I thought I'd see what all the hype was about but unfortunately this wasn't for me.

I couldn't properly invest in the characters and for me, without caring about them means I find it hard to engage in the plot.

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The Maidens is going to be the book that is most talked about in 2021. It took me a while to get into the story but after a while I was captivated. The book is filled with red herrings and I LOVED the Greek mythology theme throughout. The author has such exceptional writing that makes you want to devour the book in one sitting and I couldn't get enough of it.

I am one of few people who did not enjoy Michaelides' first book, The Silent Patient, so I didn't have high hopes for The Maidens. I was very pleasantly surprised! What a book. This was super creepy and I love how so many aspects were weaved together so effortlessly. We have so many creepy characters and I suspected each and every one of them at one point or another. When the explosive ending arrived and the mind blowing twist, I knew this was going to be a highly talked about book. It was very disturbing but completely perfect and I couldn't believe I hadn't figured it out myself.

The only downside with me for this book was the writing style. I struggled with this in The Silent Patient as well so it was to be expected, nonetheless the plot was by far good enough to get me through. I definitely won't be able to stop thinking about this one for a while.

Quite different from the previous book by the same author, The Silent Patient, which took me a while to get into - but i enjoyed it. A Greek tragedy/ psychotherapy/ gothic thriller mash up - it kept me entertained as I read it

I’m really torn about this one because there are parts I love and parts that really frustrated me. I was expecting a thriller with a compelling murder mystery but instead it was more of a character study in grief. It was Mariana I had the most issues with as for someone who studies human behaviour she was blind to so much. I wanted to shake some sense into her. The writing and descriptions were so beautiful and I king to visit Cambridge after reading this.

The Maidens -Alex Michaelides
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As most, I was embroiled in the excitement and resounding praise following Michaelides’ ‘The Silent Patient’, thriller debut. The writing featured in that novel was tense, pulpy and unbearably gripping. Therefore as soon as I caught wind that this book was in the process of early publication, I knew I’d request it the very second it hit NetGalley.

This offering is different, which I revelled in. Personally I enjoyed the author’s demonstration of a varied writing style within a multifaceted genre. ‘The Maidens’ was undeniably a subtler, slower paced novel that encouraged the reader to think and assess. (The reference to Theo was a welcomed subtlety!)

For me, this was a perfect combination of Greek Tragedy, Art and Literature, complimented with a brooding plot.

Thank you to NetGalley, Orion publishing and Alex Michaelides for the opportunity to read and review this eARC.

EXCERPT: Edward Fosca was a murderer.

This was a fact. This wasn't something Mariana knew just on an intellectual level, as an idea. Her body knew it. She felt it in her bones, along her blood, and deep within every cell.

Edward Fosca was guilty.

And yet - she couldn't prove it, and might never prove it. This man, this monster, who had killed at least two people, might, in all likelihood, walk free.

He was so smug, so sure of himself. 'He thinks he's got away with it', she thought. He thought he had won.

But he hadn't. Not yet.

Mariana was determined to outsmart him. She had to.

She would sit up all night and remember everything that had happened. She would sit here in this small, dark room in Cambridge, and think, and work it out. She stared at the red bar of the electric heater on the wall, burning, glowing in the dark, willing herself into a kind of trance.

In her mind, she would go back to the very beginning and remember it all. Every single detail.

And she would catch him.

ABOUT 'THE MAIDENS': 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 THOUGHTS: Where to start? At the beginning seems to be the best place:

'Tell me tales of thy first love -
April hopes, the fools of chance;
Till the graves begin to move,
And the dead begin to dance.'
Alfred, Lord Tennyson, The Vision of Sin

Love. It has a lot to answer for, or rather the deeds done in the name of love do.

Love is blind - and I am sure deaf and dumb at times too.

As they say, “nothing brings people together like a tragedy.” But in The Maidens, one tragedy piles on top of another.

Mariana has lost the love of her life, Sebastian, who drowned while they were on holiday in Naxos, a Greek Island where Mariana had grown up.

