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clarklyn's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Mental illness, Child abuse, and Infertility
fmqs96's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The more I sit with this story, the less I like it. I may have been to abrupt with writing the review, but I guess thatās part of the charm: you are so caught up with the twist that it is all you can think about. And while I do stand by it: the plot twist is incredible, there is one thing that keeps growing my dissatisfaction.
It is pretty clear from a little bit before the middle of the book that Zoe has something to do with the crimes. And that is not a problem. Having Sebastian as the voice behind the letters is not a problem. What keeps getting to me is how much of a loss opportunity it is to not mirror Sebastian and Professor Fosca in a deeper level. While it is displayed and recognized, the abuse and manipulation that both men inflict on the young women of their lives is despicable, and yet, we donāt see the truth depth of it.
Thus, the ending feels rushed and incomplete. I keep thinking about The Maidens and the more I do, the less I like it. It is not a bad book per se. The story is intriguing and the idea behind it is pretty engaging, but when you stop to breathe and ignore the emotions that come with the twist, you realize that the story is not nearly as well developed as it could have been.
Maybe he will hit the nail again with The Fury.
āāā
After reading The Silent Patient, I felt like Alex Michaelides could not replicate the same sense of dread and nervousness as his debut novel. I was (
The constant state of urgency Mariana finds herself in, entices the reader to feel desperate, confused, and on high alert. The most compelling aspect of Michaelides' narration style is the similarities in speech for characters depending on context; it is perfect for keeping the reader uncertain of each character's true intentions. Furthermore, it is the perfect tool to manipulate the audience.
After The Silent Patient, I began The Maidens ready to notice every detail, to not allow myself to be fooled again by his carefully threaded narrative, alas, in my endless desperation to not miss anything, I looked too closely. Thus, I could have never predicted the last chapter from Part 5 or the entirety of Part 6. While the plot twist is satisfying, believable, and shocking, the true star of the show is the lingering sense of discomfort that is perpetuated from the first page.
While I do believe that some plot point were not entirely needed, or perhaps just not well closed at the end, the narrative is solid and engaging. Michaelides' writing is definitely to my taste and I cannot wait to read his newest release, The Fury, and see how he manages to surprise me this time around.
Graphic: Violence, Stalking, and Murder
Moderate: Grief, Infidelity, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Self harm, Incest, Mental illness, and Physical abuse
allidone's review against another edition
4.0
Iām not sure if I liked it? If it was good? Right now Iām at a 4 but that might change.
As a therapist, itās wild that she didnāt see any of what was going on.
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, Mental illness, Grief, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Death of parent, Death, Torture, Stalking, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Abandonment, Gaslighting, Incest, Infidelity, Murder, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Minor: Infertility
swansonjunkie's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Child abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Murder, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Mental illness
Minor: Suicide attempt and Infertility
bessadams's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Grief, Blood, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Infertility, Drug use, Murder, Physical abuse, Stalking, Suicide, and Violence
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, and Domestic abuse
brookey8888's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Honestly, it was just vibes like nothing was happening, but a lot was happening and I was interested the whole time if that makes sense. I really liked the characterās and the little dash of a romance. I did not see that ending coming like at all I was actually shocked , I donāt know this was really entertaining and fun itās not the best mystery. I feel like but I wasnāt trying too hard to guess and I didnāt guess. I think this is my first like dark academia book and I ate it up. Iām excited to read the silent patient now because I saw those little Easter eggs about it. When I was reading, I actually had to stop and like scream a little and because I was like thereās no way.
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Infertility, Sexual assault, Violence, Animal death, Pedophilia, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Abandonment, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, and Grief
antidietleah's review against another edition
- 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
2.0
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Infertility
Minor: Infidelity and Adult/minor relationship
daybreakreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I actually suspected the right person early on (ultimately for the wrong reason), but mostly dismissed it because of a very powerful red herring (even though I at one point suspected the red herring as being such). I would say the true ending would be very difficult if not impossible to guess the first time through; I almost want to re-read it again now that I know how it ends.
The audiobook was fascinating to listen to; they used a different voice actor for the alternate perspective.
Graphic: Mental illness, Blood, Murder, and Death
Minor: Infertility, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual violence, Animal death, Infidelity, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Forced institutionalization
sashea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
Initially intriguing but quickly got repetitive and almost boring. Only the short length of the book made me finish it. The men presented as suspicious have similar backgrounds
The twist at the end (for the motivation at least) was surprising but there was no connection to any of the characters and too many heavy-handed obvious red herrings that I wasn't even interested enough to guess at
In summary, this book is "Daddy issues and the (two-dimensional) women who pay for it."
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Blood, Murder, and Self harm
Minor: Infertility, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, and Animal death
mushymargo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Murder, Pedophilia, Self harm, Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Infertility, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief