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A review by overbookedmama
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
3.0
The Maidens follows Mariana Andros, a group therapist (who is dealing with her own past trauma), as she investigates the murder of her niece's friend on the campus of her Alma Mater. I love a good campus novel and was intrigued by the premise of dark academia vibes meets psychological thriller. I had pretty high expectations for the book after seeing lots of rave reviews but after reading it I’m not sure I’d recommend it.
Things I liked:
college campus setting
short chapters
alternating (and unreliable) narrators
references to Greek literature/mythology
Things I disliked:
lack of character development
pacing
For a thriller, this book didn’t keep me engaged. There were many times (especially in the beginning) that I might have put it down and marked it as DNF. It was definitely a case of the description sounding super interesting and then the storytelling itself falling flat. The Maidens had a lot of potential but ultimately there were too many plot holes, unnecessary and undeveloped characters (hello, a million red herrings), and an unconvincing reveal. I wasn’t surprised by the killer, but the motive took me off guard. The last few chapters of the book made the reading worth my time.
Things I liked:
college campus setting
short chapters
alternating (and unreliable) narrators
references to Greek literature/mythology
Things I disliked:
lack of character development
pacing
For a thriller, this book didn’t keep me engaged. There were many times (especially in the beginning) that I might have put it down and marked it as DNF. It was definitely a case of the description sounding super interesting and then the storytelling itself falling flat. The Maidens had a lot of potential but ultimately there were too many plot holes, unnecessary and undeveloped characters (hello, a million red herrings), and an unconvincing reveal. I wasn’t surprised by the killer, but the motive took me off guard. The last few chapters of the book made the reading worth my time.