A review by bellezey
The Maidens, by Alex Michaelides
2.0
there are so many things that are wrong with this book it's giving me a headache to even try to comprehend or explain how wrong they were/ or how wrong this book handled all of its themes and topics,
the book's disrespectful handling of psychology, mental health, pedophilia, rape, and grooming all in the sake of shock effect is such a turnoff,
the story is never flushed out, all the characters felt one dimensional serving a purpose, we never got deep into anyone's psyche
and I hated the mysterious man's chapters so badly,
all the men in this book are creeps and Mariana is definitely written as seen through the male gaze, never giving her complex characteristics beyond the role of being a mother or a lover or a beautiful woman, even with all her deep therapy/Greek tragedy talk shit,
and Zoe felt like a means to an end, a way for us to get wrapped in this story, and an excuse for Mariana to be the way that she is,
the plot is predictable, i sorely read this without realizing until later on that it's the same author as the silent patient which is another book of his I disliked so badly.
the book's disrespectful handling of psychology, mental health, pedophilia, rape, and grooming all in the sake of shock effect is such a turnoff,
the story is never flushed out, all the characters felt one dimensional serving a purpose, we never got deep into anyone's psyche
and I hated the mysterious man's chapters so badly,
all the men in this book are creeps and Mariana is definitely written as seen through the male gaze, never giving her complex characteristics beyond the role of being a mother or a lover or a beautiful woman, even with all her deep therapy/Greek tragedy talk shit,
and Zoe felt like a means to an end, a way for us to get wrapped in this story, and an excuse for Mariana to be the way that she is,
the plot is predictable, i sorely read this without realizing until later on that it's the same author as the silent patient which is another book of his I disliked so badly.