Freida McFadden’s thriller series The Housemaid has been on my “To Be Read” list since it gained rapid popularity in 2022. Motivated to read before I watched the movie, I came into the book with high expectations. Safe to say, it did not disappoint.
The story revolves around the Winchester household, where Millie, played by Sydney Sweeney in the 2025 movie adaptation, starts her new job as a housemaid at the Winchesters. A perfectly clean and beautifully decorated house, a rich, beautiful husband, only one little girl to babysit — what could go wrong? Well apparently a lot.
To start, Millie sleeps in a cramped attic room, with a small window that doesn’t open and a door that only locks from the outside. Just this first impression of her situation left me curious to see how her story was going to end. The novel quickly roped me into the plot, and once I was in, I couldn’t put the book down. It’s no wonder that, as of January 2026, the book had previously spent 141 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.
McFadden expertly weaves in romance, betrayal, plot twists and fun as readers follow Millie’s experience in the Winchester household. I usually don’t read thrillers, but I found myself really enjoying the pace of this novel, sometimes fast and suspenseful and sometimes more laid back and pleasant. I think it was a really good balance between keeping readers on their toes yet still letting them enjoy the book.
And maybe you’re not a big reader and you prefer to relax, kick your feet up and watch a movie. Well still, I would recommend The Housemaid — the movie version. Whether you’re an adult or student, I’m positive you’ll enjoy it. My mom watched it twice and was waiting for me to finish the book so we could talk about it together.
Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, who plays Nina, the mom who hires her, create an mesmerizing duo on screen. I personally loved Amanda Seyfried as Nina, her emotions and reactions exactly as I pictured them when reading.
Additionally, I loved how much of the story stayed true to the novel. The entire plot was the same, except for a few minor details, that I still enjoyed. It’s not always that a movie successfully adapts a book, but I have to say it was very well done, staying true to the plot, character interactions, and overall vibe of the novel.
If you’re looking for an easy-read, something to get back into reading, or a mesmerizing thriller movie, I would highly recommend The Housemaid.
