The Woman in the Window was pretty low on my list of books to read, if I'm being honest. The premise seemed appealing, but not too original, and the reviews I'd seen for it seemed a tad overhyped. Still, I added it to my book list and when it came available at my local library, I decided to give it a shot. I am so glad that I did. This book was fast paced, tense, and emotional. Although I dragged my feet through the first half of the book, I stayed up late into the night reading the last half because it was ridiculously difficult to put down. There were times when my heart sped up, times when I cried, and times when I was legitimately creeped out. A.J. Finn has really stepped up to the plate with this stellar debut.

This novel follows Dr. Anna Fox, a child psychologist, who just so happens to be agoraphobic. After experiencing a terrible trauma, Anna has shut herself into the only place that she feels safe, and given over to a string of bad habits. She abuses alcohol, takes too many pills, and spends most of her days watching black-and-white movies. Oh, and she also likes to watch her neighbors through their windows. After witnessing a terrible event through the Russells' window, Anna is suddenly faced with the idea that maybe her house isn't as safe as she imagines it to be.

There is a trope in psychological thrillers wherein the narrator proves to be unreliable, or else to be suffering from some sort of psychological issue that makes their motives or perceptions questionable. Never, in my whole life as a reader of thrillers, have I found a book that executed this particular trope as well as The Woman in the Window. The issues of Anna were so extreme that even I was questioning whether any of the major "thriller" parts of the novel had even happened. As characters in the novel dismissed Anna for her deep psychological issues and rampant substance abuse, I found myself following suit. I didn't entirely trust Anna, and that has never happened to me before. I can usually decipher truth from untruth when it comes to the fiction that I'm reading, but this novel did a superb job of blending Anna's skewed perception with the realities around her.

One thing I didn't expect from this novel was to feel emotional. I even shed a tear at one point, because I felt so deeply for the main character. Anna is flawed. Quite simply, she is a total mess, but to live inside her head for the duration of this novel makes all of those psychological issues so much more relatable. The reader is given a intimate look at the realities of agoraphobia, trauma based mental illness, depression, and substance abuse. By making Anna into a child psychologist, A.J. Finn demonstrates that even when logic and understanding of the illness is present, the effects of it are still incredibly debilitating. It shows in no uncertain terms that anyone, no matter the strength of their mental faculties, can be mentally ill.

When reading mysteries and thrillers, I live for the grand reveal. I adore the moment of vindication or of surprise when the outcome turns out differently than what I expected. However, with this novel, I found that the greatest reward from it was in the process of reaching that ending. I was so enthralled by Anna's journey that I was a bit sad to see it end. That doesn't happen to me often, so I have to give this book an emphatic 5-star review.

I recommend this book to anybody that enjoys psychological thrillers, unreliable narrators, and fast-paced novels.