Zoe, Mariana's niece, was orphaned following the death of her parents in an accident. Mariana and Sebastian raised Zoe, and now Zoe has also lost Sebastian.

Tara is Zoe's friend and colleague at Cambridge. Now Tara is dead, brutally murdered. And Zoe reaches out to Mariana seeking solace.

Mariana, a psychotherapist, is still struggling to come to terms with her husband's death, and is being stalked by one of her clients. Cambridge, where Zoe is studying, is also the place where Mariana and Sebastian first met.

Bittersweet memories and murder. Or murders. Tara will not be the last of the elite group of 'Maidens' to be murdered. And as in Romeo and Juliet, the emotions of love and hate are the lifeblood of The Maidens. Everything that happens seems to be caused by one, the other, or both, of these two forces.

This really is a classic murder-mystery. There is a little misdirection, and a few good fat red herrings. Agatha Christie with a good dollop of Alfred, Lord Tennyson and Greek mythology thrown in. Which I didn't mind at all. In fact, I mostly found it quite interesting.

There is a diverse cast of characters. I found Henry quite scary, Edward an enigma (a rather creepy one), and I really didn't know what to make of Fred. Even the peripheral characters are interesting and have their own individual quirks. Between the characters, and Michaelides beautifully atmospheric settings, runs a thread of evil, of menace. The postcards are a great touch.

The plot moves on steadily, casting suspicion on multiple characters before reaching a crescendo where all is revealed. Now it seems that a lot of people were disappointed with the ending, but personally, I liked it. It certainly wasn't what I expected, but it worked for me.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.3

#TheMaidens #NetGalley

I: @alex.michaelides #orionpublishing

T: @AlexMichaelides @orionbooks

#contemporaryfiction #crime #murdermystery #psychologicalthriller #serialkillerthriller #suspense

THE AUTHOR: Alex Michaelides was born and raised in Cyprus. He has an M.A. in English literature from Trinity College, Cambridge University, and an M.A. in screenwriting from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. He now lives in London.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Orion Publishing via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Maidens by Alex Michaelides for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

The combination of the success of Michaelides' first Book The Silent Patient and the reference to the classics and Greek mythology, meant that this was a book I was very much looking forward to.

A Cambridge University student is found dead. Her friend's aunt is a psychotherapist and former student and believes that the killer is the charismatic classics lecturer, who has a special group of students he calls The Maidens. The police don't agree, believing it to be the girl's boyfriend. So the psychotherapist goes to discover the truth herself.

Set mainly in the University gives a hint of the gothic, with the large buildings, passageways and dark rooms. The lecturer reminds me of film portrayals of Count Dracula and his group of Maidens are all 'beautiful', so that it comes across as trite throughout. Up until about half way through the story moves too slowly by telling the background of how people met each other, in very mundane circumstances. Even the short chapters don't up the pace here. Plus, everyone shrugs. Everyone.

The story is told in the third person from the viewpoint of the female psychotherapist and in the first person by the killer. In the second half of the book the killer's perspective increases and there are a few suspects to choose from. The pace increases as do the references to the Greek myths, which is a tad vapid despite the use of the Greek language for authenticity. The most absurd aspect of the book is how unprofessional and at times ludicrous the psychotherapist character is. Thrilling towards the end, so keep going.

ajsefton.com/book-reviews

Story:
Mariana, a 36 year old widow, has still not overcome her grief over her husband Sebastian's sudden death a year ago. Her only surviving relative now is her niece, Zoe, who studies in nearby Cambridge. When she gets a distress call from Zoe about her roommate being murdered, Mariana rushes to her side. However, the situation turns out to be much grimmer and Mariana finds herself bang in the middle of a serial murder investigation. Her gut feeling and training as a psychotherapist strongly point the finger at Greek tragedy professor Edward Fosca, who seems equally charming and mysterious. Thus begins a battle of wits between the two braniacs.

