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The Girl on the Train: Sidekick to the Novel
The Girl on the Train: A Novel by Paula Hawkins -- Sidekick to the Novel
Can’t get enough of Paula Hawkins' The Girl on the Train? Immerse yourself in her world and discover hidden treasures with this Sidekick.
Warning: This is an independent companion to The Girl on the Train, meant to enhance your experience of the novel. If you have not yet bought Paula Hawkins' novel, make sure to purchase it before buying this unofficial Sidekick.
Riding the train on her daily commute, Rachel watches the picture-perfect couple she’s dubbed "Jess and Jason" as they go about their lives. But one day she sees something that changes her perception of the couple forever—and leads her deep into the darker truths that lie beneath the pretty smiles and charming houses of Blenheim Road.
First published in the U.K. in 2012, The Girl on the Train is Paula Hawkins' debut novel and has already sold over seven million copies.
With this Sidekick, you’ll:
• Spend some more time with the characters you've come to know and love
• Take a look at the novel’s underlying themes
• Learn what you might have missed on your first read of The Girl on the Train
• Explore a possible alternate ending and imagine ideas for a sequel
• Get a chance to discuss Paula Hawkins’ The Girl on the Train with other readers
Sidekicks are entertaining and insightful reading companions, filled with delightful commentary and thought-provoking questions. Readers have raved that they "really put you in touch with the many layers of the novel," "keep you entertained even longer," and are "perfect if you want a vivid understanding of the story." Designed to be read side by side with the novels they complement, they’ll give you even more reasons to love some of today’s best books.
Can’t get enough of Paula Hawkins' The Girl on the Train? Immerse yourself in her world and discover hidden treasures with this Sidekick.
Warning: This is an independent companion to The Girl on the Train, meant to enhance your experience of the novel. If you have not yet bought Paula Hawkins' novel, make sure to purchase it before buying this unofficial Sidekick.
Riding the train on her daily commute, Rachel watches the picture-perfect couple she’s dubbed "Jess and Jason" as they go about their lives. But one day she sees something that changes her perception of the couple forever—and leads her deep into the darker truths that lie beneath the pretty smiles and charming houses of Blenheim Road.
First published in the U.K. in 2012, The Girl on the Train is Paula Hawkins' debut novel and has already sold over seven million copies.
With this Sidekick, you’ll:
• Spend some more time with the characters you've come to know and love
• Take a look at the novel’s underlying themes
• Learn what you might have missed on your first read of The Girl on the Train
• Explore a possible alternate ending and imagine ideas for a sequel
• Get a chance to discuss Paula Hawkins’ The Girl on the Train with other readers
Sidekicks are entertaining and insightful reading companions, filled with delightful commentary and thought-provoking questions. Readers have raved that they "really put you in touch with the many layers of the novel," "keep you entertained even longer," and are "perfect if you want a vivid understanding of the story." Designed to be read side by side with the novels they complement, they’ll give you even more reasons to love some of today’s best books.
- GenresBook Club
54 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2015
17 people are currently reading
114 people want to read
About the author
Andy Gooding-Call
18 books21 followersAndy Gooding-Call is a freelance writer and public librarian (not necessarily in that order) living in Massachusetts. He has written for Book Riot, ForeWord Reviews, In Kind Life, Etekly, and a bunch of places you've never heard of.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
February 6, 2015
I was given the chance to read The Girl on the Train: A Novel by Paula Hawkins-- Sidekick to the Novel by Anna Call in exchange for an honest review.
First, as noted in the beginning of the book, this is not a standalone book. It is meant t be read along with the reading of The Girl on the Train. The first couple sections of the book are meant to be read along with the book, while the final sections and Final Analysis is meant to be read after The Girl on the Train.
I liked the Chapter reviews. They were well written and helped me know what I may have missed and what I should be looking for upon the second reading. Anna makes clear distinctions of the action of Rachel, Megan and Anna. She also gives further insight into Scott and Tom. The Character guide was short and sweet, but I felt the Character Analysis section was wonderful.
