#mariana andros

[readingforsanity]

The Maidens | Alex Michaelides | Published 2021

Edward Fosca is a murderer. Of this Mariana is certain. But Fosca is untouchable. And 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 Persphone, 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.

Mariana Andros has been floating through life for the past 14 months, ever since the unexpected death of her beloved husband, Sebastian. They went away for a vacation to the island of Naxos in Mariana's native Greece, only for him to end up in the ocean on a particularly stormy day, his body washing to shore three days later.

Now, Mariana, a group therapist, is preparing to head to Cambridge University, to where her niece, Zoe, attends, and where she and Sebastian had met two decades before. Zoe frantically called her to explain that her closest friend, Tara, was possibly found dead, and that she needed Mariana to come for her.

Upon arrival, Tara's death is confirmed. She had been found with multiple stab wounds. Zoe is devastated and Mariana is there to comfort her. She also inputs herself into the official investigation. The main suspect? An American professor by the name of Edward Fosca. He is a Greek tragedy professor, and is incredibly good looking. He also has a "secret society" of students, of which he has aptly dubbed The Maidens.

The Maidens are comprised of good looking female students, who come from wealthy or well-to-do families, including that of an American senator. Mariana's suspicions of him only grow deeper the more she talks to him. She brings these suspicions to the Inspectors investigating the murder.

Tara's death isn't the only one putting a damper on the college. It is closely followed by two more of the Maidens, and this only further pushes Mariana to suspecting Fosca as the perpetrator. In her mind, it is solidified after a private discussion with Fosca, where Mariana discovers an underlined entry of a Greek tragedy that had been found at the scene.

Preparing herself to go to the police, Zoe comes forward with information: she had been invited to take part of the Maidens and she had agreed. But, they ended up drugging her, Fosca fondling her, but after he was distracted by Tara, she was able to get away and she hasn't returned to another Maidens "meeting" since. But, she knows where Fosca may have hidden the murder weapon: a knife, hidden in the walls of the folly where her meeting had occurred.

Mariana and Zoe set off, by boat, as it is the easiest way to get there. But, upon arrival, Mariana knows the truth. The person behind the murders was Zoe, and she had been put up to this by her own husband, Sebastian. Prior to leaving Zoe's room, she had found a love letter written to her by an anonymous person, and Zoe confesses that Sebastian had written it.

It seems, since the age of 15, the two of them had been lovers, and that Sebastian had only married Mariana for her money, and to remain close to Zoe, whom Mariana had considered to be like a daughter to them. They had been discovered by Mariana's father, and Sebastian had murdered him to cover up their sordid love affair, and realized then that Mariana was an incredibly wealthy woman.

He had concocted this entire murder spree, using Zoe as his scapegoat. And now she feels a certain type of way about Mariana because she had forced him to go to Naxos, where he ultimately died. The two of them fight, ending in Zoe being stabbed and a man, named Fred, who had been harboring a crush on Mariana since a chance meeting on the train.

Eventually, Mariana returns to London, where she learns that despite Fosca's innocence in the murders, he had been fired for sleeping with the Maidens. Zoe had survived the attack and was taken to a psychiatric facility, where she had reverted to a young child. Mariana eventually agrees to meet with her, of which we are unable to see what happens.

[ebooklibrary]

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

Genre: Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Mythology

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.

EPUB link

[projetosnopapel]

Homens Galantes, Mulheres Conturbadas

O livro As Musas do autor Alex Michaelides, nascido no Chipre, país de lingua grega, conta em 350 páginas a história de Mariana Andros, uma terapeuta de grupo, que atende na sua própria casa em um lugar isolado,  e é assombrada por suas tragédias pessoais do passado. Sua sobrinha estuda no centro de Londres e uma das amigas é encontrada morta a facadas no campus. Ela encontra sua sobrinha que já…

[ariansyahabo]

Mari Bicara tentang The Maidens

Judul Buku     : The Maidens (Para Perawan)

Penulis           : Alex Michaelides

Tebal              : 376 Halaman

Terbit             : Juli 2023

Penerbit         : Gramedia Pustaka Utama

“Seandainya aku lahir pada zaman Yunani Kuno, pasti banyak sekali gelagat dan isyarat buruk yang meramalkan bencana saat kelahiranku. Gerhana matahari, komet yang melintas, dan tanda-tanda datangnya malapetaka—“

Setelah menyelesaikannya, saya merasa harus menuliskan ulasan panjang untuk buku ini karena sepanjang membaca, banyak hal-hal yang ingin saya bahas yang akan terlalu panjang untuk di-tweet di Twitter.

Mariana Andros kehilangan suaminya yang meninggal secara tiba-tiba. Di tengah upaya berdamai dengan kehilangan, Mariana yang merupakan seorang psikoterapis membina sebuah terapi kelompok. Sampai kemudian sebuah telepon dari keponakannya, Zoe membuatnya pergi mengunjungi Universitas Cambridge.

