JanB's Reviews > The Woman in the Window
The Woman in the Window
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by
I loved it! This book has restored my faith in psychological thrillers and was a solid 5 star reading experience. It’s well-written, perfectly plotted, and riveting. I had trouble putting it down and became annoyed when life interrupted my reading – it didn't feel like >400 pages and I could have happily read it cover to cover in one sitting.
Anna is a 38 year-old child psychologist with agoraphobia, who hasn’t left her home for over a year. Her husband left her some time ago, and took their 8 year old daughter with him, but Anna talks to them nightly. She spends the rest of her days and nights watching old black-and-white movies on TV, chatting and dispensing advice in an online forum, and spying on her neighbors, all while downing large amounts of Merlot with a concoction of prescription pills.
I loved the psychological aspect of the novel and being privy to Anna’s thoughts and actions as she struggled with depression and agoraphobia. I had enormous sympathy for her. One day, while spying on the neighbors across the street, Anna witnesses a crime, but, because of her alcohol and pill addiction, she has trouble getting the police to believe her – that and the fact that there is zero evidence of a crime, but compelling evidence that Anna is unstable and imagining things. In fact, Anna begins to doubt herself.
One of my favorite parts of the story was Anna’s love for old black and white classic movies, such as Rear Window, Gaslight, and Stranger on a Train, etc. Did Anna really see what she claimed happened, or is she blurring the lines between reality and what she was watching on her tv screen every night? The author does a marvelous job keeping the reader guessing. And this reader had an urge to pour a glass of Merlot and watch a Hitchcock movie ;-)
There are twists along the way, all revealed at just the right time. I appreciated that the author didn’t insult the reader's intelligence by using one particular revelation (that I had already figured out) as a 'shocking twist'. I thought it was brilliant to plant the necessary clues along the way but not until the end do we see how they all fit together. And what a surprising ending it was!
This is an amazing debut, and I’m not surprised that the movie rights have already been sold, as well as foreign publication rights. It deserves all the accolades it's receiving. I'm only sorry Hitchcock isn't around to produce and direct :-)
This was a traveling sister read and we were split down the middle on this one and you know which camp I'm in :-) The review this book and others can be found on the Sister's blog:
https://twogirlslostinacouleereading....
*Many thanks to Edelweiss, the author A.J. Finn, and William Morrow publishing for a copy of the e-galley for review.
Anna is a 38 year-old child psychologist with agoraphobia, who hasn’t left her home for over a year. Her husband left her some time ago, and took their 8 year old daughter with him, but Anna talks to them nightly. She spends the rest of her days and nights watching old black-and-white movies on TV, chatting and dispensing advice in an online forum, and spying on her neighbors, all while downing large amounts of Merlot with a concoction of prescription pills.
I loved the psychological aspect of the novel and being privy to Anna’s thoughts and actions as she struggled with depression and agoraphobia. I had enormous sympathy for her. One day, while spying on the neighbors across the street, Anna witnesses a crime, but, because of her alcohol and pill addiction, she has trouble getting the police to believe her – that and the fact that there is zero evidence of a crime, but compelling evidence that Anna is unstable and imagining things. In fact, Anna begins to doubt herself.
One of my favorite parts of the story was Anna’s love for old black and white classic movies, such as Rear Window, Gaslight, and Stranger on a Train, etc. Did Anna really see what she claimed happened, or is she blurring the lines between reality and what she was watching on her tv screen every night? The author does a marvelous job keeping the reader guessing. And this reader had an urge to pour a glass of Merlot and watch a Hitchcock movie ;-)
There are twists along the way, all revealed at just the right time. I appreciated that the author didn’t insult the reader's intelligence by using one particular revelation (that I had already figured out) as a 'shocking twist'. I thought it was brilliant to plant the necessary clues along the way but not until the end do we see how they all fit together. And what a surprising ending it was!
This is an amazing debut, and I’m not surprised that the movie rights have already been sold, as well as foreign publication rights. It deserves all the accolades it's receiving. I'm only sorry Hitchcock isn't around to produce and direct :-)
This was a traveling sister read and we were split down the middle on this one and you know which camp I'm in :-) The review this book and others can be found on the Sister's blog:
https://twogirlslostinacouleereading....
*Many thanks to Edelweiss, the author A.J. Finn, and William Morrow publishing for a copy of the e-galley for review.
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Reading Progress
September 9, 2017
– Shelved as:
to-read
September 9, 2017
– Shelved
December 11, 2017
–
Started Reading
December 16, 2017
–
Finished Reading
December 18, 2017
– Shelved as:
edelweiss
December 18, 2017
– Shelved as:
traveling-sister-read
Comments Showing 1-50 of 78 (78 new)
message 1:
by
Dana
(new)
Dec 18, 2017 01:51PM
Spectacular review! I can’t wait to get my hands on this one!!
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Dana wrote: "Spectacular review! I can’t wait to get my hands on this one!!"
Dana, thanks! I can't wait to hear what you think!
Dana, thanks! I can't wait to hear what you think!
Jovy wrote: "Thanks for the great review! I'm so excited to read this one!"
Jovy, thank you! I hope you love it!!
Jovy, thank you! I hope you love it!!
glad you enjoyed this one Jan!! I feel like lately I've seen a lot of meh reviews for this one. Great review!
Fabulous review, Jan! I already have this on my wishlist and thanks to your terrific review, I can't wait until I can get my hands on this! :)
PorshaJo wrote: "Great review Jan! Glad to see the 5 stars on this one for you."
PorshaJo, thank you!
PorshaJo, thank you!
Marialyce wrote: "Sounds great, Jan. Can't wait to read this one thanks to your review."
Marialyce, thank you, I hope you love to as much as I did! :-)
Marialyce, thank you, I hope you love to as much as I did! :-)
Holly wrote: "So much fun to read this together (sort of) haha... Love the review!"
Holly, haha...yeah well darn, that happens sometimes, doesn't it? 😊😉
Holly, haha...yeah well darn, that happens sometimes, doesn't it? 😊😉
Svetlana wrote: "glad you enjoyed this one Jan!! I feel like lately I've seen a lot of meh reviews for this one. Great review!"
Svetlana, I think it boils down to if you like a slower type psychological mystery vs a thrill a minute thriller. I like the former so this one was perfect for me!
Svetlana, I think it boils down to if you like a slower type psychological mystery vs a thrill a minute thriller. I like the former so this one was perfect for me!
Kaceey wrote: "Fantastic review Jan! I'm with you! I loved this one too!"
Kaceey, thanks! I'm so glad we both loved it!
Kaceey, thanks! I'm so glad we both loved it!
Jaline wrote: "Fabulous review, Jan! I already have this on my wishlist and thanks to your terrific review, I can't wait until I can get my hands on this! :)"
Jaline, I'm going to make a prediction that you will love it too :-) At least I hope you do! ha
Jaline, I'm going to make a prediction that you will love it too :-) At least I hope you do! ha
Susanne wrote: "Great review Ms. Jan! Glad you liked this novel. If only I could have been in your coulee... :("
Susanne I know! I wish you were too, but hey, every book can't appeal to every reader and it's all good! :-)
Susanne I know! I wish you were too, but hey, every book can't appeal to every reader and it's all good! :-)
Hajar wrote: "Sounds absolutely amazing! Will be keeping an eye out for this one. Fabulous review, Jan :)"
Thanks Hajar! If you decide to read it, I hope you love it too!
Thanks Hajar! If you decide to read it, I hope you love it too!
Alecia wrote: "It's on my TBR list...great review!"
Alecia, thanks! It's been getting some mixed reviews but I love the type of book where you're in a character's mind/thoughts throughout the book, especially if the character is a psychological mess. So it was a winner for me.
Alecia, thanks! It's been getting some mixed reviews but I love the type of book where you're in a character's mind/thoughts throughout the book, especially if the character is a psychological mess. So it was a winner for me.
Glad you enjoyed it, Jan! Lots of mixed reviews :) I hope to try it at some point in the new year. I'm intrigued!
Excellent review!!
Excellent review!!
Lindsay wrote: "Terrific review Jan! So happy you loved this one!!!"
Thanks Lindsay! I wish you had loved it too though :-)
Thanks Lindsay! I wish you had loved it too though :-)
Deanna wrote: "Glad you enjoyed it, Jan! Lots of mixed reviews :) I hope to try it at some point in the new year. I'm intrigued!
Excellent review!!"
Deanna, yes, the group was split down the middle, which is definitely intriguing, even for me, lol. I hope you get a chance to read it, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Excellent review!!"
Deanna, yes, the group was split down the middle, which is definitely intriguing, even for me, lol. I hope you get a chance to read it, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Tammy wrote: "Fabulous review, Jan! I'm glad you enjoyed it!! Adding."
Tammy, thank you so much! 😊 I hope you enjoy it too!
Tammy, thank you so much! 😊 I hope you enjoy it too!
Wonderful review, Jan! I am so glad that you enjoyed it! It actually makes me very happy that you were in the loving it coulee! :-)
Norma wrote: "Wonderful review, Jan! I am so glad that you enjoyed it! It actually makes me very happy that you were in the loving it coulee! :-)"
Thanks Norma! Interesting isn't it how we can all have such different takes on the book? Love it or hate it, Its always fun to read with you!
Thanks Norma! Interesting isn't it how we can all have such different takes on the book? Love it or hate it, Its always fun to read with you!
Well, if this book is as good as your review, I can't wait to get my hands on a copy! Jan, I know we didn't agree on "Emma in the Night," but your enthusiasm for this book can't be ignored. I think my son got me a lovely B&N gift card for Christmas (I hinted enough), and buying this book will be a fun way to start off the year! Merry Christmas! 🎄😊
Excellent review Jan! Enjoyed reading this one with you despite me not liking it so much! Look forward to sister reads with you in 2018 🤩🎉.
Linda wrote: "Well, if this book is as good as your review, I can't wait to get my hands on a copy! Jan, I know we didn't agree on "Emma in the Night," but your enthusiasm for this book can't be ignored. I think..."
Linda, what a wonderful gift. Good job giving hints 😉😊 I can't wait to read what you think of it - I hope we agree on this one, we do on many others! Merry Christmas to you and yours too sweet Linda 🎄
Linda, what a wonderful gift. Good job giving hints 😉😊 I can't wait to read what you think of it - I hope we agree on this one, we do on many others! Merry Christmas to you and yours too sweet Linda 🎄
Kendall wrote: "Excellent review Jan! Enjoyed reading this one with you despite me not liking it so much! Look forward to sister reads with you in 2018 🤩🎉."
Kendall, thanks! We can't agree on them all - what a boring world it would be. It's always great fun reading with you and I'm looking forward to wonderful sister reads in 2018! 😊
Kendall, thanks! We can't agree on them all - what a boring world it would be. It's always great fun reading with you and I'm looking forward to wonderful sister reads in 2018! 😊
Love your review Jan! I wish you all agreed on this book, so I could decide whether not I should read it, LOL 😉💛
Berit☀️✨ wrote: "Love your review Jan! I wish you all agreed on this book, so I could decide whether not I should read it, LOL 😉💛"
Berit, thanks - and you know what my suggestion would be, haha!!
Berit, thanks - and you know what my suggestion would be, haha!!
Tammy wrote: "Enjoyed your review, Jan. I thought this was a winner, too"
Thanks Tammy, I'm glad you also enjoyed it!
Thanks Tammy, I'm glad you also enjoyed it!
Mischenko wrote: "Awesome review, Jan! I need to read this one. 💗"
Mischenko, yes, you do! I loved it so much! (as if you couldn't tell, haha).
Mischenko, yes, you do! I loved it so much! (as if you couldn't tell, haha).