Book Review: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Alicia Berenson is in a psychiatric facility following the murder of her husband, but she refuses to utter a word. However a new psychotherapist, Theo, thinks he is the one to finally get her to speak.

“Her silence was like a mirror - reflecting yourself back at you. And it was often an ugly sight.”

Talk about a twist I didn’t see coming! It’s been a while since a book made me audibly gasp! So I can confidently say that if you’re looking for a psychological thriller that provides twists and turns... this one is worth checking out.

You can tell Michaelides has meticulously plotted out the story, there’s lot of little details that become very rewarding and perhaps also little hints as to what is going on. He builds the suspense very slowly, where you know something is wrong but you can’t put your finger on it, until it all comes together in an explosive finale. Very impressive!

However, my issue with thrillers (the majority of them anyway) remains the same - once I finish one I’m left with a feeling of “well, that’s that!” and I just don’t really think about it again. They don’t satisfy me in the same way as a lot of the other genres I read. I won’t remember these character’s names... (in fact I had already forgotten, I needed to check the book for this review) and the details already feel quite hazy, to be honest. Whereas when I consider possibly the only thriller I’ve truly LOVED, Gone Girl, I remember so much!! It left an impact!

But then again, not everyone is looking for a lasting impact - this is a great book to lose yourself in and be entertained for a few hours. So on that basis, I’d definitely recommend it! 3.5 stars.

Johann

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