Zoe yang berkuliah di Universitas Cambridge menelepon Mariana karena membutuhkan kehadirannya di sana. Telah terjadi kasus pembunuhan dan korbannya merupakan sahabat dekat Zoe, Tara. Usut punya usut Tara adalah satu satu anggota Para Perawan, kelompok istimewa yang dipimpin oleh profesor kelas Greek Tragedy, Edward Fosca.

Mariana yang pada awalnya hanya bermaksud mengunjungi Zoe karena khawatir mulai terlibat dalam kasus pembunuhan tersebut. Yang tak Mariana sadari, keputusannya mengunjungi Cambridge akan membuat kehidupannya tak lagi sama.

Sebenarnya jauh sebelum baca terjemahannya ini, saya pernah mencoba baca versi asli tapi saya gagal menyelesaikannya karena referensi Mitologi Yunani-nya terlalu berat untuk kemampuan Bahasa Inggris saya yang nggak seberapa,  tapi saya sempat minta spoilerin Mbak Vina (partner saya dalam hal baca bareng buku-buku sakit), dan agak lupa-lupa ingat dengan twist-nya.

Berbeda dengan The Silent Patient yang mudah sekali untuk dinikmati, di awal-awal saya merasa sedikit kesulitan untuk connect ke cerita di buku ini. Untungnya bab-bab di buku ini pendek-pendek jadi seiring dengan mengikuti perjalanan Mariana saya mulai enjoy apalagi tempo ceritanya bisa dibilang cepat.

Meski sudah tahu twist di akhir, saya sama sekali tidak merasa kebosanan saat penulsinya berusaha “mengecoh” rasa curiga saya sebagai pembaca. Malah saya sempat meragukan apakah ingatan saya benar tentang siapa pembunuh sebenarnya. Karena bahkan di hampir ending pun saya belum merasakan build-up yang membuat saya yakin akan ingatan saya. Sayangnya karena saya tidak terlalu merasakan petunjuk yang mengarahkan pembaca ke pelaku sebenarnya bahkan di menjelang akhir, saya jadi kurang bisa merasakan “wow factor” terhadap twist-nya yang gila seperti yang saya rasakan ketika membaca The Silent Patient.

Selain itu, ada detail yang kecil sekali tapi sedikit mengganggu di awal, di bagian Prolog saya menemukan typo pada nama “Mariana” jadi “Marianne”. Tapi setelah itu, saya hampir tidak lagi menemukan typo, seingat saya hanya ada satu atau dua. Karena terlalu larut dengan ceritanya, hal tersebut sudah tidak saya perhatikan lagi.

Tapi di balik sedikit kekurangannya, The Maidens menurut saya layak dibaca bagi pengemar novel thriller.  Selain akan menemukan kisah seru dan mengejutkan, penulisnya juga menyuguhkan referensi-referensi tentang Mitologi Yunani dan sedikit di bidang psikologi.

Omong-omong, bagi yang sudah baca The Silent Patient, kalian akan menemukan cameo dari karakter di buku tersebut di The Maidens lho :))

Overall, saya cukup puas dengan pengalaman yang diberikan The Maidens, setelah sekian lama nggak baca buku terjemahan thriller dari GPU.

[milolov3nutella]

Cod Cold War bell ocs doodles 

Hui just there looking at the bells. I also drew Marie, Dimitri and Kaoru for @hazard-15 and @shinmiyovvi , and cuz I’m bored.

[kingixsstuff]

Mermay redesigns

Mermay redesigned part two

The royal family of mariana andros the under water portion of the kingdom of tides.

King Neptune is the twin brother to king Theodore (Aisha’s dad).

King Neptune is the king of the seven seas,he’s known for being a nice but strong king.he has slain multiple enemies treating his kingdom and family. He’s actually not seen much as he is the one who’s handling business (like repairing and building) for the kingdom

Queen legia. A powerful magic user she’s known as a mer-fairy (like aisha) a mermaid who uses fairy magic,with her coral gem she is the (mer)fairy of currents she is the one who the kingdom normally sees as she is very active in the community.

Princess tressa, the princess she’s the youngest child and the kindest but she looks up to her fathers strength and aspires to be like him.she trains almost every day trying to live up to his legendary strength

Prince nereus & tritannus, the two twin princes of the kingdom it’s actually very common to have twins and when this kingdom do it’s tradition for the monarch to publicly pick which one gets the throne, from a young age both Nereus and tritannus both knew that tritannus wouldn’t get picked.

So he went and secretly learned magic,and became a mer sorcerer,the sorcerer of toxins.

And Nereus continued as a normal merman learning how to fight just like his father.

Secretly trutannus plotted and planed how to get the thrown that he felt belonged to him .

