The Maidens

3.5 star“You can't love someone if you're afraid of them,”So I finished this about a week ago and I have no idea what to rate it but I feel like it would be within 3 to 4 stars.I think this is an unpopular opinion but I like [b:The Maidens 45300567 The Maidens Alex Michaelides https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1608557750l/45300567.SY75.jpg 70020242] more than the [b:The Silent Patient 40097951 The Silent Patient Alex Michaelides https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1582759969l/40097951.SX50.jpg 59752778] and it's prob coz I had zero expectations for this, but for the [b:The Silent Patient 40097951 The Silent Patient Alex Michaelides https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1582759969l/40097951.SX50.jpg 59752778] my expectations were so high which is prob why I was so disappointed. So if you are thinking of picking this one up, or any hyped book for that matter go into it with no expectations and you might end up loving it.I must say tho I guessed the killer about halfway into the book and brushed it off coz it didn't seem possible but that didn't spoil the book for me.So here are a few things I loved in the book;1) The setting (I LOVED), was set in Cambridge in a Gothic atmosphere and it was described so well, I felt like I was watching a movie. And coz I'm jobless I did a bit of research on Cambridge and it is the 2nd oldest uni in the English speaking world!! What?! Also, I added it to my never-ending bucket list of the places I want to visit someday.2) Short chapters (it was so easy to read)3) Dual povs.4) Flashbacks to the past5) The silent patient references ( I love it when an author does that)6) The psychological aspect of it. ([a:Alex Michaelides 17621440 Alex Michaelides https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1526317750p2/17621440.jpg] knows what he is talking abt)7) Greek mythology- ever since I read Percy Jackson a few years ago I have been OBSESSED with Greek and Roman mythology, so much so that I wanted to do it for my ALs but my parents advised me against it.lolAs always every book has stuff I don't like too, here are some of them;1) Marianna2) Marianna 3) You guessed it- Marianna (she was so persistent to the point where it became so annoying) I think everyone who has read the book will prob agree with me about this.4) The book is called ‘The Maidens' but most of the plot was focused on Marianna I wish we had gone into depth about the maidens.5) I wish [a:Alex Michaelides 17621440 Alex Michaelides https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1526317750p2/17621440.jpg] had focused more on Edward Fosca too coz he seemed like an interesting character.6) I wasn't too satisfied by the ending.7) too many unwanted characters.I listened to a dark academia playlist while reading this and the experience was surreal!!This is one book I will be rereading in the future!

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 had to stop at 30%, chapter 3 of part 2: “the monster was in pain” ... “He sacrificed his true self, all that unfelt pain and anger, to the Underworld, to the murky world of the unconscious. He lost touch with who he really was. And the man who lured Tara to that isolated spot was a stranger as much from himself as he was from everyone else...but Tara provoked him somehow - and the terrified child inside him lashed out, and reached for a knife.” NO sorry you are incorrect, do not blame the actual victim, do not give the villain victimhood/misunderstood status, when one's psychopathy, psychosis, or “childhood trauma” has a body count I am allowed to suspend my empathy; the fundamental social contract has been broken.

Mariana, similar to Theo, is incompetent as both a therapist and a detective.
I was very disappointed and unimpressed with Mariana; I felt that she was a very weak, passive character. I dislike the way Michaelides writes women also between the two books there's at least three sex scenes that take place outside, and I think two of them don't make sense, who wants to have 'aggressive, animalistic sex' on top of stone? but maybe I'm just a prude
I hadn't realized that she wasn't showing the police the post cards, Mariana WAS obstructing justice/an ongoing investigation, ugh she's awful
The twist, although disgusting, was not what I was expecting, but followed the usual motives for murder: sex/love and/or money However I find it VERY difficult to believe that Mariana didn't recognize her dead husband's handwriting. I guess that's maybe why he wasn't too psyched to have a kid with her? Also, I had hoped Fred was going to be the twist, but then again I also kind of rooted for Mariana's death

While this was a very fast read, I'd be hard pressed to recommend it to anyone. You have subplot after subplot that have nothing to do with the main plot. You'd think like most mysteries maybe they're there to misdirect, but you'd think wrong. 

The ending is completely shoehorned in and one of the most contrived I can recall in recent memory. The novel is essentially nothing more than the serial killer you didn't see coming and only leaves you asking ‘why' to so many things.

The characters also suffer from the same type of shoehorning. The main character is a group therapist, but yet there are no boundaries you'd associate with therapy or even interactions that would remind  you of therapy. Instead there is a massive amount of projection and inappropriate behavior from the main character that one would not expect from a professional. I understand an author is not necessarily an expert in the fields their characters are employed in, but there should be enough knowledge so the reader doesn't have to completely suspend disbelief. And given the huge role psychology plays in the book, you just expect something more then what felt like the depth of an intro to psychology clause. 

None of the other characters are much better mind you so suffice to say I found it disappointing on nearly every level.

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 have mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed it–the setting, the story, the characters–but I occasionally felt there were bum notes, things that didn't ring true or feel authentic. And I sometimes felt the main character needed a smack. It somewhat damaged my enjoyment of the book, but not completely, and I would have given it a rave but for those moments where the facade slipped. I cautiously recommend it to those who are good at suspending disbelief. It should be 3.5 stars.

The Maidens was a fun read--mystery and intrigue intertwined with ivy-covered historic places and rich literary references. This author loves reading and it shows.

The juicy red herrings were plentiful, but half of the final reveal was heavy-handed and off putting. There's no guessing the full reveal because the motives didn't even happen within the current storyline.

This book could have been so much better had the reveal not come from the other side of the world.

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.