“ If somebody wanted, they could easily lock me in here. And there’s only that one window, looking out at the back of the house. This room could be a death trap.” 

-The Housemaid

If you’re on “Book Tok”, you probably have seen people respond to the book, The Housemaid by Freida McFadden. Most people who have read Freida McFadden’s books will claim they are predictable and repetitive, but this book has been one that many have agreed took them by surprise. So much so, that McFadden has sold over 2 million copies of the book and has become a bestselling author #1 New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and many more. It has now become a staple on the psychological thriller list in America.

I have never been one to enjoy a thriller by any means. I prefer romantic comedies, if anything. Then I stumbled upon “Book Tok” and the first thing that came up was The Housemaid. There were nothing but good reviews about this book. Videos upon videos of people raving about how good this book is and how the writing was incredible, the storytelling was sensational, the perspectives were astonishing. I had never seen so many people have the same opinion on a book before, I didn’t think it was possible. I was sure someone out there had a negative outlook on the story, and the only thing I got was that it was too short. I was so curious on how the book really was, so I immediately bought it.  

I will be honest, when I first started this book I wanted to quit right away. As someone who loves to read and did decently in english class, I noticed so many grammatical errors. Starting sentences with “and” or “but”, the repetition never ended, and the vocabulary was dull. I can not tell you how many times I put the book down and had to muster up the strength to pick it back up again. Oddly enough, my mom had just finished the book. She kept telling me to push through it, the ending would make it all worth it. I highly doubted that, but I kept reading. Let me just say, she was right. So if you are in the same position, take it from me, you need to finish it. 

Now if you don’t want any spoilers, then stop here and come back when you have finished this psychotic book, but for the rest of you, lets debrief:

I have never felt more in shock than after I had finished this book. I read the last 200 pages in one night after I had started reading about Andrew and Millie’s relationship. I had a hunch when it started portraying more of their interactions that it would become an intimate relationship, but also I feel as though that happens in every “we have a live in nanny” book. The second that Nina “moved out”, I knew something was coming. The tone and mood of the writing changed and I was on my toes. The moment that Andrew took Millie up to the attic, I could feel a dramatic, chills down your spine plot twist about to drop. Then that single line “…It’s locked.” sent me into a spiral. Part 2 was absolutely insane. I did not care about how terrible the grammar was, all I cared about was finishing the book and praying that Nina gets the ending she deserves. Reading through Nina’s perspective and the story of what she went through, all I could think about was “Someone go check on Freida!”. I could not believe that a woman who had not been through an abusive relationship could write the perspective of the victim so perfectly. The emotions being portrayed so passionately, the denial of events being real, the confusion of someone you loved and trusted turning their back on you and putting you through the unimaginable on purpose was remarkable. I now understood why everyone loved this book and did not once mention the flaws. It was because the story and the relatable elements were overwhelming. All the women who have gone through something similar to Nina and Millie, felt seen and heard. They get to read an ending that satisfies them with the power that many women wish they felt.

I am not going to go into detail about what happens at the end of the book, because I’m pretty sure that if I did, I would be banned from writing book reviews. What I will say is that finishing this book was brutal and disturbing, and I honestly don’t think I would read it again. Not for the reason of it being brutal and disturbing, but because the experience I had reading this book was intense and engaging. I don’t think that if I were to read it again, it would be as fulfilling granted I already know what happens. If you take anything away from this article, it should be that if you are in any sort of danger, there are many resources that can help you, so don’t kill someone.