Hope you like it guys happy mermay 💕

[rockislandadultreads]

Book Recommendations: More Gothic Fiction

Mrs. March by Virginia Feito

George March’s latest novel is a smash. No one could be prouder than his dutiful wife, Mrs. March, who revels in his accolades. A careful creature of routine and decorum, she lives a precariously controlled existence on the Upper East Side until one morning, when the shopkeeper of her favorite patisserie suggests that her husband’s latest protagonist - a detestable character named Johanna - is based on Mrs. March herself. Clutching her ostrich leather pocketbook and mint-colored gloves, she flees the shop. What could have merited this humiliation?

That one casual remark robs Mrs. March of the belief that she knew everything about her husband - and herself - thus sending her on an increasingly paranoid journey that begins within the pages of a book. While snooping in George’s office, Mrs. March finds a newspaper clipping about a missing woman. Did George have anything to do with her disappearance? He’s been going on a lot of “hunting trips” up north with his editor lately, leaving Mrs. March all alone at night with her tormented thoughts, and the cockroaches that have suddenly started to appear, and strange breathing noises... 

As she begins to decode her husband’s secrets, her deafening anxiety and fierce determination threaten everyone in her wake - including her stoic housekeeper, Martha, and her unobtrusive son, Jonathan, whom she loves so profoundly, when she remembers to love him at all.

The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon

When social worker Jax receives nine missed calls from her older sister, Lexie, she assumes that it’s just another one of her sister’s episodes. Manic and increasingly out of touch with reality, Lexie has pushed Jax away for over a year. But the next day, Lexie is dead: drowned in the pool at their grandmother’s estate. When Jax arrives at the house to go through her sister’s things, she learns that Lexie was researching the history of their family and the property. And as she dives deeper into the research herself, she discovers that the land holds a far darker past than she could have ever imagined. In 1929, thirty-seven-year-old newlywed Ethel Monroe hopes desperately for a baby. In an effort to distract her, her husband whisks her away on a trip to Vermont, where a natural spring is showcased by the newest and most modern hotel in the Northeast. Once there, Ethel learns that the water is rumored to grant wishes, never suspecting that the spring takes in equal measure to what it gives.

Wild and Wicked Things by Francesca May

On Crow Island, people whisper, real magic lurks just below the surface. Neither real magic nor faux magic interests Annie Mason. Not after it stole her future. She’s only on the island to settle her late father’s estate and, hopefully, reconnect with her long-absent best friend, Beatrice, who fled their dreary lives for a more glamorous one. Yet Crow Island is brimming with temptation, and the biggest one may be her enigmatic new neighbor. Mysterious and alluring, Emmeline Delacroix is a figure shadowed by rumors of witchcraft. And when Annie witnesses a confrontation between Bea and Emmeline at one of the island's extravagant parties, she is drawn into a glittering, haunted world. A world where the boundaries of wickedness are tested, and the cost of illicit magic might be death.

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides 

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.

[justforbooks]

Gripping Dark Academia Books

Some of the best mysteries and thrillers out there are set on a school campus. Categorized as “dark academia,” these books are moody and mysterious narratives that usually take place within the confines of an esteemed university or boarding school. Think: darkened libraries, cloak-and-dagger campus societies, looming Gothic towers, and college quads buzzing with intrigue. Ready to schedule your own campus visit? So are we. Here are the best dark academia books that will keep you reading until closing time at the research library.

The Plot

By Jean Hanff Korelitz

Academic deception plays a central role in Jean Hanff Korelitz’s latest novel. The Plot centers on Jacob Finch Bonner, a middling professor who teaches at a subpar M.F.A. program. Once a promising young writer, Jacob now struggles to generate a page of decent prose. So when he learns that an arrogant student named Evan Parker has passed away without publishing his stellar novel-in-progress, Jacob decides to steal Evan’s plot and claim it as his own. Years later, the now-famous Jacob must reckon with his misdeeds after an anonymous individual makes it clear that they know what happened. Who else knows about his terrible secret — and what’s the true story behind the stolen plot?

The Maidens

By Alex Michaelides

The Maidens is the highly anticipated new novel from Alex Michaelides, author of the bestselling thriller The Silent Patient. Set at Cambridge University, it traces one woman’s obsession with a magnetic professor and the murder she believes he committed. Greek tragedy professor Edward Fosca is adored by all, including the Maidens, a secret society of female students. When one of the women in the Maidens is murdered, group therapist Mariana Andros is convinced Fosca is to blame. Andros’s suspicions soon consume her, leading her down a dangerous path that may cost the therapist her life.

The Secret History

By Donna Tartt

Donna Tartt’s The Secret History has been called the “foundational text” of dark academia books. First published in 1992, the novel centers on Richard Papen, a student at an elite college in New England who falls in with an enigmatic campus clique. The members of the clique follow in the shadow of a charming but morally corrupt Classics professor, and it isn’t long before Richard finds himself ensnared in the clique’s treacherous secrets.

