A review by crosberg
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

dark sad 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? No

2.0

Another disappointing thriller/mystery.  The book is only 330 pages and there's only one core mystery with several murders and acts of violence so I don't know how the author managed to make it feel slow, but he did.  Without spoilers or going too much into detail, the overwhelming feeling of this book is that the author really doesn't like women, and his male characters are showing exactly how.  The main character was a female therapist, and she did have a few female colleagues/mentors to rely on, plus all of the victims were female.  But somehow the only people who had any personality were all men and most of them treated the women in their lives callously at best, abusively at worst.  Gaslighting and "there, there dear let the men handle it" patronizing is rampant with all but one of the male characters, who the main character seems to fall in love with after he's simply kind to her for about 30 seconds.  I was so distracted by the absolutely flat, passive women and the terrible, violent men that I became utterly disinterested in the actual mystery.  What's worse is that the author treats sexual assault, child abuse, and trauma with a casualness that made my skin crawl.  Forget the actual murderer, I'd be uncomfortable interacting with the author.
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