Book Reviews

Book Review: The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

With plot twists beyond belief, this review for The Maidens is sure to thrill any mystery book lovers who like when their head spins because of a book. And boy will your head be spinning by the end. 

Book Information

Mariana just lost her husband less than a year ago. As a group therapist, she knows how to comfort other people, but knows nothing about comforting herself. When her niece, Zoe, calls to tell Mariana that Zoe’s best friend has been stabbed to death, Mariana goes immediately to Zoe’s side. Together, they work to find the killer. However, as Zoe and Mariana get deeper and deeper in the mystery of why a group of Edward Fosca’s special students—the Maidens—are getting murdered at an alarming rate, they realize that the murders may be a little more personal than they seem.

Review | Heidi Dischler

This isn’t the first book I’ve read by Alex Michaelides. I didn’t really realize until there was a cameo from The Silent Patient. It was one of the best books that I had read in 2020, and I really loved how both books had some kind of connection. As for the story, I absolutely loved the way the characters were developed and how they grew. The plot was interesting the whole time and I often found myself guessing as to how the mystery would end. One of the things that I really enjoyed was the chapters from the antagonist’s perspective. I thought it was really interesting to see that point of view and how things started.

The ending was completely unpredictable, so if you want to be shocked, or ff you are a fan of murder mysteries, or even Greek mythology (which this book has A LOT of), you’ll enjoy this novel!

Spoilers ahead.

So, that plot twist, huh? I was kind of upset with the way things panned out only if because Mariana’s love for Sebastien felt so pure and beautiful. I literally had my mouth hanging open and was like what the heck. The idea that he had groomed Zoe to love him at such a young age really disturbed me because I initially liked the dude. Granted, you never really knew much about him except for how Mariana felt about him, which I guess is why I liked him so much.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and finished it in less than two days. It was full of plot twists, fun and realistic characters, and it kept me engaged the entire time. If you’ve read The Silent Patient, you’ll definitely enjoy this book by the same author.

Source: Audiobook from Public Library on Overdrive

“Ruth always said that forgiveness could not be coerced—it was experienced spontaneously, as an act of grace, appearing only when a person was ready.”

–Alex Michaelides, The Maidens