A review by jennireadsmaybe
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I read this for a book club that I host at work; I'm not sure I would have read it otherwise, because I'm not big on the thriller genre and had heard mixed things about Freida McFadden specifically. Overall, I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. My main complaints are the constant use of Nina's "mental illness" as the reason Millie thinks she's mistreating her (babes I swear you can be mentally ill and not an asshole) in the first book and the casual fatphobia "letting herself go." I will say once you get into the second part a lot of these things are explained away, but it left a bitter taste in my mouth. 

I can see why this is popular with a certain subset of booktok recommendations. Feminine rage does play a large part in Millie and Nina's lives. Honestly, I don't remember that awful white man's name; I just know he deserved what he got in the end. The Housemaid builds and builds and builds the tension for the entire first part, but once it hits that second part it's a fairly quick resolution. I generally liked it once it picked up. 

Read this if you are dipping your toe into the domestic thriller genre, if you like angry women getting revenge on horrible men, and supporting women's wrongs. 
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