Writing:
Most chapters come to us from the third person perspective of Mariana, with the few chapters coming from a mysterious voice writing in first person.

The chapters are very short. Every new scene is a new chapter. Sometimes, a new chapter begins even in the middle of a scene. This was a pretty unique experience for me. But the advantage of such short chapters is that they move by very quickly.

Michaelides use his local knowledge of Cambridge to great advantage. His description of the buildings, the students, the facilities, the town... everything helps to visualise the scene better.

Another striking point is his command over Greek. I loved how he uses Greek not to show off his skill/knowledge but makes it an integral part of the plot. The blending of Greek mythology with contemporary England worked wonderfully.

In spite of these merits, I struggled to concentrate towards the middle, partly because of the slow pace but mostly because of Mariana.

Characters:
As seems to be slowly becoming the hallmark of every contemporary thriller, the lead character Mariana is a woman who doesn't think before she acts. (If she thought sensibly before she acted, how would we have a full-length novel? 🙄) Throughout the story, I struggled to identify with the logic behind her actions. If she were a college student, maybe I would have been okay with her being so naive. But for a 36 year old established professional in the field of psychotherapy, Mariana's decisions were quite befuddling at times. Take these for instance.
👉🏻 Mariana firmly believes that Fosca is a murderer. Yet, she agrees to meet him in HIS room, all alone, at dinner time. And then drinks so much that she struggles to stay coherent.
👉🏻 She's a mental health professional with no background in criminology or forensics, and yet she goes privately investigating murders of girls she doesn't even know. Even when her safety is at risk, she doesn't approach the police, who are right there, investigating the very same murders!
👉🏻 Her investigations raise red flags on many characters but the only one she doubts from start to end is Fosca. Talk about a horse wearing blinders!
👉🏻 She realises that her own niece has twisted or hidden some truths but she never questions her even once.
All of these show that either she wasn't a competent professional and/or she was overconfident about her capabilities. Either way, it became more and more difficult to connect to her character.

The plot becomes more and more farfetched as it progresses. So it was no surprise that the big reveal at the end was almost outlandish. It's not that I had guessed the identity of the murderer in advance. I simply couldn't, and hence I should have enjoyed that ending and the thrill that comes with it. But really, it was ridiculous and went against everything that had been established until that point in the story. This might work well with some thrill seekers, but it feel flat for me.

Some of you might be wondering how this book stands as against Michaelides' popular debut work, The Silent Patient. So let me confess that I haven't read that book yet and hence I cannot make the comparison. And yes, I know I ought to read it... that book is in my TBR and it will be read when its time comes. 😄 But now that I've read The Maidens, I feel glad that I've kept the supposedly better book for later.

Recommended mainly to fans of Alex Michaelides. And maybe to avid thriller fans who may want to read it and let me know how it fares with them.


Thank you, NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Silent Patient is hands down one of the best thrillers I have ever read. It was gripping, well-written, and the twist at the end?! Wow. So when I found out that Alex Michaelides was publishing his second book I knew I had to get my hands on it ASAP.

The Maidens gave me similar sort of vibes to some extent. It was well-written, gripping in places but it just lacked SOMETHING that I can't quite put my finger on? I don't know if I went into this book with extremely high expectations after how much I loved The Silent Patient or not? Who knows!

However, I loved Marianna. She was such an interesting character. Dealing with the death of her husband and trying to muddle her way through everyday life. Alongside Marianna, we are introduced to a range of characters who all give you a reason or two to suspect them of committing the crimes. Sadly, I sussed out the perpetrator before it was revealed which is always a huge downfall for me when it comes to thrillers. But I did not guess the slight twist to the reasons behind WHY they did what they did!

One thing I found really difficult about this book was the reference to Greek mythology. I have no interest in the subject as such so struggled to understand a lot of the references which could have led me to miss a few key aspects of the story!

HOWEVER, I really liked the reference to Theo from The Silent Patient. It got me way too excited that I would like to admit. HAHA!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Orion publishing and Alex Michaelides for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

"𝗘𝗱𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗙𝗼𝘀𝗰𝗮 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗺𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗿"
This was a fact that Mariana knew from the very beginning.

