A review by kearstinreading
The Wife Upstairs by Freida McFadden

dark mysterious 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

3.75

"The Wife Upstairs" revolves around Sylvia, a woman with not much going for her, who stumbles upon a golden opportunity. A wealthy, handsome man offers her a deal too good to resist: live in his home rent-free and serve as his wife's companion, all while getting paid for it. Despite some initial reservations, Sylvia agrees to the offer.

She moves into the man's house and meets Victoria, a stunning woman who, due to a terrible fall down the stairs, is in a wheelchair and unable to speak. As the days unfold, Sylvia realizes that Victoria has a story she needs to share, if only she can help her find her voice.

If I hadn't already read "Verity," I might have found this book to be even more appealing. Don't get me wrong; I still managed to devour the entire book within 24 hours, and I couldn't help but be engrossed until the very end. However, the similarities between the two books were glaring, which, to be honest, somewhat dampened the experience for me.

One thing I appreciated about "The Wife Upstairs" is that it offered more of a "conclusion" compared to "Verity." It answered the questions I had about the characters' fates, which was a plus.

On the flip side, Sylvia, as a character, was somewhat frustrating. I found myself shaking my head and feeling exasperated by her because some of the decisions she made were undeniably poor. Her actions and decisions were a huge source of conflict for me. So many problems could have been avoided if she had just used her better judgment.

There were also a few plot holes that Sylvia chose to ignore, which was a bit baffling. She arrived at conclusions that directly contradicted what Eva told her earlier in the book. This was a bit perplexing and disrupted the narrative for me.

In the end, I'd say "The Wife Upstairs" was a decent read. It certainly has appeal for those who enjoy books in the vein of "Verity" and are looking for a more comprehensive and conclusive ending to the story.