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“The Teacher” by Freida McFadden
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“The Teacher” by Freida McFadden
Review by Yvonne Selander, collection development librarian
Eve Bennett seemingly has the perfect life: great job as a math teacher, nice home in a good neighborhood and a handsome husband, Nate, who teaches English at the same school. But Eve isn’t happy. Her marriage is stale, her shoe obsession is getting a little out of hand and Addie Severson is in her algebra class this year. Despite her pleas that nothing inappropriate happened, Addie's relationship with Art Tuttle forced him to resign last year. Art was Eve’s mentor and she knows he would never have an affair with a student, yet Addie still managed to ruin his life as a year later he still hasn’t found employment and is shunned by the town.
Eve warns Nate about Addie and that having her in the poetry club he oversees probably isn’t the best idea, but Nate assures Eve that everything is fine and Addie deserves a second chance. But Eve isn’t so sure. She’s worried that Nate could find himself accused of something just like Art. Eve starts to investigate Addie and in turn Nate and she is not happy about what she is turning up.
Freida McFadden seems to have come out of nowhere and exploded in popularity with her Housemaid series. Those were all checked out so I decided to start with one of her standalones and now I get why she’s so popular. It’s a psychological thriller so you expect a twist or two but when the fourth (yes, you read that correctly, FOURTH!) twist hits at the end I was floored. Told in alternating chapters from Addie and Eve’s perspectives, this one unfolds in a way that keeps you guessing and while you could have a twist or two figured out you’ll never guess them all.