The story takes place at a college campus. Mariana, a thirty six year old is a group therapist who lives in London. She recently lost her husband, Sebastian who has been the love of her life. To Mariana, life without Sebastian seems incomplete. His memories keep coming back in Mariana's mind throughout the book.

One day, Marian receives a call from her niece Zoe who is a student in Cambridge. After Sebastian, if Mariana loved someone then that would be Zoe (Zoe’s parents died) and they both are always there to support each other. Zoe told her that a murder took place in Cambrige and the girl who got mudered was Tara (Zoe’s friend). Mariana decided to take a train to Cambridge because after what happened, she feels that she has to be there with her niece. Mariana paired up with her nice to solve the murder mystery. The both began to suspect Professor Edward Fosca who has a special group for women and the group is called “The Maidens”. Tara was also part of this group.

I was enjoying the initial chapters but I started to lose interest after reading 40% of the book. Continuing to read was the best decision because I was completely shocked by the ending. OMG!!!! I wasn't even executing that plot twist. Not even in my dreams!! I would have given it 4.5 or 5 stars but didn't because I thought that “The Silent Patient” was better than this book. The story was definitely fast paced and the story was unique. This will be a perfect read for people who are into greek history. To be honest, I was not aware of the greek history but I got to know a lot of things from this book.

This was a fun read, I really enjoyed the mystery part of it. The reason this didn't rate higher for me though was that the MC was just that bad at their job. It made it really unconvincing and pulled me out of the story. I liked the little twists, some were easy to spot, some took time, but they were enjoyable and the writing style was easy and engaging.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC of this to read in exchange for my honest review.

Full RTC will be on blog.

The Maidens is the all-new thriller by The Silent Patient author Alex Michaelides. The Silent Patient was one of my favourite thriller reads of 2019 and I was really excited to see what Michaelides did next. The story follows Mariana, a group therapist who becomes obsessed with the maidens when a friend of her niece is found murdered in Cambridge. Mariana knows for sure that even though he has an alibi, Edward Fosca is guilty of murder and she will do anything to prove it. As Mariana becomes more and more obsessed, she soon finds her credibility and her closest relationships falling away from her – but can she stop the killer?

Just like The Silent Patient, I found myself getting completely lost in this story and raced through it in a few gripping sittings. The story captivated me from the outset and Michaelides has such a brilliant writing style that I was completely swept away in this story. It’s fast-paced with pretty short chapters that kept me completely hooked. The story is full to the brim with twists and turns and given the surprises in his first book I knew anything was possible. Michaelides has such a great way of making you a bit suspicious of everyone and the final reveal definitely wasn’t what I expected.

The Maidens is a dark and compelling read, one I think thriller fans will completely adore. Mariana is an interesting protagonist she is someone dealing with grief who very quickly spirals into obsession. I really liked the Cambridge setting in the story, which definitely came to life in the vivid descriptions. If you’re a fan of gripping psychological thrillers you can’t look away from, The Maidens should definitely be your next read.

A thriller based around Greek mythology; this book keeps you guessing right until the very end. It’s quite a mysterious and spooky story that is so gripping! I did find it took a while for me to get into the story; however once I was a third of the way in I was totally hooked!

The Maidens: 3.5⭐️
I've never read the Silent Patient, but I've seen the movie, so was thrilled to have been gifted this ARC. But I was a bit surprised.. I think I was expecting something a bit more academic. It’s got very short sentences--which at times seemed sophomoric and at others delivered a punch that elevated the story. And I really do love short chapters, but each was punctuated by a cliffhanging final sentence that was always a fakeout.. which got old very quickly.

This one didn’t get to that deep emotional spot that would make it a 5 star. It was interesting, but didn’t live up to what I had hoped for. Michaelides does acknowledge at the end that “writing a second novel is a very different beast to a debut.” That’s the main thing I couldn’t help thinking the entire time I read this.

