Hey everyone! As all of you know by now, I absolutely love Frieda McFadden stories. They're some of the best thrillers I've read and I've read a lot. Recently, I learned Frieda's books are somewhat controversial, and that makes sense. I've said before she's the Colleen Hoover of the thriller genre, and I have lots and lots of feelings about Ms. Hoover.
Anyway, this review is over The Teacher, Frieda's latest book. I'll be honest, I did not see this twist coming. I say that every time, but wow. This ending was totally unexpected. From this point on, this review will contain spoilers. So if you haven't read it yet and you want to, come back later, or scroll to the bottom to read my thoughts.
The Teacher Summary and Review
This thrilling tale has multiple POVs, beginning with Addie and Eve. Addie is a student at Caseham High, who has been cast aside after some rumors from last year. The rumor is, she had an inappropriate relationship with a teacher, and as a result, the teacher got fired; though Addie denies it and says it never happened. Eve is a teacher at Caseham, along with her husband, Nate Bennett. Nate is a favorite teacher, and all of the students adore him. Eve is not well liked and is the "harsh" teacher.
Early on, we learn that Eve is miserable and basically hates her husband. So much so, she's having an affair with an employee at her favorite shoe store. Speaking of shoes, Eve loves them. She's addicted to purchasing them, and hides most of them from her husband. Addie's a troubled student. Her father died previously, and that's why she latched onto her last teacher. Nate isn't aware of what dangers surround Addie, and quickly becomes closer to her than he should. They begin an inappropriate relationship after Nate gives a poem he wrote for her.
Things quickly begin to spiral out of control as Addie becomes obsessed with Nate. She expects more time from him than he can give her, and shows up at his home. Eve catches her, and tells Nate. He gets upset with her, and they have a fight. Later on, Addie shows up to talk to Eve and tell her she wants her to leave Nate. Eve says no, and tells Addie she needs to let go of the relationship and report Nate. Addie gets so upset, she hits her with an iron skillet many times-so many, she thinks she killed Eve. It turns out that Eve wasn't actually dead, but by that point, Nate had already been called and was making plans with Addie to hide the body.
Eve begins to come to, and Nate decides he doesn't want her to live after she made demands he didn't like. He chokes her until she stops breathing, and when Addie returns, they resume their plan of burying her in an abandoned pumpkin patch. However, Nate leaves Addie there, in hopes that she will take the fall if the body is found. Addie calls her friend and is able to make it home.
After making the police report, Nate begins to have unexplainable things happen to him. Shoes keep turning up everywhere around the home: in the shower and in the kitchen. At one point, a raven is in the house. He finally realizes that Eve wasn't actually dead. Eve ends up burying him alive in the same hole he tried to bury her in.
There two plot twists in the end. Twist number one: Eve was actually Nate's student in high school. Their relationship started the same as Addie's. Down to the same poem. Twist number two: the man from the shoe store was actually Addie's friend who was still in high school. Both Eve and Nate were having inappropriate relationships with high schoolers, only Eve didn't know. How ironic!
Alycia's Thoughts
I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I was a little afraid to read it if I'm honest. Social media got to me first, and I had heard some controversial things. However, I think the relationships were handled tactfully and added what was needed to the story without being too weird. I love how readable The Teacher is. I finished it in one sitting. I think Frieda's books are a wonderful way to get out of a reading slump if you're struggling.
Overall, I'd recommend this one if you enjoy fast-paced thrillers with unexpected endings. The plot was great, and I didn't notice any holes in it, which can be common in books like this. I rated The Teacher 4.5 stars. It's definitely worth reading if this is your genre. Have you read it yet? What did you think? Let me know in the comments!
-xx Alycia
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