I have always had a heart for the underdog. When I watch movies or read books, I’m always rooting for the oddballs and outsiders to come out on top. The Maid by Nita Prose, has me rooting for the same. I picked this book up because I loved the idea of reading a book narrated by the outcast. I was not disappointed in my choice. In fact, I am beyond thrilled to have read such a daring book in the time when outcasts are less and less accepted.
Synopsis
The story opens up on a typical Monday at the Regency Grand hotel. Molly introduces herself to the reader. Within the first couple pages, it is clear that Molly does not fit in with the rest of her coworkers. Molly works as a maid at the Regency Grand. She has a unique skill set in her attention to detail, but a setback in her ability to read social cues in various settings.
On this typical Monday a very untypical thing occurs. Molly find a dead body in suite 401. It’s not just any body though. This body is that of the esteemed business man, Mr. Black. Mr. Black has made a name for himself, both at the hotel and in the headlines. When Molly finds him, face up on the bed and with three pillows surrounding him, she immediately calls it in.
As the week progresses, Prose introduces the reader to other characters in the hotel. We meet Giselle Black, the second wife to the deceased Mr. Black. She has a friendship with Molly and Molly is loyal to her friends. We also meet Juan Manuel, an undocumented worker in the hotel who Molly helps by supplying him with keys to unused hotel rooms. Juan Manuel will always have a room to sleep in with Molly’s help. Then there’s Rodney. Rodney is the hotel bartender and Molly’s crush. Rodney is extra concerned with Molly’s involvement in finding Mr. Black’s body. Along with these three, there is Preston the doorman and a friend to Molly’s late grandmother. He promised gran to watch out for Molly and will stand by that promise. Last, we have Mr. Snow, the hotel manager, and Cheryl, the head maid. Both watch over Molly with very different intentions.
Come the next few days, Molly’s differences make her a prime suspect. Combined with her loyalty to friends, or supposed friendships, Molly looks like a likely suspect. With her inability to read social cues, the reader easily sees the rabbit hole Molly is walking into. It will take the help of true friends to pull her out. The real question comes down to who did it? And if it wasn’t Molly, is the real killer going to get away with it?
Likes
I loved Molly the maid. Prior to my current job, I worked with special needs youth. Prose did a fantasic job writing through Molly’s lens. The reader can see what Molly is seeing, while also witnessing the social cues Molly is missing. It offers a unique perscpetive of how easily people who are different can be taken advantage of. Themes of injustices and abuse arise in the way people use Molly throughout the story without her even realizing it. But watching Molly come back from these injustices and making the wrong doings go right was enjoyable.
I also really liked how the whole storyline takes place over one week. The sections of the book are broken up by day, so the progression is easy to follow. As each day passes, the reader can see Molly’s character development taking shape. From just a maid, to a witness, suspect, guilty, and then innocent, as the pieces fall into place, the writing grows more and more tense. Yet, it flows exceptionally.
Dislike
I liked the ending, until I read the epilogue. The question of who killed Mr. Black is answered but the epilogue blurs that by introducing a different killer that wasn’t even on the radar. I disliked this because it made it messy. In some ways it paints Molly as dishonest and that messed up her character arc in my opinion. If I had the choice to go back and read this for the first time again, I would skip over the epilogue.
Review and Recommendation
I think this book is a great fit for all. The style of writing is easy to follow and there are not many content warning. In fact, the only content warning is just a recommendation for parental guidance for younger readers. Younger readers may need conversational pieces surrounding Molly’s treatment by the other characters. Wtihout understanding the societal abuse that takes place for our neurodiverse communities, some reader may not understand what is happening to Molly.
This influences my overall review. I think this book highlights a greater issue. Not only does it discuss the mistreatment of immigrant workers, but it also highlights the difficulties in workplaces for the neurodivergent communities. I think this book can spark many good conversations around what we can do better as a whole. Therefore, I urge you to read this book. Not only is it enjoyable and an easy read, but perhaps it can shed some insight on where some improvements can be made.
By the end of the book, I could see Molly’s worldview and the intricacies of it. I saw her desire to be loved and accepted, but also her feelings of loss in finding that acceptance. The reader is able to see Molly’s growth throughout the story and while the growth comes from many hardships in the span of one week, you can’t help but feel proud of her at the end.
Heartwarming and thrilling 8/10
As always, happy reading!