My thanks to Orion Publishing Group/W&N for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Maidens’ by Alex Michaelides in exchange for an honest review.

I had enjoyed Alex Michaelides’ ‘The Silent Patient’ and was very excited to read his second novel. ‘The Maidens’ also has a psychotherapist as its lead character and Theo Faber, the protagonist of ‘The Silent Patient’, has a minor role in this book.

This novel is set in the closed world of St Christopher's College, Cambridge. Mariana Andros is a group therapist based in London. She is struggling through her private grief following the recent tragic death of her husband. The college is full of memories for her as that was where they had met. However, when she receives an urgent call from her niece, Zoe, she immediately travels to Cambridge.

Mariana learns that Zoe’s best friend has been brutally murdered. As a result, she offers her skills to the local police though she has her own suspicions about whodunnit. However, the police are unconvinced so she undertakes her own investigation despite the danger this places her in.

Her prime suspect is enigmatic professor Edward Fosca. The murdered girl was a member of his exclusive group of students known as The Maidens. Mariana quickly becomes obsessed with Fosca. No further details in order to avoid spoilers.

There is a strong theme related to Ancient Greek literature and mythology running through the novel. Mariana’s father was Greek and her mother English and she grew up outside of Athens. When she was eighteen she had come to Britain to study at Cambridge. On her father’s death, Mariana found herself a wealthy woman as he had built up a small shipping empire.

Mariana feels a special connection to the myth of Demeter and Persephone and the Eleusinian Mysteries are also referenced. It does seem that in campus-based mysteries those tutors interested in the Classics are prone to leading their students into Hellenistic hijinks under the guise of private study groups.

I enjoyed this very much. It’s a slow burn academic mystery interwoven with aspects of Greek tragedy. I related to the themes of ‘The Maidens’ as well as to Mariana’s bereavement.

Overall, I found this an unusual mystery and very much appreciated the inclusion of both the psychological aspects and the rich mythology and literary traditions of Ancient Greece that have continued to be relevant down through the centuries.

Recommended.

Why have I never read any of Alex's books before, this was fantastic. I'm a lover of thrillers & everything Greek mythology, so you can imagine my delight in finding a book that combined both. Well written, very clever, atmospheric, fast paced & extremely compelling.

I was like literally nearing the last chapters & I still had no inkling of who the killer was. There were so, so many red herrings peppered throughout the book, that completely threw me off track. Loved the shocker of a twist at the end.

Edward Fosca, Greek tragedy professor at Cambridge University, is adored by all of his students, especially by the group of female students known as 'The Maidens'. But is he capable of murder?

2021 has been an awesome reading year so far, with book after book exceeding my expectations and The Maidens by Alex Michaelides is no exception. The Silent Patient from Michaelides is one of the best thrillers in recent years, a hard act to follow, but he has risen to the challenge with a new dazzling thriller that is a sophisticated, intelligent, and dark. A book that builds from a slow burning ember of a beginning into a blazing, gripping finale.
It truly is an exquisite piece of writing touching upon so many themes from grief, family, life and death, interwoven with elements of Greek tragedy. The book drips with atmosphere and you will fall in love with the hallowed halls of Cambridge, as much a character in the book as the characters temesleves. The twists are numerous, and the plot littered with red herrings that will keep you guessing and then guessing again. I absolutely loved this amazing thriller, and it is one of my reading highlights of 2021.
A stunning page turner of a thriller that keeps you guessing 5 out of 5.

This is the first Alex Michaelides that I have read - The Silent Patient seemed to have passed me by, but I will be rectifying this.

The link to Greek mythology was the thing that piqued my interest and I was not disappointed. Mariana is a psychotherapist, specialising in group therapy. She is also still coming to terms with the loss of her husband the previous year. A phone call from her niece, Zoe, who is a student at Cambridge sends her rushing off to be at her side; Zoe's friend, Tara, has been murdered.

