3.75 stars

As an experienced McFadden reader, I've learned that there's no predicting how I might respond to one of her books. I've run the whole spectrum from loving to strongly disliking, but they usually fall in the realm of positive outcomes. Such is the case with this read, but there's a vital caveat with this.

The audiobook is well narrated, and 16-year-old Addie's disturbing mentality and naivete (and over-the-top worldliness in other areas) especially shine through thanks to a skilled narrator in this format. Addie is a high school student who faces many challenges. After somewhat recently losing her father, she ends up embroiled in a scandal with one of her male teachers. He pays dearly for this situation. When the book begins, Addie is coming back to school with all of this baggage and with many classmates who are upset with her (and definitely let her know). Her isolation is reinforced by her unkind math teacher but counterbalanced by her math teacher's husband, her attentive English teacher. While readers have many strong signs that Addie may be a dangerous and/or disturbed individual, there are also indications about why. Readers are left to grapple with their own biases and assumptions, especially as Addie's present relationships begin to change.

As is always the case in this genre, the twists and surprises are the best parts, and I'm keeping this review intentionally vague so as to avoid those. That noted, I'm not a monster, so I'm going to get into some TW territory now. Right at the start of the novel, readers are led to question whether Addie, a young teen, and her obviously adult teacher had an inappropriate physical relationship. This is not the end of the grooming, sexual assault, gaslighting, etc. material in this novel. In fact, these issues are central and constant. Readers who are sensitive to this material need to know that it's ubiquitous. Those who can manage it will enjoy seeing how all of the pieces come together, who pays for what and how, and what McFadden has done to our eager, warped minds this time.

Like usual, I look forward to reading what's next from this author.

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape for an ARC of The Teacher!

WOW! This might be my new favorite Freida read! I read this in less than a day, and (obviously) could not put it down!

This book was fast-paced, kept you guessing from start to finish, and constantly made you question which character you could trust.

I would definitely say the themes of this book are dark, but in the end the real villain gets their due.

THE ENDING??? Oh my lanta. Freida did it again. I’ll admit, I was a little nervous going into this one only due to the fact that I didn’t love her last two as much as her past books. This one though.. redemption!

I have so many questions. I will have to go back and reread because I feel like I missed some things I shouldn’t have missed. Freida always has you thinking one twist is it and you’ve figured it all out, but then out of nowhere ANOTHER twist is revealed. Once the first twist happened, the second came, but also because of the characters storyline, it wasn’t much of a surprise. You’d think the twists would stop there but the epilogue had me mind blown.

The story was reminiscent of a typical Lolita trope, with the added perspective of the wife. I devoured it all. Highly recommend!

Thanks so much NetGalley and Dreamscape select for the arc audiobook!

A solid domestic thriller with 1) a very guessable plot and 2) a completely unguessable ending. Gotta admire an author who can write a book with only dislikeable characters, yet the reader still cares about the outcome.

This one, as title indicates, involves a teacher, well two teachers, and some naughty behavior. The audio version was well narrated by Leslie Howard and Danny Montooth who moved the story along and sold the characters.

Freida McFadden is fast becoming an auto buy author for many, has created an effective social media presence and a fan base calling themselves McFans. She writes a lot, and one of her greatest strengths as a writer are short chapters and an easy-to-read-in-a-day book. Perfect for those of us with short attention spans, or when traveling and you don't want to marry the book.

This is a hard one for me to rate. I typically love Freida McFadden and all her books. There definitely should have been a trigger warning attached to this one.

Narrator: 5 ⭐️. The narrator did a great job and kept me focused on the story. The difference in voices of characters was distinguishable and easy for me to follow. This is important in a book like this when there are multiple POVs happening in different chapters.

Book: 2.5 ⭐️. I've always given McFadden books 4-5 stars, but I just can't with this one. I was not ok with the amount of pedophilia going on and at one point making it look like it was ok because the underage student was 16 and that is the age of consent. The twist at the end left a bunch of plot holes and without giving spoilers, just wasn't acceptable to me. It was a mind blowing twist, but not an enjoyable one. It was more of a what the heck did I just read type one. Here's to hoping the next release has a better plot.

Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Select, Hollywood Upstairs Press for an advanced audio copy.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!
I always love a new Freida McFadden book! This was not a disappointment!! Very easy to read, fast paced and enough little details sprinkled in to hint at the twist but still keep you guessing. I hadn’t truly expected the ending, even with the lead up to it! Loved this one!!

The Teacher by Freida McFadden is a gripping psychological thriller that delves into the complexities of trust and deception. Eve, a high school math teacher, finds herself entangled in a web of secrets when a controversial student, Addie, resurfaces. The narrative skillfully explores the thin line between truth and perception, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. The author weaves a tale of suspense and revenge, revealing the dark underbelly of seemingly ordinary lives. With its mind bending twists and well crafted characters, this book is a must read for fans of psychological dramas. I also highly recommend the audio version of this novel. The narrators did an amazing job bringing it to life!

The Teacher
By: Freida McFadden
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Eve and her husband Nate teach at the same high school. Their school had a major scandal last year involving a student and teacher, so they are very careful to not cross the lines, or are they?

Addie is in both their classes and she is troubled. Addie was involved in a scandal from last year and is being bullied by some mean girls. She is looking to fit in and that can be difficult.

What is Addie hiding? Can she be trusted? Is she really crossing the lines? Addie seems to be in trouble again and its hard not to sympathize with her after all she is a child. What are Eve and Nate hiding?

That final twist had me completely stumped! This one is available Feb 6, 2024.

#theteacher, #freidamcfadden, #poisenedpenpress, #netgalley, #bookreview, #booksconnectus, #bookstagram, #stamperlady50

4.5 rounded up - it wasn’t my favorite Frieda McFadden (that epilogue twist was really unnecessary for me and pushed believability in terms of number of coincidences too much) but even a less-amazing Frieda McFadden is a top thriller! They’re always so fun and so well paced. She’s my top instant read!

Premise - a student-teacher affair turns deadly in this twisty romp through adolescence, full of horrible people being horrible. No one is likable, so the murders aren’t so sad.

📚 Series or Standalone: standalone
📚 Genre: thriller
📚 Target Age Group: adult
📚 Cliffhanger: no

✨ Will I Reread: probably
✨ Recommended For: fans of Daniel Hurst

💕 Characters: 4/5
💕 Writing: 5/5
💕 Plot: 4/5
💕 Pacing: 5/5
💕 Unputdownability: 5/5
💕 Enjoyment: 5/5
💕 Book Cover: 5/5

Thanks, NetGalley and Dreamscape, for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.