Anna offers two ideas for additional story-lines. I like that one was a sequel and the other was a prequel. The clearly lead to more questions that could be additional ideas for further stories or avenues of adventure for Rachel or Scott. Although she states. "Tom's back-story is summarized at the end of the book", I might be interested in further study of Tom and when he decided to make the choices he did.
I do think this Sidekick would be a great addition to reading with and follow reading The Girl on the Train. I give this book five stars.
First, as noted in the beginning of the book, this is not a standalone book. It is meant t be read along with the reading of The Girl on the Train. The first couple sections of the book are meant to be read along with the book, while the final sections and Final Analysis is meant to be read after The Girl on the Train.
I liked the Chapter reviews. They were well written and helped me know what I may have missed and what I should be looking for upon the second reading. Anna makes clear distinctions of the action of Rachel, Megan and Anna. She also gives further insight into Scott and Tom. The Character guide was short and sweet, but I felt the Character Analysis section was wonderful.
Anna offers two ideas for additional story-lines. I like that one was a sequel and the other was a prequel. The clearly lead to more questions that could be additional ideas for further stories or avenues of adventure for Rachel or Scott. Although she states. "Tom's back-story is summarized at the end of the book", I might be interested in further study of Tom and when he decided to make the choices he did.
I do think this Sidekick would be a great addition to reading with and follow reading The Girl on the Train. I give this book five stars.
February 8, 2015
starts out slow, picks up towards the middle but found the characters to be fairly undeveloped and the storyline pretty predictable. Irritated that I wasted my time reading this thinking that it would pick up and get good?
November 17, 2016
Good story. Didn't enjoy all her drinking. But I would highly recommend to read.
May 15, 2015
Recently, my bookish friend Suzanne and I took a road trip. We listened to The Girl on the Train. I think I speak for her as well when I say that this book is well worth the read, or audio if you prefer. We were entertained by each of the characters for their individual personalities. The fact that each of them had a penchant for wine made them all the more interesting. We can relate.
This is a great "whodunit" and kept us guessing right up to the very last chapters. The story takes place across the big pond and the narration was all fluently British, which made my next book (also set in that country) hard to read without the mental accent. So, I guess we could say the book was influential in more ways than one.
Our main character, Rachel is a woman suffering the effects of a marriage gone bad ending in divorce from a man she thought she couldn't live without. When we first meet Rachel, we learn that she takes the train every day on her way to and from work. Along the way she sees the same couple (from her window on the train) that seemingly has the perfect life in the neighborhood where she used to live in her seemingly "perfect" house and life. She becomes obsessed with them, giving them names that she's created for their story as she believes it to be. As the plot unfolds Rachel's mental story for the couple evolves and suddenly she's enmeshed in their reality. From there, we learn more about all of the other characters and in their sad, pathetic tragedies, they are hilarious.
No spoilers but for all my other bookish friends, I highly recommend this book. The reviews are great with good reason. We had a great time trying to figure out what was going to happen next.
This is a great "whodunit" and kept us guessing right up to the very last chapters. The story takes place across the big pond and the narration was all fluently British, which made my next book (also set in that country) hard to read without the mental accent. So, I guess we could say the book was influential in more ways than one.
Our main character, Rachel is a woman suffering the effects of a marriage gone bad ending in divorce from a man she thought she couldn't live without. When we first meet Rachel, we learn that she takes the train every day on her way to and from work. Along the way she sees the same couple (from her window on the train) that seemingly has the perfect life in the neighborhood where she used to live in her seemingly "perfect" house and life. She becomes obsessed with them, giving them names that she's created for their story as she believes it to be. As the plot unfolds Rachel's mental story for the couple evolves and suddenly she's enmeshed in their reality. From there, we learn more about all of the other characters and in their sad, pathetic tragedies, they are hilarious.
No spoilers but for all my other bookish friends, I highly recommend this book. The reviews are great with good reason. We had a great time trying to figure out what was going to happen next.
July 10, 2015
In the spirit of Gone Girl, this mystery focuses on a missing woman, an accused husband and a sad, bored stranger who thinks she knows more than she does. The pace is fast, the chapters are sharp and cords of mysteries unravel string by string, keeping readers interested throughout the entire book.
But unlike Gone Girl, I'm not sure this book had a deeper message behind its mystery. It is what it is: a whodunit about a kidnapped white, suburban lady and the quagmire of secret troubles and peccadilloes discovered in her aftermath. There's no real moral here, no lesson about genuineness or honesty or the necessary complexity of relationships. At best, the novel asks you to at least attempt to understand (nonetheless sympathize with) a bunch of people who've done shady things, but it doesn't try too hard even at that: we're all human and we all make mistakes, but these people are kind of asshats, so, meh, judge them as hard as you want.
A fun read, but certainly not a novel that will stick with you.
But unlike Gone Girl, I'm not sure this book had a deeper message behind its mystery. It is what it is: a whodunit about a kidnapped white, suburban lady and the quagmire of secret troubles and peccadilloes discovered in her aftermath. There's no real moral here, no lesson about genuineness or honesty or the necessary complexity of relationships. At best, the novel asks you to at least attempt to understand (nonetheless sympathize with) a bunch of people who've done shady things, but it doesn't try too hard even at that: we're all human and we all make mistakes, but these people are kind of asshats, so, meh, judge them as hard as you want.
A fun read, but certainly not a novel that will stick with you.
March 10, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-385-68231-2
Every day the same. Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning and night. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She looks forward to it. 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.
Until today. 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 her discovery to herself, Rachel goes to the police. But is she really as unreliable as they say? Soon she is deeply entangled not only in the investigation but in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good.
This was a compulsive read and one I could not put down. Highly recommendable.
Every day the same. Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning and night. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She looks forward to it. 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.
Until today. 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 her discovery to herself, Rachel goes to the police. But is she really as unreliable as they say? Soon she is deeply entangled not only in the investigation but in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good.
This was a compulsive read and one I could not put down. Highly recommendable.
July 11, 2015
I read this for book club and loved it. My best friend and I have always made up stories about the strangers we observed while people watching, so the basic premise of the story appealed to me right off the bat. The glimpse into the madness that accompanies the cocktail of betrayal and alcoholism was harrowing, to say the least. Not for everyone - some of my book club friends thought this to be too Gone Girl-ish and didn't enjoy it at all.
April 29, 2015
I really enjoyed the book it had out of the norm characters compared to the ones I'm used to and I loved every single PoV from Rachel Anna Megan it was just so good I would give this ✨✨✨✨ 4 stars it was really good and I would read any more of the books from Paula Hawkins and I don't know about anyone else I didn't expect the last chapters what happened in them I was at the edge of my seat.
June 29, 2015
This was a perfect book to start off my holiday. An easy read that grabbed you right from page 1. I think we can all relate to the slightly voyeuristic tendencies we have to peer into someone else's back yard. You might think twice about doing that after reading this book!
February 13, 2015
OMG ,great book.
March 2, 2015
Wow, just wow, nice twists and turns
January 23, 2016
Suggested by MM
March 28, 2015
Nonstop tension and a flawed heroine struggling with inner and outer demons. Juicy!
April 16, 2015
Hard to put this book down! An interesting plot with twists and turns. Creatively written!
July 19, 2016
The concept was intriguing however it was slow going, the plot line was wobbly and the characters were quite annoying.
July 12, 2015
good mystery but very depressing
May 31, 2015
Believe in yourself above all else!
May 18, 2015
Pretty good, but dragged out at the end.
Read
June 29, 2016I didn't much care for it. I did figure it out though.
May 22, 2015
Written well, kinda reminded me of Gone Girl.
June 10, 2015
If you are looking for a summer read, this is great! A nailbiter all the way up until the end with an unexpected plot.
July 18, 2015
This is a well written mystery that twists and turns. It was an easy read and kept me involved. I would recommend it for a vacation or weekend read.
July 17, 2024
It was a slow start but once I got past the first 1/4 of the book I couldn't put it down.
April 17, 2015
Keeps you guessing until the very end. Great book.
July 6, 2015
3.5. The beginning drags and the middle lags. The ending is worth the read.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews