Scan barcode
mlmiller's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
amysworld's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.5
I knew I wasn’t going to like this book 20 pages in. The writing wasn’t great and the main character is so annoying. It was a bit obvious who the red herrings were in this book and that someone was being framed. After all that, the ending was thrown together and a sloppy epilogue to tell what happened to the killer. Kinda wished I DNF.
swordy's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
HUGE SPOILERS THATS LITERALLY ALL IM TALKING ABOUT
Why was the killer not Fred?? Sebastian being the killer (Zoe by proxy) makes zero sense. Just throwing their relationship seemingly out of no where in the last 15 pages is bs.
SERIOUSLY THIS WHOLE THING IS SPOILERS
I would’ve been fully on board with Fred being the killer. That night he was late to meet Mariana at the bar, he said he ran into a lamp post. But that was also the night a maiden was killed. Tracks so far as the killer. And then Mariana goes to his apartment and sees he’s working on a manuscript about his mother who he had a difficult relationship with, just like the writer of the letters (which is supposed to be Sebastian, which makes zero sense. Why would I want the killer to be someone who is already dead??). And when he walks Mariana out of his apartment, he walks in the other direction, saying he needs air. And then another maiden dies!! Not to mention all his talk about “premonitions” and then that exact word is used in the letter found in Zoe’s room.
Why is a man we’ve never met the killer. Like, you give us no context of this man and then only show us glimpses of him through posthumous letters. The idea he was with Mariana only to get to Zoe is so out of left field how are we even still playing the same game. I’m seriously confused.
I didn’t really buy the prof being the killer—too obvious. But having Fred be the killer would have been much more clever than some dead guy we’ve never even met. Feels like an unfair mystery because no one could’ve ever solved it. We were never given any hints! (I could probably reread it and look back at all the hints we were maybe given, but I won’t be doing that).
Dumb dumb dumb
Why was the killer not Fred?? Sebastian being the killer (Zoe by proxy) makes zero sense. Just throwing their relationship seemingly out of no where in the last 15 pages is bs.
SERIOUSLY THIS WHOLE THING IS SPOILERS
I would’ve been fully on board with Fred being the killer. That night he was late to meet Mariana at the bar, he said he ran into a lamp post. But that was also the night a maiden was killed. Tracks so far as the killer. And then Mariana goes to his apartment and sees he’s working on a manuscript about his mother who he had a difficult relationship with, just like the writer of the letters (which is supposed to be Sebastian, which makes zero sense. Why would I want the killer to be someone who is already dead??). And when he walks Mariana out of his apartment, he walks in the other direction, saying he needs air. And then another maiden dies!! Not to mention all his talk about “premonitions” and then that exact word is used in the letter found in Zoe’s room.
Why is a man we’ve never met the killer. Like, you give us no context of this man and then only show us glimpses of him through posthumous letters. The idea he was with Mariana only to get to Zoe is so out of left field how are we even still playing the same game. I’m seriously confused.
I didn’t really buy the prof being the killer—too obvious. But having Fred be the killer would have been much more clever than some dead guy we’ve never even met. Feels like an unfair mystery because no one could’ve ever solved it. We were never given any hints! (I could probably reread it and look back at all the hints we were maybe given, but I won’t be doing that).
Dumb dumb dumb
kathleenesson's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
justinkhchen's review against another edition
3.0
3 stars
Flashy with all the trendy bookish buzzwords du jour (#darkacademia #mythologyretelling, #twistending), but underneath its shiny coat The Maidens is a fairly average commercial thriller, while captivating, never achieves anything particularly memorable.
What it has in spades is atmosphere; Alex Michaelides took full advantage of the Cambridge setting, with its aged campus and dimly lit interior soaking the narrative in an appropriately morbid mood. The literary references throughout is another nice touch, though some readers might find its display of tragedy drama principles a bit too on the nose—no one in this story had a decent childhood, and everyone was psychologically scarred because of it.
While I enjoy the meandering pacing, letting the atmosphere settles in rather than rushing to propel forward, the lack of true plot excitement provokes me to zero-in on its flaws: the laughably absent-minded police force (the book completely skips over any routine forensic activities), the odd avoidance of technology (sending letters when an email/text would be equally sufficient), and the protagonist Mariana, a 'brilliant' therapist, can barely retort / defend her words under normal conversation, missing most of the clues, and constantly puts herself in shady situations (she loves going places solo with questionable individuals!). It's not unusual for stories to require a suspension of disbelief, in the case of The Maidens, there's simply not enough content to distract (at least for this reader) before one starting to poke holes at its logic.
*Below is a personal rant, not reflected in final score*
I find the The Silent Patient tie-in extremely forced and self-indulgent; not only does it deflate the already snail-like pacing, it also adds nothing to The Maidens. It would've been more successful as a bonus material for die-hard fans, but the execution at the moment feels like a promo for the author's other book, while I'm already in the middle of one.
*Rant ends*
The Maidens is a calculated bestseller in the making, built around some of the most talked-about topics in the zeitgeist, with an inoffensive execution—but it also doesn't dive deep into its inspirations and aspire to be more. It's no surprise its already being optioned and developed into a series—as it has some fundamental mass appeal; hopefully the screenwriters will patch up its many holes and lukewarm character developments with something actually worthy of its setting.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
Flashy with all the trendy bookish buzzwords du jour (#darkacademia #mythologyretelling, #twistending), but underneath its shiny coat The Maidens is a fairly average commercial thriller, while captivating, never achieves anything particularly memorable.
What it has in spades is atmosphere; Alex Michaelides took full advantage of the Cambridge setting, with its aged campus and dimly lit interior soaking the narrative in an appropriately morbid mood. The literary references throughout is another nice touch, though some readers might find its display of tragedy drama principles a bit too on the nose—no one in this story had a decent childhood, and everyone was psychologically scarred because of it.
While I enjoy the meandering pacing, letting the atmosphere settles in rather than rushing to propel forward, the lack of true plot excitement provokes me to zero-in on its flaws: the laughably absent-minded police force (the book completely skips over any routine forensic activities), the odd avoidance of technology (sending letters when an email/text would be equally sufficient), and the protagonist Mariana, a 'brilliant' therapist, can barely retort / defend her words under normal conversation, missing most of the clues, and constantly puts herself in shady situations (she loves going places solo with questionable individuals!). It's not unusual for stories to require a suspension of disbelief, in the case of The Maidens, there's simply not enough content to distract (at least for this reader) before one starting to poke holes at its logic.
*Below is a personal rant, not reflected in final score*
I find the The Silent Patient tie-in extremely forced and self-indulgent; not only does it deflate the already snail-like pacing, it also adds nothing to The Maidens. It would've been more successful as a bonus material for die-hard fans, but the execution at the moment feels like a promo for the author's other book, while I'm already in the middle of one.
*Rant ends*
The Maidens is a calculated bestseller in the making, built around some of the most talked-about topics in the zeitgeist, with an inoffensive execution—but it also doesn't dive deep into its inspirations and aspire to be more. It's no surprise its already being optioned and developed into a series—as it has some fundamental mass appeal; hopefully the screenwriters will patch up its many holes and lukewarm character developments with something actually worthy of its setting.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
purplepickle's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
abireadsbooks_21's review against another edition
5.0
This book where to begin. It’s amazing! The links to his previous book the silent patient are secure and solid. This book kept me guessing right to the end! Filled with red herrings and many many twists.
Excellent book well deserving of more than 5 stars!
Can’t wait to see what he produces next!
Excellent book well deserving of more than 5 stars!
Can’t wait to see what he produces next!