A review by pikamonster
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

dark sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Spoiler alert but necessary trigger warning: CA involving a child. This book is a classic example of a man trying to make his book more diverse by adding female characters but the female characters are all two dimensional and unrealistic. I suspected the real killer all along but not the circumstances that led them there. Mariana is supposed to be a therapist but she has zero empathy when it comes to other female characters. Yet develops almost an "I can fix him" attitude toward dangerous male characters and places her self in compromising situations constantly. The whole book just felt off.