted to give up, she still tried to find a way to get away from him.

I got my hopes up when one of their new neighbors started to ask questions about things and that she looked suspicious when Grace looked at her. And I sat there thinking "Yey! Maybe she would be the one to save Grace!" So there were few of those hopes while reading Behind Closed Doors, but after reading some more I felt that this won't end good but at the same time still had a hope that she would get away somehow. I can say that I liked the ending without saying much and the whole story really stuck with me.

All in all, this was a thrilling story and it left me staring at the walls after finishing it with lots of thoughts (which I'm not going to spoil here on this post). And the way those chapters were divided between the past and present was great too. It wasn't a mess like it can be when reading about both past and present

I can't write anything else here without ruining things so I'm going to make a separate post with spoilers because I just have to get it out :P

So this is my non-spoiler review and I know I'm still not that good at writing these but hey! Still Norwegian.

Bye xx

Spoilers

5/5

Currently Reading: The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins

Before I Go To Sleep - S. J. Watson

Before I go to sleep is S. J. Watson's debut novel and the second book I've read from this author. Second life was the other one which I've also written a review on. I'm glad I read this as well, because I could not simply put it down without having a reason...

The Blurb:
Memories define us.

So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep?
Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love - all forgotten overnight.
And the one person you trust may only be telling you half the story.

Welcome to Christine's life.

My Thoughts:
Wow...what a novel! I was hooked from the start! Last night I even ended up reading till 4.30 in the morning because there was a lot of things that suddenly happened. After I noticed light coming through the window I knew I had to stop and try to sleep :P So yeah... this was a book that I just couldn't put down without having a reason.

I'm gonna try and not spoil the whole book, but I think I can say a few things that is not really spoilers. Christine got amnesia. She only remember the things that has happened during the day, but when she falls asleep she forgets everything. So when she wakes up, she doesn't remember anything that have happened the day before or her past. Even her husband, who lies right next to her in bed every morning when she wakes up. The same questions every day, forgotten the next morning, until a doctor gives her a journal. She starts to write down most of the things that has happened during the day, so she can read it when she wakes up. The memories that comes and goes, the feelings of something bad that has happened. And that's what this whole book is about. Her journal, the things she has written, things that she has started to remember but fades as quick as they have come and occasionally comes back. And I can say that some things might not be true.

I liked the ending, although I wish the author had written some more! It was a thrill read and I'm glad that Second life made me wanting to read more from S. J Watson! There's also a film version of it that came out in 2014 if you don't want to read it :P I think I might gonna watch it one day and see if it is as good as the book ;)

5/5

Next book to read: Wool by Hugh Howey

Second Life - S. J. Watson

Second Life is the first book I've read from S.J. Watson. It took me a while to finish it because I ended up watching every single episode from season 1-6 of The Walking Dead during Easter :P Wanted to check it out and ended up binge-watching it... oh well... But now I'm finished and here's my review!

The Blurb:
She loves her husband.
She's obsessed with a stranger.

She's a devoted mother.
She's prepared to lose everything.

She knows what she's doing.
She's out of control.

She's innocent.
She's guilty as sin.

She's living two lives.
She might lose both.

My Thoughts:
Like I wrote on the blog last time, I mentioned that this book was slow in the beginning and that things might speed up a bit after some chapters. I was right. But it took some time to get to the part where things did actually happen. I think one of the reasons that it took me so long to finish this was because there wasn't that much things that happened in the beginning and I also got a bit annoyed at the character. The way she thought about this stranger and that she continued to do things even though she knew it was a bad thing to do. Of course, it can be difficult to get away if you really like someone. I get that, but it was just annoying that she came back to this person again and again while I sat there thinking: No! Don't! Please get away!God you're stupid.... -.-'
When things really started to happen (over halfway through), I could barely put it down. It was a huge twist in the end of the book and I wanted to know what happened after the last page.

I bought the debut novel Before I Go To Sleep by S. J. Watson today so if that's not proof enough that I ended up liking this book then I don't know ;)

3/5

The Accident - C. L. Taylor

The Accident is the debut novel by C. L. Taylor and the second book I've read from her. After reading The Lie last week, which is the second novel from her, I wanted to read this right away because The Lie (in my opinion) was creepy, but at the same time a thrill read.
Here's what I think about her debut novel. (Contains spoilers)

The Blurb:
You took my child. Now I'll take yours...

Sue Jackson has the perfect family but when her teenage daughter Charlotte deliberately steps in front of a bus and ends up in a coma she has to face a very dark reality.

Retracing her daughter's steps she finds a horrifying entry in Charlotte's diary and is forced to head deep into her daughter's private world. In her hunt to discover the truth, Sue begins to mistrust everyone close to her and is compelled do delve into the murky depths of her own past.

Sue will do anything to protect her daughter.
But what if she is the real reason that Charlotte is in danger?

