The Maid

I have to question whether or not this author actually knows anyone who is neurodivergent. Molly is written like a cute idea of what someone on the spectrum looks like rather than a fully formed character. That aside, the story itself is predictable, cliche and tells you rather than shows you all the personalities. With grief, abuse and bullying thrown in, it feels like it should've been a better story but it was really a let down.

Ok...let's see. I enjoyed this. I turned the pages happily, wanting to know how things would turn out. And actually, that's the main motivation for turning the pages. It wasn't some sense of wanting to get lost in the world (it's not that kind of book), or needing to spend more time with each character (they're not that kind of characters)...it was really very much about wanting to see how the whole thing would end. And the ending was satisfying...not the MOST satisfying...but satisfying.

So, sure, Molly is written to seem somewhat “on the spectrum” (Autism), but I argue...now after reading the whole thing and spending time with Molly...and knowing a fair bit about autism and how it manifests across a range of people (from my experience as an elementary school teacher and Gifted Ed. specialist with much professional development on the topic and experience with autistic students), I do not believe Molly is necessarily autistic. I believe she is neurodivergent in some ways...most notable socially as it relates to her ability (or lack thereof) to identify non-verbal cues and gauge the climate of a social situation, however there are many things she says, nuances she identifies (when a smile reaches the eyes), pop culture references to which she alludes (not from a place of hyper-fixation, but rather casual awareness), and physical interactions she welcomes and actually yearns for that would not be something a person with autism would welcome. Now, I'm assuming here, based on experience, and Molly would probably remind me about the trouble with ASSuming, but it's these reasons (and several others) that I feel that either Molly is not autistic, but rather severely socially inept and ignorant due to her seemingly sheltered existence or the author missed some key behaviors that are VERY commonly identified in people with autism, incorrectly inserting others (behaviors and situations) that would not be seen in, or welcomed by, people with autism (having a full face of makeup applied rather on the spot, initiating an across-the-table kiss).

So there. My thoughts on that matter. And honestly, I don't feel that the author had any obligation to label Molly's uniqueness. The book is compelling as is and the plot does not rely on her having some specific developmental disability, but rather peculiar idiosyncrasies.

Of course, I may be wrong...

Overall, if you're interested in this book, read it. It's a good time.

My rating is just based on my enjoyment reading it. I don't think it's a masterpiece or a particularly genius story, and I agree with other reviewers here about the slightly condescending / outdated / not mentioned but obvious (play on?) autism, somewhere on the spectrum. And that the depiction of that feels kind of basic. But who am I to say if there are people who experience it just like Molly does?

There were a few times where Molly's reaction made me think “well, she's not stupid, why is this written like she is?” and then I had to question myself and wonder if that was the intention. If the author was playing with my prejudice and the problem was not the writing, but me. But I don't think so. And that sounds arrogant, but I felt that it was still in line with the rest of the book, but in most cases she didn't seem or wasn't written as if she was stupid, just very literal. And sometimes she got things even though it wasn't literal. So it felt inconsisent, I guess. Like, if she got that part right, she would also have understood the meaning of this part.

Other than that, and sort of taking it for what it is, which I would describe as a warm and light-hearted mystery with human relationships at the center of it, I enjoyed the story. I wanted to find out what was going to happen next, the solution to the mystery, and how the relationships were going to play out. And I think it offered more depth on the relationship and feeling front, than I had expected. So for that reason, I'm giving it 4 stars. I'm generous like that :)

I don't see what people like about this book. The main character is neither lovable nor consistent in her actions. Every plot “twist”/ direction could be seen from a mile away.
Part of it reads like a young adult with a “nothing can go wrong” attitude and the next scene is trying to hit heavier topics.

I don't understand what was tried to achieve with this book.

This book turned out to be such a pleasant surprise. I heard mixed reviews before reading it, but I am happy to report that I thoroughly enjoyed it. The setting and characters make this story engaging and memorable.

Molly the maid works at a posh hotel and lives a simple, structured life that she loves. While making her rounds one morning, she discovers that one of the guests is dead. Molly becomes entangled in the investigation of the death, which has been designated as murder, and learns some unpleasant truths about the people at the hotel.

Molly struggles with social interactions. Her grandmother used to help her navigate situations, but she passed away. Now Molly has to adjust to life without her Gran. When she finds herself in uncomfortable interactions, she reminds herself of her Gran's advice and sayings, mostly centered around cleaning and etiquette. I found her character to be endearing and lovable, even though some characters in the story find her off-putting. She is honest and straightforward, which many characters mistake for coldness. It is frustrating as a reader to witness how she is mistreated and used by other characters just because she is different.

Some people complain that this book is mislabeled as a mystery/thriller because it is more a character driven book about Molly. While I agree that it is very character driven, it is definitely a mystery. The entire story revolves around how the death in the hotel and the investigation into are impacting Molly's life. The killer is not revealed until near the end.

I like this book mostly because I like the main character. I would highly recommend it to readers who enjoy character-driven mysteries.

Molly is proud of her work as a maid in an elite hotel, but she has struggled to pay her rent and to keep going after the death of her beloved grandmother. Molly is awkward in social situations and, to help her cope, her grandmother taught her a series of aphorisms that offer pithy advice. And so Molly plugs along, cheerfully cleaning up other people's messes until one day, as she is tidying up a room, she finds one of the guests in his bed, dead.

Molly is a delightful character, naive in the ways of the wicked in the world, firm in her ideas of what is right.

A lovely little mystery.

The first half or so of the book was frustrating, intentionally so if I may add. Perhaps that's the beauty of unreliable narrators, for you're forced to step into the shoes of someone and perceive the world through their eyes. Despite the frustration, I enjoyed the book thoroughly (especially those little tidbits by Molly's grandma). It's not much of a mystery novel or a deeply thought-provoking read. You as a reader can see the whole picture.

