Alright...I assume I am in the minority here, but I really did not like this book. I was so looking forward to this and heard so many great things, so when I finally read it I felt let down. I will break things down by pros/cons in a list format because otherwise I dont know how to get all my feelings out as to truly WHY I resented this book.
*minor spoilers just an fyi*
Pros:
-I loved the aspect of the greek mythology and the greek plays wrapped into this story, very cool
-I wanted to know what happened and "who dun it?"
-...yeah that is it for pros from me.
Cons:
Here we go.
Overall I felt this story dipped in to many sexist stereotypes usually only afforded to women main characters. Normally I can handle one or two thrown in there, but this felt like every stereotypical thing to happen to a woman/ traits of a woman to have thrown at me. That, along with so many cliche stereotypes just killed this book for me. Lets break this down.
Trope 1: "Daddy issues" the main character has issues with her father that stem from childhood that lead to insecurities she has at an older age
Trope 2: ~ I dont feel this is a spoiler~ but the "every person I know and love is dead" trope ie: parents, husband, sister and brother in law
Trope 3: doesn't know she is beautiful but every male character sure seems to think so
Trope 4: Again on the male characters, the more prominent male characters ALL hit on her or tried to force themselves on to her
Trope 5: when she starts to piece together what she thinks is going on/who she thinks the murderer is, all the male characters are condescending/dont take her seriously/ one even suggests she goes to see a psychiatrist. See "crazy, unstable woman trope".
Trope 6: "every guy is a creep" trope. Not only did I feel the women in this book were slighted, but the male characters as well. Every man was a threat basically in this book and I hated it. See points above.
Trope 7: Okay this isn't a trope but more of a "WTF why did no one say anything???" but you're really going to tell me that the younger, male charismatic professor who had a group of young women that everyone knew he held "private lessons" with wasn't questioned before the MC got there?? like?? NO ONE bat an eye?? No one was like "wow maybe this is super weird that these young, impressionable women are wrapped around this mans finger and that isn't weird and most likely an abuse of power???" No one? HELLO this is a huge red flag for grooming and not a single person at that university did anything.
Trope 8: (possible trigger warning) in regards to the murders, Mariana the MC made it seem like the murderer was just "responding to being provoked" as if the women were at fault for their own murders. As if they are responsible for the behaviors of men and were at fault for being brutally killed.
Trope 9: Marina's husband Sebastion (again, another misogynistic trope here) is the perfect husband and how could he have ever wanted a miserable person like her? *note heavy sarcasm here*
Not a trope but: That ending angered me. Thats all I gotta say without spoilers but it falls in line with all the other points I have mentioned thus far.
This book was riddled with misogyny and disappointed me. I expected better. I wanted more. Yet here we are. While reading this book I could tell it was a man writing it. I dont appreciate the "every female character is an idiot" angle he took, the "every man is a threat, women be afraid!" angle, the "women are at fault for the bad things that happened to them!" angle...god I need a strong drink after reading this.
Last side note: I dont know much about clinical psychology but ~in my opinion~ the way he used mental illnesses and trauma to characterize seemed almost offensive, as if he followed many stereotypes to do so.
*minor spoilers just an fyi*
Pros:
-I loved the aspect of the greek mythology and the greek plays wrapped into this story, very cool
-I wanted to know what happened and "who dun it?"
-...yeah that is it for pros from me.
Cons:
Here we go.
Overall I felt this story dipped in to many sexist stereotypes usually only afforded to women main characters. Normally I can handle one or two thrown in there, but this felt like every stereotypical thing to happen to a woman/ traits of a woman to have thrown at me. That, along with so many cliche stereotypes just killed this book for me. Lets break this down.
Trope 1: "Daddy issues" the main character has issues with her father that stem from childhood that lead to insecurities she has at an older age
Trope 2: ~ I dont feel this is a spoiler~ but the "every person I know and love is dead" trope ie: parents, husband, sister and brother in law
Trope 3: doesn't know she is beautiful but every male character sure seems to think so
Trope 4: Again on the male characters, the more prominent male characters ALL hit on her or tried to force themselves on to her
Trope 5: when she starts to piece together what she thinks is going on/who she thinks the murderer is, all the male characters are condescending/dont take her seriously/ one even suggests she goes to see a psychiatrist. See "crazy, unstable woman trope".
Trope 6: "every guy is a creep" trope. Not only did I feel the women in this book were slighted, but the male characters as well. Every man was a threat basically in this book and I hated it. See points above.
Trope 7: Okay this isn't a trope but more of a "WTF why did no one say anything???" but you're really going to tell me that the younger, male charismatic professor who had a group of young women that everyone knew he held "private lessons" with wasn't questioned before the MC got there?? like?? NO ONE bat an eye?? No one was like "wow maybe this is super weird that these young, impressionable women are wrapped around this mans finger and that isn't weird and most likely an abuse of power???" No one? HELLO this is a huge red flag for grooming and not a single person at that university did anything.
Trope 8: (possible trigger warning) in regards to the murders, Mariana the MC made it seem like the murderer was just "responding to being provoked" as if the women were at fault for their own murders. As if they are responsible for the behaviors of men and were at fault for being brutally killed.
Trope 9: Marina's husband Sebastion (again, another misogynistic trope here) is the perfect husband and how could he have ever wanted a miserable person like her? *note heavy sarcasm here*
Not a trope but: That ending angered me. Thats all I gotta say without spoilers but it falls in line with all the other points I have mentioned thus far.
This book was riddled with misogyny and disappointed me. I expected better. I wanted more. Yet here we are. While reading this book I could tell it was a man writing it. I dont appreciate the "every female character is an idiot" angle he took, the "every man is a threat, women be afraid!" angle, the "women are at fault for the bad things that happened to them!" angle...god I need a strong drink after reading this.
Last side note: I dont know much about clinical psychology but ~in my opinion~ the way he used mental illnesses and trauma to characterize seemed almost offensive, as if he followed many stereotypes to do so.