Honest Book Review of The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

You may have heard about this book online or because the movie is coming out, but I think it’s one that lives up to the hype. Find out why in my full book review below. 

Here’s a short synopsis of the book: 

“Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.

I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.

I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.

But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.

They don’t know what I’m capable of…“

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Full Book Review Without Spoilers 

This is the first of Freida McFadden’s books that I’ve read, and I was pleasantly surprised. I honestly expected it to be a little overhyped with how much I’ve seen online, but this is one thriller that I got into. This book has well-written characters, a compelling plot, and a wonderfully unexpected twist. 

The author creates such a compelling web of secrets right at the beginning of the book, you really feel compelled to keep reading. There really are no slow parts in the book. Maybe that’s why I finished the book over the course of two days (less than 24 hours total). 

The easy writing of the book also makes it very binge-able if you like that type of book. A few of the details do seem farfetched, but, honestly, what thriller doesn’t? 

One of the downsides of the book if you’re into the thriller genre is that it doesn’t require much thinking. The twist is there, but the more mysterious aspect is lacking. 

Characters

What I liked about this book is the characters at the beginning are all interesting but not necessarily likable because you’re so suspicious of them. But this is for good reason, and it’s one of the aspects that makes you keep reading. By the end, I was very satisfied with each characters full story and reasoning behind their appearance at the beginning of the book. 

I can’t go into too much detail if you don’t want spoilers, but Nina Winchester, Millie, and even Andrew Winchester, all had good twists that ended up different from where you thought they were headed. I could have used a little bit more about Millie towards the end, but maybe in the next book we see more of her thoughts and motivations. 

Plot

the plot throughout the entire book was always enough to keep you reading with a great big twist. The amount of dark secrets and the timing that they were revealed make the plot points both shocking but very cohesive. There were enough tiny details that added to the plot being compelling as well as believable. I was hooked on what happened up until the final page. 

Writing

McFadden’s writing style has the exact perfect pacing to it that you don’t put the book down for long at all. At any point in the book, you feel compelled to just read one more chapter to find out what happens next. The writing was also straightforward enough that it felt like an easy read compared to a strenuous read. 

Full Book Review With Spoilers

You’ve been warned that from here on out there will be spoilers. 

A few people told me that they found the book predictable, but I thought the ending of the book was pleasantly surprising. Maybe it was just me, but Andrew was not the one who made me suspicious. I was waiting for Nina to snap, but I enjoyed how the book ended instead. 

The plot of the book at the beginning makes you believe Millie is really the one you have to watch out for, but as the book progresses you get less and less sure of what to take at face value. Another thing I liked was the character development that was really more of character revealing, but the author did it at a very good pace. 

I thought that the author could have done a little more with the ending, either explained more or didn’t move so fast. I wanted to hear about Millie at the end. And I wanted to hear more about Andrew’s mother as she’s really the beginning of all this in the end. 

Pros of the Book 

The major pro of the book is that the writing style, pace, and some of the smaller plot points keeps you reading and engaged with the story. It’s a compelling read even if there’s not a ton of thinking. 

One of the things I liked about this book is that right from the beginning you became suspicious of the characters and had an inkling that this was not really what it seemed. But you still couldn’t put your finger on it or completely guess the big twist. I really enjoyed that Nina ended up being sane the whole time, and really one of the only normal people in the story. 

Cons of the Book 

One of the cons for me was that there wasn’t much thinking to the book (which some other people probably like). I like a mystery to figure out along with the psychologically thrilling parts of the book. And it seemed a little rushed at the end of the book. 

Another aspect of the book that wasn’t my favorite was I wanted to know more about Millie. Yes, she says she’s always had trouble, but that’s really all we get to see after she literally kills someone. 

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a quicker but still enjoyable read, this is a good thriller option. I enjoyed the book because of the suspicious characters and the fast paced writing. The whole story keeps you engaged, and, while the ending was a little rushed, the plot makes for a good read. 

You can find the book here.

I have a full summary of the book here if you need a refresher on any of the main points. 

Rating-4.25 out of 5

Even though I originally thought this book might be overhyped, it’s a pretty darn good psychological thriller with interesting characters and a really solid plot twist. The book actually makes me excited for the movie coming out which I hadn’t really thought about before. And this book does make me want to continue the Housemaid series. 

Here’s how I rate all my books: My Rating System

Who Would Enjoy Reading? 

If you like good thrillers that’s also a fun read, you should definitely try this book. One of the main reasons I liked the book is because I didn’t want to put it down. So if you’re looking for a book to binge read, this is a good option. 

What to Read After

Here’s a few other thriller novels that I enjoyed with the same vibe with equally engaging plot points. These all have about equal star rating for me and similar aspects, but they’re still distinct enough. 

Housemaid’s Secret by Freida McFadden

If you liked the main character in this book or Freida McFadden’s writing, continue on with the Housemaid books. The next book in the series is the Housemaid’s Secret. 

The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn

Another thriller that’s received some hype in the last few years is The Woman in the Window. This is another great book if you enjoyed not being able to tell who was actually crazy and who to be suspicious of in The Housemaid. 

I have a full book review and summary of this one.

Rock, Paper, Scissors by Alice Feeney

If you enjoy the thriller genre, try this one that really has a jaw-dropping twist that you really don’t see coming. It even has a similar writing style to The Housemaid and makes you want to read it in one sitting.