Let me start off by saying that ending though!!! I did not see it coming. The Maidens is easily a 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ book! At first I was hesitant about reading The Maidens because I did not enjoy The Silent Patient at all but I am so glad I read it anyways.

I was so excited when I got the audio galley for this book! Not only did I love The Silent Patient, but I love Greek Mythology and The Secret History & this sounded like the two smashed together...and it was! I love Michelaides’ writing style and this follow up to The Silent Patient did not disappoint. I loved going on this twisty ride with the MC in the atmospheric setting of Cambridge, learning about the secret society of The Maidens, and finding out what dark secrets these characters may be hiding. I can’t wait for another book by this author!

I’ve really grown to love this authors writing style! The endings are always a great surprise that you never see coming. Honesty loved everything about this read beside the Greek mythology references but that’s because it’s just not my vibe !

Unfortunately, this was a miss for me.
The pro for me was the main Narrator. I found her voice pleasant and easy to listen to.

The con for me was I found this book forgettable.
I listened to to this with no children or work distractions, and I listened for good chunks of time.
Each time I started playing the audio, I honestly couldn't remember anything that had happened the past hour of listening. I know there is a difference between plot and character driven stories...I found this had neither. By 45% in, (I felt) nothing had happened...so lack of plot driven. I didn't care about any of characters...so lack of character driven.

I DNF this book.

I was expecting The Secret History, but unfortunately this book was hardly about these titular Maidens. It really sucks because I love Greek mythology and the story of Persephone but I could hardly enjoy this.

Therapist and recent widow Mariana’s life couldn’t get any more out of her control, until she receives a call from her niece that her friend has been murdered, and she thinks she knows who did it.

Usually when I go to write a book review, I have a single post-it of mid-read thoughts to consider, instead of just my post-read reaction. I had so many thoughts reading this book that I ran out of post-it space and wrote a full essay instead.

I have never read Michaelides’s first book, The Silent Patient, but the aggressive marketing for his new book (this one) based around its success kept popping up for me, I just said why not, right? I love Greek myth inspired dark academia, let’s go, right?

I knew this book would rub me the wrong way when I realized that much of the murder-mystery plot line in this book is built around the scientific misconception that you can pinpoint time of death to be within minutes (this actually happens more than once in the story and is used to really narrow in on a suspect, at which point, I almost DNFed). From there, the mystery falls to the wayside because the main character, Mariana, spirals into a very Nabokov-esque obsession with trying to find another character guilty.

Usually in a murder-mystery, you can expect there to be a red herring, but you can figure it out from clues and hindsight once you know who really did it. This is absolutely not the case in this book. At all. While this book definitely sets the blinders towards the object of Mariana’s obsession as the red herring, there’s an entire quartet of characters with the exact same backstory elements and unhinged moments who seemingly exist solely as suspiciously flat Maybes. Although the whole book felt riddled with plot holes, the final redirect and reveal is so hastily tacked on at the end, complete with a villain speech, that I was certain I had book-whiplash.

I feel like this book exists very much to be a somewhat forgettable vacation thriller for women in their 30’s, especially considering that there’s an entire plot detour that serves exclusively as an ad break for Michaelides’s first book. Following that bit, I definitely began to notice more and more elements that annoyed me while reading it, including, but not limited to things like an adult woman being able to slip an entire postcard into her jeans pocket. Parts like this make it abundantly clear that it was from the point of view of a woman who was written by a man.

I don’t know if it was the marketing for this book or my own expectations that did me in, but I just did not like this book. I went in expecting a combination of Sharp Objects and The Secret History, and it is that, but mainly the parts that I found most frustrating between the two. It’s very much a book that was written to fulfill a marketing pitch, it does it of course, but it falls prey to it too.

This was an interesting reading experience because I read and listened to the audiobook at the same time. My primary difficulty with this book, as I explained over on the ebook review, is thar I had some trouble connecting with the main character, Mariana, who was rather cold (I think by design). However, I will say that this narrator made her much more engaging in comparison to the text. So the audiobook gets a 3.5 rounded up to 4 for the great narration from me! I’d read another audiobook with this narrator.

This was a great follow up novel to The Silent Patient. Keeping me guessing. Stayed up way too late to finish. Highly recommend

Mariana is a group therapist and when her niece/daughter calls her for whelp when her friend is murdered at Cambridge she runs to be by her aide. There she stays as she tries to solve the murder and the mystery of The Maidens and the professor who seems to command them. Everyone in this story seems to have their own demons and shady past and you don’t really know who is the worst of the lot, until you do! The Ancient Greek references qnd setting at Cambridge contributes to the air of distinguished mystery. For the fans of Silent Patient there are some connections that will make you pleasantly surprised.I am so excited I got to read this!

The minute I heard that Michaelides was publishing another book, I knew I'd be willing to sell my right kidney for a chance to get my hands on an arc. The Silent Patient was one of my most favorite books evah!

Luckily Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley came through for me BIG TIME providing me an ALC, sparing me from having to sell an organ in the black market. Phew...close one!

The Maidens is a dark and atmospheric compulsive read. It's a bit of a slow burn thriller with a cult-like vibe and some greek mythology incorporated. It's a mysterious whodunit, which will keep you guessing.

Did I love it as much as I loved The Silent Patient? No. But, The Maidens is a thoroughly gripping and enjoyable read which kept me engaged and coming back for more.

And yes, I still might be willing to sell an organ for a chance to read anything and everything Michaelides writes. ;-)

A HUGE thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Celadon books for an ALC in exchange for an honest review!

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

Listened to the Audio on the Netgalley App

Pub Date: June 15, 2021

Goodreads rating: 3.9

My rating: 3.75/5

Vibes: Secret History by Donna Tarth, Goodnight Beautiful by Aimee Maloy
Topics: thriller, trauma, greek mythology, grief, self-harm, therapy, abuse, college

Summary:

Mariana Andros is our narrator, a group therapist, a Greek girl who has suffered deeply in more ways than one, and finds solace in the great Tragedies and goddesses.
When she hears of a brutal murder of a girl at the college her niece goes to, and then finds out it was her nieces best friend, she rushes to the campus.
She finds herself wrapped up in the case, determined to discover and prove who the killer is. In the midst of investigating, Mariana also is forced to face her own traumas, and how it may be affecting the way she approaches the case, her career, even her life.

- Because she is a therapist, there is lots of info dumps on psychology and trauma, which is good but becoming overdone in my opinion. I haven’t read Silent Patient, but I would guess that book is similar in this respect?

Greek myths are foundational to the plot, theme, and character development of this novel, but I feel that something was missing from packing the full punch and dazzling drama that mythology contains.

There is a LOT going on in this book, and it was interesting, but busy, and felt like a familiar nightmare for some reason. Maybe if the author did less, I would have been able to think about what was happening a little more.

-I do have to say, I liked the narrator even though she is naive which is something I usual hate lol, and I liked the ending. It was tasteful but just messy enough.

I was super excited to get an early copy of The Maidens. I really enjoyed Michalides last novel, The Silent Patient and was interested to see what story he would tell next. 

The one fell a little flat for me. The first 3/4 of the book was quite slow and spent alot of time talking about Mariana and her struggles. She has lost her husband and is trying to move on but struggling. Another thing that slowed this down was the mythology information. It really went on for too long. There really isn't much that happened until the last quarter of the book- and then it was in hyperdrive- everything unfolding at once. 

I really enjoyed the narration. There is a woman who narrates most of the book but small chapters narrated by a man. I felt like the narration was really well done and set the eerie mood of the story. 

Overall this one was just ok for me. I would recommend if you are into mythology and enjoy murder mysteries.

I love Alex Michaelides writing and was eagerly awaiting his sophomore thriller. I did enjoy the elements of ancient Greece, dark academia, and cultish behavior. My only issue was the predictability of the plot. What I loved about The Silent Patient was how the twist comes in at the end and really punches you. This didn't have the same impact. I still was engaged with the story and found it enjoyable. I would give this a 3.5/5. The audiobook was very well done but I hope one day NetGalley will fix the audio and remove some of the echo.

oooh this one was good! I went in to this not so sure I'd like it. The title and the greek mythology aspect had me worried - as much as I want to, I tend to not like a lot of Greek retellings.

But this is just a great mystery. The puzzle pieces never really fell in to place for me before they did the MC so I spent whole time wrapped up in her own confusion and frustration. The audiobook has a great narrator and her voice changes and clear storytelling really kept me engaged and held my attention. Once I started this, it was hard to stop and I found myself making up reasons to get my earbuds out and keep going. Such a good mystery, great story - I'm so glad I gave this one a try!

<i>A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.</i>

Hear me when I say this: THE MAIDENS is not THE SILENT PATIENT. Repeat this to yourself no fewer than seven times, and then read this book with a clean slate. Alex Michaelides immerses readers into a dark world of academia at Cambridge University. Group therapist Mariana Andros finds herself investigating the murder of a student at her alma mater. Convinced that Greek tragedy professor Edward Fosca is the culprit, Mariana sets out on a mission to bring the truth to light. In the midst of her obsessive search for answers, Mariana is confronted with dark secrets from her own past.

The novel is a slow build that centers around Mariana’s relationship with her late husband as well as her niece Zoe. If you’re looking for thrills at every turn, you’re not going to find that here. Instead, you’ll get an atmospheric campus novel with well-developed characters, solid writing, and a cameo from Theo, the protagonist in THE SILENT PATIENT. While the ending felt a bit rushed and I questioned the motivations of the killer, this didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of the novel.

