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Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Murder, Abandonment
Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Infertility, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Stalking, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol
Minor: Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Suicide attempt
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Blood
Moderate: Sexual assault, Death of parent
Graphic: Animal death, Violence
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Self harm, Suicide attempt
I enjoyed the mystery until the stupid twist in the final 25% of the novel. It feels like the author decided a twist was needed, but it really wasn’t. It would’ve made more sense if the killer had been one of the three actual suspects, or perhaps a less fleshed-out secondary character. It made me go, “Well that was stupid.” And soured me on the preceeding 75% of the novel.
This novel is what I’d call “just okay.”
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Classism
Michaelides also does a phenomenal job with red herrings, though I did suspect and correctly guess (half of) the ending. However, he managed to fool me and convince me it was someone else before the reveal. Again, Mariana’s paranoia bleeds into the reader as they try to figure out whodunnit. Perhaps that is the reason for all of the suspicious and seemingly unnecessary characters - to encourage the reader to fall into a similar sense of paranoia that Mariana experiences.
I do wish we were given a greater explanation or depth into the Maidens and this academia-based cult of young women; it did not feel as fleshed out as it could’ve been and served mostly as part of the red herring. I also would have loved a greater resolution with most of the characters in the end, as the end feels abrupt and unfinished after the reveal (ie the epilogue).
Overall, it was certainly a page turner.
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Abandonment
Moderate: Body horror, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Infertility, Sexual content, Death of parent
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death of parent, Alcohol
Minor: Animal death, Drug use, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Pedophilia
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Blood, Stalking
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism