Took me a while to get into this.
If this is your type of thriller you will love it, sadly this was not for me.
I struggled through it.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

The Boy On The Train is one fascinating novel. It takes you into a world of super hackers and intense government surveillance. Your privacy might suddenly feel very vulnerable, and you likely will always wonder about your computer's security. Author Martin Goodman has taken a complex subject and made it a thriller. How safe are we as the world grows more victim to these forces?
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

Tom encounters Steve who is having a bad day after his first class seat assignment goes awry on a train to London. But it turns out Steve is a target of a hacker, and that hacker is Tom. Steve realises he’s being set up and his career, family, home and reputation are all on the line. Steve works for a fossil fuel company while Tom fancies himself as an eco warrior. Who will win in this clever story of cat & mouse, the impacts of climate change and the measures people will go to, to try and stop it. Thanks to the author and publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Total: 4.5 stars

A genius teenager with anxiety encounters a truly irritating man on a train. He decides to destroy the man's life. This has consequences.

'The Boy on the Train' is a gripping story that I truly couldn't put down for hours at a time. I'm not usually one for thrillers, but the play by play as the hacker strengthened his control was fascinating. By the time the narrative broadens to a few different perspectives and the wider issues hinted at by the description, it feels well earned.

I particularly loved getting to know the protagonist. His anxiety felt very real, but it didn't take over the narrative. He worried, he took steps to deal with it, then he put his attention back on other aspects of his life and the plot. As someone with anxiety myself, it was refreshing to see representation that didn't feel forced, dramatized, or gimmicky.

The characters in general are really well fleshed out, including the irritating businessman I mentioned above. Everyone is 3 dimensional, which might helps explain why the action and excitement hit so well. You care about these people, for better or worse.

There was a very strong theme of environmental activism throughout. I can't decide if we are supposed to agree with Tom's views, or if it was meant to be left a little morally gray. I suspect the latter. He is a teenager after all, and they are not known for their subtlety.

Overall, a very enjoyable read I'm glad I picked up. The broader plot as things got complicated toward the end didn't appeal quite as much, partly because it stretched the limits of being as realistic as the first half of the book. I also didn't particularly like one of the narrators, even though I suspect the author ended for that person to be a sympathetic character.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants a quick, exciting read that nonetheless is populated by three-dimensional characters you can sink your teeth into.