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_pauline 's review for:
The Housemaid Is Watching
by Freida McFadden
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
No
every single character seems like chat gpt was asked to make up the most stereotypical book character possible: the mc with a dark past who just moved to a wealthy neighborhood & tries so hard to fit in & impress the neighbors; her “perfect“, laid-back italian husband with his “charming accent“ and “olive skin“ who, unlike his wife, doesn’t seem to age, that every female character flirts with, who complains about italian food not tasting like the original, who btw doesn‘t believe in therapy & justifies his son‘s violence by saying it “will make him tough“ & “that‘s what boys do“; their loud & aggressive son who constantly breaks stuff; the smart introverted daughter who worries a lot & brings a book everywhere she goes; the most insufferable wealthy female neighbors you can imagine (hiding an insult or accusation in every single sentence, “you should stay at home for your kids“, congratulating a non-existent pregnancy, watching & gossipping about other neighbors etc) but with a nice & normal seeming husband + a creepy housekeeper. Of course, it’s a Freida McFadden book, so there’s more to it. But it still bothered me for at least 3/4 of the book. (With her books it’s always the person/twist that you’d expect the least, which ironically becomes a little predictable at some point, but she still managed to make me entirely forget about the prologue by the end of the book. ) I would‘ve liked more tension & action earlier in the book. I really like most of her thrillers but the Housemaid books are my least favourite
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Violence, Murder
Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment