By Melissa Barbuzzi
Content warning: Self-harm, adult/minor relationship
The Maidens follows Mariana Andros, a brilliant but troubled group therapist who learns that her niece Zoe's closest friend Tara has been murdered on the campus of Cambridge University. Mariana becomes fixated on the murder and finds herself back at Cambridge (her alma mater), surrounded by questions. Will Mariana find the answers to those questions before it's too late?
This was the first Alex Michaelides book that I've read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I’ve been really into thrillers recently and was recommended The Maidens a couple of times, so I knew I needed to get my hands on it. It’s a twisty and creepy thriller with some Greek mythology mixed in throughout.
I really appreciated Alex Michaelides' writing style throughout the book. It was very immersive and had many layers to it, making the book feel so much deeper than your average thriller—and it had short chapters, which I’m a sucker for! I loved how there was a bit of Greek mythology mixed in, and the fact that the book was based at Cambridge University made everything feel more elegant. It was a slow burn that was still suspenseful with a twist you won't expect!
While I liked this book, my main gripe with it was the number of characters that felt like they were randomly plopped in solely to throw you off track. Multiple characters that were introduced seemed to have a main role, but then just disappeared from the plot a few pages later. I suspected most characters at least once (which is definitely what the author’s goal was), but I felt like there was just way too much going on.
The main character, Mariana, seemed all over the place to me. She definitely had a lot going on in her personal life but being a psychiatrist specializing in group therapy, you would think she would go to therapy herself. The trauma she had been through was apparent, and it seemed like she had not begun working through that trauma yet.
When it eventually got to the main twist, I actually did not expect it, but I think the reason was because it was just so out of left field. I felt like the main twist just didn’t add up with the rest of the book I had just read and all of the characters I had just been introduced to.
Overall, I really enjoyed The Maidens and definitely recommend it to anyone looking for their next thriller. I have seen many people recommend Alex Michaelides’ other book, The Silent Patient, over this one, so I am really looking forward to adding it to my upcoming TBR!