Reviews with content warning for Abandonment - The Maid

I loved this so much! Molly is one of my all time favourite characters now, I loved reading from her. Just one of those books that really gets you routing hard for the characters

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beyourbestshelf's review against another edition

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funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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paulasnotsosecretdiary's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

The Maid contains a compelling closed-door murder mystery and a twist at the end. The central character demonstrates the characteristics of someone on the autism spectrum, yet nowhere is this explicitly acknowledged in the book. While the author uses these traits to further the plot, there is inauthenticity here and a heavy reliance on stereotypes. What is left is more of a caricature than a character. Readers looking for books depicting characters with autism by authors who are neurodivergent should try Helen Hoang's books. She is one of many neurodivergent authors who use their own experiences navigating the world as a starting point for some of their central characters and can offer readers a more authentic portrayal of someone with autism..

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milenasbooknook's review against another edition

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hopeful mysterious relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

What an amazing book! I loved Molly. The plot was well-written, but honestly the characters were so interesting that I would have enjoyed it regardless. Though it takes place in modern times, the book feels nostalgic (nostalgic in the same way as Knives Out or La La Land).

The only thing I truly disliked about this book was that there was a philosophy/worldview pushed strongly in the epilogue, with which I strongly disagreed. Other than that, it’s an amazing book and I highly recommend it!

Also, the prologue was one of the most fascinating prologues I have ever read.

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lalaexni's review against another edition

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dark funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

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now_booking's review against another edition

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dark emotional lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

I’m not entirely sure what I expected going into this- based on buzz and blurb, I’d imagined some sort of Eleanor Oliphant cozy mystery and in some ways, this is that-ish. But I think to call Molly an Eleanor isn’t quite right or fair to either character. Molly is sort of her own sort of socially awkward, neurodivergent character- I’d say she’s kind of Pollyanna meets Keiko (from Convenience Store Woman) meets Mary Poppins all at once with a sprinkling of her own uniqueness. Many times in the first third of this book, I was gasping because it was like unleashing an innocent babe out into the world to be taken advantage of, but Molly had grit and personality and ultimately she was a delight.

The premise is that Molly, a maid at a luxury boutique hotel, has always struggled with social cues and making friends. After losing her grandmother and being betrayed by a loser boyfriend, she is determined to keep her head down and make enough to pay her rent, but she can’t resist the seduction of the possibility of new friends at her hotel job. Unfortunately, this leads her into danger and suddenly, in trying to help her friends, she comes under suspicion of murder.

I really enjoyed this novel. It’s kind of a cosy mystery but it’s also about friendship and found family and responsibility and grief and dealing with terminal illness and loss. I felt emotionally-engaged in the story even though Molly as a character had obviously been trained to control her emotions and suppress her feelings out of politeness. I enjoyed Molly’s voice and observations as a character and I would say this was gently humorous. I think that while this was great and enjoyable and I even liked the twist at the end, there was sometimes a bit of detachment I felt from Molly that sometimes made this feel a little unbelievable or very dramatic in the way of movies from the 50s and 60s. I suppose this could be an intentional choice as Molly’s habits and language and behaviour WERE inspired by that period thanks to her grandmother. I loved the supporting characters and was curious about Mr Preston and his daughter and his relationship with Molly’s grandma. In all this was a really enjoyable read and I recommend checking it out if you’re looking for a gentle but really engaging read with light humor and Cody mystery vibes.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Ballantine Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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