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bibliothecary_tyler 's review for:

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
3.0
dark mysterious tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Premise: 3
Character Complexity: 2
Character Development: 1
Character Diversity: 1
Atmosphere: 3 
Writing: 3
Plot: 3
Intrigue: 4
Logic: 2
Enjoyment: 4
Rating: 2.6/5 

Override: 3/5

Contrary to other reviews, I found the first half much more interesting than the second. The twist, I could see coming - it seemed so obvious that I expected a second, a third twist. But whereas the first half could be classified as a mystery, the second half is more suspense. 

I didn’t find the characters super interesting, and I didn’t find Millie’s mysterious background to be very shocking, given how much it was hyped up in the beginning. I don’t think the villain had a particularly interesting motivation, or really any at all. My least favorite thrillers have villains that just turn out to be torturers and killers, just because. 

That being said, I finished the book in less than 24 hours. I could not stop myself from reading it. So, was the writing great? The writing no, but the plotting and structure yes. Was I let down by the characters and resolution? A little. But there is something to be learned from this book about suspense and plotting and what makes a story compulsively readable.