The Maidens
Ratings300
Average rating3.4
Still screaming from that shock ending! This one is gonna stick with me for a while, it was so amazing. Love how the author tied in his previous book — completely unexpected.
4.5 stars. I was not a huge fan of The Silent Patient (unpopular opinion I know!) so no one is more surprised than me that The Maidens absolutely enthralled me. I love a bit of dark academia, secret university cults and creepy professors. And the best part was - I did not predict the ending. My mind usually goes to dark places, but damn this was dark AF. Glad I gave this author a second chance.
I deliberated over the rating for awhile. I've settled on 3⭐ solely because it lead to a good discussion after the fact. Between the lack of character development and the overly used red herrings, this book just didn't hit the mark for me
Ok so this one was hard for me to rate. I was stuck between 3.5 & 4 and ultimately went with 4. The reason I was torn is because for a good portion of the book, nothing happens. It's procedural in an amateur sleuth type of way (Mariana is NOT in law enforcement or involved in the investigation).
HOWEVER
I was highly anticipating this book. Not only because I enjoyed The Silent Patient, but also because I saw it EVERYWHERE. So as far as the advertising and publicity of this book, it worked. And I am very happy to say I was not disappointed.
I was kind of in the mind set of “unreliable narrator” so I was on alert constantly throughout the book to “find the killer”. I immediately didn't agree with Mariana, but only because I didn't trust her. Throughout the novel I “figured out” the twist and BOY WAS I WRONG! Alex Michaelides definitely fooled me because I 100% believe that was his intention. I also love the ties to his first novel. I'm a sucker when there are crossovers, Easter eggs, etc. in books and tv/movies.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the academia parts of the book. The setting was perfect and somewhere I find intriguing. The Greek myths was a great way to pull everything together and also lead the reader astray. There were so many side characters and mini plots that usually gets lost and confusing but I think it was the perfect amount to lead the reader who were suspicious (like me) on a wild goose chase, almost.
Definitely will recommend this book and look forward to more of his books.
If your looking for a fast paced story, this book isn't for you. The pace is slow, and focuses more in the inner world of the characters. Here there is no detective trying to find the killer, just a character who tries to make sense of everything while she plays detective. The ending was kinda disappointing, and it didn't leave me the same impression that The Silent Patient did. Still, it's a good book, and a promise of the author's next books.
I felt let down by the ending, though I was really enjoying it until that point. It felt made up rather than a carefully crafted surprise. Another chapter probably was needed.
And Michaelides does it again! I read his debut novel, The Silent Patient at the beginning of this year and it blew me completely away, especially the big reveal at the end. The Maidens I ,of course, had to pick up as soon as it came in the mail because I was so excited and had preordered it months ago. Although it didn't blow me away as much as The Silent Patient did, I really loved the majority of it and it was a very thrilling ride with impeccable pacing and a very beautiful atmosphere which comes across unforgettably in the writing style. I definitely will be recommending this book and Michaelides is definitely an auto buy author for me, without any hint of hesitation.
To begin with, The Maidens is following a group therapist, Mariana, who is dealing with the loss of her beloved husband, as she is brought into the world of Cambridge University by her niece Zoe, who's best friend and roommate has been brutally murdered. Determined to get to the bottom of who the killer is, she suspects strongly it is the charismatic Greek Tragedy professor who is kind of like a celebrity on campus and she sets out to prove this. The plot was great and I have no complaints at all, especially because the pacing of this novel was impeccable and I loved all the twists and turns coming every which way. This is the first novel in a while, where I literally trusted NO ONE and was suspicious of everyone! It was definitely a roller coast of emotions and it didn't let up until the very last page. The only thing I didn't really like was the big reveal at the end and the ending itself felt a little rushed and I wish there was more of it but besides that this book was perfection.
Secondly, the characterization in this novel was amazing. I was a psych major in college so all the psychological stuff was mind-blowing to me and I especially loved the main character, Mariana, because she was so flawed and yet so intricate and good at the core. I have come to the conclusion that I actually prefer a reliable narrator as opposed to an unreliable one but I can definitely enjoy both as long as they are done well. I loved seeing into her psyche and also getting a look into the killer's psyche, in the form of journal entries. We really got to dive deep into the characters and I got a really good sense of why they are the way that they are and a complete backstory, which I absolutely love in thrillers.
Finally, the writing style is probably my favorite thing about Michaelides' books. It is so simple and to the point and yet everything is phrased so beautifully and the atmosphere comes across without lengthy paragraphs and run-on sentences. A lot of times I find the atmosphere setup to be tedious but in this instance I enjoyed every second of it, being able to be immersed fully in this beautiful setting and all its surroundings. What a breath of fresh air!
In conclusion, this was another home run for Michaelides, even though it's not as good as The Silent Patient in my opinion. If you're looking for a fun, fast-paced and engrossing thriller, this is definitely for you and you should pick it up! It was also a relatively quick read and an easy book to get through, which is exactly what I needed at this time.
I feel like the there was a missed opportunity to dive further into the dark academia side with the Maidens. Would have definitely liked to see that aspect explored further.
As someone who reads (and usually figures out) a lot of mysteries, the goal for me is to always feel a little unsure of my hypothesis. This book certainly achieved that. While I had guessed the ending, the ride to the reveal was intriguing and kept me on edge waiting to see what would happen next.
One of my favorite tropes is the dual narrative that features the killer. Listening to the audiobook version of this was a great, atmospheric experience. It built a lot of tension, and definitely had me wondering if there was anything lurking in the shadows while I listened.
***Thank you to Macmillan audio for providing me with a copy of the audiobook for free via NetGalley for an unbiased review.
honestly, i hated every moment reading this book. the main character was so blah, the writing drove me insane, it felt so slow and so many things just felt illogical. like all of the police work was absolute bullshit and the things about this book i was excited about were really minor parts of the plot. the two is really just bc i didn't see the plot twist coming, but even then the plot twist scenes took forever and were rushed through with a villainous monologue. like what even was this book lmao
Definitely a page turner. I know this is a book of fiction, but there is no way the main character would have been given all of that authority. Also, the author tired to throw in too many distractible suspects.
Interesting plot, writing style let it down. Kind of choppy, same basic sentence structures repeatedly and elements of the story felt really heavy handed. Still an enjoyable experience but hasn't made me sure if I want to read the authors other book.