Audio Book Review: The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn

I enjoyed the somewhat slow but twisty psychological thriller, The Woman in the Window.

Anna, a psychologist herself, lives alone in her home in New York City.  She is agoraphobic--she can't leave her home--and the reason, at first, isn't clear.  It soon becomes apparent that almost a year ago there was some sort of accident, and since then Anna has not been able to leave her house.  Her husband and daughter are gone also, so she is alone.

She watches, through her telephoto camera lens, all the happenings around the neighborhood.  She has regular visits from her psychiatrist and a physical therapist.  When new neighbors move across the park, she is surprised when she is visited by the lady of the house, as well as the teenage son.

When she witnesses a scene through her camera lens of a violent act on the woman, she desperately tries to seek justice.  Thus begins a long road, in which there are many inconsistencies, but Anna herself becomes unsure of what she actually saw.

Throughout the book, we are also learning about the accident that Anna was in, and why it caused so much trauma.

I like the way the book was written.  The information is doled out at a pace that makes it difficult to put down. Anna is definitely sympathetic, but unreliable, given she drinks heavily while on all her many medications (which she doesn't take as prescribed.) There is depth to the story, too much to describe here.  The actual violent event doesn't happen until almost halfway through the book, but the buildup is crucial for the rest of the story to play out. I did suspect the "big twist" in the middle of the book, but only very close to when it was actually revealed. The twisted ending caught me totally by surprise. :)

The audiobook narrator, Ann Marie Lee, does an excellent job.  I particularly liked when she was narrating an especially harrowing event -- she does a great job inciting fear.

If you enjoy psychological thrillers, and there seems to be a lot of good ones out there now, The Woman in the Window is worth your time.  Teens who are interested in this genre will enjoy this one too, although it moves at a slower pace than many novels of this type.

Published by William Morrow, January 2, 2018, HarperAudio
Audiobook obtained from the library
448 pages

Rating: 4.5/5

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Book Review: Belzhar, by Meg Wolitzer

Although there is a supernatural element in Belzhar, this is a contemporary story about teens overcoming difficulties. And it's a good one.

Jam hasn't been the same since her boyfriend died. Her parents finally decide to send her to a boarding school called The Wooden Barn for students who are "emotionally fragile and highly intelligent." So all the kids here have been through something.

Jem is chosen, along with only four other students, to be in a class called Special Topics in English. She has no idea why she was chosen, but other students are jealous of this very secretive, highly selective class.

The other students in the class are quiet and all have been through traumatic experiences that they can't get over. It really isn't clear what those experiences are, but slowly they are revealed. The students in the class become close, especially after they realize that their required journal writing sends them back in time to the happier time right before this traumatic event.

They begin meeting in secret and trying to figure out what is going on and whether their teacher knows these red leather journals she gave them possess some kind of magic.

Belzhar is really about growing and changing and learning from mistakes. The title is pronounced "bell jar" because the Special Topics class is reading only Sylvia Plath this semester, and the students name the place their journaling takes them "Belzhar."

There's a bit of romance and a shock when we learn Jam's story. There is heartbreak, and loss, and healing. All of these students come out stronger in the end.

I loved Belzhar. I was afraid the magic would be hokey, but it felt right and suitably magical. I enjoyed learning about all the characters and their struggles, big or small. The writing was great, and pulled me into the story.

I need to read The Bell Jar and some of Plath's poetry. I would highly recommend this book to teens who enjoy contemporary stories that they can easily relate to (even though they hopefully have not experienced the trauma that these teens have!)

Published by Dutton BFYR, September 30, 2014
ARC obtained from Library Media Connection Magazine
264 pages

Rating: 5/5

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