Ninth House

By Leigh Bardugo

Written by New York Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo, Ninth House combines magic and murder with the privileged air of an Ivy League school. The book takes place at Yale University, where protagonist Galaxy “Alex” Stern must figure out why she — the lone survivor of an unsolved murder spree — was given a full-ride scholarship by anonymous benefactors. What’s more, Alex’s scholarship comes with a catch: She must monitor the school’s secret societies and their warped, sinister practices.

The Truants

By Kate Weinberg

The New York Times Book Review listed Kate Weinberg’s The Truants as one of the top crime books of 2020, and we have to agree. The suspenseful novel focuses on Jess Walker, who meets a group of misfits after she enrolls in a seminar taught by the magnetic Dr. Lorna Clay. Though things start off fine, friendships and romances soon turn sour, tragedy occurs, and dark secrets are exposed in this entrancing whodunnit.

They Never Learn

By Layne Fargo

Layne Fargo’s They Never Learn is a deliciously sinister story about Scarlett Clark, a popular Gorman University professor who also happens to be a serial killer. Each school year, Scarlett identifies the worst man on campus and methodically plans his demise. But when investigators appear in response to the growing body count, Professor Clark must do everything she can to keep her blood-soaked secret hidden. Meanwhile, student Carly Schiller is hellbent on revenge after her roommate is sexually assaulted at a party. It isn’t long before their paths converge. But will the ongoing investigation into the murders complicate the two women’s quest for revenge on campus rapists?

Black Chalk

By Christopher Yates

Black Chalk received rave reviews when it came out in 2015, and author Christopher Yates has since gone on to publish the equally thrilling Grist Mill Road. In Black Chalk, Yates focuses on six friends who, as freshmen at Oxford University, engaged in an escalating game of forfeits and dares. Their sinister escapades took a tragic turn — but it wasn’t the end of the game. Fourteen years later, the remaining members must meet in New York City for one final round of truth-or-dare terror.

The Ancient Nine

By Ian Smith

This bestselling thriller by Ian Smith is set at Harvard University, circa 1988. Two students — humble Spenser Collins and privileged Dalton Winthrop — become friends after joining the Delphic Club, one of Harvard’s most famous all-male cliques. The club’s secrets are protected by the Ancient Nine, a group of all-powerful, anonymous alums. But when Spenser and Dalton uncover a 1927 disappearance connected to the clique, they soon find themselves in the crosshairs of the formidable inner circle.

The Scholar

By Dervla McTiernan

Dervla McTiernan’s The Scholar is an atmospheric crime novel set in the intensely competitive world of academia. Early one morning, Dr. Emma Sweeney finds the victim of a hit-and-run near Galway University in Ireland. Sweeney calls her boyfriend, Detective Cormac Reilly, to report the grisly discovery. The victim is none other than Caroline Darcy, heir to a pharmaceutical giant that holds tremendous sway over Ireland, Galway University, and even Dr. Sweeney’s own research. As the investigation intensifies, Cormac’s methods come under scrutiny. He soon begins doubting himself and those around him. Who was Caroline Darcy, and who really is Emma Sweeney?

The Black Hour

By Lori Rader-Day

This enthralling thriller makes its way onto our list because of both its college setting and its mysterious plot. In Lori Rader-Day’s The Black Hour, Chicago professor Amelia Emmet is shot in a seemingly random attack by a student she’s never met. The attacker then proceeds to shoot himself. Emmet survives the harrowing ordeal. When she returns to campus, however, she crosses paths with a graduate student who wants to study her attack as a research project. Together, Emmet, an expert on the sociology of violence, and her assistant search for answers about what really happened that fateful day.

If We Were Villains

By M.L. Rio

If We Were Villains is about friendship, rivalry, and obsession. The bulk of the story is set at Dellecher Classical Conservatory in Ohio. Ten years ago, Oliver Marks was one of seven Shakespearean actors attending the elite school, but a heinous crime in Oliver’s fourth year led to his being jailed. Upon Oliver’s release, Detective Colborne is ready to hear the whole story. What exactly happened in this cutthroat thespian realm that led to real-world tragedy?

Ace of Spades

By Faridah Abike Iyimide

Most of the books on this list are for adults but I wanted to include this YA book because it is one of the only dark academia novels that addresses the issue of institutional racism in an academic setting. Ace of Spades is set at an elite high school with a predominantly white student body. Anonymous text messages disclosing the secrets of the school's two Black students begin circulating. Although Chiamaka and Devon have little in common -- she's rich and he's a scholarship student -- they decide to team up and find out who is responsible.

