Reviews tagging 'Infertility'

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

215 reviews

abby_can_read's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

📱
This book was fine. I can see why it's popular, but it's not really for me. I figured out several of the twists early on and I kept reading to see if I was correct. Personally, I thought the book was boring in several places when I think it was supposed to be suspenseful and some level of exciting, and what I assume were supposed to "the big reveals" didn't really phase me since I had it figured out.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Torture

Moderate: Infidelity, Mental illness, Infertility, and Murder

Minor: Rape, Sexual content, and Sexual assault

thelibraryofanolive's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Toxic relationship, Torture, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Medical content, Infidelity, Infertility, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Domestic abuse, and Death

narsere's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Murder, Confinement, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Mental illness

Moderate: Infertility

dms3899's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infertility, Murder, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Torture, Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Death

audreads100's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This was okay and entertaining. I found the trope of the mysterious criminal a little overdone and I didn’t appreciate the focus on weight gain or loss as a character flaw. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Domestic abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Infidelity

Minor: Fatphobia and Infertility

bearybooky's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Blood, Violence, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Mental illness, Torture, Domestic abuse, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Infertility and Injury/Injury detail

sandysmith's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Another of McFaddens books I enjoyed.  I didn't particularly like Millie to begin with, and I guessed why she had been in prison. I didn't like Nina either. But both grew on me.  The prologue doesn't match the ending, but it can be forgiven as it leads you down a certain path. I also guessed Andys past. It's an interesting psychological thriller that is easy to read. Flawed, yes, but I enjoyed reading the book. I do like her books, but her writing is a bit "marmite," so people either love or hate her books. I'm more of a middle kind of a girl. Hyped books usually don't do much for me, and usually they bomb. Not in this case. If I could give half stars, it would be a 3.5, as a 3 for me is OK and a 4 great. It didn't reach my 4 star but it's more than an ok 3 stars read.  I will read the rest of tge Housemaid series and some if her other books. Overall I'd say give it a go and see what you think and make your own mind up whilst I'll enjoy the view from the fence I'm sitting on.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Mental illness and Infertility

samantha914's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Murder, Violence, Torture, and Mental illness

Minor: Infertility, Sexual content, and Child abuse

aags's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Murder, Gaslighting, Mental illness, and Physical abuse

Minor: Infertility

paperbacksandsnacks's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad 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

5.0

This book reminded me why I love thrillers and how incredible they can be when written well. And this was phenomenal. The hype truly is worth it. 

The writing style is addictive, and super atmospheric. Immediately when starting this book it felt tense and eerie and like anything could happen. Parts of this felt predictable and at first I was like “I don’t get the hype, why is everyone acting like this is something new” but thennn the twists began. And I realised the predictability is there to make you feel comfortable, to make the twists even more shocking and unexpected. It’s a book that’s written so cleverly. I truly could not have predicted how this story went, it was just twist after twist. That part 2 twist had me SHOOK. 

My one complaint is some of the comments about body size and image. I think it could potentially be triggering for some people. A woman who is mentioned to be a size 14 which is a very average and normal mid size body, who is being spoken about in certain critical ways I think is very outdated and not necessarily relevant to what the author was building here. For me this didn’t take away from the story or quality of the thriller itself, but it is something to note. 

I understand that Andrew obviously prefers a skinny woman so it was building up to that affair he had with Millie, but I think this could have been referenced without shaming a very common body type. The complimentary focus of a skinnier frame and a critical one of a very normal frame is dated and I think probably a little cruel. To discuss eating habits too is also potentially very triggering.

This whole story was unhinged from start to finish, and full of unexpected turns. I felt icky throughout and so tense, which for me is just the mark of an excellent psych thriller. The pacing was impeccable, the reveals excellently timed. The characters were so well thought out too. Just amazing, amazing writing. And with the way this book ended I anticipate I will be reading the sequel VERY soon. 

I wish all thrillers were this good. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Sexual content, Infidelity, Mental illness, Death, and Body shaming