Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

87 reviews

madisonfrank's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Infidelity, Islamophobia, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Death, Death of parent, Infertility, Mental illness, Murder, Medical content, Sexual content, Stalking, Violence, and Pedophilia

ms3333's review

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse and Physical abuse

melisat00's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Grief, Self harm, Stalking, Suicide, Violence, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts

louisegraveyard's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Murder, Mental illness, Death of parent, Child abuse, Misogyny, Death, Gore, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Violence, and Suicide attempt

grrrlbrarian's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-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? Yes

3.0

Love the premise, the tension, and the depiction of Cambridge University’s darker side … but I just feel let down by the ending. 

The conclusion to Henry’s obsession with Mariana feels laughably rushed. Then we are flung into the reveal of the murderer, which wasn’t necessarily predictable but just ended up a bit hollow.

I didn’t object to it being Zoe, but the motive felt cheap and, again, rushed. The epilogue was also kind of unnecessary and added nothing to the story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Animal death, Stalking, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Grief, Murder, Death, Violence, Child abuse, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, and Gaslighting

Minor: Vomit and Sexism

graveyardreads's review against another edition

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? It's complicated

1.5

300 pages of filler only for the book to climax and end in the last 20. The ending of this book left me feeling disgusted and betrayed by the author. Setting was cool, dark academia vibes and stuff but again the ending just really pissed me off. Also, Marianna, the main character is literally the most dumb, daft and clueless character I’ve read. This author truly had no idea how to write a woman dealing with creepy men. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Stalking, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Violence

shkrueger1's review

dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0

If you like twists - this has them. If you like to know where the story is going - you probably won't. Instead of a road map plot, this story has a unique series of confusing and convoluted leaps - which can stretch the suspension of disbelief - but I was enraptured.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Death

Moderate: Incest and Sexual content

Minor: Physical abuse

haleymckenna123's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Stalking, and Suicide attempt

yulecogs's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Car accident, Bullying, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Self harm, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Rape, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Murder, and Blood

apiora215's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Murder