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Every once in a while, I’m in the mood for a dark psychological thriller, so I gave Freida McFadden’s The Teacher a try. On the surface, it’s got the right ingredients—short chapters, plenty of twists, and a storyline about a teacher whose life unravels after a scandal. It’s undeniably readable; McFadden knows how to hook you.
But here’s the rub: the subject matter left me cold. A predator targeting high schoolers? Sick. Layer on too much cheating and way too many graphic sex scenes, and what could have been a tense, smart thriller turned into something that felt more exploitative than entertaining.
This was my first McFadden book, and while I didn’t care for this one, I get why she’s so popular. She’s got a knack for pacing that makes her novels hard to put down. I’ll give her another shot—but next time, I’ll be a little more selective.
Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a comp. Opinions are my own.