Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

31 reviews

xgabrielle_hx's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Murder, Torture, Domestic abuse, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death, Body horror, Gaslighting, and Blood

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Infertility, Fatphobia, Sexual content, Body shaming, Death of parent, Infidelity, and Rape

Minor: Alcohol and Pregnancy

kjm19's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I haven’t read a book like this in a very long time - probably since the Girl on the Train?

An incredibly fast-paced crime/thriller novel about a woman on parole who is hired to be a live-in family maid. You can see twists and turns coming for the most part, but you don’t know the specifics and that’s what keeps you on your toes. 

The change of POV at a critical point in the story didn’t leave me wanting more, in fact it answered some questions but also gave me a thirst for more answers. 

The plot centring on the injustices of the prison system and how poorly women in abusive relationships are treated by law enforcement and the ‘establishment’ made it more impactful for me. 

Other than the police chief person’s daughter being Andy’s ex (cliche, lazy, forced…), the ending (last chapter with Andy’s mum at the funeral and the epilogue with Millie being interviewed at a new place) chefs kiss. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Torture, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Sexism, Deportation, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Stalking, Blood, Body shaming, Suicide attempt, Violence, Alcohol, Body horror, Grief, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse

saraellenme's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Confinement, and Torture

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, and Murder

Minor: Violence, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Sexual assault

thee_eclectic_eccentric's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Classism, Emotional abuse, Murder, Confinement, Gaslighting, Torture, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual content, and Blood

Minor: Rape, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Infertility

bimsa's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Plot was foreseeable and perspectives weren’t varied. Such a slow pace book into a quick ending. Excessive use of trauma for no reason.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Violence, Mental illness, Self harm, Medical trauma, Torture, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Murder, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Death, Confinement, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Death of parent

nialiversuch's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, Death, Fatphobia, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Infidelity, Body shaming, Physical abuse, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Sexual content, Xenophobia, Child death, and Death of parent

loudo's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Forced institutionalization, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Body horror, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, Death of parent, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexism, Excrement, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Death, Toxic relationship, Blood, Confinement, Cursing, Self harm, Suicide, Fatphobia, Gore, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Classism, Abandonment, Medical content, Murder, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Mental illness, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infertility, Torture, and Vomit

Minor: Deportation, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

hmwoodward's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The first book club selection of the year went by fast! The book starts at the end and you are left to try and piece it together before it is all over. You definitely are led to believe the story will take you one way and then it takes you another. I don't want to spoil it, but it doesn't go exactly how I anticipated it would at the start.

Was this the best book I'll read this year? No. But I definitely enjoyed the ride and would recommend it to others (who are ok with the large number of content warnings applied here).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Torture, Physical abuse, Mental illness, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Vomit, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Excrement, and Gore

Minor: Death of parent

bpgorence's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Violence, Blood, and Death

Moderate: Child death and Body shaming

Minor: Classism and Death of parent

0ldoini's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Death, Domestic abuse, Torture, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Murder, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Infertility and Fatphobia

Minor: Death of parent and Deportation