A review by jazzyjan94
The Perfect Nanny by Leïla Slimani
4.0
I don't even know where to stat with this review. I will say that it will most likely contain spoilers because I have a lot I want to say about this book.
First, I should probably start with what the book is about. The Perfect Nanny follows French-Moroccan lawyer, Myriam, who wants to go back to work after being at home with her two young children. In order to do so, she needs to hire a nanny. Enter Louise, who is the perfect candidate and the perfect nanny. The family loves her and the work she does for them, however she soon starts to become too involved with them, and everything they found charming about her now aggravates them. And Louise herself starts to change, to the point of becoming neurotic, and eventually leading to tragic events.
Wow. All I can say is wow! I honestly was expecting to not enjoy this book at all... I loved it! The Perfect Nanny starts with bang with the tragedy - one of the children is dead, the other one is close to dead, and Louise is covered in blood after trying to commit suicide after attempting to murder her charges. After this opening scene, readers are taken back in time to a year and half before, when Louise was hired by the family and what eventually led to the opening tragic events. I was hooked from the beginning, and I had to find out what happened. If I had not had things to do the day that I read it, I probably would have tried to finish it in one sitting!
If I were to give a short description of this book, I would say it is if Mary Poppins had a mental illness and has a psychotic break and does the unthinkable. In this case, our Mary Poppins character is Louise, and at first she seems practically perfect in every way for the first few months. But then things start to change when she becomes overly dependent on her employers, and obsessive of them. The final shoe drops when she becomes obsessed about not throwing out food that has expired. However, sensing that her services may soon no longer be needed, she becomes almost manic in trying to get Myriam pregnant, and when that fails, she sinks even lower in trying to figure out how to prove that she needs to be kept around.
I don't know if The Perfect Nanny can be considered a thriller, I consider it to be, and it is one of the best ones I have read! It is told in several interconnected parts, with several sections from the perspective or about certain individuals connected to Louise r the family, as well as the lead investigator of the case. The Perfect Nanny is equal parts gripping and disturbing as we watch Louise descend into madness and becomes increasingly toxic, as well as several clues as to how she becomes so.
My only complaint is that sometimes the grammar was a little clunky, but I think that is because the book was translated from French and it might be based on translations choices that were made.
Overall, I loved The Perfect Nanny, it was everything I wanted in a thriller, however, I can also see why some might not like it. I do recommend it if you are looking for a book that has some elements of a thriller, but also explores topics such as wealth, class, motherhood, and I would even say toxic dependency. 4/5 Stars.
First, I should probably start with what the book is about. The Perfect Nanny follows French-Moroccan lawyer, Myriam, who wants to go back to work after being at home with her two young children. In order to do so, she needs to hire a nanny. Enter Louise, who is the perfect candidate and the perfect nanny. The family loves her and the work she does for them, however she soon starts to become too involved with them, and everything they found charming about her now aggravates them. And Louise herself starts to change, to the point of becoming neurotic, and eventually leading to tragic events.
Wow. All I can say is wow! I honestly was expecting to not enjoy this book at all... I loved it! The Perfect Nanny starts with bang with the tragedy - one of the children is dead, the other one is close to dead, and Louise is covered in blood after trying to commit suicide after attempting to murder her charges. After this opening scene, readers are taken back in time to a year and half before, when Louise was hired by the family and what eventually led to the opening tragic events. I was hooked from the beginning, and I had to find out what happened. If I had not had things to do the day that I read it, I probably would have tried to finish it in one sitting!
If I were to give a short description of this book, I would say it is if Mary Poppins had a mental illness and has a psychotic break and does the unthinkable. In this case, our Mary Poppins character is Louise, and at first she seems practically perfect in every way for the first few months. But then things start to change when she becomes overly dependent on her employers, and obsessive of them. The final shoe drops when she becomes obsessed about not throwing out food that has expired. However, sensing that her services may soon no longer be needed, she becomes almost manic in trying to get Myriam pregnant, and when that fails, she sinks even lower in trying to figure out how to prove that she needs to be kept around.
I don't know if The Perfect Nanny can be considered a thriller, I consider it to be, and it is one of the best ones I have read! It is told in several interconnected parts, with several sections from the perspective or about certain individuals connected to Louise r the family, as well as the lead investigator of the case. The Perfect Nanny is equal parts gripping and disturbing as we watch Louise descend into madness and becomes increasingly toxic, as well as several clues as to how she becomes so.
My only complaint is that sometimes the grammar was a little clunky, but I think that is because the book was translated from French and it might be based on translations choices that were made.
Overall, I loved The Perfect Nanny, it was everything I wanted in a thriller, however, I can also see why some might not like it. I do recommend it if you are looking for a book that has some elements of a thriller, but also explores topics such as wealth, class, motherhood, and I would even say toxic dependency. 4/5 Stars.