Cover Image: The Girl on the Platform

The Girl on the Platform

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Member Reviews

The Girl on the Platform is a gripping psychological thriller by Bryony Pearce about Bridget, a young mother who witnesses a kidnapping on a train platform and becomes obsessed with finding the truth.

The book explores themes of motherhood, identity, trauma and trust in a compelling and sensitive way.

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This was a fast paced psychological thriller
It was such a page Turner. There were many twists and turns throughout. however, I did guess the major twist at the end

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I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

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A very different type of thriller with a twist, instead of a crime with no witness, we have a witness with no crime, or so it seems. The little things add up to some big clues that it's easy to miss. The characters play against each other to suddenly reveal a truth thought buried.

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This wasn’t what I expected regarding the story and the ending was a bit strange . I did guess what had happened to the main character but thought it was a bit more of a kidnapping ring . I would read another book from this author though and would recommend this book but it wasn’t quite 5 stars

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Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

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This was a haunting tale that really grabbed me. Although I had foreseen some parts of the plot development, Pearce maintained my interest through the twists and turns that still came throughout the story.

Bridget’s character was very powerful in the fact that I could vividly imagine her emotions and fears. For starters, witnessing a kidnapping whilst on the way home from a very long day at work is only the beginning. With police not quite taking her seriously and then no reports in the media of a missing child, those around her question whether Bridget actually saw anything. This is because she is so disorientated from excessive exhaustion; she has only recently returned to work after the birth of her daughter and experiences all that sleep deprivation that I’m sure many readers will remember.

This feeling of disorientation cleverly manipulates the reader and sometimes I felt as dizzy as Bridget. She is determined to not let this abduction be ignored but this sees more lies and deceit towards her husband. I gasped at the awkward situations that Bridget finds herself in because of her efforts to investigate the kidnapping herself, but also felt frustrated at how much of an impact this was having on her family. I could not help but sympathise with her husband, Tom, as I witnessed how much the young family were becoming fractured by Bridget’s obsession.

Not only does this story explore the abduction that Bridget claims to have seen, but also other missing children. It does make for sobering reading, especially when you consider how Bridget’s character is portrayed. She is no stranger to taking medication to help with her moods and sleep; it would seem that Bridget has a history of requiring therapy and still needs support for her mental health. Therefore, when she restarts the therapy again, I felt a sigh of relief that Bridget was finally getting the help she needed – and potentially moving on from the incident on the train.

Bridget’s mother was a particularly chilling character and I could not understand how much she and Tom abide by her selfish demands. I was appalled by the behaviour that Bridget’s mother exhibits and was relieved when she was not involved in Bridget’s life. As the story develops, Bridget’s mother becomes more forceful and I really felt sorry for Grace, Bridget’s daughter, as she is more like a symbol of power than a little girl.

This was a great read because of the unexpected plot developments. Even though I had calculated some parts of the story, I was still shocked by further revelations. I thought Pearce’s writing style expertly reflected Bridget’s disorientation and how she struggles to function through lack of sleep. This confusion radiates throughout the novel as Bridget finds herself constantly questioning whether she is remembering events properly and if she is paranoid or not. As a result, this book became a true page-turner and I loved reaching its climatic conclusion.

With thanks to Avon books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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The Girl on the Platform is the first book I have read by this author. It is set, or starts at a train platform. A young girl is kidnapped in front of Bridget, but nobody takes her serious. This book deals with mental health issues as well as post partum depression in a sensitive matter. This was a dark and twisty read, entertaining until the end.

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This was an interesting read but I didn’t find it to be amazing. It dealt with some deep subjects in a sensitive way and picked up a bit in the middle. An ok read overall

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Overall it was entertaining but not shocking. I enjoyed it but did not love it. I think what it did however was bring awareness to postpartum depression and mental health. I will pick up another book from Bryony.

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This was my novel by this author and for me it was a difficult one. Bridget has PPD and witnessed a kidnapping but no one believes her. Her husband is awful and condescending, as are the police and her mother is equally horrible. As someone who suffers from depression I could relate but found it was hard to read. I read this book as quickly as I could because I just wanted to be done with it. Although I enjoyed the suspense I don’t think I’d recommend it.

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The Girl on the Platform is a great thriller that grabs your attention and you'll only put the book down when you end it. The story is fast-paced, dark, with well-developed characters, and well-written. I really enjoyed reading it and will be looking forward to reading other books by Bryony Pearce.
I downloaded a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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I was interested in The Girl on the Platform because it reminded me of Girl on the Train. However, this was a solid thriller. The mystery is pretty predictable. However, I recommend this those that like books with an unreliable narrator!

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Bridget is exhausted when she boards a late train home from work. During one of the stops, she sees a girl being kidnapped, but no one believes her. Did it really happen or is she hallucinating?

This is a crazy read! It’s full of action and suspense. It was a little predictable for me, but there were times when I questioned Bridget’s reliability. The imagery created is a bit graphic at times so be aware of that before you read it. I would recommend this book to thriller fans!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

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I loved this book! I stayed up all night reading! This book has everything, twists, intrigue and more! Bryony Pearce had mastered the art of thriller!

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Such a gripping read! I was totally hooked and couldn't wait to see if the suspicions were right or unreliable narration. Shocking twists near the end!

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My first book, that I have read by this author, absolutely brilliant! Highly recommended, and I will definitely read others written by this author!

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What would you do if you saw a girl being kidnapped whilst you are on a train? This is the very question Bridget has to ask herself on her long commute home, back to her husband Tom and her baby Grace.

What happens next is the story of a woman who starts spiralling, Bridget is suffering with post natal depression and no one believes what she saw. Can she find the kidnappers herself before her husband finds out what she is doing?

The last 30% of this book was unputdownable however I guessed very early one what was going to happen so nothing was a massive surprise. I am not sure if the author wanted the readers to easily guess the ending or if it’s supposed to be a big twist, but to me it was pretty obvious.

A lot of the characters in the book are pretty awful, Bridget doesn’t have many people around her to support her, her husband is an arse for a lot of it and don’t get me started in her mother!

This is a book trying to get in with the ‘spiralling woman seeing things’ genre and it works however I do believe there are books that have succeeded more with a better twist hence the 3 stars.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of the book in return for an honest review

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The Girl on the Platform drew me into Bridget’s world and didn’t let go! The author did a masterful job at creating suspense and keeping me on my toes. I felt all kinds of emotions towards the characters throughout the novel as the story progressed. I did start to suspect part of the mystery, but I certainly didn’t have it all figured out. I look forward to reading more by Ms. Pearce!

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Omg I loved it this book was so good it's hard to get into the book when you don't know the author and arnt used to the way they write but omg not with this book from the first page I was hooked it was such a edge of your seat kind of book amazing definitely read this author again

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