Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

181 reviews

cinderpot's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

Amazing book! Amazing twist!!! I read the silent patient about a year ago and really like it. This book follows a similar premise and over all ties in greatly. Some professional decisions from the main character is questionable… but what can you get with a fiction.

The added cameo from Theo was my favourite

Will be ready his next book with anticipation!!!! JUSTICE FOR FRED!!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Self harm, Blood, Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Dysphoria, Terminal illness, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Violence, and Stalking

annies0627's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Death, Domestic abuse, and Grief

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

emma6544's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I read The Silent Patient and really enjoyed it so I was looking forward to this book. 

I was hesitant going into it because I have not enjoyed a lot of dark academia books but this book is different. It balances the academic and mystery lines really well so I felt that both areas were explored really well. I also loved Alex’s descriptive writing style which brought the characters and story to life. 

The plot was face paced and it kept me invested into who the killer is. While I wasn’t hugely shocked at one of the people involved as I had my suspicions on them for awhile, I was majorly shocked at the twist

we find out that Zoe, her niece, had killed the victims, influenced by her lover Sebastian, Marianas husband who she is grieving throughout the book. This came as a shock as the book builds up to Edward Fosca and I was also expecting Fred by the language of the last few journal entries. This shock blew me away and it flipped the book for me, like it did Marianas world.

I also really enjoyed the references to The Silent Patient

Theo, the therapist from The Silent Patient, makes an appearance towards the end of the book. Mariana recommends him for a job at The Grove, his place of employment in the book. Plus, after Zoe’s arrest, he is the one treating her and we get a little preview of that in the epilogue.

This book blew me away and this is my favourite book of his so far and I am looking forward to enjoying his latest book, The Fury. Despite the references to the last book, you can easily read this book first. I highly recommend reading this book, even if you are not a fan of dark academia. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, and Grief

Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Mental illness

Minor: Pedophilia and Death of parent

pedophila is brought up towards the end of the books

carolines's review against another edition

mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Blood, Physical abuse, Murder, Death of parent, Death, Child abuse, Animal death, and Sexual assault

timios's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

Don’t be fooled by the title, this books is about men told through traumatizing women. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual violence, Sexism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual harassment, and Self harm

friesenag's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Not a bad book but the ending was a little lack luster compared to the silent patient. But it was a good twist, I just think maybe the pacing was weird and only having like 10 pages left was not enough time 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Moderate: Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Infidelity

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt

mfox1015's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

It’s easy to feel drawn to suspect one character as the murderer but I felt suspicious of that. Didn’t see the twist coming. Solid thriller set on the academic world.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Murder, and Domestic abuse

gwenswoons's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Adult/minor relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Incest, Miscarriage, Self harm, Sexual violence, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Violence, Alcohol, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Torture, and Gore

lump's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gore, Animal cruelty, Murder, and Animal death

Minor: Gore, Incest, Child abuse, Blood, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, and Domestic abuse

nehaanna's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

I’m not entirely sure what this book accomplishes. It has the twists and turns of any murder mystery but the character development of the female characters is reprehensible. They are written through such a paternalistic and chauvinist viewpoint that it is overpowering to the plot. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Grief, Sexual assault, Blood, Bullying, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Animal death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Rape, Gore, Pedophilia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic relationship, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual content

Moderate: Drug use and Alcohol