The Housemaid Book, by Freida McFadden is a psychological thriller that will surely have you at the edge of your seat the entire time. This book has gained extreme popularity and is currently one of the most talked about books. This is especially true since a movie was announced with the cast recently.
The below book talk is a discussion of questions taken from McFadden’s website. Add some comments below and let me know your thoughts too! Let’s talk about books. 🙂
The movie date for The Housemaid was released and will be December 2025. What a perfect time to talk about this novel and get excited for that movie.
Disclaimer: The below book talk includes some spoilers regarding the book, The Housemaid.
This post is all about the psychological thriller novel, The Housemaid book 1, by Freida McFadden.
- Do you think that the ending is open to a sequel?
The ending of The Housemaid leaves on a cliffhanger. However, this is a difficult question to answer as almost all great thrillers leave on some sort of cliffhanger. Isn’t this what truly makes a great thriller? Something that leaves you playing back the entire book in your head. While most questions were answered in the book, this is a book where you want to know more. You want to know more about Millie and where she winds up, more about Andrew/Nina’s daughter. Is the daughter ok in the end or does she grow up to be just like her father? They did not touch too much on the daughter and if she witnessed any of the abuse from Andrew. It appeared Andrew was the perfect father but you can never be too sure.
- Apart from lying on the floor balancing books, pulling hair strands and pulling teeth, can you think of any other “effective torments” the captor could impose on the captive in the attic room?
The way Andrew tormented the victims in the attic room was sick. Based on other novels/movies, some other ways to effectively torment someone could be ripping fingernails/toenails, forcing them to cut themselves, and enduring loud noises for long periods of time. Also, if he simply gave them food/water without interaction that would be torture. Humans need social interaction or it negatively impacts their mental health. While the women were left for long periods of time, Andrew did speak to them and check in which counts as some form of communication.
Sympathy for Andrew?
3. Did you feel any sympathy for Andrew? Or did he get what he deserved?
Horrible piece of excuse for a man, got what he deserved! On top of that, it seems that Millie did not mean to kill him. It sounded like she got carried away with the torture. The argument could be made for an insanity plea (if she ever got caught) and she was acting in self defense. Also, this is a question of nature vs. nurture. Did Andrew stand a chance given the circumstances he grew up in? Drop some comments below.
- Were you surprised by Part II and the switch to Nina’s perspective?
This was the most shocking part of the entire novel. Nina seemed off the entire book for sure. McFadden did an excellent job making Andrew seem like the victim and Nina a spoiled housewife. The part that was confusing in the beginning was how Millie got the job to begin with. Nina did not seem that fond of her and her resume/references were off. That could throw the reader off and make it seem like Nina is the villain.
Memorable Scene
- Which was the most memorable scene for you?
The most memorable scene was when Nina walks in and questions Millie. Love love that two women who were tormented by that sick man came together. Nina potentially sacrificed her freedom to save Millie. Nina realized setting up Millie was wrong (with the help of Enzo). When women come together it is always an amazing scene.
- Before Andrew was exposed as the villain were you hoping the romance / affair between Mille and Andrew would develop?
As wrong as infidelity is, it seemed that Andrew was looking to leave Nina. Nina seemed like she did not appreciate Andrew and it seemed like what Nina and Andrew had was real. While the initial cheating is always wrong, it seemed Andrew was looking to do the right thing and divorce Nina. We had it beyond backwards, ha!
Evelyn’s POV
- Did you wish Evelyn would meet with some punishment (or come a sticky end) after her cruelty to Andrew as a child was revealed in the funeral scene at the end?
Yes, I wish somehow justice could be served. At this point it would be difficult because Evelyn mentioned this in a time of mourning. The family has money so Evelyn could easily say that she was not in her right mind when she spoke to Nina at the funeral. In addition, some states have a statute of limitations on certain crimes. It would have been nice to see her put behind bars though for no remorse for her actions. It makes you wonder if Evelyn was abused as a child. The cycle sadly repeats until someone gets help and breaks it.
- Did you believe Evelyn would side with Nina over Andrew’s death?