The descriptions of Cambridge are beautifully evocative, and we are transported to the world of the university. At Cambridge, Mariana quickly comes to believe that the charismatic Edward Fosca, one of the professors, could be behind the murder. He teaches Greek drama, is obsessed - according to Zoe - with the story of Demeter and Persephone - and he has his group of favourites - The Maidens, who seem to be enthralled by him and who all give him an alibi for the murder. Not that Mariana believes them - and I will leave the story there.

This is cleverly written and I can honestly say that the author wrong-footed me. I thought that I was reading the clues, but was swallowing the red herrings. I felt sympathy with Mariana at times because the loss that she was carrying was so difficult for her, but then she would make rash decisions that could potentially put her in danger. Edward Fosca, might be charismatic in the Maidens' eyes, but he made my skin crawl. The Maidens themselves were as cold as any Greek statue.

I really enjoyed this and the building tension towards the end was well written. Psychotherapy and mythology are intertwined and, from reviews that I have read, there are a couple of appearances by characters from The Silent Patient, not that I realised. I didn't feel that I missed anything in this novel because I hadn't read the first. Overall, a really good read - I enjoy being surprised by an ending.

4.5 stars

Many thanks to Net Galley, Orion Publishing Group, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

YES! A thumping YES!

HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY TO THE MOST ANTICIPATED THRILLER OF 2021!

Alex Michaelides repose our faith in his ability to churn out mind-boggling thrillers centered around psychiatry and this time adding Greek mythology to ensnare the poor reader in a world gone crazy.

First off, the author’s perfect setting for the story that of St.Christopher’s college in Cambridge was so vivid and colorful that one actually wishes to walk its dark corridors along with Mariana. Grieving and yet to come to terms with her loving husband’s death, Mariana, a group therapist, has her hands full with her own personal demons when her niece Zoe calls in with dreadful news, that of the murder of her best friend Tara. Arriving at the same college where she found the love of her life, grappling with the loss of Sebastian, Mariana finds herself embroiled in the life of Edward Fosca and his special group of girls called The Maidens.

The writing is utterly compelling and addictive and it was with utmost difficulty that I could keep the kindle down to return to the real world. Alex Michaelides creates the college and its brooding menace admirably with every segment of the story pulling the reader in with a fascinating background of Greek mythology. I loved the character of Mariana whose immense empathy for her patients makes her sensitive to the unsaid emotions being conveyed to her. The chapters that give voice to the killer make one cringe and the effect honestly, is quite creepy. There are suspects galore and if you are like me, I would advise in reading it without any guesses to be absolutely gobsmacked at the end.

I am giving this 4.5 stars, instead of 5 only coz I wished for a more adrenaline-fuelled tension-packed ending. The twisty end is totally shocking but I just couldn’t feel that pulse-pounding thrill getting there.

I do wonder sometimes about the immense pressure that authors would feel if their debut work had become the rage of the nation. The Silent Patient was such a resounding success across the globe; it is very rarely a book remains in the #1 position in thrillers and suspense in AMAZON INDIA for God knows how many months now (BTW, it still holds the numero uno position), and having read it, there was no doubt why it would be so. So, like most readers, I had my doubts about what would be in store from the author next, and NOW, take a bow, Alex Michaelides, you deserve all the accolades that come your way!

Menacing!

This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India, Medium.com, Facebook, and Twitter.

The Maidens is a solid dark academia thriller. I enjoyed the Cambridge setting and the dark atmosphere, but the mythological links and Tennyson references felt clunky and not fully incorporated with the story, especially connecting to the ending, which was unexpected but fell flat for me because it came out of nowhere. The characters themselves were one-dimensional, although I did like the exploration of Mariana's grief (which made the ending even more unsatisfying). Every male character is suspicious but I feel like a lot of the red herrings weren't really explained. The Maidens themselves could have been explored so much more as well, and so both the selling points of dark academia and murder mystery were lost. The writing style is very readable though, making the slow pace easy to get through without getting bored.