sarahkate333's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Veryyyyy slow until it's not. The last 50 pages are crazy but it's a slow road to that. I almost dnf but im glad I did. I do like that it is connected to his other book. Not sure I'd read it again though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking, Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Self harm, and Blood
blackferrum's review
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Actual rating: 3,8
Setelah berpikir ulang, kayaknya aku mau kasih buku ini rating 3,8. Indikatornya pakai perbandingan dengan buku sebelumnya. Twist di The Silent Patient memang sempat bikin greget, tapi muatan cheating-nya juga nggak kalah bikin greget. Lalu, apa di buku ini bersih dari unsur cheat? Nggak juga.
"Plot yang sempurna, dengan demikian harus memiliki isu tunggal, dan bukan (seperti kata sebagian orang) isu ganda; perubahan nasib sang pahlawan tidak boleh dari menderita menjadi bahagia, tetapi sebaliknya dari bahagia menjadi menderita; dan penyebabnya tidak boleh karena perbuatan jahat apa pun, tetapi karena kesalahan besar di pihaknya." --Aristoteles, Poetics
Kutipan di atas kurang lebih menjelaskan alur buku ini secara garis besar. Seperti yang sudah tertera pada blurb, Mariana terpaksa harus mengunjungi kembali Universitas Cambridge, meskipun harus menelan ingatan masa lalu dengan mantan suaminya, Sebastian. Zoe, keponakannya, mendadak menjadi gusar dan cemas karena salah satu teman dekatnya mendadak menjadi korban pembunuhan sadis.
Sejak awal, kukira fokus buku ini ada di Zoe, ternyata penulis memakai pov dari Mariana. Dimulai dengan kehidupannya sebagai seorang psikoterapis spesialis terapi kelompok, lalu mulai menyeret ke kehidupan pribadinya; mengenai Sebastian, Zoe, dan masa kecilnya. Jika dipikir lagi, Mariana punya masa kecil yang agak berbeda dengan karakter Theo Faber di buku The Silent Patient, tetapi motif yang hampir sama menggeluti bidang kesehatan mental.
Pelaku yang berada dalam jarak pandang Mariana memang nggak bisa dibantah. Meskipun punya alibi, si terduga pelaku ini pintar berkelit. Bahkan dengan lihai memakai kelemahan Mariana soal masa lalunya, Sebstian terutama, buat memutar balik topik. Semakin intens ketika korban kedua muncul dan salah satu rahasia terungkap. Hmm, semacam bonus kurasa karena pada akhirnya juga nggak berpengaruh pada posisi Mariana, hanya menjelaskan soal kecurigaan salah satu anggota Para Perawan yang gerak-geriknya bikin resah.
Pembaca diajak jalan santai lebih dulu sampai rasanya agak jenuh. Cara penulis menggambarkan detail dan deskripsi sesuatu nggak perlu diragukan lagi, sampai kadang aku mulai ragu apa semuanya akan menyokong alur dan moment of truth nantinya? Jawabannya ya dan tidak. Cara bercerita jalan santai di awal, lari di belakang seperti ini mungkin nggak asing lagi dengan genre thriller karena The Maidens juga memiliki pola serupa.
Aku suka baca psychological-thriller yang muatan cheating-nya rendah atau bahkan nggak ada. Di sini bukannya nggak ada, hanya disebut sepintas lalu, tapi nggak sampai bikin gerah karena terlalu banyak. Dari awal pikiranku fokus mencari siapa pelakunya, tapi karena semua orang mencurigakan, dugaan-dugaan itu berhenti sendiri dan memutuskan untuk menikmati alur cerita sampai akhir. Twist-nya bikin kaget plus kesal (dengan si pelaku).
Terjemahannya baru di bagian ketiga mengalir karena banyak dialog dan terfokus ke kasus. Ada beberapa bagian yang kadang harus dibaca dua kali baru dipahami, tapi bagiku ini mungkin karena bahasa aslinya sendiri sudah sulit (?). Serta beberapa typo yang agak mengganggu. Semoga di cetakan sebelumnya bisa diperbaiki.
Hmm, masih banyak yang belum terjelaskan, termasuk kematian Sebastian. Memang sudah disinggung sepintas lalu, tapi karena grief Mariana berhubungan dengan ending, kayaknya kebenaran perlu dikaji ulang. Duh, apa penulis bakal kasih sekuel buku ini? Karena aku berharap bisa mendapat penjelasan dari beberapa bagian yang belum tercerahkan.
Setelah berpikir ulang, kayaknya aku mau kasih buku ini rating 3,8. Indikatornya pakai perbandingan dengan buku sebelumnya. Twist di The Silent Patient memang sempat bikin greget, tapi muatan cheating-nya juga nggak kalah bikin greget. Lalu, apa di buku ini bersih dari unsur cheat? Nggak juga.
"Plot yang sempurna, dengan demikian harus memiliki isu tunggal, dan bukan (seperti kata sebagian orang) isu ganda; perubahan nasib sang pahlawan tidak boleh dari menderita menjadi bahagia, tetapi sebaliknya dari bahagia menjadi menderita; dan penyebabnya tidak boleh karena perbuatan jahat apa pun, tetapi karena kesalahan besar di pihaknya." --Aristoteles, Poetics
Kutipan di atas kurang lebih menjelaskan alur buku ini secara garis besar. Seperti yang sudah tertera pada blurb, Mariana terpaksa harus mengunjungi kembali Universitas Cambridge, meskipun harus menelan ingatan masa lalu dengan mantan suaminya, Sebastian. Zoe, keponakannya, mendadak menjadi gusar dan cemas karena salah satu teman dekatnya mendadak menjadi korban pembunuhan sadis.
Sejak awal, kukira fokus buku ini ada di Zoe, ternyata penulis memakai pov dari Mariana. Dimulai dengan kehidupannya sebagai seorang psikoterapis spesialis terapi kelompok, lalu mulai menyeret ke kehidupan pribadinya; mengenai Sebastian, Zoe, dan masa kecilnya. Jika dipikir lagi, Mariana punya masa kecil yang agak berbeda dengan karakter Theo Faber di buku The Silent Patient, tetapi motif yang hampir sama menggeluti bidang kesehatan mental.
Pelaku yang berada dalam jarak pandang Mariana memang nggak bisa dibantah. Meskipun punya alibi, si terduga pelaku ini pintar berkelit. Bahkan dengan lihai memakai kelemahan Mariana soal masa lalunya, Sebstian terutama, buat memutar balik topik. Semakin intens ketika korban kedua muncul dan salah satu rahasia terungkap. Hmm, semacam bonus kurasa karena pada akhirnya juga nggak berpengaruh pada posisi Mariana, hanya menjelaskan soal kecurigaan salah satu anggota Para Perawan yang gerak-geriknya bikin resah.
Pembaca diajak jalan santai lebih dulu sampai rasanya agak jenuh. Cara penulis menggambarkan detail dan deskripsi sesuatu nggak perlu diragukan lagi, sampai kadang aku mulai ragu apa semuanya akan menyokong alur dan moment of truth nantinya? Jawabannya ya dan tidak. Cara bercerita jalan santai di awal, lari di belakang seperti ini mungkin nggak asing lagi dengan genre thriller karena The Maidens juga memiliki pola serupa.
Aku suka baca psychological-thriller yang muatan cheating-nya rendah atau bahkan nggak ada. Di sini bukannya nggak ada, hanya disebut sepintas lalu, tapi nggak sampai bikin gerah karena terlalu banyak. Dari awal pikiranku fokus mencari siapa pelakunya, tapi karena semua orang mencurigakan, dugaan-dugaan itu berhenti sendiri dan memutuskan untuk menikmati alur cerita sampai akhir. Twist-nya bikin kaget plus kesal (dengan si pelaku).
Terjemahannya baru di bagian ketiga mengalir karena banyak dialog dan terfokus ke kasus. Ada beberapa bagian yang kadang harus dibaca dua kali baru dipahami, tapi bagiku ini mungkin karena bahasa aslinya sendiri sudah sulit (?). Serta beberapa typo yang agak mengganggu. Semoga di cetakan sebelumnya bisa diperbaiki.
