The Housemaid

⭐⭐⭐

This book is a solid 3 out of 5 overall. Regarding the characters, I didn’t find many of them appealing. The story is told from the perspective of the main character, who doesn’t seem very bright. This seems to be a common pattern with Freedom McFadden's characters. At the beginning, she makes some morally questionable choices that make it hard to like her. Although Frida tries to justify her actions, they still come across as somewhat off-putting. The male lead felt one-dimensional, while a side character was much more intriguing. Overall, it wasn't horrible, but it was just an okay read.

The plot was similarly average. It was pretty basic, with nothing too surprising. However, it had a binge-worthy quality that made me want to keep reading to find out what would happen next. I could see where the story was going and even guessed the twist at the end, but it’s still worth a read if you're into thrillers.

I felt that the book lacked a clear theme. It felt like just another moment-in-time story, and I’m not sure if there are any real lessons to be learned from this thriller. That said, I don't expect a thriller like this to teach me anything, so the theme was just okay.

Emotionally, I wasn't very invested in the characters. I did want the main female character to be okay and enjoyed her more than the others, but when challenges arose for any of the characters, I didn’t feel scared or sad for them. Again, this is a fast-paced thriller, and I don’t think the intention is to create strong emotional bonds with the characters to better understand them and their motivations.

In terms of my enjoyment of the book, I did find it engaging, as I mentioned earlier. It was binge-worthy, and I felt compelled to find out how it would end. I know there are more books in the series, and while I may pick them up eventually, I’m not in a hurry to do so. This indicates how I feel about the book overall. I would recommend it to those who enjoy thrillers, like twisty plots, or are new to the genre, as it offers some surprises that you might not see coming.