Bunny

By Mona Awad

Although I prefer my dark academia to be free of supernatural elements, Bunny isn't and I loved it. Samantha is a scholarship student in an MFA writing program at Warren University in New England. She is both fascinated and repelled by a group of women in her writing seminar. The Bunnies are a clique of syrupy sweet women who do everything together. Samantha hates them but when they invite her to one of their "Smut Salon" parties, she goes. Deeply weird things happen and, before long, Samantha becomes one of them.

Ghosts of Harvard

By Francesca Serritella

Cadence Archer's brilliant brother died by suicide after developing paranoid schizophrenia during his freshman year at Harvard University. Cady wants to learn everything she can about the end of his life, so armed with Eric's cryptic notebook, she enrolls at Harvard to retrace his steps. While investigating, Cady begins hearing voices. Does she share her brother's illness?

The Orchard

By David Hopen

Seventeen-year-old Ari Eden has lived in a strict Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn all his life. When his father loses his job, the family relocates to a wealthy Miami suburb where Ari is an outsider both economically and culturally at his modern Orthodox school. Ari is befriended by the school's golden boy and is invited into a world of excess, indulgence and perhaps even danger.

Plain Bad Heroines

By Emily Danforth

This very long (620 pages) book was nominated for several literary awards in 2020, including the Locus Award for Best Horror Novel and the Shirley Jackson Award.

In 1902, two students at Brookhants School for Girls become obsessed with the author of a controversial memoir and create a club called the Plain Bad Heroines Society in her honour. The girls die after being swarmed by wasps in a freak accident. After three more deaths, the school is closed. The legend of the cursed school has grown and now in the present day, the abandoned property is opened to a Hollywood film crew and famous actors making a movie about the history of the school. Then strange things begin happening again. Could the school really be haunted?

Trust Exercise

By Susan Choi

A charismatic acting teacher has an indelible impact on the lives of David and Sarah, students at an exclusive and competitive performing arts high school. Winner of the 2019 National Book Award for Fiction.

The Historian

By  Elizabeth Kostova

You don’t get much more dark academia than Elizabeth Kostova’s The Historian. In this literary horror novel, one young researcher dives into the mystery of Vlad the Impaler — a mystery that her family has been trying to unravel for generations, with disastrous results.

The Library of the Unwritten

By A.J. Hackwith

All stories want to be told. Those that aren’t languish in Hell’s Library of the Unwritten... but sometimes their characters come out to make mischief. When one story’s Hero goes rogue and disappears, it’s up to hellish librarian Claire, muse Brevity, and the demon Leto to hunt him down before he ruins everything for his unsuspecting author.

Real Life

By Brandon Taylor

Queer, Black, and from the South, PhD candidate Wallace sticks out like a sore thumb at his majority-white Midwestern university. Even so, he’s managed to build something of a rapport with the school’s gay community — but an altercation with a white student may put his entire academic future in jeopardy.

We Wish You Luck

By Caroline Zancan

Hannah, Leslie, and Jimmy are three of the most popular graduate students in their MFA program, and everyone wants to become close to them. But when a young visiting professor and bestselling author sabotages one of them, they hatch a thrilling revenge plot that will launch them into notoriety.

Vita Nostra

By Sergey and Marina Dyachenko

Sasha has just been chosen to attend the Institue of Special Technologies, a punching and demanding school in a tiny village where the students are expected to meet impossible expectations, and if they fall short, their families on the outside suffer. As cruel as this education might be, Sasha finds herself undergoing a transformation that pushes the boundaries of what she believes possible.

Wilder Girls

By Rory Power

Hetty was living at Raxter School for Girls with a strange pandemic hits the world. Cut off from the rest of the world, Hetty and her classmates live for eighteen months in their school, watching as their teachers die one by one before the students fall sick. The girls must survive as best they can within the walls of their school, but when Hetty's friend goes missing, she ventures out to find her--and discover the truth.

Confessions

By Kanae Minato

Yuko Moriguchi is a middle school teacher and a single mother to a four-year-old daughter. One day, her daughter is killed and Yuko is devastated...but she bides her time and at the end of the school year she tenders her resignation and delivers one last lecture to her students, revealing a revenge plot that will shock the school.

The��Tenth Girl

By Sara Faring

Mavi is fleeing from political persecution in Buenos Aires, so she secures a job as a teacher at Vaccaro School, on the tip of South America in Patagonia. Legend has it that the land the school was built on is cursed, and strange occurrences begin plaguing Mavi as soon as she arrives. And when one of her students goes missing, Mavi must confront the dark forces at Vaccaro School.

The Emperor of Ocean Park

By Stephen L. Carter

Set against the backdrop of an Ivy League law school, this novel is about Talcott Garland, a law professor whose father is found dead. As a disgraced judge and Supreme Court nominee, there are plenty of people who might want his father dead. Talcott begins investigating, following a series of puzzling clues his father left behind.

