Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

441 reviews

ericasbookshelves'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? 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: Death, Mental illness, and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail

epruta's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense 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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Drug use, Infidelity, and Alcohol

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. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Stalking, and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt

gwenswoons's review

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

lump's review

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

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

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

kaylamf's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

2.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

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

la_karina1818's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.75

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Mental illness, Blood, and Murder

a_libraryghost's review

dark mysterious tense 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? Yes

3.75

Rating this book is hard. On one hand it was a really enjoyable read that I completed in one sitting and I briefly considered rating it 5 stars just based on that but on the other hand many of the criticisms I’m seeing in the reviews are valid. 

There are a lot of red herrings in this book as Alex Michaelides is obviously very keen for you to not guess the ending which I don’t mind too much as I really enjoy the mystery but I probably would have preferred a couple of red herrings that were explored more deeply than a whole bunch of shallow ones. 

There’s one character I did actually really like but I do not understand their purpose in the story. I kept waiting for them to be linked to something, part of me was sure they were going to be the killer especially after the letter is found but nope. Pretty sure you could remove them from the plot and nothing would change. 

The twist is good, probably one of my favourites that I’ve read recently. Part of it wasn’t surprising but the other part was and it connects very well with what people keep telling the MC. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

nehaanna's review against another edition

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. 

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Drug use and Alcohol