The Girl on the Trainis a 2015 psychological thriller novel by British author Paula Hawkins that gives narratives from three different women: Rachel, Megan, and Anna about relationship troubles and binge drinking.

From the first pages, a reader can feel the struggles of the main character who is an alcoholic and obsessed with her ex-husband. There is also some kind of confusion who is who. However, the author made it clear by letting the readers know more about each narrative.

Rachel's drinking has caused herto lose her job; she frequently binges and has blackouts. While drunk, she often harasses Tom, though she has little or no memory of these acts once she sobers up. Such kind of actions made Tom leave Rachel to Anna. Rachel is surrounded by good people. They want to help her but Rachel does not want them to do it. This woman thinks that only Tom, her ex-partner might aid and save her from a bad life. All these brought Rachel more struggles and anxiety. She follows her old routine of taking the train to London every day; her train slowly passes her old house, where Tom, Anna, and their daughter Evie now live. She also begins watching from the train an attractive couple who live a few houses away from Tom. She idealizes their life (christening them “Jason” and “Jess”), though she has no idea that their life is far from perfect.

All the exciting actions appearwhen Megan “Jess” disappears and after some days the police find her body.

Rachel is trying to help to find a murderer. However, she faces an issue, no onebelieves her. As being an obsessed alcoholic woman, the detective who is investigating the case supposes that Rachel is out of her mind. Eventually, Rachel will figureout who is the real killer.

If you want to read a grippingmystery/psychological thriller that will blow your mind, this is thebook for you. In my opinion, the author did a really great job with the threecharacter’s voices. All three of them felt unique and like me you willexperience so, so many feelings reading their story. While they wereinteresting, I can’t say I liked any of them. But it was ok. I don’t expect tolike all the characters I read about and here the reader is not meant to likethem. All of them are flawed, all of them have insecurities and fears andbecause of that all of them felt real and in some way even relatable.

Alfiya Kurmanaliyeva, Librarian of the International Book Department