Hmm, masih banyak yang belum terjelaskan, termasuk kematian Sebastian. Memang sudah disinggung sepintas lalu, tapi karena grief Mariana berhubungan dengan ending, kayaknya kebenaran perlu dikaji ulang. Duh, apa penulis bakal kasih sekuel buku ini? Karena aku berharap bisa mendapat penjelasan dari beberapa bagian yang belum tercerahkan.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Infidelity
daybreakreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
5.0
I finished this book in a day and a half. It was impossible to put down. I haven’t read his other book — I find it interesting that most of the negative reviews simply say that this one isn’t as good as The Silent Patient (makes me wonder how great that one is if I loved this one so much) — but I’m happy I read this one first because there’s a subtle connection between the two.
I actually suspected the right person early on (ultimately for the wrong reason), but mostly dismissed it because of a very powerful red herring (even though I at one point suspected the red herring as being such). I would say the true ending would be very difficult if not impossible to guess the first time through; I almost want to re-read it again now that I know how it ends.
The audiobook was fascinating to listen to; they used a different voice actor for the alternate perspective.
I actually suspected the right person early on (ultimately for the wrong reason), but mostly dismissed it because of a very powerful red herring (even though I at one point suspected the red herring as being such). I would say the true ending would be very difficult if not impossible to guess the first time through; I almost want to re-read it again now that I know how it ends.
The audiobook was fascinating to listen to; they used a different voice actor for the alternate perspective.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Blood, Murder, and Death
Minor: Infertility, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual violence, Animal death, Infidelity, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Forced institutionalization
miggyfool's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Murder, Abandonment, Body horror, Forced institutionalization, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Torture, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Death, Incest, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Mental illness
gondorgirl's review
challenging
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Grief
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, and Child abuse
imogensbooks's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5 stars
I really enjoyed the atmosphere and liked the writing! I was flying through it each time I picked it up, but unfortunately the ending wasn’t very strong to me.
But still enjoyable and very readable :)
I really enjoyed the atmosphere and liked the writing! I was flying through it each time I picked it up, but unfortunately the ending wasn’t very strong to me.
But still enjoyable and very readable :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Stalking, Adult/minor relationship, and Infidelity
Minor: Alcohol, Death of parent, Drug use, and Pedophilia
kccool12255's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
That ending has me SHOOK. Literally what the heck. I LOVE these mysteries, they're so thought-provoking and well thought-out. I'm giving a 4.75 because I just feel like I should've paced my reading time better, it's not because of any faults with the actual book, although there were some things.
There are MULTIPLE adult-minor relationships in this book that make me feel icky (Fred and Mariana I don't count because that's a 7-year age gap, but they're both adults), and there's just a lot of sex this time around that I feel like was unnecessary. The Maidens is basically just a big orgy with Edward Fosca, one of the other professors is sleeping with one of The Maidens too, and Zoe and Sebastian had a relationship going while he was married to Mariana, and it's just...a lot. I haven't even mentioned the fact that one, Zoe and Sebastian have a 16-YEAR AGE GAP, and two, HE IS HER UNCLE BY MARRIAGE. It's fornication, infidelity, adultery, incest, adult-minor relationship, it's all the things. They also DON'T EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT HE'S HER UNCLE. I just...feel SO bad for Mariana.
BUT THEO FABER IS IN THIS BOOK. HE IS IN THIS BOOK. AND MARIANA TELLS HIM TO APPLY FOR THE JOB AT THE GROVE. AND SHE SEES ALICIA BERENSON, THE SILENT PATIENT HERSELF, IN THE END. AND ZOE AND MARIANA ARE NEVER MENTIONED IN THE SILENT PATIENT, SO SOMEONE DIES. Sorry that was in all-caps, but I didn't think these books were even in the same universe, and THEY ARE, AND I LOVE IT SO MUCH.
In conclusion, wow. Just wow. Alex Michaelides writes some messed-up stuff. (also, are you okay, dude? I'm not even that concerned about all the murder and sex and stuff, but your characters have some MESSED-UP families. Did you have daddy and mommy issues? Because your MCs do. Just some food for thought.) A lot of messed-up things, but I love them. These books have FANTASTIC plot twists, and I want to do something like that in my own characters, especially with the MCs meeting each other. Just incredible.
