My first read of 2026, and it did not disappoint.
Six days into the year, I’m already kicking things off with a book review, and
yes, a tiny movie review too. Consider this my official literary curtain-raiser
for the year, with snow falling outside and a warm cup of tea in hand, I am
beyond excited to share my thoughts.
If you’ve read any of my blog posts, you know I’m a
contemporary romance girl through and through. I live, breathe, and die
surrounded by hearts. The Housemaid is very far from that. This is a
psychological thriller with elements of romance, but a twisted, deceptive,
manipulative kind of romance. I even fell for the MMC, until I realized what a
complete weasel he was.
I had been aware of the noise around this book for
years. Reviews, TikTok snippets, glimpses in Waterstones or The Works, it was
always glaring at me. Yet, it never sparked anything inside me… until the
adaptation. The film dropped quietly in late 2025, and though the snippets
looked good, I refused to watch it before reading the book. I needed context. I
needed to know what meant what, and whether anything pivotal had been left out.
And that’s how I found myself on January 2nd, cosying up with my copy of The
Housemaid, fully prepared to be proven wrong.
Going into this, I had no idea what to expect. It’s
far removed from my usual genre, and adjusting to a completely different
writing style can take time, especially when every author’s voice is so unique.
The story begins with Millie Calloway, recently released on parole after
serving time for murder. Her freedom comes with strict conditions, she must
have a place to live and a job, or she’ll return to prison to serve the
remaining five years of her sentence. Living out of her car, Millie spots an ad
for a live-in housemaid position at the Winchester estate.
The Winchesters: Andrew Winchester, his wife Nina,
and Nina’s child from a one-night stand, Cecelia. Once Millie starts her job,
she notices Nina’s strange behaviour. Gossip labels her as crazy, someone who
allegedly tried to drown her child. But Nina is neither crazy nor stupid. Her
husband, Andrew, is the true monster, with an attic he uses to lock her up and
torture her. Nina’s clever, and with the help of the gardener, Enzo, she
devises a final plan. Knowing Andrew wants a child she’ll never give him, and
recognizing Millie’s ex-con background, Nina hires Millie to be the perfect
pawn, unknowingly that she is being groomed to kill Andrew. And oh boy, does
the story take off from there.
This book is layered and relentless. McFadden toys
with your perception, unfolding the plot both through events and the
characters’ complex minds. I felt empathy for Andrew at first, paired with
simmering hatred for Nina, exactly as intended. The missing notes and
fabricated allergies were brilliantly convincing, and withholding the full
truth about Nina and Andrew kept me on edge until the jaw-dropping reveal.
Andrew is a piece of work, yet somehow, I fell for
him in the first part. The transformation from seemingly charming man to
monstrous abuser is chilling, and the influence of his mother, Evelyn, makes it
even more disturbing. Millie, on the other hand, frustrated me. For a criminal,
she was shockingly naïve. I could not feel sorry for her when she went after a
married man, offering the ex a hand with packing as if nothing mattered. She
got what was coming.
Nina, by contrast, is a masterclass in cunning. She
manipulates events flawlessly, anticipates Andrew’s moves, and even sets up
Millie to unknowingly execute her plan. The IUD, the baby strategy, the pepper
spray, Enzo, it’s all meticulously executed. Cecelia, while a bit spoiled, has
a heartbreaking backstory, and Enzo, the rugged Italian gardener, is charming
throughout. The story truly ignites around Chapter 38, when Nina asserts
control and the tension reaches its peak. Short chapters keep the pace tight,
and the thriller elements are genuinely thrilling, though a few moments felt
slightly flat or over-excited with excessive exclamation points.
The Housemaid may not be earth-shattering, but it’s immersive, clever, and
gripping. McFadden brilliantly shows how manipulative Andrew is, making Nina’s
careful orchestration feel all the more satisfying. Every twist, every secret,
every strategic move is designed to keep the reader on edge, and I devoured it.
For those who, like me, were late to the party, now is the time to dive in. The
tension, the thrill, and the sheer brilliance of this psychological chess game
are not to be missed.
