The Maidens by Alex Michaelides: A Book Recommendation

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

The Maidens follows Mariana Andros, a grieving psychologist who lost her husband while on a trip to Greece, who has been tasked by her niece to help solve her college roommate’s murder.  

Mariana returns to the very college that she attended in her youth to see what she can find out in order to quell her niece’s worry. What she discovers is a clandestine society of girls called “The Maidens”, a Greek tragedy professor who raises plenty of red flags, and perhaps a new boyfriend.

I absolutely DEVOURED this book. The various little things that I found irritating about the main character’s personality and behavior were actually important tidbits that came into play in the book’s second half, and the twist at the end was *chef’s kiss* — so good!

Once you kill another human being there is no going back… it’s a bit like being reborn, I suppose. But no ordinary birth—it’s a metamorphosis. What emerges from the ashes is not a phoenix, but an uglier creature: deformed, incapable of flight, a predator using its claws to cut and rip.

Alex Michaelides, The Maidens

If you’re giving The Maidens as a gift, here are a few things to consider:

The vibes are mysterious, dark, tense, and melancholy with a fast pace.

The Maidens is ideal for those who are into an atmospheric and suspenseful narrative delving into the intricacies of obsession, power dynamics, and the hazy boundary between myth and reality.

Permission to judge a book by its cover!

This book belongs in a moody library with brick and ivy. And if you’re one of the many who own the Grecian Bust Pot from Anthropologie then you’re well on your way to a dark academia aesthetic.

Look at these gorgeous photos from @agalsgottaread and @vladasbooks.

*The Maidens fulfilled my POPSUGAR Reading Challenge prompt for a book that features two languages.