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filipa_maia's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I'm not a huge fan of 'The Silent Patient' and I found this book even less enjoyable. I definitely don't like Alex Michaelides' writing, I always feel like his books could be movie scripts. That is something that don't work for me.
Overall I liked the plot. The story is well built and the characters are interesting with complex and very dark backgrounds but the ending... my God... Why? I didn't like it one bit. It definitely subverted expectations but was completely unnecessary.
I enjoyed the "crossover" with 'The Silent Patient' though.
Overall I liked the plot. The story is well built and the characters are interesting with complex and very dark backgrounds but the ending... my God... Why? I didn't like it one bit. It definitely subverted expectations but was completely unnecessary.
I enjoyed the "crossover" with 'The Silent Patient' though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Death, Violence, Toxic friendship, Murder, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Forced institutionalization, and Death of parent
Minor: Suicide attempt, Infidelity, Incest, and Car accident
annajoyreed93's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pedophilia and Sexual assault
sophiecarbs's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Animal death, Pedophilia, Stalking, Drug abuse, Murder, Emotional abuse, Death, Drug use, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, and Death of parent
abmoore88's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Pedophilia
soswiin's review
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
2.75
the more i think about this book the lower i rate it
the good
- loved the setting and the way it was written almost worshipfully. i too idolize cambridge and all its uneven cobblestones and river-soaked undergrads
- + 1 star because the best breakfast spot in the city was mentioned: the copper kettle
the bad
- the way mythology was used. OKAY yes i picked this up because it was so “heavily versed in greek mythos”. it just felt very elementary. i wasn’t opposed to the vengeful almost teenage-bully nature of persephone but i didn’t love it. fosca’s lecture on the cult of eleusis was a great mythology-centric plot point but it was only truly relevant that one time.
- for a book called “the maidens” the actual maidens really aren’t that prevalent. there’s not much of a cultish/abuse of academic authority vibe going on despite the fact that it’s a selling point of the book (it was for me)
-the red herrings; spent the entire book trying to guess who the bad guy was because the wrong choices were so obvious. i did get fooled but it wasn’t satisfying or well done in the slightest.
- maybe i’m just looking for things to complain about but a lot of the phrasing was just very cliche
the ugly
- the ending. rushed, confusing, and unnecessary. also really gross
- the characters. i’ve walked on floor tiles with more personality. there is not a single person in the entire story that i was rooting for or who’s downfall i was praying for
- where do i even begin with the pedophilic/incestuous subplot. what?? thrown out there without an ounce of comprehensible elaboration. made no sense to the story despite it basically causing the entire thing. just a nasty shock grabber
there were so many aspects of the book that would’ve been so interesting if they hadn’t been brushed over; henry’s role in the story, morris’s blackmail, the actual maidens themselves, the abuses of power. the author spends the entire book reiterating how terrible men are but never shows any woman successfully winning against the circumstances imposed on them. an amazing concept with poor execution
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, and Self harm
Moderate: Rape and Body horror
modernathos's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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
4.0
There's so much still unclear, and I think that that's exactly the point.
Michaelides knows exactly how to write a fucked up story with fucked up characters without making it fundamentally problematic. In a lot of books with storylines centered around violence against women, you will see language that is inherently offensive. In The Maidens, this is not the case. For all the violence and manipulation, Michaelides has manages to write the story with respect. Every single character is messed up in a way, but they're still human.
The ending was all but perfect.If Fosca had turned out to be the actual murderer, it would have been very satisfying, but Zoe's story and her motivations were a wonderful and yet heartbreaking plottwist, which is why I was so happy to see that she was not completely demonized in the epilogue. She was manipulated and used for such a long time and in such a fundamental way that she was still under its influence after her abuser died, and while this in no way excuses the murders she committed, she doesn't deserve to be completely villainized. Simultanuously, while Fosca isn't a murderer, he is still a pedophile and an abuser, and this is not erased, which I was very happy to read.
I am still confused about the character of Henry. He is severely messed up and straight up stalks Mariana throughout the book, and it is never really explained, nor does he appear much in the book after he 'attacks' Mariana. He is just never explained. There are some more small things that I felt could have been handled better, but I'll spare anyone reading this the excrutiatingly elaborate details of that.
While the ending is open and a little confusing, it worked perfectly for the story. Mariana already had trouble dealing with what she knows, and now she's expected to deal with revelations she couldn't have dared to imagine before. A lot of characters have a lot of recovery and development to go, so an open epilogue like this worked perfectly.
January 29th, 2024 - January 31st, 2024.
Michaelides knows exactly how to write a fucked up story with fucked up characters without making it fundamentally problematic. In a lot of books with storylines centered around violence against women, you will see language that is inherently offensive. In The Maidens, this is not the case. For all the violence and manipulation, Michaelides has manages to write the story with respect. Every single character is messed up in a way, but they're still human.
The ending was all but perfect.
I am still confused about the character of Henry. He is severely messed up and straight up stalks Mariana throughout the book, and it is never really explained, nor does he appear much in the book after he 'attacks' Mariana. He is just never explained. There are some more small things that I felt could have been handled better, but I'll spare anyone reading this the excrutiatingly elaborate details of that.
While the ending is open and a little confusing, it worked perfectly for the story. Mariana already had trouble dealing with what she knows, and now she's expected to deal with revelations she couldn't have dared to imagine before. A lot of characters have a lot of recovery and development to go, so an open epilogue like this worked perfectly.
January 29th, 2024 - January 31st, 2024.
Reading about life was no preparation for living it; [Mariana] had learned this the hard way
Let me tell you something - this is what those old Greek plays are about. What it means to be human. What it meanst to be alive. And if you miss that when you read them - if all you see is a bunch of dead words - then you're missing the whole damn thing. I don't just mean in the plays - I mean in your lives, right now. If you're not aware of the transcendent, if you'ren ot awake to the glorious mystery of life and death that you're lucky enough to be part of - if that doesn't fill you with joy and strike you with awe... you might as wel not be alive. That's the message of the tragedies. Participate in the wonder. For your sake - forTara 's sake - live it."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking, Death, Murder, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Grief, Sexual assault, and Violence
Minor: Infidelity and Classism
ericasbookshelves's review
dark
mysterious
medium-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
3.0
I liked the book, didn’t like the characters and hated the ending. Which all made for a semi strange reading experience. I’m unsure on if I’ll read another book by the author but I might
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Mental illness, and Death
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, and Sexual assault
sonnyygrayy's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I picked up this book because I finished my other one on my flight and had a very long layover. I’m not sure I would’ve ever actually picked this one up if it hadn’t been for that, even though I’ve wanted to read it for a long time.
When I first got back into reading, I fell in love with the Silent Patient by Michaelides. His fast paced writing and short chapters kept me turning page after page. I figured out the twist right before it happened, which made me proud of myself, but it’s also a reflection of his writing. (This is how a plot twist should be done!)
As I’ve grown a lot as a reader within the last three years, my tastes have changed slightly. Michaelides will still be an author whom I look out for, but his writing isn’t as profound to me as it once was.
I liked the dark academia setting of this novel and how it was still accessible. I did feel like he was trying a little hard to be profound at times and this book just simply isn’t. It was a fun book that fulfilled what I was looking for: an easy page-turner read.
When I first got back into reading, I fell in love with the Silent Patient by Michaelides. His fast paced writing and short chapters kept me turning page after page. I figured out the twist right before it happened, which made me proud of myself, but it’s also a reflection of his writing. (This is how a plot twist should be done!)
As I’ve grown a lot as a reader within the last three years, my tastes have changed slightly. Michaelides will still be an author whom I look out for, but his writing isn’t as profound to me as it once was.
I liked the dark academia setting of this novel and how it was still accessible. I did feel like he was trying a little hard to be profound at times and this book just simply isn’t. It was a fun book that fulfilled what I was looking for: an easy page-turner read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, and Suicide attempt
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
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
annchi's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
This book suffers from man-writing-women-badly syndrome. Like, what. Plot points are written like some gross fantasy. Like, I get it, it’s supposed to be dark and messed up things happen in real life, but this is downright bizarre and written from the male gaze even when the protagonist is a woman.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Adult/minor relationship