As a huge fan of Alex Michaelides, I had "The Maidens" marked as one of my most anticipated reads of the year. 

Having absolutely loved "The Silent Patient" | was excited to see how Michaelides would follow up his breakout hit. While there's a lot to appreciate here, I have to admit, I was left feeling a bit underwhelmed. 

Let's start with the positives: the atmosphere is fantastic. 

Michaelides does an incredible job of creating a dark, academic world. The blending of Greek mythology and the eerie "Maidens" cult had a lot of potential, and the mystery kept me intrigued for most of the book. The pacing was also strong, with short, sharp chapters that made it easy to keep turning the pages. 

That said, the plot just didn't come together as well as l'd hoped. The twists, which I loved so much in "The Silent Patient", felt more forced here. I was not able to guess this twist, but there was a still a missing shock factor. Mariana, the protagonist, was a bit hard to connect with, and some of her decisions didn't always feel natural or believable. 

As much as I wanted to love this book, it didn't quite hit the mark the way I hoped it would. That being said, it's still a solid psychological thriller with a gripping premise. If you're a fan of Michaelides, it's definitely worth a read, but it might not live up to the expectations set by "The Silent Patient".