Spoiler alert: If you have not read the first book in this series ('The Housemaid' by Freida McFadden) and intend to, you might not want to read this review. As much as I try to avoid divulging things, some things are inevitable.
Note: This review focuses more on the book aspect rather than the narration, but I wanted to give credit to the narrator as well, which is why it is mentioned in the title.
Millie Calloway is still alive, but her financial situation hasn't improved. She's struggling to find jobs, what with her history, and trying to get through college isn't making paying the bills any easier. She primarily works as a housekeeper and a babysitter, but that's not all. There are several women she's saved from abusive husbands, but it's a service she stopped providing several years ago. That is, until she is hired by a man named Douglas Garrick. He lives in an impossibly spacious (by New York standards) penthouse with his wife, Wendy. According to Douglas, Wendy is ill, and cannot leave the guest bedroom much.
This is strange, but Millie tries to obey Douglas' orders to leave Wendy alone until she starts noticing disturbing clues that all point to one very obvious thing. Is it time for Millie to go back to her old business? Of course, she is putting herself in extreme peril, as readers of the first book know, but there are added challenges this time. She doesn't exactly live in the safest neighbourhood and has to constantly look over her shoulder. There is also the matter of the black Mazda that keeps following her. As though this wasn't enough stress to deal with, having to keep lots of secrets is putting her love life, which is finally looking up for once, in jeopardy.
In the event that you have read my book review on the first book of this series, 'The Housemaid', narrated by Lauryn Allman as well, you might remember that I really enjoyed the book, but was worried that the second one might turn out to be repetitive. Nothing could have been further from the truth. I was drawn in right from the start. The writing style and overall format in the way the book changes perspectives was pleasantly familiar in the way of feeling like I knew an exclusive inside joke.
The consistent style had nothing to do with the plot, which was fresh and much better than I could ever have dreamed of. There is not much to say about the writing except that it was great, but what I would like to focus on is the social message subtly given in the book. Millie mentions the 'Bystander Effect' she learned about in her social psychology class. It is related to how bystanders are unlikely to help someone who is visibly in trouble if there are other people around as well. Millie is someone who never walks away, or stands and watches while someone gets hurt. It is something she says many times throughout the book, and it's something the readers know quite well through her actions. I would like to take this as a personal message and as inspiration. Maybe it wasn't an intended lesson, but if it was, it was perfect; impactfully delivered, not too preachy, and not guilt-tripping in the slightest. It is a reminder of why fiction is not mere entertainment; it gives an author a medium to send out extremely powerful messages in digestible forms that will reach far and wide. This was perhaps the part of this book that resonated the most with me.
Some writing advice I have heard in the past is that the author should be ruthless in hurting a character (physically, mentally, emotionally, choose your adventure) to keep the readers rooting for them. After the first book, I already had a special place for Millie in my heart, but McFadden's adherence to the above-mentioned advice only strengthened this sentiment in me. There were several points in the book when I wondered, why can't poor Millie just have the peaceful life she deserves for once?
This book did not disappoint, and in fact exceeded my expectations. Writing a standalone novel is hard enough, but writing a series is even more so. If an author can write a good second book in a series, they have earned my respect for good. Regarding the narration, Lauryn Allman, like Freida McFadden, did even better this time than in the first book. It was exciting to see more of her voice acting repertoire through characters like Wendy. I am looking forward to listening to the next audiobooks in the series, both for the superb writing and narration. Note: I would recommend this book as 16+
No comments:
Post a Comment