Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

258 reviews

waytoomanybooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I enjoyed the first 75% of this novel. I like the references to Greek mythology, but it never really added anything to the plot. I like that the plot gestures towards dark academia; that was my initial draw to it. But again, it never went passed “old college = spooky.”

I enjoyed the mystery until the stupid twist in the final 25% of the novel. It feels like the author decided a twist was needed, but it really wasn’t. It would’ve made more sense if the killer had been one of the three actual suspects, or perhaps a less fleshed-out secondary character. It made me go, “Well that was stupid.” And soured me on the preceeding 75% of the novel.

This novel is what I’d call “just okay.”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Classism

rachelhelmer's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Blood, and Stalking

mxcoyote's review against another edition

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

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Content Warnings

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

e_mclou's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Gaslighting

katy_bee's review against another edition

mysterious 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? It's complicated

1.75

In its favour this was a quick read, and I kept going to see what the solution to the mystery was. 

But overall I didn't enjoy it. It felt like a loosely strung together series of dramatic events without much coherence or logic. The driver was to keep the reader guessing with misdirection and possibilities but nothing felt very satisfying and it came off as silly. I didn't connect to the main character of Mariana who's choices seemed quite random and yet each one led her to exactly the right place and time to find the next plot point, and be misled by it.  It might have worked as a farce but this seems to have been trying to be some kind of psychological thriller.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Death, Drug use, Sexual content, Stalking, and Death of parent

aaannina's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Grief

Minor: Stalking, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent

lindsaybethlyons's review against another edition

mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Infertility, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment

Minor: Pedophilia and Suicide

hue'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

1.0

Well, that was sort of . . . crap.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Violence, Stalking, and Murder

niceonehros's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.25

The ending felt rushed and a bit more contrived than I would like. Still a compelling read, but as plot twists go, this one didn't blow my mind.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol

beans_and_books0509's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, and Stalking