Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

65 reviews

wandas's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Murder, Self harm, Toxic relationship, and Stalking

Moderate: Grief, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, and Animal death

Minor: Drug use

aformeracceleratedreader's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

4.5

Super enjoyed this one. I didn't expect the twist like at all, but I'm also garbage at trying to figure out mysteries. Mariana is a good unreliable narrator, and l liked seeing her growth by the end. The ending did feel a little rushed and not entirely tied up, but I liked the reveal of who the letter/journal writer was. I feel bad for all the girls in the book who are victims of death and manipulation. 
There are some heavy topics within so def check out content warnings. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Stalking, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Alcohol, Body horror, Child abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Animal death, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Rape, and Toxic relationship

amandacav'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

So disappointing. Overwrought, pummel you over the head metaphors, unnecessary characters and too many red herrings, too obvious foreshadowing, oblivious characters, flat out expository conclusions to the highest tension moments, disconnected plot points from the conclusion, so many loose threads.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Death of parent, Grief, Pedophilia, Self harm, Gaslighting, and Infidelity

itsheyfay's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Drug use, Pedophilia, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Incest

Minor: Classism, Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, and Suicide attempt

marisa_n's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

When I finished the book, I initially had mixed feelings. I loved all the twists and turns. That said, I felt the characters were a little two-dimensional and unbelievable. Moreover, there were some plot holes and loose threads that were never tied up. That said, the more I think about it and read other reviews (especially the complaints) the more I realize the genius of this book. 

I loved the plot twist at the end, as I didn't suspect Zoey. I thought it was Henry or Fred for most of the book. That said, I was left feeling somewhat unsatisfied with the explanation, but was having trouble articulating why it didn't make sense. It wasn't until I started reading the negative reviews and all the plot holes that these astute readers were referring to that I realized the genius of this book:

all of the characters were unreliable narrators.

There was Mariana, who clearly had a blind spot when it came to recognizing the signs of toxic and/or dangerous people. From her brushing off the dangerous implications of a client stalking her. Her instance that her father was a good man, despite his neglecting her as a child. Her poor character judgment with her niece, despite others implying she was unlikeable. Her memories of Sebastian as a romantic, nurturing man, despite something nefarious happening behind the scenes. Her openness to pursuing something romantic with Fred in the end, despite his love bombing and over-stepping boundaries--which, as a therapist, she should have recognized as a red flag. Mariana clearly is a poor judge of character and has questionable judgment in general. 

Then there was Sebastian, who supposedly wrote the journal entries throughout the book. His journal entries were dark, and very unlike how Mariana described him. They also left unanswered questions. Did he kill his mother, or did she just leave and never come back? It's unclear, but it's suggested that he killed her and then rewrote the memory as a dream.

Then there is Zoe, whose "motive" includes details that are clearly at odds with Mariana's recollection of events. How could Sebastian have gotten with Mariana just to get to Zoe if he didn't meet the child until well into the relationship? How could he be in love with Zoe from the moment he saw her if she was just a young child when they met? Sure, he could have been a pedophile, but pedophiles tend to have a preferred age range, and he didn't sexually abuse Zoe until she was 15. Lastly, Zoe claims Sebastian strangled Mariana's father, but Mariana said he died of a heart attack--and what medical professional would mix up the two causes of death? Not to mention the weirdness with the Maidens / Fosca viewing Zoe as one of them, despite her saying she'd only joined them one time. Basically, nothing she said could be taken at face value. 

Therefore, this isn't so much of a "whodunit" so much as a web of unreliable narratives to untangle. It left me with so many questions. For starters, how much of Zoe's story about the affair (read: sexual abuse) and subsequent murder plot was real?

My interpretation was that Sebastian had a history of physical (maybe sexual?) abuse at the hands of his father. He likely murdered his mother as revenge for trying to abandon him. He grew up to be a dangerous man, repeating the cycle of abuse. Mariana was blinded by love and only saw what she wanted to see (a doting husband). Sebastian sexually abused Zoe, but it was probably opportunistic and did not start until she was older (13ish?). Zoe was a young girl who was groomed and abused by a father figure, and then created a narrative of forbidden love to make sense of the trauma. Sebastian fed into her delusions by swearing one day he would leave and/or kill Mariana so they could be together. When he died, Zoe wanted to kill Mariana, her mother figure, to get revenge for taking away Sebastian, but also for shattering her delusion of him. The Greek tragedy theme really plays in nicely here with reference to adult-minor relationships, abusive father figures, revenge, fate, sorrow, etc. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Gore, Sexual violence, Violence, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Misogyny, Murder, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Death, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, and Abandonment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

tbell0211's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense 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

2.5

This is one of the worst books I’ve read in a really long time, but the weird thing about it is that you don’t know it’s horrible until you’ve finished it and are thinking back on plot holes and terrible development, like the graveyard sex and the pinecones. Disturbing grooming scenes added for shock value just undid any hope I had for it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Stalking, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Mental illness, Infidelity, Grief, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Death, Child abuse, and Blood

feebles640's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Death, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, and Grief

Moderate: Domestic abuse

Minor: Bullying, Forced institutionalization, and Drug use

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

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

lexslittlelibrary's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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

4.0

I want to love this book so much! Up until the very last plot twist I was captivated by everything within the text. Given how convinced Mariana was that Fosca was a murderer I went into this going “okay so not him” but time and time again I was a bit unsure. I think there was one potentially really good red herring thrown in but he was too easy to dismiss. Same with the other attempts made at a suspect. 

Henry could have been such a great suspect if he wasn’t clearly too far gone to write that kind of text /

It was too easy as a reader to look at the letters of confession and know who could not have written them. However the plot twist at the end did nothing feel entirely earned. It came out of left field without much to substantiate it and honestly made a lot of the emotion I invested in some of the characters feel a bit wasted? 

Overall, the side characters who could have been compelling fell flat. We didn’t see enough of Fosca and the Maidens (in my opinion) and the Maidens we did see were hard to get a feel for. 

The two introduced Maidens who died just felt like a toss up of ‘oh I know that name. Didn’t contribute to who was a suspect or give much emotion for the victims /

Overall, I want to love this book. And it’s fun enough — until the very end with the very last reveal. That’s where it lost me. Solid read but fell a hit short for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual assault, Death, Incest, Grief, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Death of parent, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Rape, Sexual assault, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide