Reviews with content warning for Adult/minor relationship - The Maidens

Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

404 reviews

meeklovestoread's review

dark informative sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

3.5

Honestly, I wished I typed this review out as soon as I finished this book. Four days have passed and I honestly don't remember much about it. I remember the plot and everything just fine, what I'm trying to say is that this book is very forgettable. I was really excited after reading "The Silent Patient" two years ago (around this time, funny enough) and learning that this book is centered around greek mythology (which I love). I was initially pumped and sadly underwhelmed when I finished. The best way I could describe this book is just lacking. It lacked a lot. It lacked in the plot. It lacked in intricately incorporating the Greek mythology into the story. It lacked when it came to the side characters. It lacked with the plot twists

I knew it was Zoe, but there was a lot of unnecessary misdirection with the twist that had me questioning if I was right. Also, the subtle incest twist was so unnecessary. Felt cheap.

. I just felt like things weren't as intricately woven out as he was making it seem like they were. I found certain side characters to be extremely redundant. The society plot device, underutilized. And the plot twist to be incredibly lubricious and disappointing. Not gonna lie, a little part of me wanted to dnf this book, but I trudged along because it was short, and weirdly enough I thoroughly enjoyed his writing. It is very flowery (I think "purple prose" is what it's called) which I wasn't expecting when going into a thriller. I really enjoyed his writing here, however, due to the things I listed above as well as the fact that his storytelling (he's what I call a "slow burn" thriller author; meaning he relays his stories like a mystery with a big twist at the end rather than presenting various mini-plot twists throughout the story which is my preferred method of thriller storytelling) isn't my favorite way that I'd like to consume thrillers. It just didn't make for the most enjoyable reading experience. I don't think this is the worst thing ever by any means. I just think it was mid, mediocre. Nothing crazy. (something cool though was how this book was lowkey a prequel to "The Silent Patient"; we got to see Theo which was really cool)

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hazybee's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Reads like you are watching a movie. You can picture every scene and character perfectly. My only complaint is that there are so many random side characters that only appear for a scene or two and it’s hard to remember all their names for when they get brought back up again later

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mirrorofneptune's review

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mysterious fast-paced

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

1.75

This book could’ve been something but then wasn’t. I found the mystery super compelling at the onset but my interest waned with each chapter. Even when the answer to the mystery was revealed I didn’t feel satisfied– maybe because the main character, despite doing a lot of running around and “investigating,” doesn’t seem to organize her efforts or make any headway at all? Basically it felt like the narrator hadn’t “earned” the mystery reveal, though I know that’s not a logical take.

There were a lot of interesting themes here I would’ve liked to see explored more and a lot of things I think could’ve been taken out, including

that random plotline with the Cambridge kid who’s into the main character, whose name I don’t even remember because he wasn’t relevant to the plot until he suddenly was

. Also, as my friends and I joked, for a book called the maidens there’s shockingly little about those actual maidens! Would’ve liked to see at least some of them made into full characters instead of feeling like stage props.

I did like The Silent Patient so I’m disappointed.

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secre's review

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adventurous dark slow-paced

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

2.5

This is the second Michaelides novel I've read, and whilst I was a little more enamoured with it than The Silent Patient - where I was a very obvious minority in my lack of enthusiasm - it still failed to truly grab me. I found most of the characters fairly insipid, particularly Mariana, which is a pity as she is absolutely the main lynch pin character here, the murder mystery underwhelming and the twist annoying. I do need to stop reading books that rely on big twists. They almost always aggravate me.

The characters are absolutely the biggest flaw here. Whilst Michaelides depicts the setting of the Cambridge university well, virtually every character - including the dead ones - are flat and uninspiring. Mariana is a bit of a moron with questionable judgement at best even if it can be partially excused by her recent loss and grief, her niece gets barely any page time for most of the novel, Edward Fosca is a creep with few redeeming features, and the Maidens show zero emotion to their members being brutally murderers. It's... flat, lifeless and uninspiring.

That said, I did enjoy this more than The Silent Patient. It kept me more engaged and whilst the use of shock twists with no lead up annoys the hell out of me, I can absolutely say I didn't see it coming. Admittedly, I didn't think it was well developed either and that's from both the character perspective and from the consequences after perspective. I actively appreciated the depictions of grief and trauma in individual's lives, and how much it can cloud both judgement and make you act in weird ways. The use of a therapist as the main character is one that appeals to me, it's just a pity that Mariana doesn't really live up to this.

All in all, I think I'm coming to the conclusion that Michaelides works are not really for me, even though they sound like it from the blurbs.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my free review copy of this title.

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swansonjunkie's review

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dark tense fast-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

3.5

literally why was the twist pedophilia

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cinderpot's review

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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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dblue236's review

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Trigger warnings: Violence, gore, brief mention of an inappropriate relationship between an adult and a minor.

This book vaguely ties in with this author's The Silent Patient, but you do not have to have read that book in order to follow this one, or vice versa. It amounts to a brief mention of a couple of characters who are included in the other book that doesn't relate to the story, and both books can be read as standalones. Having said that, I definitely felt The Silent Patient was the stronger of the two. This one certainly wasn't anything like BAD, but the pace was so painfully slow I struggled to follow the plot for about the first half of the book. It did finally pick up toward the end and it turned out to be well worth sticking it out, but of the three books I've read by this author so far, this was definitely my least favorite. It's still worth reading, but maybe don't make it the starting point by which you judge the author's work.

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