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Girl on the Platform
Love at first sight and a mysterious disappearance.
Best friends Mark and Pete board a train to London for a night out.
As Pete finds a seat he notices a girl sitting on a bench. She looks sad and lonely. When the train leaves, he can't get her out of his mind because in her he has seen a glimpse of himself.
Over the coming months Pete sees the girl often, but when tempted to speak to her, his courage fails. Then one day she simply disappears. Hopelessly besotted by this girl he believes to be his kindred spirit, Pete will not rest until he finds her…
Best friends Mark and Pete board a train to London for a night out.
As Pete finds a seat he notices a girl sitting on a bench. She looks sad and lonely. When the train leaves, he can't get her out of his mind because in her he has seen a glimpse of himself.
Over the coming months Pete sees the girl often, but when tempted to speak to her, his courage fails. Then one day she simply disappears. Hopelessly besotted by this girl he believes to be his kindred spirit, Pete will not rest until he finds her…
85 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2008
75 people are currently reading
237 people want to read
About the author
Josephine Cox
110 books333 followersJosephine Cox was born in Blackburn, one of ten children. At the age of sixteen, Josephine met and married her husband Ken, and had two sons. When the boys started school, she decided to go to college and eventually gained a place at university but was unable to take this up as it would have meant living away from home. Instead, she went into teaching – and started to write her first full-length novel. She won the ‘Superwoman of Great Britain’ Award, for which her family had secretly entered her, at the same time as her novel was accepted for publication. She is now a No.1 bestselling author with over 40 books to her name.
She wrote dark psychological thrillers under the name Jane Brindle.
She wrote dark psychological thrillers under the name Jane Brindle.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
January 5, 2019
*Borrowed from my library's e-book service!*
This was a very heavy dialogue driven short story, about two guys Pete and Mark who travel to London for a night of clubbing. As they board their train, Pete spots a girl on the platform and can't take his mind off of her. The short story reveals their exploits during their London visit, as well as the aftermath as Pete tries to summon up the courage to talk to the mysterious girl. It was very rushed, little character development and the last chapter in particular just didn't read believable to me. I did enjoy some of the dialogue but not all of it!
This was a very heavy dialogue driven short story, about two guys Pete and Mark who travel to London for a night of clubbing. As they board their train, Pete spots a girl on the platform and can't take his mind off of her. The short story reveals their exploits during their London visit, as well as the aftermath as Pete tries to summon up the courage to talk to the mysterious girl. It was very rushed, little character development and the last chapter in particular just didn't read believable to me. I did enjoy some of the dialogue but not all of it!
July 14, 2020
Best friends Mark and Pete board a train to London for a night out.
As Pete finds a seat he notices a girl sitting on a bench. She looks sad and lonely. When the train leaves, he can't get her out of his mind because in her he has seen a glimpse of himself.
Over the coming months Pete sees the girl often, but when tempted to speak to her, his courage fails. Then one day she simply disappears. Hopelessly besotted by this girl he believes to be his kindred spirit, Pete will not rest until he finds her.
As Pete finds a seat he notices a girl sitting on a bench. She looks sad and lonely. When the train leaves, he can't get her out of his mind because in her he has seen a glimpse of himself.
Over the coming months Pete sees the girl often, but when tempted to speak to her, his courage fails. Then one day she simply disappears. Hopelessly besotted by this girl he believes to be his kindred spirit, Pete will not rest until he finds her.
September 28, 2012
The whole trip to London timeline and village mentality of going out, asking taxi drivers and catching a show is ridiculous and quite unbelievable without the fact that their dialogue and actions are unrealistic and unworthy of a adult book.
The story about the girl on the platform is less than credible unless she is a trainspotter. The characters are presented as functioning adults but behave like teenagers with issues bordering on special needs.
Thankfully it is only a short book but even so it is disappointing in my belief this short stories could encourage non-readers to pick up books.
The story about the girl on the platform is less than credible unless she is a trainspotter. The characters are presented as functioning adults but behave like teenagers with issues bordering on special needs.
Thankfully it is only a short book but even so it is disappointing in my belief this short stories could encourage non-readers to pick up books.
January 28, 2022
Girl on the Platform by Josephine Cox is part of the Quick Reads series, designed in part to give readers a taste of different authors without engaging in a full-length book. However, this book has made me reluctant to read any more of Cox’s books. I’m surprised such an experienced writer could produce such a poorly written book and can only imagine she wrote it in the early days of her career and it was published much later.
The story is about Mark and Pete who travel to London for a night out at the theatre instead of their usual trip to the pub. Both are single and hope to have some fun and meet some girls. They both have encounters with women but neither is what they expect.
The plot is implausible and relies heavily on convenience and coincidence. The dialogue is unconvincing. At first, I thought the characters must be much younger than their reported 25 years as they seem so immature. However, even then, I can’t imagine two male friends talking to each other as they do. There are also sudden changes of point of view and other errors, such as Mark not driving his car home from Pete’s.
Overall, the book was disappointing and not up to the usual standard of the Quick Reads series.
The story is about Mark and Pete who travel to London for a night out at the theatre instead of their usual trip to the pub. Both are single and hope to have some fun and meet some girls. They both have encounters with women but neither is what they expect.
The plot is implausible and relies heavily on convenience and coincidence. The dialogue is unconvincing. At first, I thought the characters must be much younger than their reported 25 years as they seem so immature. However, even then, I can’t imagine two male friends talking to each other as they do. There are also sudden changes of point of view and other errors, such as Mark not driving his car home from Pete’s.
Overall, the book was disappointing and not up to the usual standard of the Quick Reads series.
November 26, 2017
This would have to be the worst novel I've read so far in the Quick Reads series. The plot was totally implausible and the dialogue was terrible. If Girl on the Platform is supposed to encourage adults to read, it has failed big time!
July 13, 2020
Not a particularly good story - worst JC book I've read. Waste of time.
January 13, 2024
Rating - 3.25 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨/ 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
January 28, 2013
Terrible book, I've never read anything by Josephine Cox and I doubt I will be again. It reads like it was written in a day; the plot and the timeline are ill thought out and it all feels very rushed and lacklustre. The ending in particular was very forced- she may as well have skipped the last chapter and written 'and they all lived happily ever after, the end'.
September 20, 2014
Very disappointing, completely unbelievable. The majority of this short story is taken up with a farcical trip to London with a horrendously unrealistic timeline, while the girl in the title features for barely a minute. Not a Quick Read that is likely to encourage anyone to read more, certainly not of this author's work
October 16, 2014
Weird story on how to successfully stalk someone.....ok as a quick read but not at all believable
September 20, 2015
If someone went out their way and brought me a dog, I'd be sold!
August 1, 2024
Nefasta y aburridísima, The girl on the platform (en inglés) es una novela corta que pretende ser romántica y sentimental. Aunque lo único que consigue es ponerte los pelos como escarpias, mientras que intentas comprender como es posible que la autora nos cuele el acoso como algo precioso y justificado en nombre del... ¿amor?
Josephine Cox firma la autoría de este bodrio de categoría. El libro NO está publicado en mi idioma natal, el español. Y esto demuestra el buen gusto literario que tenemos los hispanohablantes, ya que es un libro horrible. Desde el punto de vista literario, Cox es una pésima escritora (en serio, me ha dado vergüenza ajena, incluso si tenemos en cuenta que lo he leído en inglés) que tiene un estilo de escritura simplón, vacío y con una ejecución lamentable. Y todo ello lo consigue gracias a una prosa lentísima, pesada, con una estructura estúpida y un desarrollo risible, un lenguaje plano y funcional y unas descripciones que son para echarte a llorar. Pero hay algo peor que todo esto. Sí, lo habéis adivinado. Los personajes. Ya sé que es una novela de corta duración, pero hacía mucho tiempo que no veía un diseño y construcción de personajes tan horrenda y caótica. Decir que Mark y sobre todo Paul, protagonista de la novela, resultan superficiales e intrascendentes incluso dentro de su propia historia, es casi un eufemismo. Son tan simples que no tienes ganas de profundizar en nada que tenga que ver con ellos.
