Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

107 reviews

emilylott's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Torture, Domestic abuse, and Death

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, and Confinement

Minor: Body shaming and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

milliethomsen's review

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Body shaming and Bullying

paperbacksandsnacks's review

challenging dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This book reminded me why I love thrillers and how incredible they can be when written well. And this was phenomenal. The hype truly is worth it. 

The writing style is addictive, and super atmospheric. Immediately when starting this book it felt tense and eerie and like anything could happen. Parts of this felt predictable and at first I was like “I don’t get the hype, why is everyone acting like this is something new” but thennn the twists began. And I realised the predictability is there to make you feel comfortable, to make the twists even more shocking and unexpected. It’s a book that’s written so cleverly. I truly could not have predicted how this story went, it was just twist after twist. That part 2 twist had me SHOOK. 

My one complaint is some of the comments about body size and image. I think it could potentially be triggering for some people. A woman who is mentioned to be a size 14 which is a very average and normal mid size body, who is being spoken about in certain critical ways I think is very outdated and not necessarily relevant to what the author was building here. For me this didn’t take away from the story or quality of the thriller itself, but it is something to note. 

I understand that Andrew obviously prefers a skinny woman so it was building up to that affair he had with Millie, but I think this could have been referenced without shaming a very common body type. The complimentary focus of a skinnier frame and a critical one of a very normal frame is dated and I think probably a little cruel. To discuss eating habits too is also potentially very triggering.

This whole story was unhinged from start to finish, and full of unexpected turns. I felt icky throughout and so tense, which for me is just the mark of an excellent psych thriller. The pacing was impeccable, the reveals excellently timed. The characters were so well thought out too. Just amazing, amazing writing. And with the way this book ended I anticipate I will be reading the sequel VERY soon. 

I wish all thrillers were this good. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Sexual content, Infidelity, Mental illness, Death, and Body shaming

bettymer91's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Slavery, Body shaming, Gaslighting, and Mental illness

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Sexual content

xgabrielle_hx's review

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

---

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

k8lynn's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Infertility, Grief, Body shaming, Death, Torture, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Violence, Physical abuse, and Blood

rochelleisreading's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Fatphobia, Emotional abuse, Classism, and Confinement

Moderate: Sexual content, Torture, and Death

Minor: Child abuse

hhanock's review

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? Yes

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Torture, Confinement, Body horror, Blood, Body shaming, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Murder, Physical abuse, and Violence

kjm19's review

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. 

---

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

maddie_can_read's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

Pretty good but kind of

predictable in the sense that you could feel a twist coming/ that things weren't exactly as they seem.

A bit slow to start

Took me a bit to get used to the main character's Brooklyn accent in the audiobook.

A lot of uncomfortable scenes

like Nina berating Millie, also some like very mild body horror

wish we go a bit more into the psychology of the main antagonist, aside from them having been abused by their mother in the same way

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, and Torture

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Rape, Infertility, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Physical abuse, and Murder

Minor: Fatphobia, Body shaming, Vomit, Gore, Blood, and Body horror

someone is forced to pull out their hair strand by strand and someone is forced to pull out their teeth