Magic for Liars

By Sarah Gailey

Ivy Gamble is a PI who has just been hired to look into a mysterious death at a school for magic. She's thrilled to receive her first high-profile job, but it's complicated by the fact that her twin sister Tabitha is a teacher at this school. The sister have been estranged thanks to Ivy's resentment that Tabitha is gifted with magic, while Ivy was not. Ivy hopes this case may be a chance for them to reconnect--but the deeper she gets into the case, the less likely that seems.

Catherine House

By Elizabeth Thomas

Ines is offered a place at Catherine House, an exclusive private university where tuition, room, and board are all paid for, but in exchange students must sever all contact with the outside world. Ines is running from her past, and thinks Catherine House is the perfect escape, but when tragedy strikes, she is challenged to confront what it truly means to belong at Catherine House.

These Violent Delights

By Micah Nemerever

These Violent Delights has been called The Secret History meets Call Me By Your Name.

Beginning in 1970s Pittsburgh, These Violent Delights follows the relationship of Paul and Julian. Paul is grieving, sensitive, artistic, and a mystery to his own family. Julian is at once arrestingly charming and violently cruel in a rich boy kind of way. The friendship between Paul and Julian grows into an unhealthy kind of love. They are obsessed with one another, but their relationship is toxic and dangerous. They are bad for one another but impossibly bound, and that is bad news for anyone who stumbles into their path.

A Deadly Education

By Naomi Novik

Naomi Novik has made a popular name for herself by using the fairy tale formula to create fantastical tales that are at once subversive and nostalgic. With A Deadly Education, Novik turns her talents to the genre of dark academia books. Set at a magical school called Scholomance (also the series title), A Deadly Education blends the Harry Potter formula with the deadly, gothic themes present in dark academia. Monsters lurk in the halls of Scholomance. Death is real and ever-present. Graduation is predicated on survival and, seemingly, little else. Our protagonist is El, a young girl with incredible strength. She lacks allies but she, alone, has enough power to survive the trials and tortures that Scholomance promises each and every one of its students. Blending YA fantasy, gothic fiction, and the Harry Potter mythology, this is one of the most popular modern dark academia books on the shelves.

Vicious

By V.E. Schwab

V.E. Schwab is one of the most popular and beloved authors of fantasy fiction in the world right now (The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a particular favourite of mine). Schwab explores the world of urban fantasy and magic realism with deftness and imagination. In Vicious — the first books of the Villains series — she takes us to a college at which two boys, Victor and Eli, are roommates. Soon enough, after discovering a potential formula for superhuman powers, things turn… Vicious as they go from friends to… Villains.

Vicious has a story and tone inspired by both superhero comics and Shelley’s Frankenstein (possibly why one character is named Victor). It’s a story both thematically dense and campy, like any good gothic novel or superhero comic should be. In the present, Victor has escaped prison and is on the hunt for Eli. In the past, Victor and Eli are young geniuses sharing their college experience as friends. We move between these periods as their feats and actions become clear, as do their consequences. Ambitions, betrayal, hubris, jealousy — these dark emotions are at the thematic forefront of this brooding, scheming story.

A tale of dark academia, gothic behaviour, and comic book tropes. Edgy, imaginative, and heaps of fun.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com

[fabby-book-blog]

The Maidens (2021)

Author: Alex Michaelides

Enter: the MCU— the Michaelides Cinematic Universe

So this has a minor connection to Michaelides’ previous book, The Silent Patient, but you can totally get away with reading this without it.

Mariana Andros, a therapist who has experienced a lot of pain in her life, gets a call from her niece Zoe about the murder of her friend on her college campus. When she goes to visit her, Mariana becomes aware of a group of girls called The Maidens who seem to be led by professor Edward Fosca and progressively becomes convinced that he’s the murderer. What follows is Mariana’s self imposed investigation of the crime and takes her through many twists and turns.

I think The Silent Patient was better paced, but The Maidens was a pretty interesting read nonetheless. As with the previous, I was able to guess who the real killer was, but as also with the previous, the way he reveals the twist is what makes it exciting!

Overall: 4/5

[readerbookclub]

July's Book List - Myth

Hello everyone! It's time for another book list. This month's list is full of books connected to Greek Mythology, based on a suggestion by Rey! It took me ages to do this one, but I got there eventually.

As always, there’s a link to vote for which of these books we should read at the end of the post :)

Circe by Madeline Miller

In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child - not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power - the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves. Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus. But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love.

Lore, by Alexandra Bracken

Every seven years, the Agon begins. As punishment for a past rebellion, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals, hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines, all eager to kill a god and seize their divine power and immortality. Long ago, Lore Perseous fled that brutal world in the wake of her family's sadistic murder by a rival line, turning her back on the hunt's promises of eternal glory. For years she's pushed away any thought of revenge against the man--now a god--responsible for their deaths. Yet as the next hunt dawns over New York City, two participants seek out her help: Castor, a childhood friend of Lore believed long dead, and a gravely wounded Athena, among the last of the original gods. The goddess offers an alliance against their mutual enemy and, at last, a way for Lore to leave the Agon behind forever. But Lore's decision to bind her fate to Athena's and rejoin the hunt will come at a deadly cost--and still may not be enough to stop the rise of a new god with the power to bring humanity to its knees.