Con un título como The girl on the platform, ya puedes ir haciéndote una idea del calibre de argumento al que te vas a enfrentar. O no, porque ya te voy adelantando que el personaje que menos sale en toda la novela es la chica del andén en cuestión. Pero empecemos por el principio y hablemos sobre que trata esta novela. Mark y Paul son amigos que viven en las afueras y que un día deciden ir a pasar una noche a Londres. El padre de Paul ha ganado dos entradas para el teatro y los dos chicos deciden ir al espectáculo, de ahí al pub y de ahí a algún hostal barato. Con el plan en mente cogen el tren para dirigirse a su destino. Es entonces cuando Paul, que acaba de sufrir un desengaño amoroso, observa a una chica llorosa en el andén de enfrente. Y ¡zas! Ocurre la magia. Paul no se puede sacar a la chica de la cabeza. ¿será amor? ¿será acoso? ¿Paul está perdiendo la cabeza? Tendréis que leeros esta estúpida novela para descubrirlo. Pero sí que quiero dejar bien clara una cosa. Tal y como Cox nos cuenta la historia, parece que Paul está sufriendo alguna enfermedad mental. Es decir, no es normal obsesionarte de la noche a la mañana con una persona a la que ni siquiera conoces y que es posible que no vuelvas a ver jamás. Por qué hablo de acoso lo dejo a discreción del lector que podrá imaginarse por dónde van los tiros o puede torturarse con esta obra que pese al posible trasfondo perturbador tiene un “happy ending” bastante turbio y un poco perturbador, todo hay que decirlo.
En suma, The girl on the platform, es un producto típico de las editoriales para inflar el mercado con novelas de baja calidad que, por desgracia, suelen convertirse en las típicas lecturas del periodo estival. Os aconsejo encarecidamente que no cojáis este tren. Ni la chica ni el andén de enfrente merecen la pena.
Josephine Cox firma la autoría de este bodrio de categoría. El libro NO está publicado en mi idioma natal, el español. Y esto demuestra el buen gusto literario que tenemos los hispanohablantes, ya que es un libro horrible. Desde el punto de vista literario, Cox es una pésima escritora (en serio, me ha dado vergüenza ajena, incluso si tenemos en cuenta que lo he leído en inglés) que tiene un estilo de escritura simplón, vacío y con una ejecución lamentable. Y todo ello lo consigue gracias a una prosa lentísima, pesada, con una estructura estúpida y un desarrollo risible, un lenguaje plano y funcional y unas descripciones que son para echarte a llorar. Pero hay algo peor que todo esto. Sí, lo habéis adivinado. Los personajes. Ya sé que es una novela de corta duración, pero hacía mucho tiempo que no veía un diseño y construcción de personajes tan horrenda y caótica. Decir que Mark y sobre todo Paul, protagonista de la novela, resultan superficiales e intrascendentes incluso dentro de su propia historia, es casi un eufemismo. Son tan simples que no tienes ganas de profundizar en nada que tenga que ver con ellos.
Con un título como The girl on the platform, ya puedes ir haciéndote una idea del calibre de argumento al que te vas a enfrentar. O no, porque ya te voy adelantando que el personaje que menos sale en toda la novela es la chica del andén en cuestión. Pero empecemos por el principio y hablemos sobre que trata esta novela. Mark y Paul son amigos que viven en las afueras y que un día deciden ir a pasar una noche a Londres. El padre de Paul ha ganado dos entradas para el teatro y los dos chicos deciden ir al espectáculo, de ahí al pub y de ahí a algún hostal barato. Con el plan en mente cogen el tren para dirigirse a su destino. Es entonces cuando Paul, que acaba de sufrir un desengaño amoroso, observa a una chica llorosa en el andén de enfrente. Y ¡zas! Ocurre la magia. Paul no se puede sacar a la chica de la cabeza. ¿será amor? ¿será acoso? ¿Paul está perdiendo la cabeza? Tendréis que leeros esta estúpida novela para descubrirlo. Pero sí que quiero dejar bien clara una cosa. Tal y como Cox nos cuenta la historia, parece que Paul está sufriendo alguna enfermedad mental. Es decir, no es normal obsesionarte de la noche a la mañana con una persona a la que ni siquiera conoces y que es posible que no vuelvas a ver jamás. Por qué hablo de acoso lo dejo a discreción del lector que podrá imaginarse por dónde van los tiros o puede torturarse con esta obra que pese al posible trasfondo perturbador tiene un “happy ending” bastante turbio y un poco perturbador, todo hay que decirlo.
