A. J. Finn

The Woman in the Window: A Novel

"1 feel completely useless. I feel as though I'm at a movie and the film is over and the lights are up and everyone's filed out of the theater and I'm still sitting there, trying to work out what happened."

“I may do some good before I am dead.”

I check the clock on my phone: 10:28. How am I up this early?

“My dear girl, you cannot keep bumping your head against reality and saying it is not there.”

I’m not invisible. I'm not dead. I'm alive, and on display, and ashamed. 

"You don't need to have been a child psychologist. You just need to have been a child."

Vanessa

I have a feeling that inside you somewhere, there's something nobody knows about. 

A lovely, dark, twisty-turny book for readers who enjoy a dysfunctional  narrator. While I predicted those aforementioned twists, I found them compelling nonetheless! Poetic writing with some witty intellectual humor woven in. 

Candace Neal

azliana aziz

let me pre-established a point here by mentioning that i'm going to compare/ talk a bit about the other book, which you can guess already, the girl on the train by paula hawkins in this review because it cannot be helped!
okay, alright?

the woman in the window on the page seems like just another the girl on the train. okay, hands down, it does read like tgott sometimes, especially in earlier chapters.
i mean, hell. the protagonists were both alcoholics with ptsd and had a penchant of watching other people's life AND one day witnessed something happened to one of them. also the title oo please, i scoffed at this one i admit as i was thinking ANOTHER (over)hyped 'woman/girl' psychological thriller in the year 2018?? 
and another technical similarity were both got major attention from publishers and were optioned for a film adaptation pre-release. so like that's more than three similarities and i just want to say that my point of mentioning tgott is relevant.

BUT what diverge the two was how a.j. finn took his time to build anna's story before the event? the twists?? i can say it's a tad slow burn but i thought it set the anticipatory feeling so high because you know shit will just go down any minute from now but the way he withheld things was just aggravatingly good. while for tgott well, let's just say hawkins was too concerned with trying to be all literary thriller.

AND THEN oh man, let me just set one more thing clear, my pre-finished rating for this one was probably 5.5 for like 100 ++ pages straight and BAM it pretty much went down south after that.
i knew in my head that finn would chose those two revelations for anna out of other many! options! but my heart and soul wanted (hoped) that he picked other less, i don't know, i really don;t want to throw the 'cliche' word but sadly for this book, it is so apt.
also it was cruel. especially the first revelation. it's like women really can not get away from this notion that 'bad girl can't have nice things for once.' and when finn wrote this line for one of the character,

'I thought of you as the girl next door.' 


well. i'm just exhausted.
way to set the pedestal on woman and wrote her traumatic story as a kind of penance for her wrongs.
and then, unsurprisingly, by the time for the other thriller-y revelation, well, i was past caring.


for a debut, it's fine. i think finn does have potential, he have the knack in writing desperation and regret real good. the way he wrote that ONE scene in the winter storm was so damn gutting i had a real hard time sleeping after reading it.
so i really would not mind to read more from him and i think he can write a really good story but one that lean towards character study rather than trying to mould his story to the trapping of thriller.
i know it won't sell that much without the neon glow of 'psychologically thrilling' catch all term but one could hope.

A great thriller that keeps you guessing! 

Kahli Scott

This is a page-turner that's pretty well-paced and not badly written. Needless to say, it would appeal to fans of "Girl on the Train", "Gone Girl" etc. - all the domestic-noir. One of my main concerns though was that I just couldn't for the life of me picture Anna in my head. I couldn't quite grasp her age, appearance, demeanour etc. and it was a little off-putting. Regardless, this is a great read for the plane or a lazy day at home.

Patricia Nelson

I enjoyed this book, and it was a quick, suspenseful read. I had heard so many people rave about it, that I think my expectations were a little too high. It was good, I'm glad I read it, and there were lots of twists and turns. It is definitely a book that you can dive into and read quickly. I saw a few of the twists coming, but others shocked me. A great book if you want a mystery and a suspenseful story.

Briar's Reviews

The Woman in the Window is a unique thriller that will keep you entertained front to back.

I wanted to read this book because I heard a movie was coming out about it. Yes, I know, I'm one of THOSE people. If I get the chance to read the book before the movie comes out, I want to at least try. I don't get to do it too often, so I figured this was a great chance! 

My one sentence summary of this book is: what the heck? 

Quite literally, this book kept me interested solely because I couldn't always figure out what was going on. But not necessarily in a good way. I'm the type of thriller reader who likes to analytically piece things together. I collect hints like I'm some book nerd detective and I try to piece together what I can. I have Sherlock or Bones like moments where I'm trying to smartly discover something. Unfortunately, I felt like this book didn't leave much for me to get there. Sure, there's some little hints that made me go "yeah, this is probably gonna happen" but most of the story did not give me any insight. But, that might be on purpose.

This story has an unreliable narrator. I love these narrators because it just makes things way more weird. Nothing is obvious, but it's also hard to figure out what's going on. I had a feeling something was up with our character, but I also couldn't figure out all of her motives. Anna drinks a lot, she's not with her family and she clearly has some issues. Also, she loves classic, black and white movies so that was super cool! 

I did find myself wanting to binge and finish the book because I just needed to know the ending. When I couldn't piece things together because it wasn't always evident, I just wanted to know. Give me a hint, or something! Or maybe I missed something and I need some awesome BookTuber to pick up the pieces for me. It helped that the chapters were super short and made it easy for me to breeze through them. Unfortunately, I felt like some of the chapters could have been omitted and the story would have ended up the same.

My biggest negative about this book is that I felt like it didn't get much closer. It raced right to the end and then I wanted to know what was going on with Anna. What happens after? Does anything happen? Do things get better or worse? I want to know. It was so abrupt. 

If you liked The Girl On the Train, you'll enjoy this book. It's a fast moving thriller like that book, but it takes some wild turns and awesome liberties. It's by no means the same book, but if you're looking for something with that level of fun, grab this book too! It's worth it. Especially if you love books that take sharp left and right turns without warning. You're mind will be blown. But, beware... the book didn't live up to the hype for me. Be warned!

Three out of five stars.

Emmm :p

i enjoyed the book, it has many plot twists and it unwinds well but it’s SLOW BURN. do not read if you’re impatient. she also decides to talk about her drinking and her pills for chapters on end it’s like WE GET IT. but the story makes up for it so

Would have been rated higher except there was cheating :/

Abby Willett

I absolutely loved this book. I watched the Netflix show first actually and immediately ordered the book. While they are a little different they still follow basically the same plot. Still they're both amazing and I HIGHLY recommend. 

Victoria Maier 

Lacy W

I am completely blown away by this debut novel. (At least I think it is unless I read it wrong) Just blown away at how well done this novel was. I am so glad I went with this book as my Book of the Month choice. I am just pleased as punch. 

This is definitely a slow burn thriller. And I mean slooooooooooow. There is a lot of build up that does eventually play off but you got to work for it. And you got to want it. And I mean really want it. 

Anna, as a narrator, is incredibly unreliable and I liked every minute of it. She takes a lot of psychotropic medications for her agoraphobia and PTSD. Also she drinks. A lot. All that combined leads to a nattora that doesnt always know what's going on or if what is going on is actually happening. This is how to do unreliable narrators. 

I do not have agoraphobia or PTSD so I cannot speak for the rep. I thought it was well done but, like I said, I cannot be a sure judge of that. A.J Finn captured panic and panic attacks very well though. That is something I can attest to. I could felt the panic whenever Anna tried to step outside or even thought about it. 

In terms of being a thriller, I thought it was good, even if a little slow. The chapters were in days, so every day, we experienced what Anna did. I do think that it dragged on a tiny bit too long. There were probably a few places were it could have been edited out and the story would have stayed the same. Especially the parts where Anna drinks all day and watches movies. I honestly didn't need to know what movie she watched or how she could quote them all. 

Overall, this was a good thriller. I'm glad I picked it for my Book of the Month. I recommend this book if you are looking for a slow burn thriller. Just be prepared for a lot of build up and slowness.

Eloise

An insanely twisty, fast-paced and satisfying thriller that kept my attention throughout. Intriguing characters and crazy plot twists. The writing and story are not quite on par with Gillian Flynn's novels, but I found myself enjoying the somewhat lighter mood and more accelerated story. This book read like a movie, which means the actual film coming out in 2019 will most likely be amazing.

Shay

This was a really good plot and the narrator was awesome. I get that a certain amount of detail was necessary to convey the life of an agoraphobic; however taking half an hour of an audible to describe clicking open an email is a bit much. Often times throughout the book they droned on with unnecessary details instead of just getting to the point. It was irritating but still a great read. I’m glad I stuck with it.

Rebecca Shaffer

Meh. I actually love film noir & twisty thrillers but found this boring & derivative. Next.

Izza

3.5 stars | The ending really redeemed the whole book for me. The beginning was pretty boring and slow. If you've read 'The Girl on the Train' or any of the hyped psychological thrillers that came out in the last couple of years you'll probably be able to piece everything together. I'll admit I didn't really see the last twist coming, and that was refreshing.

Denise

Whatever your theory might be. You’re wrong. 
So many plot twists. 🤯

At first this reminded me a lot of The Girl on the Train and I didn’t have high hopes. BOY WAS I WRONG. I’m obsessed with this book. I thought it was SO good. The way Anna talked about her anxiety in some points was SO spot on and it was SO good. This has definitely jumped up HIGH on my favorite reads of this year!! 

Taylor Sweeton

Ahmed Balalo

الرواية أربع نجوم
الترجمة ولا نجمة!


رواية رائعة سوف تجذبك من بدايتها، احب هذا النوع من الروايات النفسية والتشويق، الاعتناء بالتفاصيل والنهاية غير متوقعة.

اما الترجمة فهي أسوأ ما يمكن أن تقرأ، إذا كنت تستطيع أن تقراها بالإنجليزية فافعل لأن الترجمة ستفسد الرواية قراءتها بالعربية ثم اضطررت أن أكملها بالإنجليزية من سوء الترجمة، اسمع اسم حارث النبهان انه مترجم مميز ولكن اعتبره اسوء مترجم اقرأ له إلى الآن لقد انصدمت بأن المترجم لا يعرف الفرق بين 15 و50 بالإنجليزية!!! أضف عليها ترجمات كلمات ومصطلحات خاطئة تماماً كما يختصر المصطلحات المعقدة على القارئ العربي كيفما شاء ، أرى أن دار النشر أخطأت بإسناد الحارث النبهان لترجمة رواية كهذه وهناك أسماء أفضل بكثير.

Maggie Gordon

The Woman in the Window is yet another thriller featuring an unreliable female narrator who gets wrapped up in a mysterious crime and no one believes her. That particular premise is popular at the moment, but who cares, because I actually enjoy it! The Woman in the Window is a story about a former psychologist who has become extremely agoraphobic and cannot leave her house. Her life is already a mess, but when she sees what she thinks is a murder occur across the street, things unravel even faster. There's definitely some leaps of logic one must accept for plot purposes, but the writing is suspenseful, and I felt for the protagonist who obviously felt like she was losing her mind. If you're into this genre, The Woman in the Window is a fast, exciting read. Not a literary masterpiece, but a fun way to spend an afternoon.

Celeste Richardson

Full review now posted!

Can you find something disappointing and yet highly readable at the same time? This book is my argument that the above statement can totally be true.

I should have learned by now that popular mystery/thrillers don’t work for me. And it makes me so sad, because I love mysteries! But every time a new one hits the bestsellers list, I’m intrigued and usually end up trying it at some point because the premise sounds intriguing. Then, when I read it, I end up getting so frustrated because the “twists” are more often than not very predictable (in my opinion) but presented in such a way that readers can tell they’re supposed to be shocked by each “big reveal.” I wish I was shocked. Or at least surprised. However, every twist but one in this book was something I was able to predict, and that one wasn’t that much of a surprise. 

I also have a problem with unreliable narrators. I mean, I love them when they’re well crafted, but Dr. Anna Fox just didn’t do anything for me. I sympathized with her phobia, but beyond that I just didn’t care for her, even as more and more details about her past were revealed. Anna was reliably unreliable, if that makes sense, and none of her decisions or assumptions ever really surprised me.
 
The only thing that kept me reading all the way through was the prose and the pacing. Finn did an excellent job with his pacing; the chapters were short and generally ended on a cliffhanger of some sort, which made for compulsive reading. He also crafted some gorgeous sentences. For example:
“My head was once a filing cabinet. Now it’s a flurry of papers, floating on a draft.”
	Is that not a lovely visual? There were a number of such statements that I loved. That craftsmanship is what kept me reading, and it’s what might convince me to try Finn’s next novel. After all, this was his debut, and I found it suitably impressive as such.

	Again, my problem wasn’t with the writing; my problem was with the predictability of this type of plot, which seems to almost always accompany a mystery novel with an unreliable narrator. I had a similar problem with The Girl on the Train, Reconstructing Amelia, and all of Gillian Flynn’s novels besides Gone Girl. These books all feel like the same book to me, though admittedly this is a personal opinion. I know people who will absolutely love this book, who will be hooked from page one and stunned by the twists and turns. Alas, I am unfortunately not among their number.

Sarahi Flores

A highly anticipated read for me. It was slow yet twisty story that unraveled as if I got punch in the gut (please don’t imagine me getting punch in the gut lol).
Anna Fox, the protagonist, is afraid to get out. I mean she tries, but it usually leaves her having a panic attack and then fainting. But fainting led her to meet her new neighbor. Did i mention that Anna is basically a peeping tom? yup and I don’t think she has shame until she gets caught but that doesn’t stop her to keep doing it.
I see Anna as someone who has hit rock bottom and got nothing to loose. I feel bad for her and also frustrated with her constant drinking while being medicated. She lose all credibility when is caught doing that. I mean you wouldn’t believe someone who tells you something that sounds crazy when she can’t even get out of the house and drinks while being medicated right?? This makes this story way more interesting.
A pretty fast pace novel and it makes you not want to stop reading when you’re getting closer to the TRUTH. This is definitely a five star review in my opinion and I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a thriller or suffering from a reading slump. Like I said, it’s a pretty fast pace book.

Anna Campbell

** spoiler alert **
           Read this for my book club. I really enjoyed the Ed and Libby twist, and how I didn’t see it coming at all. And then the murder twist was great! Very nice to be so surprised. Just wasn’t in love with the book.

chloe mcpherson

***BOOK REVIEW***
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
.
.
I was not disappointed when I finished reading this book. Lately I’ve been having trouble getting psychological thrillers, but I was hooked from the first page with this one. 
You are following Anna who hasn’t left her home in over 10 months after being in an accident. When new neighbours arrive she witnesses a murder,and Anna does everything she can to discover the truth. 
.
What I liked about this book was that Anna wasn’t really a reliable character, she drinks everyday and is heavily medicated and reading this story I had my doubts about Anna as a character. 
I also liked that the plot was written really well, every chapter had me wanting to find out more. 
And the plot twists, there’s a plot twist that I did see coming, but I still liked it and how well it was written, it really made me feel for Anna. 
And the ending, I really didn’t see the end coming, which doesn’t happen a lot!
.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and I think A. J. Finn could definitely become one of my favourite authors
.

Kept my attention. Very interesting take on mental illness/grief/thriller.

I’m not the most versed in thrillers, so please bare with me. The first 3/4ths of this novel are stunning. I was entertained, and I actually like the protagonist. However, I was underwhelmed by the “big twist” at the end. I feel like there are so many different directions that Finn could have taken, and every single one of them would have had a bigger “wow” factor. I kind of predicted the ending early on, and I am NOT good at predicting books whatsoever. Overall, I am happy that I read this. It was entertaining, but I was expecting more twists and turns. 

The Woman in the Window: A Novel

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