You want to know something that really bothers me? When a book is compared to another book as 'the next _______'. It almost never lives up to the hype, and even if it is a great story in its own right, you're going through the novel comparing it to another, instead of judging it on its own merits. This book has been endlessly compared to Gone Girl, a book I liked but wasn't obsessed about. I went into this book determined not to compare it to Gone Girl. And you know what? It wasn't difficult to do, because these two books are completely different. The only similarities are that:
1. Someone goes missing (not all that uncommon in thriller/suspense books);
2. The narrators are unreliable and, often times, unlikable;
And
3. I gave them both 3 stars.

So I'm just going to get into the different aspects of this story and my thoughts on them.

Characters: The story is told through the eyes of three different narrators. Along with a change in perspective is also a change in timeline in some cases.

Rachel is an unemployed alcoholic divorcée who rides the train into London every day so she doesn't have to tell her friend (who she's staying with) that she lost her job. The train goes right by and actually stops in front of her old house, which her ex-husband is still living in with his new wife and their baby girl. There is another house a few doors up that she also pays attention to. A man and woman (who she refers to as Jess and Jason) live there. She has created a fictional life for these people, idealizing them as the perfect couple.

Megan is the actual name of the woman who Rachel sees. Her husband's name is Scott. She definitely has some emotional issues, complete with self-sabotaging tendencies. Her life is definitely not the idyllic fairy tale that Rachel has conjured in her mind. Her husband can be jealous and possessive, at least according to her. She has had multiple affairs during their relationship, and is relatively frank in her attitude about it -- she admits to it and says that, while she loves her husband, it's not enough to be with only him. She has secrets that she won't share with her husband because she's afraid he'll reject her. The story revolves around her disappearance.

Anna is the aforementioned new wife of Rachel's ex-husband, Tom. She and Tom were having a lengthy affair while he was still married to Rachel, and she expresses absolutely no remorse for her actions. She actually states how happy and excited it made her, and how at times she wishes she was still his mistress. She seems to like the appearance of their little family more than the reality of it. She hates Rachel, who has continually harassed them since her relationship with Tom came to light.

None of these women are innocents. They are all habitual liars with vices that are inherently self-destructive. It was virtually impossible to relate or connect to any of these women. However, there were instances where I could sympathize with circumstances that were out of their control. The way Rachel's alcoholism was depicted was so frustrating, not because it was badly written, but because it was so realistic. As someone who has loved ones with alcohol problems, this really spoke to me.

I feel like the most interesting aspect of this book dealt with the illusion of happiness vs. the reality of getting what you think you want. Rachel has this idea of that Megan and Scott (Jess and Jason in her fantasy) are this perfect couple deep in love and when she sees Megan in an intimate moment with another man, it sends her in a downward spiral. Megan is unhappy in her marriage and seeks solace and happiness with other men. That feeling is fleeting and it doesn't do anything to fix what's broken inside her. Anna loves the idea of being seen with her husband and daughter, a perfect little family unit, and she didn't care who she had to step on to get there. She became involved with Tom, knowing he was married, and it never occurred to her that he would do the same thing to her that he did to Rachel.

That, to me, is far more interesting than the whole disappearance mystery. I had figured out about half way through who was responsible and why, and the reveal of the mystery wasn't all the compelling, to be honest. I don't really see this book as a super-dramatic thriller as much as I do a character study.

Overall, I was intrigued by this book and it's structure. It was a super fast read for me, and I would be interested in reading more by this author in the future. HOWEVER, I wish people would stop comparing it to Gone Girl. The Girl on the Train is its own book with its own themes, characters, and structure, and it should be judged as such.