Forge Reading Lounge
Welcome to The Forge Reading Lounge!
The Forge Reading Lounge is a relaxed book club for Forge parents and staff. Our aim is to celebrate reading for pleasure, share ideas about books and build a community of readers across our school. Reading for enjoyment not only helps us slow down in our busy lives, but also models the importance of reading to our children and students.
The Housemaid
Our First Book: The Housemaid – Freida McFadden
A gripping psychological thriller about a woman who takes a job working in a wealthy household and soon realises that something behind the closed doors of the house is not quite what it seems.
What were your first impressions of the book?
Quite mysterious, and didn’t know what was going to come next. Reading Millie ‘s story made you want to continue reading further to see how she was as person and why she ended up in prison.
Which character did you find most interesting and why?
I was very intrigued about Nina. I picked up there was more to her character than met the eye.
What did you enjoy most about the story?
The twist of the story and how Millie got her own back on the husband.
Was there anything you didn’t enjoy or found surprising?
No, I enjoyed it all. There wasn’t a moment where I didn’t enjoy reading this.
Was there a memorable twist or moment?
When she had locked him in the attic and made him complete the same tasks as what she had to perform.
Would you recommend the book to others? Why?
Definitely a great book with twists and turns. Could see something coming but wasn’t sure 100% what it was.
Star Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Star Rating: ⭐ ⭐
I think this book is over-hyped. The author demonstrates how easily we can be fooled by abusive & manipulative people, but I really disliked her depiction of women. Nina is like a damsel and sees no other way out other than to manipulate an innocent woman into becoming a victim. Millie is a victim of numerous men abusing their positions & then falls into the same trap with Andrew, but then she is painted as being unhinged with her rage & becomes some sort of to-hire killer housemaid. Finally, we learn that Andrew’s mother is actually the original villain and created the monster that he became by abusing him as a child. It doesn’t feel like there was any positive representation of women.
There were a few good moments. I liked the mind games over the peanut butter jar. I was intrigued when Nina took over as narrator and we saw the very sudden flip in Andrew, but I also don’t think his actions while he was locked in the attic aligned with the monster that he was made out to be, I can’t see him submitting and pulling his own teeth out. I ended up not feeling emotionally connected to any of the characters as none of them felt fully developed or cohesive.
There were loopholes such as the attempted drowning of Nina’s daughter which just didn’t flow right & the detective conveniently being the father of Andrew’s ex. The ending was really underwhelming, it felt rushed & a lazy way to tie it all up in a neat bow. And the tagline would imply a housemaid who sees what is really happening behind closed doors, when in actual fact Millie sees only what they want her to see & is actually quite blind to the truth. Everyone in this book is putting on a façade, even Enzo who pretends not to speak English when he can.
What were your first impressions of the book?
I thought the book was easy to read and very enjoyable.
Which character did you find most interesting and why?
I found Millie quite intriguing as you were kept guessing about her past and why she had been in prison.
What did you enjoy most about the story?
That Millie and Nina came together for each other at the end of story.
Was there anything you didn’t enjoy or found surprising?
Some of the things that Millie and Nina were made to do in the attic were quite uncomfortable to read.
Was there a memorable twist or moment?
The fact that Millie had her chance to treat Andrew the same way he had treated her.
That Nina changed her mind and came back to help Millie.
Would you recommend the book to others? Why?
Yes, as it is a good read and keeps you guessing until the end.
Star Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
So easy to read: the words just fell off the page in my opinion, and the story moved along so quickly! Read it in one sitting! I kept telling myself “one more chapter and that’s it”, but failed utterly to put the book down!
Thanks for the recommendation, Sarah! ☺️
I really appreciated how readable and well-paced The Housemaid was. The short chapters and constant twists made it genuinely difficult to put down, and I can absolutely see why it’s become so popular. The suspense was cleverly crafted, and there were several moments that genuinely surprised me.
That said, I didn’t completely connect with the main character, which stopped me from fully loving the book. At times I found her frustrating and some of her decisions felt difficult to believe. However, the tension and unpredictability kept me reading right until the end. Overall, a gripping psychological thriller: entertaining, addictive, and perfect as a fast-paced suspense.
