Reviews - The wife upstairs

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9.11k reviews for:

This was a fairly run-of-the-mill thriller; one I certainly enjoyed reading but won't think about much after the fact. It's fast-paced and well written, but the story wasn't anything out of this world. I do wish I would have had the background knowledge of Jane Eyre while reading it (not enough to actually make myself read it, mind you), but it didn't hold anything back from The Wife Upstairs.

ambercolangelo's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

emeraldpages's review against another edition

3.25

dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

I'm conflicted — which, honestly, mirrors how just about every character in this book seems to feel from beginning to end. I flew through The Wife Upstairs because it genuinely kept me hooked. The pacing was tight, the writing was solid, and the twists unfolded in a way that kept me turning pages.

That said, it was hard to root for anyone. None of the main characters were particularly likeable, with one minor character exception. The rest? Messy, selfish, morally questionable... and somehow still interesting enough that I didn’t quit reading. They’re layered and complicated, which I respect, but I would not want to hang out with any of them. I almost put the book down early because of this, but I couldn’t stop wanting to figure them out.

Now, the ending… that’s where things got shaky. There were several plot holes and character decisions that just didn’t make much sense. A few major arcs were left unresolved, which might work if there’s a sequel coming, but as a standalone, it left me unsatisfied. I don’t mind an open ending, but this felt more like loose threads than intentional ambiguity. If you like your stories wrapped up with a clear resolution, this might not hit the mark for you.

Still, I have to give credit where it's due: it held my attention from start to finish. For that alone, I'm giving it a 3 out of 5 stars.