En suma, The girl on the platform, es un producto típico de las editoriales para inflar el mercado con novelas de baja calidad que, por desgracia, suelen convertirse en las típicas lecturas del periodo estival. Os aconsejo encarecidamente que no cojáis este tren. Ni la chica ni el andén de enfrente merecen la pena.
May 5, 2025
Girl on the Platform by Josephine Cox
Blurb
Love at first sight and a mysterious disappearance.
Best friends Mark and Pete board a train to London for a night out.
As Pete finds a seat he notices a girl sitting on a bench. She looks sad and lonely. When the train leaves, he can't get her out of his mind because in her he has seen a glimpse of himself.
Over the coming months Pete sees the girl often, but when tempted to speak to her, his courage fails. Then one day she simply disappears. Hopelessly besotted by this girl he believes to be his kindred spirit, Pete will not rest until he finds her…
My Opinion
At less than 90 pages, Girl on the Platform was a quick and easy book to read. A nice, short story with a happy ending.
Rating 4/5
Blurb
Love at first sight and a mysterious disappearance.
Best friends Mark and Pete board a train to London for a night out.
As Pete finds a seat he notices a girl sitting on a bench. She looks sad and lonely. When the train leaves, he can't get her out of his mind because in her he has seen a glimpse of himself.
Over the coming months Pete sees the girl often, but when tempted to speak to her, his courage fails. Then one day she simply disappears. Hopelessly besotted by this girl he believes to be his kindred spirit, Pete will not rest until he finds her…
My Opinion
At less than 90 pages, Girl on the Platform was a quick and easy book to read. A nice, short story with a happy ending.
Rating 4/5
July 14, 2021
Very short and definitely lives up to the ‘quick read’. Very much relies on dialogue. Would’ve been fantastic if the story continues from when he meets her with the puppy and it followed their love journey but it just felt so incomplete and rushed.
June 21, 2023
Quick reads in my opinion are designed to give you a taster of an author and hopefully make you want to read more by said author.
Unfortunately, this book hasn't made me want to rush to read another by the author.
Unfortunately, this book hasn't made me want to rush to read another by the author.
February 26, 2018
Total disappointment and utter rubbish from a well respected Josephine Cox
April 17, 2019
Quick short story. Was ok, killed some time. Ending a bit random though 🤷🏻♀️
January 18, 2020
Very disappointed with this book. Such a boring story, poorly written
June 14, 2020
this is the first book I read by Josephine cox it's a nice relaxing romantic short story full of happy endings looking forward to reading more of her novels
July 23, 2020
This was a good book. I think it is a teen age book.
August 4, 2020
awesome
October 18, 2020
I found this book to be a great little read on my kindle,whilst travelling to see friends on the train,especially as I was going to London.
I really enjoyed it
I really enjoyed it
June 11, 2022
Disappointing short read
January 8, 2023
Not Josephine Cox's best. The plot progresses in an illogical manner and the characters are two-dimensional and not very interesting. A stark contrast to her usual writing style.
February 2, 2023
This book didn't even deserve one star an absolute waste of time.
March 27, 2024
Liten søt kjærlighetshistorie som jeg fikk anbefalt på studiet. Litt husmorpornoaktig, men med ett gutteblikk, og det er likanes!
July 3, 2024
Good short story
February 10, 2025
Really good short story. I enjoyed the simplicity of it.
May 22, 2025
Poor dialogue. It could’ve been written by a child.
January 27, 2026
A very simple, very sweet romance.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews