Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

125 reviews

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

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

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

annieree's review against another edition

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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Infidelity, Rape, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Forced institutionalization

mlovesbooks's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I called the identity of the killer! But I did mistake the reason behind the killings.

A good and entertaining read!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship

allidone's review against another edition

fast-paced

4.0

I’m not entirely sure how, but I guessed the whole thing at one point, as kind of a “wouldn’t that be a wild twist”? I knew who the killer was from the 60% mark, but the rest of it? Wild.

I’m not sure if I liked it? If it was good? Right now I’m at a 4 but that might change.

As a therapist, it’s wild that she didn’t see any of what was going on.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Murder, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Minor: Infertility

carolines's review

mysterious fast-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? It's complicated

2.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

filipa_maia's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.0

I'm not a huge fan of 'The Silent Patient' and I found this book even less enjoyable. I definitely don't like Alex Michaelides' writing, I always feel like his books could be movie scripts. That is something that don't work for me.

Overall I liked the plot. The story is well built and the characters are interesting with complex and very dark backgrounds but the ending... my God... Why? I didn't like it one bit. It definitely subverted expectations but was completely unnecessary.

I enjoyed the "crossover" with 'The Silent Patient' though.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Forced institutionalization, and Death of parent

Minor: Incest, Infidelity, Car accident, and Suicide attempt

lalinamarie's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

A thriller that did shock me, just not in the way I was expecting it to. In the same note it disturbed me most when I was not expecting it.

By this I’m referencing finding out Sebastian had groomed Zoe
I’m assuming since he’d met her as a little girl. Made my stomach turn. Though I had a feeling Zoe was in on the murders, I did not expect that.

The one thing I really don’t like about this book is how they try to make psychoanalysis into something so simple. “I can see it in your eyes,” and things like that throughout the book made me roll my eyes as someone who actually works in the mental health field. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Toxic relationship, and Murder

Trigger Warning

grooming

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ericasbookshelves's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

3.0

I liked the book, didn’t like the characters and hated the ending. Which all made for a semi strange reading experience. I’m unsure on if I’ll read another book by the author but I might

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail