Scan barcode
anjalisudarsan's review against another edition
3.0
Although I enjoyed this book, I really felt the writing was very young adult-ish, and reminded me of those older murder mystery novels. There wasn't much background information about each character, and the whole plot was quite surface-level. I think as readers, we're able to tell what the characters are thinking and doing since Molly Grey, the protagonist, is clearly neurodivergent and can't decipher social cues and sarcasm. I did feel there was some infantilisation done on Molly, making her this cutesy character with quirks, but for the sake of the plot it went along. Not bad, this story was a chill read
sierramaye01's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
justinkhchen's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars
Cosy mystery with a twist; The Maid might be slight on mystery, but the unique, nuanced protagonist offers an interesting point of view to the murder mystery formula.
While never explicitly called out, the titular character, Molly the maid, can be easily interpreted as an individual on the autism spectrum. Told in first person, the story immerses the reader in the head of someone who interacts with her world in a vastly different way. Along with Molly's amusingly antiquated, overly proper vocabulary and one-liners, it's easy to be sympathetic and understanding towards her actions, and the novel also takes the opportunity to comment on the larger theme of social exclusion, whether it's is based on personality, occupation or class.
With its atypical protagonist, The Maid takes time to sink in. Momentum and suspense typical to murder mystery stories is absent, instead its first half is mostly consisted of an oblivious Molly being blatantly manipulated and used by others for their devious intents. Though completely intentional and aligns with its setup, this objective, clinical storytelling approach can be a bit grating to get into. Fortunately as story progresses, with character growth and a thickening plot, things really pick up in the second half, and concludes with a strong closure and a few poignant, emotional scenes thrown in the mix.
Overall, The Maid is refined and thoughtfully assembled, its characters, hopeful sentiment and casual humor makes the slightly alienating beginning well worth going through.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
Cosy mystery with a twist; The Maid might be slight on mystery, but the unique, nuanced protagonist offers an interesting point of view to the murder mystery formula.
While never explicitly called out, the titular character, Molly the maid, can be easily interpreted as an individual on the autism spectrum. Told in first person, the story immerses the reader in the head of someone who interacts with her world in a vastly different way. Along with Molly's amusingly antiquated, overly proper vocabulary and one-liners, it's easy to be sympathetic and understanding towards her actions, and the novel also takes the opportunity to comment on the larger theme of social exclusion, whether it's is based on personality, occupation or class.
With its atypical protagonist, The Maid takes time to sink in. Momentum and suspense typical to murder mystery stories is absent, instead its first half is mostly consisted of an oblivious Molly being blatantly manipulated and used by others for their devious intents. Though completely intentional and aligns with its setup, this objective, clinical storytelling approach can be a bit grating to get into. Fortunately as story progresses, with character growth and a thickening plot, things really pick up in the second half, and concludes with a strong closure and a few poignant, emotional scenes thrown in the mix.
Overall, The Maid is refined and thoughtfully assembled, its characters, hopeful sentiment and casual humor makes the slightly alienating beginning well worth going through.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
abbismallwood's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
rebeccaamorim's review against another edition
3.0
The premise was interesting and I love me a good murder mystery, but I just felt like it kinda went by real slow and by like the 6th chapter I already knew what was about to go down and how they had a plan to frame Rodney. The epilogue did surprise me though.
sarahsshorts's review against another edition
2.0
Maybe more of a 2.5. It was okay for the first half, but I just feel like the conclusion wasn’t very satisfying. The conflict got resolved so easily and then it just focused on her new relationship. Overall just not as enjoyable as I’d hoped. I wanted to feel something and I felt nothing!
colleend's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nikinelson's review against another edition
5.0
I just adored Molly the Maid. She is one of the best characters I’ve read; I just wanted to give her the biggest hug <3
This is a classic and marvelous whodunit murder novel that exemplifies how valuable friendships are and how important it is to stay true to yourself - plot was wonderful & characters were lovely and built up well!
Girl power was felt in this book too
This is a classic and marvelous whodunit murder novel that exemplifies how valuable friendships are and how important it is to stay true to yourself - plot was wonderful & characters were lovely and built up well!
Girl power was felt in this book too
beewitch's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0