“Watching is like nature photography: You don’t interfere with the wildlife.” 

Initially, I was not sure if I would be compatible with this novel. Although psychological thrillers and unreliable narrators are my favorite, I think that there are a lot of overdone tropes. And, seriously, why do all of these novels have woman or girl in the title? My opinion took a 360 degrees spin after meeting our narrator, Anna, who I became enthused in through her narration. She is one of the most interesting characters I have ever met. She is a former child psychologist, a black and white thriller movie enthusiast, and victim of Agoraphobia, a phobia of leaving the house. 

In the start of the novel, Anna watches the people through the window of her New York home, occasionally stalking them online. I liked how modern the scenes felt through incorporating social media into the plot. When her new neighbors move next door, the Russells, she becomes intrigued by them: teenage boy, a father bordering on abusive, and the wife who finds and befriends Anna after an Agoraphobia episode. The follow night, however, Anna looks out the window and witnesses a murder in the Russells house. It becomes a battle between the police, surrounding families, and Anna on whether you can trust a pair of eyes who are intoxicated and take pills. Do you see what you really see?

My favorite parts of the novel were the plot twists, thrilling prose, and the main character. She begins to doubt what she saw when everyone turns against her, questioning reality one by one. Every action scene sped up my heart. A book that can invoke a physical response out of me is nothing short of groundbreaking. I ended up finishing the novel in less than three days. 

I recommend this book for anyone who loves these: Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, I Let You Go. The Woman in the Window is a fast paced novel able to make the reader question every word spilled on the page while also quickening the pace of your heart.

“And if I don’t want to die, I’ve got to start living.”