“The Woman in the Window” by A.J. Finn

Title: The Woman in the Window
Author: A.J. Finn
Publisher:  William Morrow
Year: 2018
Genre(s): suspense
Part of a Series: No

Rating: 

Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club pick

Summary: Unable to leave her house, Anna Fox spends her days watching old thrillers and her neighbors while mixing alcohol and strong medications. When a new family moves in across the street, Anna befriends the young teenage son. But when she believes she sees a murder in his house, she’s forced to accept some hard truths about her life while also questioning her own sanity.

Review: I remember all the buzz about this book when it first came out. And the multiple claims of plagiarism. So I was a bit apprehensive to read this book but I finally did it.

And I was very underwhelmed.

I hesitate to review this book because I really don’t have many kind things to say. I don’t like to write purely negative reviews so this may be a rather short one as I try to get some positives out while not trying to dwell on the many aspects I didn’t like.

I will say I didn’t see the ending coming. So it was an unexpected twist and it seemed like a good one. I just don’t think it was built up enough and felt like a let down in the end. Everything got tied up but the character had to explain it – it didn’t just all click in my mind as the reader or even in Anna’s mind. So good twist but not a good payoff.

Overall I think my big problem was that I didn’t trust Anna as a narrator. She was very upfront about her problems – namely drinking a lot and mixing that with strong drugs. It was easy to think she was hallucinating everything and I guess even I was surprised when it turned out she was a reliable narrator. I think it would’ve been better if Finn leaned into the unreliable narrator and we started to question her mental state. And with that, I think the “big reveal” toward the end should’ve been about her alcoholism rather than the truth about her family, which was easily figured out.

I also think that would’ve added to the suspense. Fleshing out the chapters too probably would’ve helped as well, in my opinion. Ultimately just needed more suspense and a stronger heroine, I guess.

Bottom line: Had promise but failed to live up to it.

Sex: Some mentions, nothing graphic

Moonlight Musing

Have you ever felt like you were going crazy?