This part was shocking as typically a mother would side with her son. At least in books and movies we always see it happen that way. As much as Andrew was a terrible person, this revelation allows for you to understand Andrew more. There is usually a reason people turn out the way they do. Andrew was tortured as a child and that was all he knew. In a sense he might have thought it was normal? The fact that Evelyn basically showed no remorse or sadness puts a lot into perspective about Andrews upbringing.
Enzo
- What was your first impression of Enzo?
Enzo was described to be this hot Italian man that is the flirty landscaper. He is the man that in every scene has that sweat dripping down but he still looks like he could walk on the runway. He seemed like the man that maybe would have an affair with a bored housewife. The “maybe” is there because when Nina (who was single) flirted with him he seemed disinterested.
- Who did you think would be the most likely love interest for Millie? Andrew or Enzo?
Andrew seemed the love interest for Millie the first half of the novel. He seemed to be everything she wanted in a man. While she was initially interested in Enzo, that seemed short lived when he rejected her in the beginning. Additionally, it seemed like Enzo would be the one that got away or the one she wanted but could not have.
The Housemaid is one of the most popular and spoken about books in the psychological thriller genre. It has twists and turns throughout the entire book to keep your guessing. The character development is unmatched and has you feeling sorry for the wrong people throughout the book.
What are your thoughts on this psychological thriller? Were you shocked from beginning to end? Did you predict any of the outcomes? How do you feel about the casting of the upcoming movie? Put your thoughts in the comments below.
Book Adaptation
The Housemaid book 1 has an adaptation that will hit theaters December 2025.
Cast:
Millie
Millie: This role will be played by Sydney Sweeney. Sydney Sweeney is an American actress, best known for her role in the HBO series, Euphoria. She has gained increasing popularity through this role and has stepped into the movie scene.
Character of Millie: The character of Millie is portrayed in the novel as a blonde in her 20’s that could pull off the innocent and sexy look. Millie is smart and sneaky at the same time. It will be interesting to see how well this is portrayed in the movie adaptation.
Nina
Nina: Nina will be played by Amanda Seyfried. Amanda Seyfried is an American actress and singer best known for her roles in movies. She gained popularity playing Karen Smith in the movie, Mean Girls. In addition, she has been in dozens of films and musicals, not limited to Les Miserables and Mamma Mia!. She is an Emmy winning and Academy Award nominated actress for limited series and films.
Character of Nina: Nina is portrayed in the book as frantic and for lack of a better term, a hot mess. She appears differently from pictures of when she and Andrew got married. She always looks sloppy and will have makeup smeared or her hair disheveled. In addition, it appears she has gained weight since marrying Andrew. It will be interesting to see if Amanda Seyfried gains weight for the role or how they will change her appearance.
Andrew
Andrew: The role of Andrew will be played by American actor, Brandon Sklenar. Sklenar is best known for his role in the film, It Ends with us, Drop, Vice, and Emily the Criminal. He has worked alongside some well known actors such as Blake Lively, Aubrey Plaza, and Christian Bale.
Character of Andrew: Andrew comes across as a confident, White Collar male that provides for his family and takes pride in his work. He is portrayed as tall, dark, and handsome. It will be interesting to see how the character development happens on the screen as it does in the book.
Enzo
Enzo: The role of Enzo will be played by Michele Morrone. Morrone is an Italian actor and singer best known for his role in the 365 days movies and Another Simple Favor. In addition, Morrone has played in foreign films. He is gaining popularity as he has co starred in Netflix and Amazon Prime movies alongside some major stars such as Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick.
Character of Enzo: Enzo is portrayed as the quiet, hot, landscaper. He is quiet in the beginning of the movie but begins to take on a larger role as the book moves along. It will be interesting to see if the film will keep to the novel in that sense or if Enzo will have a larger part in the beginning.
In conclusion, this cast sounds perfect for this film. They all bring different experiences and something to the film. What are your thoughts on the cast? Have you read the book? Do you plan on re-reading prior to the film coming out? Please drop your thoughts below and let’s chat book vs. movie. xx