After four DNF's I needed a book to read as nothing seemed to be keeping my attention. The title of this book attracted me to it. I loved the title as I am the type of girl who you would find reading on public transport. The book is set in France where we meet Juliette whom catches the Metro every morning to work and on her way observes people and what they are reading and she likes to make stories up about the people she sees in accordance to the books they are reading from the old woman reading a cookbook - she was a famous chef when she was younger. Juliette is in a dead-end job working as a real estate agent in a small company. On her way to work one morning, she spots a little girl running about and she follows her to a second-hand bookshop. It is in the bookshop, she meets the owner Soliman and his daughter Zadie and learns about the art of being a "passuer". Passing books onto strangers, but in a way by watching them first and then finding the perfect book to suit them. As the book goes along, Juliette eventually quits her job but not before leaving the staff with a book of their own and moving in with Soliman to help him with the shop. Several tragedies happen throughout this book and it does have a heavy Suicide aspect to the novel. I have classified this book as a women's fiction as it was very difficult to pinpoint a genre for the book as it's not really romantic or suspenseful. It definitely is a book that you will have to read with an open mind and perfect if you are a book lover yourself as it touches on that extra mile of matching people with perfect books which is something that is a passion of my own which made me love the book. I also really identified myself in Juliette as I am sure many other bookworms who read this story will find themselves either a Juliette or a Soliman. The Girl who Reads on the Metro was definitely written with that European feel to the novel as well, very much like the arty/festival films that they produce.

Juliette is living a very dreary life in Paris. Her only excitement is creating stories about the strangers she sees on the train going to work.

One morning she finds herself in a new part of town and discovers a hidden bookstore. Here she meets Soliman and begins a new life.

I really wanted to love this book. It was just so slow. However it is beautifully crafted and I can see the lazy Sunday afternoon appeal of it. It just wasn’t for me.

My Thoughts

‘She had always loved the smell of books, especially when she bought them second-hand. New books had different smells too, depending on the paper and glue used, but they said nothing of the hands that had held them, the houses that had been their home; they had no story of their own yet, separate from the one they told–a parallel story, hazy, secret.’

The Girl Who Reads On The Metro is aimed at fans of The Little Paris Bookshop and aimed at all book lovers. The whole passuers was fabulous - giving out books to strangers or leaving them in particular places - I loved this bookish ploy, especially with how the story ends with the minivan. Books can help you through life.

The author does an exemplary job at presenting contemporary issues, such as the recent terrorist attacks in France, and the impact this has on people wanting to hide away from the world and live rather in books. It would have been good if the author had expanded on this and really developed both plot and characters on their journey - more emotion was needed with less time spent in superfluous moments or conversations.

So whilst the concept and potential was there - that being the power of books to transform people - I cannot help but feel it was lost in a story that did not correlate well enough. Some characters fell rather flat for me and the story somewhat disjointed.

I do love a book about books and although this short story and easy to read, it lacked depth and was a little too slow at times for me. I appreciate that the lead character truly believed that you could find yourself in books and help people through life. I just wished more from this book.

‘ ... he at least made no pretence of leading a ‘normal’ life. He had chosen to hide away in a fortress built of books, fragments of which he regularly sent out into the world, like sending messages in bottles across the sea, offerings and gestures of affection destined for kindred spirits, those who, outside the walls, were confronted with real life.’





This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Oh this was a sweet read that any lover of books will appreciate. I loved how Feret-Fleury captured so many of the remarkable components that I love about books, reading and the giving of books to another. Her descriptions of the smell of books, the feel in your hand and the travels and emotions they take you on is wonderful.

The story of Juliette is a simple one. A chance meeting of Soliman, a quirky book seller and his daughter, Zaide, changes her whole world and outlook on life. This story is full of hope and possibility. What I enjoyed the most was how Soliman and his passeurs, find the right book, for the right person, at the right time, often shifting the trajectory of their life. Soliman says at one point, “each book is a portrait and it has at least two faces…The face of the person who gives it, and the face of the person who receives it.”

Books are truly magic and this story captures that in such a perfect way. I am literally smiling as I write this review because of the impact Feret-Fleury's love letter to books had on me.

Oh my heart; this is such a beautiful, emotional story, a delicious mix of romance and adventure and a wonderful lesson to remember for all of those who consistently have their noses (and hearts in a book.

Juliette, a perfectly ordinary girl living a perfectly ordinary life finds out that her love of books can be so much more when she stumbles upon a precocious little girl and her father, distributors of books across Paris. From here Juliette's world blossoms in to an adventure she never expected and she learns that value and the limitations of living your life inside the books you read.

I love the sparse yet sweet style of this writing, it reminds me of Nina George's Little Paris Bookshop. The Author manages to convey so much meaning and emotion without using a huge number of words. I love that she touches on so many issues facing Juliette and her world but nothing takes away from the fact that this is her story and she needs to be responsible for writing it.

I adored The Girl Who Reads on The Metro and its a definite addition to my Bookish book collection. You will especially love the references to classic french and italian literature, the refershing lack of traditional love interests and the charming voice of the narrator. Such a beautiful beautiful read. Thank you so much to NetGalley. Christine Feret-Fluery and Flatiron Books for allowing me to read such a wonder.