Fast-paced, suspenseful, this is a book with more twists than a helter-skelter. Prefect for fans of Before I Go To Sleep and Gone Girl.

My Thoughts:
It started a bit slow, but after some chapters it started to pick up. It wasn't like The Lie were I wanted to continue to read right after I'd put it down, but it got better after round 100 pages in. After I had finished her previous novel, I had some expectations with this story. Of course, this was her debut novel I started to like it more and more in the end. So much that I ended up finishing it round 4 o'clock this morning. Long night, but it was worth it. Lot of things happened in the last few chapters that I couldn't just put it away and sleep. I needed to know what happened and was not disappointed at all. In one of the last chapters I thought that maybe Sue had been so delusional that none of the things that had happen in the present time was real. But she was right all along and am glad that she trusted her instincts when no one else did. Finding the true reason why her daughter had walked in front of the bus was scary. I understand why she wanted to find out the truth because her past had caught up with her (literally). And not in a good way.
The way the chapters went back and forth with present day and diary entries from the 90's made it better than if there only was about the present day, because so many things happened in the 90's and reading the entries, I got to know more about the reasons why she acted the way she did and why she was so caught up with finding the truth. And that's all I want to tell you about this novel without spoiling that much (although there are spoilers at the end of this post)

This book started slow but ended up being one suspenseful read. I'm glad I continued to read this and I'm looking forward to read more from her. After reading The Lie and The Accident I know that the novels will be better and better. The Lie was so good that I couldn't put it down and The Accident might have been slow in the beginning but all in all, I can't wait to read more from C. L. Taylor!


4/5





SPOILERS:
There was also entries from her diary from the 90's about her psycho ex-boyfriend. In the beginning I got a bit annoyed because obviously he was manipulating her and she made excuses for not leaving him. And then I started to think from her p.o.v and understood that it's difficult to just up and leave when someone manipulate you the way he did. One second he was nice and all, and then out of nowhere he accused her of cheating and couldn't bare the thoughts of her having dated guys before him and wanted her to throw away her bed (because other guys had slept in it), her presents from previous boyfriends (because he thought she kept them 'cause she missed them or something) and so on. Even I got scared of the way he treated her! And got so, so angry at him! I mean, he even locked her up in his mum's house where they both lived so she couldn't leave! He treated her like garbage and called her things and he also made her stand naked in front of the window so everyone could see how ugly her body was and that no one could believe how anyone would touch a fat girl like her. That was the kind of creepy messed up guy he was. I completely understood why she was so scared when she found out that he had found her again after all these years and was after her daughter. I'm not going to say anything else because you just have to read it yourself.

The Lie - C. L. Taylor

The Lie is the first book I've read by C. L. Taylor. I found it when i was at a local bookstore and was trying to find one more book since it's 3 for 2 on all english books there and I wanted to find books that was on my wish-list. I couldn't find any one and then I see this one and I looked at it and read on the back and I knew I needed this. Found out when I got home that day that this book too was already in my wish-list on goodread.com! So all three books that I had bought that day was on my list after all :P Anyway... so here's my thoughts of The Lie.

The Blurb:
I know your name's not really Jane Hughes...

Jane Hughes has a loving partner, a job in an animal sanctuary and a tiny cottage in rural Wales. She's happier than she's ever been but her life is a lie. Jane Hughes does not really exist.

Five years earlier Jane and her then best friends went on holiday but what should have been the trip of a lifetime rapidly descended into a nightmare that claimed the lives of two of the women.

Jane has tried to put the past behind her but someone knows the truth about what happened. Someone who won't stop until they've destroyed Jane and everything she loves...


My Thoughts:
First thing first: This book was creepy! And I could barely put it down because of all the things that continued to happen! I got hooked from the beginning and wanted to know what happened in Nepal. And of course, who the mysterious person who knew who Jane really was. It was a thrilling read and it almost felt like I was there with them and I wanted to jump in there and save them from that horrible place!

Let's just say that this was me most of the time during this novel:

Seriously... I couldn't stop reading and I wanted to find out what happened in Nepal and who the person was that threaten Jane.

This is the kind of book that, when you have a break from it you just want to grab it again and continue to read. That's what it was like with me. I took a break because of dinner or something and while I was away from the book I just wanted to go back in the sofa and continue! There was so many things, horrible things that happened and I felt sorry for Jane, angry about some of the others...
The way the story goes, from five years ago and to present day was great written, though I got "annoyed" when something bad happened on the last page in a chapter and suddenly the next chapter was either about the present day or five years ago. So I had to read a few chapters to get back to where that chapter had ended. But then again, that makes you wanting to continue to read :P

I'm glad I found this book and am excited to read another book from C. L. Taylor right after I've finished this review. I think this author is going to be a new favorite of mine. I like the way she writes and I look forward to check out more of her books!



4/5