There are MULTIPLE adult-minor relationships in this book that make me feel icky (Fred and Mariana I don't count because that's a 7-year age gap, but they're both adults), and there's just a lot of sex this time around that I feel like was unnecessary. The Maidens is basically just a big orgy with Edward Fosca, one of the other professors is sleeping with one of The Maidens too, and Zoe and Sebastian had a relationship going while he was married to Mariana, and it's just...a lot. I haven't even mentioned the fact that one, Zoe and Sebastian have a 16-YEAR AGE GAP, and two, HE IS HER UNCLE BY MARRIAGE. It's fornication, infidelity, adultery, incest, adult-minor relationship, it's all the things. They also DON'T EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT HE'S HER UNCLE. I just...feel SO bad for Mariana.
BUT THEO FABER IS IN THIS BOOK. HE IS IN THIS BOOK.
Spoiler
AND THIS IS A PREQUEL, BUT THIS IS AFTER HE KILLED GABRIEL AND IS ABOUT TO MEET ALICIA AGAIN. AND WE KNOW HE'S A KILLER, AND MARIANA DOESN'T, AND THAT...IS CRAZY.In conclusion, wow. Just wow. Alex Michaelides writes some messed-up stuff. (also, are you okay, dude? I'm not even that concerned about all the murder and sex and stuff, but your characters have some MESSED-UP families. Did you have daddy and mommy issues? Because your MCs do. Just some food for thought.) A lot of messed-up things, but I love them. These books have FANTASTIC plot twists, and I want to do something like that in my own characters, especially with the MCs meeting each other. Just incredible.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Cursing, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, Incest, Grief, Infidelity, and Murder
Minor: Gore, Alcohol, Stalking, and Suicide attempt
mushymargo's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
So predictable, slow, depressing
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Murder, Pedophilia, Self harm, Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Infertility, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief
ashleyvaleria's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
i read a few bad reviews before picking up this book and that usually affects my judgement but i for one very much enjoyed this book. very hard to put down and i couldn’t stop reading. i love the greek tragedy aspect of this authors writing which is what drew me to his other book The Silent Patient which i loved as well. i liked the little cameo with Theo, was a little shocked cause i didn’t know they were interconnected so it caught me off guard. ending is reminiscent to me of a Scream film. i guessed the killer but the backstory and motive was a complete shock to me. i don’t care if the ending was abrupt and kind of out of nowhere cause my jaw was dropped and i was entertained and that’s all i need from a book at this point. only criticism is that many characters were introduced for no reason. the story could’ve done without their introduction and plot lines, kind of pointless to the story. but ending tied it all together for me and i loved it. his writing is great. would definitely read another one of his books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Car accident, Death of parent, Grief, Animal cruelty, Infidelity, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Drug use, Gore, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Pedophilia, and Violence
literaryinluv's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-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
2.5
it was really okay. i appreciated the literary references and the allusions to greek mythology, but it just felt so forced sometimes? the way the author tried to force tennyson and the myths in SO MUCH. to, like the littlest detail. and mariana was so flat and sticking her head in a crime scene, which is not realistic at all. and fred???
0.2 seconds after meeting her: "marry me"
the red herrings were just so... forced. like,
everything felt forced, and like the author was booping my nose and saying, "catch that? let me explain!"
despite all this, i enjoyed the pacing and the ending, as well as the. i probably won't read it again, tho.
0.2 seconds after meeting her: "marry me"
the red herrings were just so... forced. like,
Spoiler
oh fred has a picture with a dog, and the letter mentions "premonition," which he claims to have, it must be him!!! but like nobody thinks that, he's just some guy.everything felt forced, and like the author was booping my nose and saying, "catch that? let me explain!"
despite all this, i enjoyed the pacing and the ending, as well as the
Spoiler
actual culprit
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Cursing, Physical abuse, Stalking, Adult/minor relationship, and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent, Incest, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcohol, Abandonment, Rape, Sexual assault, Car accident, and Infertility