Book Review: The Girl on the Train

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 There are a number of books which never fail to surprise me. No matter how many times I read them or how prepared I am, they always leave me astonished. And although this list keeps on changing as I read more & more, The Girl on the Train is always in the Top 3. It's arguably one of the best-known books to bibliophiles & although it has a lot of mixed reviews, I really like it.

For starters, I was quite confused on my first read. And if I find a book confusing, yet can't help but read on, I almost always end up liking it. I also like that the story was told from the perspectives of 3 starkly different, yet surprisingly similar characters. It helps uncover a bit of the mystery & adds to it at the same time. The layers of depth prove to be an engaging read & gives the story complexity, which is an essential part of human nature.

According to me, the best books are those in which you sympathize with the characters for one chapter & hate them the next. Anyone who's read The Girl on the Train knows how difficult it is to point out the victims & the perpetrators. I also enjoy that the emphasis on the negative aspects of the characters' personalities. These imperfections make them seem more vulnerable, more desperate, more cunning & more human.

All in all, this book fulfilled all my expectations of a good book. In fact, it exceeded them, & is now one of those few books on my re-reading list.

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