Thriller Annotation
The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
Genre: Thriller
Publication Date: January 2, 2018
Number of Pages: 455
Synopsis: Dr.
Anna Fox, psychologist and agoraphobe, sees something that she shouldn’t while
spying on her new neighbors, The Russells. Anna lives alone in a New York City
brownstone since separating from her husband, Ed, who lives with their daughter
Olivia. Although, she still speaks to her family almost every day. She spends
most of her time watching old movies—notably Hitchcock films. As Anna tries to
solve the mystery of what she witnessed through her window, her sanity ultimately
unravels and so does her story.
Thriller Elements:
Well-developed protagonist who is never certain whom they can trust (Wyatt & Saricks, 2019, p. 13)
The first-person perspective allows readers to get to know Anna through her thoughts and actions. Anna’s agoraphobia plays a major role in this novel and "[reflects] the sense of alienation and paranoia that plague" her (Wyatt & Saricks, 2019, p. 13). There is also a hyper-focus on the protagonist and minimal details about other characters such as her neighbors and family. Because we know more about Anna than anyone else, we trust her, but struggle to trust others, just as she does.
Dark, ominous tone
A dark atmosphere sets the tone for thrilling twists, "a hallmark of the genre" (Wyatt & Saricks, 2019, p. 12).
More cerebral than physical action
A
majority of the action in this novel takes place in Anna’s mind through her
thoughts as well as flashbacks. Her mind becomes a setting of its own where a
lot of cerebral action takes place. Without the first-person narrative giving
us a window into Anna’s mind, this story would be rather dull. The real, physical action in this novel is saved for the conclusion where "a final twist near the end...completes the tale" (Wyatt & Saricks, 2019, p. 12).
Read-Alikes:
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
The Woman in Cabin Ten by Ruth Ware
Watching You
by Lisa Jewell
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
References
Wyatt, N. & Saricks, J. (2019). The readers' advisory guide to genre fiction (3rd ed.). ALA Editions.
I read this one for a book club. I felt so smart, because I thought I had the "twist" figured out in the first 3 pages. When the "twist" I figured out was revealed and half the book was left, then I got interested. This isn't one I would have picked up for myself, but I really enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteI read this one on my own, but I can see it being a good pick for a book club! There's so much to discuss. I actually didn't see that first twist coming, but when it was revealed, I became MUCH more interested in the book. I felt that it kind of dragged on for a bit prior to that.
DeleteAs someone who used to suffer from agoraphobia, this story hit all the nerves I had. I agree with Amber that the "twist" was pretty easy to solve, but it didn't affect my overall impression of the story. I still very much enjoyed it, especially given the way the author sets up flashbacks and multiple perspectives through timelines. It is definitely a darker read, but I think it's worth a second pass.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine how someone with agoraphobia would experience this book. I honestly didn't think about that while I was reading and it opens up an entire new perspective for me. Thanks for bringing that to my attention.
DeleteI've been seeing this book mentioned a lot in some different book recommendation groups that I am in on Facebook. I also suggested it as a book to movie read for our prompt assignment. Your suggestion of Ruth Ware as a similar author also has me interested because I enjoyed her novel The Turn of the Key - although the twist was not shocking, it was still a fun read. All of the books I am seeing suggested will give me plenty to read after this semester is over! Great post!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I honestly haven't read anything by Ruth Ware yet, but I saw that The Woman in Cabin Ten was a NoveList read-alike for The Woman in the Window. I'm interested in seeing how these two novels compare. I'm also really looking forward to the movie!
DeleteI absolutely love this book and I'm excited/nervous about it being made into a movie. I agree about the "twist" but it did not take away from the thrill of reading at all. I agree with suggesting Ruth Ware-I've read all of her books and while The Death of Mrs. Westaway is my favorite, I think the Woman in Cabin Ten has a really similar energy to this one. Great pick!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I enjoyed this book, too, but I'm way more excited to see the movie. It should be coming out soon. The Woman in Cabin Ten sounds good. I'll have to read it sometime.
DeleteFantastic annotation! Your summary is concise without giving too much away and your appeals are spot on and tie back to the textbook perfectly! You did a great job with this one - full points! Are you interested in seeing the movie adaptation when it comes out?
ReplyDelete