From the Bookshelf of Nothing But Reading Challenges…

The Maid (Molly the Maid, #1)

Nita Prose

Start date: February 1, 2022

Finish date: February 28, 2022

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Jun 11, 2023 Chris rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, fiction

Wow, did I hate this book. If it wasn't for the fact that my book club will be discussing it this month, I would have stopped after the first 50 pages. Where to even begin?
Molly (the Maid) Gray is neurodivergent. Everything in this story revolves around that one point - although all we're told is that she doesn't see or understand things the way other people do. She cannot interpret people's facial expressions (except when the author needs her too - and then she comes up with amazingly descripti Wow, did I hate this book. If it wasn't for the fact that my book club will be discussing it this month, I would have stopped after the first 50 pages. Where to even begin?
Molly (the Maid) Gray is neurodivergent. Everything in this story revolves around that one point - although all we're told is that she doesn't see or understand things the way other people do. She cannot interpret people's facial expressions (except when the author needs her too - and then she comes up with amazingly descriptive explanations of someone's expression). She lives by the rules and aphorisms handed down by her now deceased grandmother. She has no ability to see beyond those (except when the author needs her to come up with some stunning insight). She only thinks the best of people (except when the author has her fantasize about killing the people who have treated her badly). And of course, as in all books with neurodivergent characters, there's a happily-ever-after ending where the character greatly improves their understanding of the way the world works. The whole thing is a complete mish-mash that any reader who spends 5 minutes thinking about it can punch massive holes through.
Molly is about 25 years old. If the story takes place in the present day, there is no way she made it through school without anyone calling out her obvious autism spectrum disorder, noting her clearly above average intelligence, and working with her to make navigating the world easier.
Molly cannot be so completely naive that she doesn't know what's going on around her. She's clueless about Rodney and Juan Manuel but has no problems seeing what Cheryl the evil head maid is up to.
There is also no way in hell that the police would not understand Molly's neurodivergence, but instead they take it as a sign she's covering up her own crimes. Building a case that a lowly hotel is the murderer of the hotel's most famous guest is just flat out ludicrous.
Molly tells us repeatedly of her very strong sense of right and wrong. No elbows on the table! She turns in coworkers for minor infractions. And then the author totally turns that on its head at the end of the book as we learn just what Molly had no trouble doing.
And, finally, in the courtoom scene, why the heck is Molly being questioned by her own lawyer when she's there as a witness for the prosecution? (Although never formally mentioned, apparently the book is placed in Toronto - but even the Canadians don't seem to understand this point.)
This whole book reads like the author just decided to pick and choose different pieces of the story and make them fit. ...more

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