With the book devoured, I finally settled in to
watch the movie adaptation. First of all, the casting. I never pictured Sydney
Sweeney portraying Millie. I don’t know who else would have worked, but I just
didn’t see her as Millie. However, Brandon Sklenar was a fantastic choice for
Andrew, showcasing his range, and Amanda Seyfried was perfect as Nina,
absolutely nailing her role. The only casting issue I had was with Millie, and
even after watching the movie, she just didn’t quite feel like the perfect fit
for me.
The movie was a very accurate adaptation of the
book, though there were some notable changes that made it seemed rush. For one,
the ending was altered, and I really wanted to see the peanut butter scene and
Enzo with Nina, but we didn’t get it. He wasn’t even in the film as much as I
expected, which felt odd because those interactions helped set the tone in the
book. Still, small details like the grocery list offered enough foreshadowing
to make Cecelia’s behaviour clear. I did like the doll house.
Despite these omissions, the movie captured the key
emotional beats. I always wanted one last interaction between Andrew and Nina
before he died, and we got it. Did I prefer the way he died in the film rather
than the book? I wasn’t that bothered. I had mentioned how in the book it
lacked the thrill of Andrew getting what he deserved, but the movie handled it
well. Even the slight punishment change that Millie had with the china worked.
That said, I am extremely squeamish, so I closed my eyes more times than I care
to admit during the scenes where Millie had to use the china to punish herself
and when Andrew pulled out his tooth, oh my God.
I also wish there had been more scenes of Nina
acting “crazy,” she was so good, so, so good. Amanda Seyfried’s performance
alongside Brandon Sklenar made every interaction feel electric, and honestly,
their dynamic carried a lot of the tension perfectly.
The scene that completely broke my heart was when
Andrew finally let Nina out of the attic, and she collapsed at the sight of
Cecelia. Then she wakes up to realize that Andrew had staged it all, making it
look like she had been trying to drown Cecelia. You could feel every ounce of a
mother’s pain in that moment, and it absolutely shattered me.
The movie also made a few logical changes. In the
book, Kathleen is the detective’s daughter, but in the movie, she’s a sister. Andrew
also falls down the stairs and dies, which didn’t happen in the book.
Similarly, the blue bucket pepper spray in the book was replaced with a small
knife cake in the movie, which explained why Andrew died differently, and
honestly, it made sense in the context of a cinematic adaptation.
Enzo’s role was slightly reduced in the movie. He
felt more like a presence or a feeling, whereas in the book he was much more
involved in the plot. That said, Michele Morrone did a solid job portraying
him, and the dynamics between Enzo, Millie, and Nina were still clear enough to
follow.
I’ve been told by many people who have read this
book that the rest of the series aren’t as strong, so will I continue to read
them? Undecided, but probably not. Will I reread the book? Of course. Will I
rewatch the movie? Absolutely, but only when it’s on Amazon because cinema
tickets aren’t exactly budget-friendly.
Now, I have to admit a mild obsession with Brandon
Sklenar, which will likely fade in a week, because my interests are constantly
shifting. One week it’s Tupac after a Netflix documentary, the next it’s
Brandon, the next it’ll be a fictional character. Reading and movie-watching
are a lot like dating, I swear, and you just won’t believe me until you live
it.
All in all, the movie was really good, a fantastic
complement to the book, and a strong way to start the year. It’s faithful to
the story, with solid performances and careful attention to the emotional beats
that matter most. Even with a few changes, it captured the essence of
McFadden’s twisted, thrilling world, and I left the cinema satisfied, eager to
revisit the story again soon. The main thing to remember is this - it isn’t
easy to capture over 300 pages of a book into a 2-hour movie. As book fanatics,
we forget this and become harsh in our ratings.
I’d give the book 4.5 stars, and the movie gets 3.5.
Don’t ask me what each individual member of the cast would get, because that’s
just going to get messy. Also, I’m not a movie critic, I know nothing about
angles, whether a shot is long or short, or if actors are performing “correctly.”
I’m giving feedback as a consumer. Look it up if you want the technical
stuff.
What a great way to start the year. Just writing
this has me excited to read and watch it again.
If you haven’t already, I urge you all to give the
book a read, and watch the movie if you’re able — definitely in that order. It
was fantastic.
I know what my next post is going to be, it’s about
books, but not a book. Keep your eyes peeled, and head over to my
sister blog, you can find the link on the Contact page, to catch it when it
goes live!
Until next time.
Vivian.
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