On My Bookshelf PSA [The Girl on the Train]

This book review is going to be slightly different than my usual "On My Bookshelf" posts.  Typically I only share books I think y'all might enjoy.  Today, I'm instead going to make a PSA of sorts.  The Girl on the Train came highly recommended to me by several friends.  "You're going to love it!"  "It reminds me of Gone Girl!" (Looking back, maybe that should have been my first warning.)  "Full of suspense. Really, really good."

Unfortunately, in my humble opinion, for me, this book fell flat.  I've been thinking and feel the real root of this problem is that I didn't like any of the characters.  Not one.  Even books that I haven't loved there is at least one character I want to root for, but not so much in this novel.  I will say that it was a quick read (I finished in a couple nights) and I did want to solve the mystery.  I don't want to completely discourage your reading the book because as I said, many, many friends really enjoyed it.  Just giving you a little different perspective.  If you've read it I would love to know what you think!

Amazon says:
Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. 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.

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 offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

Compulsively readable, The Girl on the Train is an emotionally immersive, Hitchcockian thriller and an electrifying debut.

Happy Reading!