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A review by wai
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
1.0
This book was my June 2021 BOTM pick, and while I hadn't read the author's first novel, I had seen enough praise of it and the synopsis was interesting enough for me to give it a chance. What I didn't realize is that this is one of the many instances in media in which someone who has absolutely no concept of the mental health profession trying to write the character of a therapist/psychologist. Like, this man did zero research. He has not spoken to a single therapist/psychologist, much less anyone with a mental health condition. The level of ableism and professional negligence (at BEST, misconduct at worse) is abhorrent. Here are just the most egregious moments that stood out during my reading:
- Within the first 10 pages, the main character who is a therapist, Mariana, quotes Freud. This is never a good sign, as Freudian theory has been discredited for a good long while now and modern therapists quoting him always rings false.
- Mariana has a client with a substance use disorder who is actively in crisis. It's written that it's "not her place" to advise him to go into rehab for his addiction, which apparently is only for his GP/psychiatrist to say??? Then he reveals that he has cut himself terribly to elicit sympathy from her because he is obsessively in love with her. She then gives him a first aid kit and tells him to leave, because she is not a physical doctor who can stitch up his wounds. Does England not have crisis services, or inpatient facilities????? As a therapist you literally have an obligation to ensure that someone who is clearly in a crisis gets to acute intensive services considering he is obviously showing that he is a harm to himself and others. This is within the first like 40 pages of the novel and shows that Mariana should actually have her license revoked for malpractice/negligence. Not only that, but this character later shows up (as a potential suspect - demonizing mental illness as does the whole book) after stalking Mariana and makes an attempt on his life that makes Mariana feel guilty, as she should for not doing her job during this first incident.
- She just goes around lying to everyone that she's been asked by the dean to help students process the deaths on campus, which is obviously a lie because she just asks the kind of questions you hear in a Law & Order episode which is basically the opposite of what you should be doing to try and help potentially traumatized people.
- The hot youngish American Professor of Greek Mythology has a "secret" study group of female undergrad students who are all gorgeous that he calls "The Maidens" and for some reason none of the other professors, department heads, deans, and anyone else in charge has no idea about this or the fact that he's having sex with all of them.
- The actual murderer is a character with no foreshadowing who ends up committed instead of imprisoned because this was all due to a psychotic episode despite not portraying any symptoms of a psychotic episode prior to the reveal. Plus this only furthers the concept that mentally ill people are violent, just like with the character with substance use disorder. Oh no, someone is exhibiting symptoms that are difficult and upsetting, time to look at them with suspicion and wonder when they are going to start stalking and killing people!!
- The actual murderer is supposed to be a plot twist but there is absolutely no foreshadowing at all and instead comes off as unplanned and sloppy writing. It actually makes very little sense when considering the entire novel as a whole. All other characters introduced to be suspects are left with no resolution or understanding behind their actions. It is an unconvincing and shallow ending that was only disappointing, not shocking.
There is a lot more that I could say but that is the gist of it. The only reason I finished reading it was that it was not very long and written very plainly so I was able to read it very fast...and honestly, I wanted to see just how bad it would get. I only get it 1 full star due to the fact that I did get through it all. But ultimately this is a book written by someone who wants to be way more clever than they actually are and trying very, very hard to pull off something Genius And Complex(TM). It doesn't work and you can feel the desperation of "I'm So Smart You Didn't See That Coming Huh???" in every scene. Of course we don't see it coming if you don't set it up and just make it up as you go. Please stop writing about psychology and maybe write about a topic you know something about next time.
- Within the first 10 pages, the main character who is a therapist, Mariana, quotes Freud. This is never a good sign, as Freudian theory has been discredited for a good long while now and modern therapists quoting him always rings false.
- Mariana has a client with a substance use disorder who is actively in crisis. It's written that it's "not her place" to advise him to go into rehab for his addiction, which apparently is only for his GP/psychiatrist to say??? Then he reveals that he has cut himself terribly to elicit sympathy from her because he is obsessively in love with her. She then gives him a first aid kit and tells him to leave, because she is not a physical doctor who can stitch up his wounds. Does England not have crisis services, or inpatient facilities????? As a therapist you literally have an obligation to ensure that someone who is clearly in a crisis gets to acute intensive services considering he is obviously showing that he is a harm to himself and others. This is within the first like 40 pages of the novel and shows that Mariana should actually have her license revoked for malpractice/negligence. Not only that, but this character later shows up (as a potential suspect - demonizing mental illness as does the whole book) after stalking Mariana and makes an attempt on his life that makes Mariana feel guilty, as she should for not doing her job during this first incident.
- She just goes around lying to everyone that she's been asked by the dean to help students process the deaths on campus, which is obviously a lie because she just asks the kind of questions you hear in a Law & Order episode which is basically the opposite of what you should be doing to try and help potentially traumatized people.
- The hot youngish American Professor of Greek Mythology has a "secret" study group of female undergrad students who are all gorgeous that he calls "The Maidens" and for some reason none of the other professors, department heads, deans, and anyone else in charge has no idea about this or the fact that he's having sex with all of them.
- The actual murderer is a character with no foreshadowing who ends up committed instead of imprisoned because this was all due to a psychotic episode despite not portraying any symptoms of a psychotic episode prior to the reveal. Plus this only furthers the concept that mentally ill people are violent, just like with the character with substance use disorder. Oh no, someone is exhibiting symptoms that are difficult and upsetting, time to look at them with suspicion and wonder when they are going to start stalking and killing people!!
- The actual murderer is supposed to be a plot twist but there is absolutely no foreshadowing at all and instead comes off as unplanned and sloppy writing. It actually makes very little sense when considering the entire novel as a whole. All other characters introduced to be suspects are left with no resolution or understanding behind their actions. It is an unconvincing and shallow ending that was only disappointing, not shocking.
There is a lot more that I could say but that is the gist of it. The only reason I finished reading it was that it was not very long and written very plainly so I was able to read it very fast...and honestly, I wanted to see just how bad it would get. I only get it 1 full star due to the fact that I did get through it all. But ultimately this is a book written by someone who wants to be way more clever than they actually are and trying very, very hard to pull off something Genius And Complex(TM). It doesn't work and you can feel the desperation of "I'm So Smart You Didn't See That Coming Huh???" in every scene. Of course we don't see it coming if you don't set it up and just make it up as you go. Please stop writing about psychology and maybe write about a topic you know something about next time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Stalking, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Infidelity, and Pedophilia