A Review of The Housemaid by Freida McFadden: Will You Sympathize or Find These Women in Your Nightmares? *SPOILERS AHEAD - BEWARE* (Reading - Izzy)

If you know me at all, you know I can’t stand horror movies or anything remotely scary because I cry when dogs die and I freak out when I see the smallest bit of blood on screen. Shockingly, books are a completely different story given horror/murder mystery is the only category I ever read in. Finding time as a Uni student to stay committed to a book while I’m balancing my workload is usually a struggle, but I couldn’t put this book down once I opened it. Many of you may know The Housemaid due to the film adaptation that came out this past year, but I urge you to read the book first before watching the movie because Freida McFadden’s writing draws the most terrifying emotions from your inner self, an experience original to reading her words on those pages.

The first few pages of a book are what define the rest of the novel and whether I can actually maintain my interest in the plot. Not only was the first page intriguing, but the first sentence pulled me in immediately: “If I leave this house, it will be in handcuffs.” (McFadden 1). The rest of the prologue details a girl in questioning with the police about a body that was found upstairs, but this section isn’t labeled as Millie or Nina Winchester (the two protagonists) like the rest of the book's chapters. Instead, McFadden drags you down a dangerous, sometimes terrifying path that leads to the discovery of who was recounting the death and who was responsible for it. A rapid summary of this novel (without spoiling too much) is convicted-felon Millie finds herself in the position of housekeeper at wealthy Nina Winchester’s mansion. Within the mansion, Millie deals with random manic episodes from Nina and the growing suspicion that something isn’t right in this home she is trapped in. For starters, her room is in the tiny attic with a door that locks on the outside and soundproof walls. The husband seems normal, but Nina’s daughter resembles that of a porcelain doll; perfect, unsettling, and quiet in the way that she’s seen too much. As Millie becomes a part of this gated community, she realizes quickly something is wrong with Nina. But what? Why are there whispers of her “episode” from years ago that occurred in the house Millie works in, the house with dozens of pills in the cabinets and blood on the floor? Who is Nina Winchester and what did she do? 

McFadden pulls you in all possible directions until she yanks too hard and you experience whiplash like you’ve never before while reading a book. Who do you side with when all of these people are criminals in some fashion but one inevitably ends up dead? Right after the plot twist, McFadden writes, “On average, he makes me go up to the attic once every other month, Sometimes it’s more frequent, sometimes it’s less…And of course, I never know what sort of torture he’s got waiting for me in the room because I never know what transgression I have committed.” (McFadden 239). I won’t reveal who McFadden is referencing, but as you read, you realize you are beginning to sympathize with a murderer. I don’t know about other readers, but that feeling is chilling and it settled deep in my bones after finishing the chapter. The author’s intense description of the brutal abuse the character(s) experience draws on our innate ability as humans to sympathize, but this leaves us questioning our morals and who we are as people if we can sympathize with a murderer.

The finale of the book is stunning and will leave you feeling like a fool, no matter which character you favor. All of them? None of them? Who is to say when everyone is the villain? If you enjoy books with plot lines you’ll find haunting you even in daylight and descriptive writing that’s raw, cutting, and masterful, read The Housemaid. This novel’s full of secrets, twists, and a lingering darkness that scar you in the best way possible, leaving you craving more. I truly enjoyed reading McFadden’s work and would love to discuss it with anyone who considers my recommendation!

Sources: McFadden, Freida. The Housemaid. Grand Central Publishing, New York.