The Maidens, by Alex Michaelides

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.

The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break, by Steven Sherrill

Five thousand years out of the Labyrinth, the Minotaur finds himself in the American South, living in a trailer park and working as a line cook at a steakhouse. No longer a devourer of human flesh, the Minotaur is a socially inept, lonely creature with very human needs. But over a two-week period, as his life dissolves into chaos, this broken and alienated immortal awakens to the possibility for happiness and to the capacity for love.

The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller

Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. By all rights their paths should never cross, but Achilles takes the shamed prince as his friend, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine their bond blossoms into something deeper - despite the displeasure of Achilles' mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess. But then word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus journeys with Achilles to Troy, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear. Profoundly moving and breathtakingly original, this rendering of the epic Trojan War is a dazzling feat of the imagination, a devastating love story, and an almighty battle between gods and kings, peace and glory, immortal fame and the human heart.

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[piccolascintilla]

Tak jak obiecałam wracam do Was z pełną recenzją dzisiejszej premiery : thrilleru "Boginie" pióra Alexa Michaelidesa. . Opinie na temat poprzedniej książki autora były bardzo skrajne. Wiele osób zachwyciła ale równie dużej ilości nie przypadła do gustu i z tego co zdążyłam zauważyć bardzo podobnie jest z "Boginiami". . Jeśli chodzi o "Pacjentkę" czyli poprzednią powieść @alex.michaelides byłam w grupie osób które się nią zachwycały tutaj niestety... Mam mieszane uczucia i właśnie stwierdzenie "mieszane uczucia" najlepiej określa moje wrażenia w wielu aspektach po lekturze tego thrillera. . Akcja pierwszej połowy "Bogiń" toczy się bardzo wolno. Jeśli lubicie kiedy w czytanej przez was książce już od pierwszych stron dużo się dzieje to tutaj tego zdecydowanie nie znajdziecie. Ja jestem fanką akcji która rozwija się powoli i nieco sennych początków powieści a i tak pierwsze kilkadziesiąt stron wlokło się dla mnie niesamowicie i musiałam ratować się kubkiem dyniowej kawy aby trochę się pobudzić. Na szczęście - jeśli uda Wam się nie zniechęcić - później jest zdecydowanie lepiej! . Główna bohaterka to terapeutka grupowa Mariana Andros która postanawia rozwikłać zagadkę tajemniczych zabójstw studentek do których dochodzi na uczelni na której ona sama kiedyś studiowała. I to chyba właśnie główna bohaterka wzbudza we mnie najbardziej mieszane uczucia. Bo Mariana niesamowicie działała mi na nerwy a jej nielogiczne zachowania i ciągłe narzekanie sprawiały, że pukałam się w głowę. Ale wtedy przypominałam sobie, że cierpiała ona po śmierci swojego ukochanego i na swój sposób przeżywała po nim żałobę. A wtedy jej działania nie wydają się już takie głupie bo każdy może przeżywać stratę najbliższej osoby na swój własny sposób i nie mnie to oceniać - szczególnie, że sama w takiej sytuacji nigdy na szczęście nie byłam. . Zabrakło mi tutaj też nieco mrocznego i takiego ponurego tajemniczego nastroju a za to trochę za dużo było retrospekcji i urwanych wątków. No i gdzieś kulała mi ta książka warsztatowo ale to może być wina tłumaczenia dlatego najbardziej lubię czytać książki w oryginale. Szczególnie razi imię bohaterki praktycznie w każdym zdaniu... . (Ciąg dalszy w komentarzu) (at Kedzierzyn-Kozle) https://www.instagram.com/p/CUaxEhuMhVn/?utm_medium=tumblr

[idealpages]

Review: The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

Review: The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

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…

[flyicarus]

The Maidens - REVIEW

★★★★★

Note: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Mariana Andros is a group psychotherapist in London, reeling after the death of her beloved husband, Sebastian. As Mariana is grieving, her niece Zoe unexpectedly calls her from university in Cambridge, and requests that Mariana turn on the news: a young woman has been murdered, and Zoe fears that it’s her friend Tara. Mariana goes at once to Cambridge to be there for Zoe, and while there she becomes aware of a secret society known as The Maidens: a group of beautiful, gifted students…under the influence of the charismatic Professor Edward Fosca. Mariana becomes convinced that Fosca is the murderer, and when more young girls die, Mariana will stop at nothing to get to the truth, even as it puts her own life at risk.

