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hamohero's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol
dcong16's review against another edition
sad
slow-paced
1.0
The concept was so interesting but for a mystery I saw major components of the ending coming a mile away. Maybe not the twist in the epilogue but then that pissed me off because it came so out of left field and felt like it had no precedent in the rest of the story. Seems kind of counterintuitive to say some things were too obvious and others were obvious enough but the way things all work out has to have some clues somewhere and I guess there were a few TEENY TINY crumbs that might lead to the final reveal but it just wasn’t enough to be believable especially when everything else was so obvious. Also yes I knew this was a murder mystery but I wish I would have had a trigger warning for some of the death/dying elements related to her grandmother which I was not at all adequately prepared for.
Only thing giving it one star and not zero is the characters, but then the ending even sort of ruined Molly for me? Like it didn’t fit with how she’d behaved / acted the whole rest of the book???? The others were annoyingly surface level when they had potential to be so interesting, but I think that was part of getting to know them from Molly’s perspective, so I was willing to overlook it. On that note, I’m curious how this depiction of Molly’s experience was in terms of accuracy / sensitivity.
While we never get an actual name for it, I think the author’s intentions are fairly clear in depicting a character on the Autism spectrum. I have mixed feelings about that. Why make the reader read between the lines about that? Why not just say it? Why have there be no diagnosis? I don’t have the personal experience to judge whether this was or was not a faithful depiction of ASD, but the fact that it’s so heavily alluded to despite never being named strikes me as a little… shady I guess?? Like the author wanted to write the character that way but didn’t want the potential to be called out. I genuinely can’t see any reason why naming it would make a difference to the story, since Molly states, herself, on many occasions, that she knows she’s different and experiences the world differently and therefor has trouble understanding social situations that are easy for others. Having a name and a diagnosis for that difference wouldn’t really make a difference to the plot. I don’t know maybe I’m just conspiracy theorizing at this point. Regardless, I’d love to know what people with ASD or more personal experience with it than me think of Molly’s characterization. I hope it’s a faithful depiction because I think people deserve that, I’m just not very trusting when it comes to these things.
Only thing giving it one star and not zero is the characters, but then the ending even sort of ruined Molly for me? Like it didn’t fit with how she’d behaved / acted the whole rest of the book???? The others were annoyingly surface level when they had potential to be so interesting, but I think that was part of getting to know them from Molly’s perspective, so I was willing to overlook it. On that note, I’m curious how this depiction of Molly’s experience was in terms of accuracy / sensitivity.
While we never get an actual name for it, I think the author’s intentions are fairly clear in depicting a character on the Autism spectrum. I have mixed feelings about that. Why make the reader read between the lines about that? Why not just say it? Why have there be no diagnosis? I don’t have the personal experience to judge whether this was or was not a faithful depiction of ASD, but the fact that it’s so heavily alluded to despite never being named strikes me as a little… shady I guess?? Like the author wanted to write the character that way but didn’t want the potential to be called out. I genuinely can’t see any reason why naming it would make a difference to the story, since Molly states, herself, on many occasions, that she knows she’s different and experiences the world differently and therefor has trouble understanding social situations that are easy for others. Having a name and a diagnosis for that difference wouldn’t really make a difference to the plot. I don’t know maybe I’m just conspiracy theorizing at this point. Regardless, I’d love to know what people with ASD or more personal experience with it than me think of Molly’s characterization. I hope it’s a faithful depiction because I think people deserve that, I’m just not very trusting when it comes to these things.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, and Death of parent
Moderate: Physical abuse, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, and Drug use
jhblahut's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Minor: Violence
mschwa1118's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was a good and quick read, but I honestly have some mixed feelings about it. The character Molly the Maid was definitely well developed and that’s for sure the best aspect of The Maid, but at the same time she’s harshly taken advantage of frequently - most upsettingly by her closest loved one; and at that I thought this particularly was very much glossed over. But I appreciate how things came together for her in the end. Content warnings include assisted suicide and threats or deportation.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
beautifulminutiae's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Suicide, and Murder
oceanwriter's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
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
3.0
For the most part, a cute mystery. Molly was sweet, although her long-winded politeness wore thin by the end. I enjoyed her character growth, nonetheless. Giselle’s character was intriguing as well. There were some moments that put a damper on the story for me, such as later bits with Gran. That felt unnecessary and almost out of character from what we’re led to believe. Still, I enjoyed it more than I didn’t.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Physical abuse, Suicide, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, and Abandonment
alainareading's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Terminal illness
ynadavis's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Plot twist: This book that was billed as a murder mystery is really the story of the main character framing someone for murder to clear her own name. (But it's okay because he framed her first. Why? Just because he's THAT bad a person. Duh.)
Plot twist: And the main character actually did kill someone. Just not who you think. So it's okay.
Plot twist: Oh and by the way, the main character was actually an accessory in the murder she was originally accused of.
This book was a mess. An enjoyable, cozy mess, but a mess for sure. Between the plot holes, wildly unnecessary plot twists, and caricature-like portrayal of a neurodivergent main character by a neurotypical author (a portrayal that I can't help but feel was leaned into just to shoehorn the aforementioned plot issues into working), this is a book that you read for ✨vibes✨ not for quality.
Going forward, I think I'm going to steer clear of books written by publishing higher-ups. It's no surprise that the buzz their books get is disproportionate to their books' quality... But it is disappointing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Suicide, and Murder
Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Death, Physical abuse, Grief, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Toxic relationship
mrswelborn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
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
5.0
What a fun book to start out the year! It gave me Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine vibes, meets the Hulu show Only Murders in the Building. I loved the setting of the opulent Regency Grand hotel, and the cast of characters were vivid and immediately interesting. Molly the maid is not who you think she is…I read this book in two days trying to figure out who-did-what and how the story would unfold. I could see this being a great re-read, or a book club selection. What a fantastic debut by the author!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Suicide, and Death of parent
shantastic_reads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I really enjoyed seeing the world through the neurodiverse main character's point of view. There were several moments when my eyes teared up reading how she experienced bullying and her struggle to react in stressful situations. The book evokes empathy and emotion, and I wonder if the author has experience with a loved one or worked with people with autism. Although this book is a quick read and has feel-good moments, there are parts that are upsetting due to how others treat the main character, and her struggle to get by despite acute grief over her grandmother's death, when she was the only person who she could rely on to help her understand others' words and actions.
As much as I appreciated the narrative, the story unravels in a hasty and wildly unrealistic way. I'm a lawyer, but I can set aside my annoyance with legal inaccuracies to indulge in a good story. This one stretches waaaaay too far, and suspension of disbelief is impossible. The ending is heavy-handed, contrived, and sloppy regarding certain details (To avoid revealing spoilers I'll leave it at that.)
Overall I'm glad I read it, but I wish more care had been put into the last third of the book. It definitely takes a lot from Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, so if you liked that one, this one is worth checking out. Just temper your expectations.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, and Murder