Honest Book Review of The Woman in the Window by AJ Finn
Check out my honest book review of The Woman in the Window, the recently popular thriller by A.J. Finn. When the movie came out recently, the book started popping up everywhere, too. So here’s my full take on if it’s a good read for you.
Here’s a short synopsis of the book:
“Anna Fox lives alone—a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day drinking wine (maybe too much), watching old movies, recalling happier times . . . and spying on her neighbors.
Then the Russells move into the house across the way: a father, mother, their teenaged son. The perfect family. But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn’t, her world begins to crumble and its shocking secrets are laid bare.
What is real? What is imagined? Who is in danger? Who is in control? In this diabolically gripping thriller, no one—and nothing—is what it seems.”
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Full Book Review Without Spoilers
The Woman in the Window is a thriller novel with a compelling mystery that keeps you guessing right up until the very end. This is a psychological thriller that really pulls you in without realizing you’re being pulled in, even before the really crazy and suspicious things start happen. The first half of the book sets you up with the whole story of Anna Fox, but things start to quickly unravel until you don’t know what to believe.
But be warned: This is a ‘pop’ thriller meant to keep you turning the pages. If you like the binge-read thriller that’s popular right now, you’ll enjoy this book. But if you like your thrillers to be very deep, twisted, or involved, you may find this one to be too ‘fluffy’.
If you’re more into the thriller aspect of book, the beginning may feel like a slow build-up. I did not feel that way because I like the mystery aspect that you get throughout the entire book with the truly thriller parts coming in the second half. Either way, I thought there was enough to keep you pulled in throughout the whole thing.
The best part for me was that Anna slowly reveals to you, the reader, that she’s an unreliable narrator. So, as she’s questioning her sanity and the events taking place in the book, you also start to question what’s real from the story. Finn writes in such a convincing way that you start to take nothing at face value.
Characters
The main character, Dr Anna Fox, is not necessarily relatable or compelling, but there’s something about her that makes you want to keep reading. Maybe it’s because you can feel something is off or maybe it’s the minor characters that move in and out of her story, but you just want to know more. The other major characters in the story are more compelling to hear about because of their intrigue, especially by the second half of the book.
Plot
The plot of this book is nothing groundbreaking, but it is a real page turner. I thought the author did a great job of revealing key details at just the right time to both shock you and keep the plot moving. All this made the book easy to read in just a sitting or two.
And the ending was compelling and convincing enough that I thought about it after I had finished. It was plausible enough to believe it really could happen in real life, unlike some very far fetched (but still good) thriller books.
Writing
When it comes to thrillers, I enjoyed this author’s writing style. It was easy to get into, compelling throughout the entire book, and wonderfully spaced out with the big twists. Finn uses short chapters to keep you on the edge of your seat and create a good pace in the book. He writes in a way that you want to believe in the main character even through her mental health issues, but also question everything she thinks is real.
Full Book Review With Spoilers
You’ve been warned that from here on out there will be spoilers.
Personally, I like the books that you can read in one or two sittings because they keep me absorbed in the story. That being said, some of the twists in this book are predictable even though you can still enjoy the reading experience. Not everyone likes the ‘pop’ thriller books, but this one was an enjoyable read for me.
It’s a great book if you’re looking for something quick to read that’s an easy page-turner with good writing. The second half of the book really has you questioning Anna, the narrator, as well as the other characters.
For most people, it’s still pretty surprising when the killer or psychopath in the story is a child or teenager. And Finn really makes the most of that because that was not who I was expecting. Although I was hoping that Anna would get at least closer to the answer herself, especially being a former child psychologist.
Being in Anna’s head made the book more of a thriller for me because I like having an unreliable narrator in these types of books. But I thought the author spent a lot of time just describing her addition problems when we get it already.
Pros of the Book
The biggest pro of this book for me was the pacing that kept you wanting to read ‘just one more chapter’ every time you went to put it down. You’re already hooked within the first pages of the book even if you don’t have a full sense of the mystery, yet.
Another pro of the book was the way you as the reader started to question what was even real and if the real mystery really was the murder Anna supposedly saw at her new neighbors. Because of Anna’s situation and condition, it wasn’t easy to take her word on all the events happening. This made for a better mystery and more of a thrill.
Cons of the Book
The biggest con for me was that Anna never actually figures out the mystery for herself, she’s told all of it at the end. It takes her a long time to even figure out anything is wrong in her house, and then she just goes back to the drinking and prescription drugs anyways. I was hoping she would play a bigger part in figuring everything out.
Another con of the book is that certain elements of the writing seemed redundant or excessive. The author uses a ton of descriptive words that make sections of the book feel too wordy. And towards the beginning I liked all the references to the classic black and white movies Anna watches, but by the end it seemed a little excessive.
Conclusion
A.J. Finn’s first novel really pulls you in with the set-up, characters, and mystery right from the beginning. While it’s not the most original or in-depth thriller, it has all the elements of a book that makes you binge-read it in one or two sittings. I think it’s worth the read if you enjoy the popular thriller books or are looking for a twisty book that’s not too much of a commitment.
You can find the book here.
I have a full summary of the book here if you need a refresher on any of the main points.
Rating- 3.75 out of 5 stars
For me, most of the popular thrillers are enjoyable reads, but I go in with the expectations that they may be a little predictable or even shallow. However, knowing all of that, I like getting sucked in and devouring the story quickly. And then, I still end up thinking about the books afterwards because something about thrillers just stick in my head.
Overall, a pretty enjoyable read for a ‘pop’ thriller that I read over about two days. There were a few minor complaints, but I would still recommend this book to others.
Here’s how I rate all my books: My Rating System
Who Would Enjoy Reading?
If you’re a fan of the thriller genre but want one that really makes you think with a new and shocking plot, this may not be the one for you. But if you like a thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat and wanting to finish the book in one sitting (even if you do see some of the twists coming), then give this one a try! If you like the popular thriller like Gone Girl, you’ll like this one, too.
What to Read After
The thriller genre and especially this type of thriller is becoming increasingly popular nowadays. So, if you liked this book, there’s a lot of great options to read next!
Rock, Paper, Scissors by Alice Feeney
This is another twisty book that really had me thinking one way when it ended up going a whole new way. This one has similar elements to The Woman in the Window but more unhinged. You can find it here.
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
Dive right into another thriller/mystery that makes you question all the characters in the book. The Guest List has the similar element of messing with your head while being a pretty engrossing read. You can find it here.
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
If you’re looking for another binge-read with similar vibes to this, try The Housemaid. This is another one that’s going to be made into a movie soon, so read the book now! I have a full review and summary of this one.
