Review: "The Tenant"

The Tenant by Freida McFadden
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The Tenant was an underwhelming read that lacked character depth and offered minimal suspense for a book marketed as a thriller. The stakes felt weightless, and the twists—far from surprising—came off as rushed and unearned.

Pacing:
Hard to pin down. I finished this in a day not because it was gripping, but because the content was light and undemanding. Unfortunately, that also meant a lack of suspense to keep me hooked. Some chapters—like those dedicated to a fish funeral—felt like pure filler.

Suspense and Atmosphere:
Any tension that built up dissolved quickly with overly convenient explanations. Moments that could’ve simmered were instead wrapped up immediately, leaving little to hold onto.

Characters:
Krista came across as more annoying than compelling, and her role in the story felt too minimal to matter. Blake’s constant hand-wringing and helplessness wore thin fast. Whitney had potential, but like the rest of the cast, lacked the depth to feel truly developed.

Twists and Reveals:
The reveals felt like afterthoughts—stacked at the end and rushed through with little buildup. Without tension or meaningful setup, the payoff just wasn’t there. Nothing felt earned, and the conclusion wrapped up without the satisfying complexity a good thriller needs.

Underlying Issues:
Themes like self-worth, trust, and relationship strain are touched on but never explored with any real depth.

Psychological Focus:
The premise—being forced to take in a tenant due to financial hardship—sets up some psychological tension, but it’s played too safely. The unease of opening one’s home to a stranger had potential, but it barely scratched the surface.

Darkness and Disturbance:
This is a “safe” read—nothing too graphic, intense, or emotionally raw. Everything is kept at a surface level, which undercuts any sense of real dread or unease.

- Final Thoughts
The Tenant feels like a book written quickly, checking the right boxes without digging any deeper. It might work for someone looking for a breezy one-day read with minimal emotional or narrative investment, but if you’re looking for a thriller with tension, complexity, or weight, this likely won’t do it. Every conflict is presented with an immediate explanation, which makes for a passive reading experience.

Rating:
★★☆☆☆ (2/5 Stars)

I was excited to read this given its popularity, but it ended up falling flat and never really went deeper than the page itself.

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