The Silent Patient

Author: Alex Michaelides

Genre: Psychological Thriller

If you're looking for a book that will blow your mind with twists, pick up "The Silent Patient" now! It's a page-turner that keeps you on edge the whole time, and by the end, you might find your jaw on the floor. Seriously, it’s that twisted and that interesting!

I wasn't sure if I wanted to write a review of this book because it's nearly impossible to do so without giving away spoilers. But then I thought, you know what, I should at least try because I want to be able to revisit my own writings and remember how I felt when I read the book. So, as much as this is for my blog readers, these reviews and summaries are also for me.

Now, let me attempt my review without giving anything away. This book has two main characters: Alicia Berenson, the silent patient, and Theo Faber, the psychotherapist on a quest to help Alicia speak again. The book is narrated from dual perspectives: Alicia’s through her journal and Theo’s in third-person narration. Alicia shoots her husband Gabriel five times in the face and then goes silent after the murder. Her only means of communication after the murder is a painting she completes within a few days and then nothing. She doesn’t say a word, she doesn’t defend herself—she just goes silent. She is sent to a psychiatric facility, but nobody can make her talk again. Then enters Theo Faber, who believes he is uniquely qualified to help Alicia. Theo applies for a job at The Grove (the psychiatric facility) and starts digging into Alicia’s case.

As the story unfolds, more characters are introduced, and we get deeper into both Alicia's and Theo's backgrounds. You'll start making guesses, trying to read the subtle cues. Some people might be better than others at picking up these hints, but for me, there was a moment when everything went BOOM—totally twisted! I thought, "Wait, what’s going on? What just happened?" But it doesn’t stop there. The ending keeps your heart racing and makes you want to flip the pages even faster. Or, if you listen to the audiobook like I did, you can't stop. On the second day of starting this book, I legit thought, "If I don’t finish this book today, I can’t go to bed wondering what happens next." I had to finish it, and I did.

Honestly, the writing is really good. The author knows how to keep readers hooked. There are so many cues that make you think, hmm... is that what’s happening? As I mentioned earlier, I was wrong with my guesses until I got the major clue towards the end. Suddenly, the dots started connecting for me. Maybe that’s why I loved the book so much—because if you can predict the whole thing from the beginning, where’s the fun in reading a thriller? I was definitely thrilled the whole time!

I read other reviews of this book, and some people seemed confused and didn’t like the twists. However, I personally enjoyed this book. I haven't read a lot of psychological thrillers before, so maybe I don’t have a clue what makes a good one. But for me, this book served its purpose. I was engrossed in the story and blown away by the twists. Plus, I had a blast discussing it with my book club peeps. What more could you want, right?

So, if you're looking for something fun to read, I'd totally recommend this book. It’s a solid 4 out of 5 stars read for me. If you've already read it, let me know your thoughts. And if this review convinces you to pick it up, be sure to share your thoughts afterward.

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I will see you in the next blog post.

Until then enjoy reading! See you 😊