The message I receive is clear - Do not judge others, for your perceptions are yours alone.

The mfl, Molly, is awkward and she definitely talks funny, but in a very endearing sort of way. I'm surprised at how invested I felt in Molly's situation, how tense I felt and how badly I wanted her to be free of her worries. I loved her granny's principles that Molly lived by. And the fact that there were so many good people around her to recognise the goodness in her and to help her. A great book. Highly recommend. 

“We're all entitled to a bad day now and again, I heard Gran say in my head. But when they are all bad days, with no pleasant ones, then it's time to reconsider things.”

“Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.”

A review I read compared Molly to Amelia Bedelia, which I thought was very fitting. I very much enjoyed this book, although that doesn't mean Molly's portrayal isn't problematic. This book takes place within the last 20 years, this isn't explicitly stated, but it mentions texting/smart phones. It isn't so much that Molly is unbelievable it's unbelievable that autism/neurodivergence doesn't get mentioned. Molly talks about school, so I find it hard to believe that a teacher never sent home a note or something, although one could suppose Gran knew but never explicitly told Molly (cringe).

I did enjoy the book: the pacing, the colorful names and many of the characters were well done. However the more I think and try analyze the more I'm unsure. The missing pillow bothered me for some time, and I feel somewhat unsatisfied but it's explanation

I think I will give this book another listen before my book club meets.

On the second listen I was more satisfied with the ending.

Hmm... interesting. A little... on your nose, every now and then, and... uh... “I know I'm different” or what it was. A bit too wobbly on the MC not knowing enough, and knowing more than she reasonably could. And in keeping the reader informed, and not letting us know enough. But I liked it, all in all.

This was a fun, easy read, with a unique cast of characters and lovely setting. The author's voice for the narrating character was well done, and the twists, even when predictable, were satisfying (at least for the most part).  I found the lack of identification of neurodivergence for Molly pretty frustrating and ridiculous, and the final reveal was just... fine.  Overall, a light, cozy read that I would recommend specifically as that! 

I just finished The Maid - Molly the Maid book 1 by Nita Prose and here are my thoughts.

Molly Gray is a bit of an outcast. Her struggles with social skills worsens after her Grandmother dies. The woman who helped Molly navigate a world she didn't really understand.

The only thing that feels normal for her, is her job as a maid. Her love of cleaning and need for perfection, makes her the perfect maid.

Her whole world rocks hard the day she finds Mr Black dead in his suite. In a certain state of shock, Molly tries to tell the cops what she knows. Trouble is she has found herself in a web of lies so intricate that she doesn't know what to do.

Molly has so few friends and is far too trusting of the people around her. Will they find the killer before they run out of time?

I have no idea why I waited so long to read this book but when I got a copy of book 2 of this book (review will be coming soon), I knew I had to read book one first and I am so glad I did.

I know the author never says Molly is on the spectrum but I have experience with close family with autism and I really found her sweet and kind. I took a liking to her right away and I love that she is portrayed as being astute even if she is slightly naive. I loved the hotel vibes but I think a little less going over the ins and outs of what Molly was doing with her cleaning as it did get a little repetitive.

I did enjoy the climax of whodunnit in this book literary extravaganza. I felt the writing was unique and stunning and I read the whole book in one sitting. I am so pumped for book 2! I cannot wait to see what is going on with Molly!

4.5 stars!

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i feel very conflicted. on one hand, it was a pretty entertaining and easy to read book. on the other  molly was written in such a cliché way, like you can't be more oblivious. 

does nita think neurodivergence means having the social awareness of a 3 yo ? and all that while randomly acting clever and logical out of nowhere 

molly is such annoying character to read like god, i don't wanna be offensive but damn girl !!!!! and why did ANYONE treat her accordingly to her psychological state ? why was this bitchass officer so oblivious to the very obvious fact that this molly girlie might be a little special ? matter of fact, why is it never brought up in her defense ? i don't understand 

also, how the hell did she keep that “murderer identity” secret for so long ? it makes no sense when you know her personality. why all the lying and random violent thoughts ??

This was definitely not my cup of tea.

The book follows the story of Molly, who appears to be neurodivergent, although there is no direct diagnosis in the text.
Molly is a 25 years old who loves her job as a maid in a luxury hotel. She struggles with social interactions, has difficulty in understanding conversations and intonations and I found her very childish.
Cleaning plays an important role in her life, largely through the influence of her grandmother, who raised her and established daily cleaning tasks that seem to work as a calming and coping strategy for Molly.
Molly finds a dead man in one of the rooms and ends being the lead suspect of the investigation.

What I didn't like:
- The book summary includes almost the entire plot leaving little room for discovery.
- Molly's personal characteristics seem overly based on existing stereotypes of people on the spectrum. I am not an expert on the subject in the least, but I have read other books with characters on the spectrum, some written by people on the spectrum, and they have a different depth.
- The only reason why there is a plot is because Molly is neuroatypical and everyone is increadibly mean and take advantage of her. This left me very unconfortable, to the point I almost quit reading the book.
I believe books are a good way to teach and promote diversity. However, I think the way to do it should be by focusing on more than their differences. It feels wrong to me and I don't think it is inclusive at all if the story does not work without that specific difference (excluding historical and non fiction obviously).

I really hope that people who struggle as much as Molly have more support on their daily lives and interactions.

The only confort I take of this is that it felt too unreal, I really do not want to believe that this would happen, especially from the police and detective side.

This is obviously an unpopular opinion as there is a lot of hype around the book and it is even being adapted to screenplay by Universal.