I highly recommend listening to the audiobook narrated by Louise Brealey. Her accent is music to my ears. The Greek language is woven throughout the novel and I am so thankful I didn’t utterly butcher each word in my mind. Brealey also narrated The Silent Patient, so if you absolutely must compare these novels, hopefully this similarity will suffice.

If you're looking for a true crime book pairing, WE KEEP THE DEAD CLOSE by Becky Cooper and THE MAIDENS would make for a fascinating book flight. While THE MAIDENS is different than what I expected, I still appreciated the book for what it is, not the best-seller that came before it.

A big thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Celadon books for an ALC in exchange for an honest review. Review currently posted to Goodreads. Full review will be posted to https://www.instagram.com/kellyhook.readsbooks/ in advance of pub date.

This was banal -- definitely not up to the hype.


Review copy provided by publisher.



(My style is capsule reviews -- that's why it is short.)

Ummm.... huh? What the heck just happened? I was enjoying (for the most part) a perfectly good audiobook, when suddenly the entire plot switched, the "red herrings" went out the window and a random, completely out of left field, completely nonsensical "twist" popped out and then the book was over.
Lots of things didn't make sense in the story, but I was willing to ignore them (a therapist suddenly becomes a detective and steals evidence - touching it and hiding it from the police; a backstory for one character is suddenly the backstory for a completely different character; a single woman willingly and knowingly walks around alone, late at night, and when she hears or senses someone following her, walks down a dark alley; nearly every character is a suspect). I was even willing to ignore all of the huge set-ups and subsequent dismissal of the plotlines. But, I could not get over the ridiculous amount of inappropriate, and unaddressed relationships (student/professor, student/school employee, therapist/patient; recent widow/random very young stranger on a train - oh wait, he had premonitions, so that made it ok); the plethora of red-herrings; and this huge, out-of-the-blue but this-is-the-excuse ending.
I did like the voice actor, and I did like some of the plot and twists... it was all just too much. I went into the book with no expectations - I hadn't read the author's previous book - so that didn't taint my listening pleasure. It just seems like someone took out a chunk of the story at some point, but not the references to the removed parts.

As far as murder mysteries with a twist go, this fits the Bill. It kept me listening long into the night, the narrator doing a great job at differentiating voices. As with the Silent Patient the resolution is unexpected and inventive. There are even some appearances from that other book showing they are in the same universe. Interesting cross over ideas. I didn’t love how the author left things at the very end. I thought I had closure then they reopened things leaving me hanging. Not sure if it’s supposed to be leading us to another book? I’m not sure how though...

Alex Michaelides does it again!! The Silent Patient (his debut novel) is hands down my favorite thriller I’ve ever read, so once I saw he was releasing a new book this year I knew I would have to read it.

This slow-burn thriller had me on the edge of my seat! I was constantly questioning who was to be trusted, and who the true killer might be. Let me tell you, I was SHOCKED by the twist. I didn’t see it coming. I was wholly and incorrectly convinced it was completely another person. I loved the dark academia setting, the Greek mythology sprinkled throughout, and reading about the cultish secret society in question.

I have seen a ton of mixed reviews about this one, but if you’ve read the Silent Patient give this one a chance!! Just judge it on this book itself and don’t compare it to the other. I deeply appreciated the nod to The Silent Patient in the novel and how the worlds tied together.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it sure did not disappoint! Highly recommend the audiobook for this one!

Thank you to @netgalley, @macmillan.audio, and @celadonbooks for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! ✨

Wow! I just finished this one and I’m still a little off-balance! This was another exciting, mysterious, and mind-bending story by Alex Michaelides. I just kept thinking “This is a good story, but it’s going to have to have a pretty good ending to make it really good! I don’t think the author is going to be able to surprise me enough to push it over the top.” BUT He Did!!! I did not expect the ending at all, even though I was trying to figure it out right up until -- the big reveal!

Mariana Andros is a psychotherapist who has her own private practice and specializes in group therapy. Her husband has recently died in a swimming accident, and she is having trouble letting him go. However, at the college where her niece, Zoe, attends, there is a murder. Mariana goes to be with Zoe and begins to try to solve the mystery of the murder -- and then it becomes “murders.” It was so interesting to see how Mariana thinks, as a psychotherapist, about how a murderer might think, and how different people are acting and reacting to what is happening on the college campus.

Another interesting thing to me was that there is a little bit of overlap of characters from “The Silent Patient.” Not enough that it changes anything if you haven't read the first book, but it just makes it cool for anyone who has read it and knows the characters and what happens to them in the other book!

I enjoyed this one very much and highly recommend it. It will keep you on the edge of your seat for sure!

I'd like to thank NetGalley, Alex Michaelides, Celadon Books, and Macmillan Audio for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my unbiased review.