I admittedly jump into far too many novels without knowing the semblance of a plot; The Girl on the Train was one of them. I knew they made it into a movie with Emily Blunt in the lead role, and it perhaps won some awards, but beyond that, I had no clue. I guess that’s why it completely blindsided me in all the best ways.

The story for this novel is wild. Rachel Watson is an alcoholic who is trying to unravel the mystery of a missing girl. Instead, she finds obstacles not only in those who distrust her spotty mind, but in herself because of the distrust of her spotty mind. Not surprisingly, her mind is spotty because she drinks to the point of blackout.

Rachel rides the train into the city every morning, passing by her old house, feeding her depression by staring at her ex, Tom, and his new family. It’s also here that she first sets eyes on their neighbors, whom she nicknames and dreams of having their life. It’s also how she first notices something wrong with them, which sets the story in motion.

Paula Hawkins writes a frenetic story that makes you doubt everyone on the page, starting with the protagonist herself. Everyone, including the reader and even the protagonist herself, knows Rachel is an unreliable narrator. This self-awareness makes the novel so much more enjoyable and also mysterious.

As she unlocks the mystery around her, Rachel understands how truly complicated her life has become, and that things aren’t always greener on the other side.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Care Corbitt, India Fisher, and Louis Brealey, and it was nearly perfection. These ladies had me caught up in all the drama, tenderness, and comedy that Paula Hawkins had put to page so much that I didn’t want to stop listening.