litreadture 's review for:

The Coworker by Freida McFadden

3.0

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

I find myself once more in that time of year when I binge-read Freida's books. This is one of her well-known novels that frequently gets mentioned on BookTok. The story follows Natalie, a stunning star salesperson at Vixed, a company specializing in nutritional supplements and Dawn, who is a bit odd and off-putting, has recently started working there as an accountant. When Dawn fails to show up for work one day, Natalie becomes worried. Shortly after, Dawn's phone rings, and the voice on the line asking for help. Before long, it becomes evident that something has happened to Dawn, and Natalie discovers she is being viewed as the main suspect.

“Whatever else you can fake, it’s hard to fake being a genuinely kind person. It’s also exceedingly rare.”

Firstly, I really don't have many high hopes for this book based on certain reviews I've come across. The premise of the story is intriguing, yet I’m not fond of how it was crafted. I appreciate the way the tension escalates as the story unfolds, but many sections of this book are presented in email format, which honestly makes it difficult to engage with (in a way). I dislike all the characters in this book, which is typical of Freida’s works. Dawn’s constant chatter about turtles is too irritating and overwhelming, and I can somewhat relate to the frustration of the other characters. However, what Natalie did to Dawn escalated so rapidly in the most unfortunate manner, and it strangely feels tragic.

Yes, there are enjoyable moments, but honestly, it wasn't as thrilling and exciting as I expected. The plot twist is decent, yet it didn't leave me very impressed. I nearly saw all the twists coming. Overall, I gave this book a rating of 3.25 stars. Among all the Freida McFadden books I've read, I believe this will be my least favorite.

Content Warnings