Review: "The Woman in the Window," by A.J. Finn
Winner winner, chicken dinner! The Woman in the Window has catapulted to the top of my list of favourite 2018 books, now surpassing The Outsider, by Stephen King. This book was so addictive, and actually one of those books you don't want to put down. I found myself propping my eyelids open at night when the hour grew late and I didn't want to stop. This is a twisty ride, full of edge-of-your-seat fun. Okay, cliché review comments over with, let's get down to it. The structure of this book is perfect for the premise. The chapters are short bursts, but jam-packed with info and beautiful prose. And we see a compelling cast. Anna Fox is one of the more interesting characters I've read in a while. AJ Finn touches on a mental illness that I haven't ever come across in a novel. Interestingly enough, the reader feels a mixture of pity, sorrow, and downright mistrust of the character because of her mental illness. It makes us unwilling to trust her, but willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. It is a curious and unsettling place to be as a reader, and that's what makes it so damn well-done. I was both cheering her on, yet frustrated because I was unable to reach into the pages and help her. There are three notable twists in this book (none of which I will touch on here so as not to spoil anything). This will make one helluva movie when it inevitably hits the silver screen. I think the setting of the novel lifted it up even more. The house Anna lives in is seemingly enormous, yet I always felt claustrophobic while reading. There were instances of chills running along my spine because, in my mind's eye, I was picturing myself as though I was in the house, walking in Anna's shoes, and I felt like I was constantly being watched or something. Ironic, given that Anna is the one doing most of the watching in the book. Such is the brilliance of Finn's writing skill that I felt as though I was the character in the novel; I even felt moments of drunkenness and fussiness when Anna was feeling the same (okay, maybe that was the wine I was drinking while reading...). And as Anna's present story continues, her backstory unfolds in brief flashbacks, which were equally fascinating. Her husband. Her daughter. The place where it all began, where her agoraphobia took root. Those few scenes where they are caught in the storm (y'all have to read the book cuz I'm not saying any more than that) I felt just helpless for them. I was screaming for them. Then there is the ending; it's one of those endings were I felt like I should have seen it coming. But, I didn't. I just didn't. And that's Finn's doing. He created enough uncertainty in every single character that I had no idea who to trust, and frankly, no idea what the hell was going on! The true genius of this book (for me, anyway) is that Finns gets mental illness. Even if you don't have a mental illness, I think you'll really feel her anguish and confusion. It's just written so well that I don't know how you can't. Therefore: this book is number 1 for the year-to-date. Recommended read. Onward.