The Maidens was so, so good y’all. There’s so much to enjoy - the tense atmosphere, the idyllic British university setting, the murder mystery, the characters and how fascinating they all are - even the minor ones, the dual threads of antiquity and psychotherapy that weave through the novel, the fact that this is one of those mystery/thriller where you truly suspect everyone (and I mean everyone!)… I can’t say enough good things about this book.

Michaelides crafts an incredibly tense mystery with enough red herrings and false leads that the reader is thoroughly engrossed. I know I was - The Maidens is utterly captivating, and explores the darkest reaches of academia, love, desire, death and rebirth, obsession, and the self. The threads of antiquity throughout the book give it a timeless quality, showing that humans have struggled with the same since the time of Euripedes and Aristotle. Truly fascinating stuff that will give any reader much to think on long after the book has been finished.

Finally, two things as an aside: 1) I was someone who deeply imprinted on The Secret History by Donna Tartt, and The Maidens is a very delightful echo and steeped with dark academia and antiquity. 2) Readers who loved The Silent Patient will love this one, if not just for Michaelides being amazing, then for the fact that The Maidens takes place in the same universe and we even see some characters returning.

The Maidens will be released on June 15, 2021.

[bookmama]

If you had the opportunity to join a secret society…would you?

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Thank you to @celadonbooks @macmillan.audio and @librofm for the gifted ARC and ALC. The Maidens was everything I wanted from a dark academia thriller. This was a slow burn read towards a great twisty ending. The audiobook narration of this was amazing, I loved having both male and female narrators telling this story.

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Synopsis from the publisher: 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.

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While I thought I had this one figured out , I was still very surprised by the ending. This is definitely one of those stories where the lines between the “good” characters and the “bad” are blurred. While this story is full of villains, only one is the murderer.

[crazygirlsworldofbooks]

Review: The Maidens

“...it doesn’t take much to save a childhood.”

Book: The Maidens

Author: Alex Michaelides

My Rating: ✯✯✯✯ (4 Stars)

Read: June 28, 2021

Synopsis: 

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.

My Review:

And Michaelides does it again! I read his debut novel, The Silent Patient at the beginning of this year and it blew me completely away, especially the big reveal at the end. The Maidens I ,of course, had to pick up as soon as it came in the mail because I was so excited and had preordered it months ago. Although it didn’t blow me away as much as The Silent Patient did, I really loved the majority of it and it was a very thrilling ride with impeccable pacing and a very beautiful atmosphere which comes across unforgettably in the writing style. I definitely will be recommending this book and Michaelides is definitely an auto buy author for me, without any hint of hesitation.

To begin with, The Maidens is following a group therapist, Mariana, who is dealing with the loss of her beloved husband, as she is brought into the world of Cambridge University by her niece Zoe, who’s best friend and roommate has been brutally murdered. Determined to get to the bottom of who the killer is, she suspects strongly it is the charismatic Greek Tragedy professor who is kind of like a celebrity on campus and she sets out to prove this. The plot was great and I have no complaints at all, especially because the pacing of this novel was impeccable and I loved all the twists and turns coming every which way. This is the first novel in a while, where I literally trusted NO ONE and was suspicious of everyone! It was definitely a roller coast of emotions and it didn’t let up until the very last page. The only thing I didn’t really like was the big reveal at the end and the ending itself felt a little rushed and I wish there was more of it but besides that this book was perfection.

Secondly, the characterization in this novel was amazing. I was a psych major in college so all the psychological stuff was mind-blowing to me and I especially loved the main character, Mariana, because she was so flawed and yet so intricate and good at the core. I have come to the conclusion that I actually prefer a reliable narrator as opposed to an unreliable one but I can definitely enjoy both as long as they are done well. I loved seeing into her psyche and also getting a look into the killer’s psyche, in the form of journal entries. We really got to dive deep into the characters and I got a really good sense of why they are the way that they are and a complete backstory, which I absolutely love in thrillers.

Finally, the writing style is probably my favorite thing about Michaelides’ books. It is so simple and to the point and yet everything is phrased so beautifully and the atmosphere comes across without lengthy paragraphs and run-on sentences. A lot of times I find the atmosphere setup to be tedious but in this instance I enjoyed every second of it, being able to be immersed fully in this beautiful setting and all its surroundings. What a breath of fresh air!

In conclusion, this was another home run for Michaelides, even though it’s not as good as The Silent Patient in my opinion. If you’re looking for a fun, fast-paced and engrossing thriller, this is definitely for you and you should pick it up! It was also a relatively quick read and an easy book to get through, which is exactly what I needed at this time.

[thebooksareeverywhere]

Stacking the Shelves #46

Stacking the Shelves #46 #bookhaul #books

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga where we share books we’ve bought or received this week. Find out more and join in here! Hi all! I received a couple of books this week all from the publishers. I can’t wait to read all of these! Goodreads | Waterstones St Christopher’s College, Cambridge, is a closed world to most.For Mariana Andros – a group therapist struggling through…