The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

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?

(c) Trang Tran

This book started with a great premise, it has a very dark academia feel to it which I like. An university setting, reference to Greek tragedies a little bit of murder mystery here and there. However, as I finish the book, it totally felt flat to me. The characters were all one dimensional. It took me all my strenght to trying to like Mariana, the main character and yet everytime she does something, I can’t help but think that she’s just missing depth.

I did not the tone of the the main character either, she was always referirng herself “as a therapist”. We get it, you are a therapist but it is annoying when you are interrupted as a reader for some psych 101 notes. That knows-it-all feeling disrupts the flow of the dialogues and sometimes it feels unrealistic. There’s a part in the story where the guy she was CERTAIN was the killer, invites her on a ONE-ON-ONE dinner and she simply.. accepts? Like as a person, who strongly believes someone can murder people will decide to go on a date, without alerting the authorities? I don’t know..

(c) Trang Tran

Rating : 2.5/5

For those of you who read the book, what do you think about the book?

Review by Trang Tran