Nilufer Ozmekik's Reviews > The Teacher

Oh my goodness! The moment I lay eyes on any Freida McFadden book, I find myself canceling everything in my life. Even in the midst of preparing Christmas dinner, with invited friends and a few accidental crisps due to my divided attention—I just can't resist diving into more chapters.

Her latest book should be promoted as the literary equivalent of Pringles: once you pop open the book, there's no stopping!

"Teacher" may have its faults, like plot holes, far-fetched twists, and characters you'd rather punch, curse, and scream at than care about, especially when bad things happen to them. Yet, it's undeniably addictive, with an extra-fast pace that keeps you entertained. I caught myself nervously laughing at the end of chapters, and thankfully, the final twist was a masterpiece. No one could see that coming, not even those with strong spidey senses and detective skills like me, who typically ruin surprises by revealing the killer in the middle of movies. I must applaud Freida McFadden; that amazing conclusion had me singing Taylor Swift's "Look What You Made Me Do"!

Now, let's delve into the main story, centered around three highly antipathetic characters: Eve, a math teacher happily married to the very handsome and older Nathaniel, an English teacher at Caseman High School. People give Eve side-eyes, assuming she's too lucky to have lured a man like Nate with her mediocre looks. However, behind closed doors, nothing is as it seems. Her husband touches her monthly as a mandatory activity, and they grow estranged each day, fueling her obsession to buy more expensive shoes and hoard them in secret places around the house.

It appears everyone is enchanted by her husband's charm. But when a problematic student named Addie is assigned to both her and her husband's class, Eve realizes she needs to be cautious. Addie is the reason one of her favorite teachers resigned due to inappropriate behaviors. Did the teacher truly touch that girl, or was she the stalker ruining the man's life? What if Addie sets her eyes on her husband? What if things spiral out of control?

I'll stop here to avoid spoiling your reading experience. Despite its shortcomings, I had an amazing, highly entertaining time with this thriller. Especially in the second half, things get so batshit crazy that you keep telling yourself, "no way," but yes way—it's a ride of expecting the unexpected! I'm rounding up from 3.5 stars to a solid 4; it's unputdownable, twisty, and well-executed.

I eagerly look forward to reading the next addictive book by the author, including the third book of Millie the Housemaid.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press/Sourcebooks for sharing this wonderful book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

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