TWO GIRLS AND FRIENDS BOOKCLUB: THE MAIDENS BY ALEX MICHAELIDES

 September's read-along was The Maidens by Alex Michaelides. We will start off by giving you a brief summary of the book before getting on with our thoughts...

SUMMARY:

Edward Fosca is a murderer. Of this Mariana is certain. But Fosca is untouchable. A handsome and charismatic Greek Tragedy professor at Cambridge University, Fosca is adored by staff and students alike—particularly by the members of a secret society of female students known as The Maidens. 

Mariana Andros is a brilliant but troubled group therapist who becomes fixated on The Maidens when one member, a friend of Mariana’s niece Zoe, is found murdered in Cambridge. 

Mariana, who was once herself a student at the university, quickly suspects that behind the idyllic beauty of the spires and turrets, and beneath the ancient traditions, lies something sinister. And she becomes convinced that, despite his alibi, Edward Fosca is guilty of the murder. But why would the professor target one of his students? And why does he keep returning to the rites of Persephone, the maiden, and her journey to the underworld?

When another body is found, Mariana’s obsession with proving Fosca’s guilt spirals out of control, threatening to destroy her credibility as well as her closest relationships. But Mariana is determined to stop this killer, even if it costs her everything—including her own life.

What did I think of this one? Hmmmmmm

I definitely overhyped this one. I had read Alex Michaelides's first book The Silent Patient. It was a hit for me so I was super excited to hear that he was writing a second book automatically adding it to my TBR. The good thing about it was Tee had read this before me and so she kind of warned me it was a slow burn, and that it may not be quite the twisty thriller that I thought, but the silent patient wasn’t a super twisty thriller and I don’t remember it being quite as slow.

I’m not really into slow-burners, I kind of like tons of twists and plot turns and something to keep the book moving really fast. I’m one that If I put the book down because it’s kind of going slow it will be a very long time before I pick it back up.

He definitely put in what felt like a lot of extra side characters to throw you off of who the murderer is but in my opinion it got a little muddled with all these people. I kind of forgot who some of them were. This definitely was a slow burn in my opinion also. I just felt like it took a really long time to build the story and tell you all this information when I don’t even think you needed half of it. This book didn’t fall completely flat for me that ending really did do it justice, it was a great twist, one I definitely did not predict. I just hate that it took so long to get to it.  

~TEE'S THOUGHTS~

Unlike a lot of people, I haven't read Michaelides's previous book The Silent Patient. At this point I think it has given me an advantage, as I see so many people comparing The Maidens, to it, thus giving this book a negative review because it is so different. From what I have read of the Silent Patient they are two totally different types of books. I don't mind change with an author or a musician, I think it shows growth, or that they are greater than the words or sound that they have previously shown to the public. So with that being said...

Michaelides did weave a fantastic story and plot in The Maidens, but like most dark academia stories, they tend to be more of a slower burn. The events of this story were unfolded at a slower pace than what most thrillers give the reader. I like this about Dark Academia books, it gives me time to really think about what the author is trying to tell us.  I loved the academia and how the author expertly wove the story of Persephone into the book, again giving us bits of it over time, Greek mythology is a favorite subject of mine, I grew up with it. My father was a huge fan and would tell me stories from it when I was little. So I love it when it is sprinkled into a story.

I will say that none of the characters in this book really stood out to me. I neither really liked them or hated them. They were just there playing their role. I did not understand Mariana at all. Why she would leave her life and go off to Cambridge to solve a murder. Does she often solve murders? No, she is a therapist. At most she has experience watching crime TV like I do and I certainly would not go hopping off thinking I could solve one. Honestly, she spent the entire book making some really bad choices.

I felt at one point or the other that all the characters in the book were guilty LOL, I guess the author did a good job of throwing me off track. It was very late into the book when I actually hit on the murderer, and I wasn't sure even at that point. But since I thought every one of them was guilty at some point, will that count at solving it? LOL

The story was also just told from Mariana's point of view, I think I would have enjoyed at least one more POV to give the story a bit more depth. It is always nice to hear another side of the events as they unfold. Luckily Michaelides did have the forethought to not give everyone a voice, it could have gotten confusing with all the characters in the book.

So was The Maidens the perfect story for me? No. Rarely do I find a perfect book. I do find a lot of books that are really good, and that is where I will file this one. It kept me entertained, it gave me the perfect feel of Dark Academia, the thing that most attracted me to it in the first place, so for me, it was pretty much a win.

** BEGINNING OCTOBER 1ST WE WILL BE READING GRADY HENDRIX'S RECENTLY RELEASED BOOK THE FINAL GIRL SUPPORT GOOD. IF YOU HAVE NEVER READ HENDRIX, HE IS A HORROR WRITER WITH AN ODD IMAGINATION, MAKING HIS BOOKS QUIRKY AS WELL AS INTERESTING. WANT TO READ WITH US? LET ONE OF US KNOW **