A review by aksmith92
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The Setup: The Silent Patient is a psychological thriller that thrives on suspense, unreliable narration, and a slow (kind of) burning mystery. The novel follows Theo Faber, a psychotherapist determined to uncover the truth behind Alicia Berenson, a famous painter who shot her husband five times in the face and hasn't spoken a word since. As Theo digs deeper into Alicia's past, he unearths a complex web of trauma, deception, and obsession, leading to a twist that reshapes everything the reader believes to be true.

What I Liked: Soooooooooooooo, I am not going to lie - this was compulsively readable. Michaelides crafts a tightly woven mystery that keeps readers turning pages, eager to unlock Alicia's silence. The interplay between psychological insight and narrative tension was well-executed. Additionally, using Alicia's diary as a storytelling device adds depth, allowing readers to piece together her perspective alongside Theo's. I didn't fully guess the twist 100% accurately, but I had it mostly right by the end.
Your boy Theo was CLEARLY unwell starting on page 10 - I know an unreliable narrator when I see one and KNEW his character would do some weird stuff.
With that said, I somewhat enjoyed the ride to getting to the end. There was a lot of uproar about this book's ending and how it all came together, and while I most certainly have read better, I think this was wrapped up relatively well; I oddly don't have many complaints about it.

What I Didn't Like: My biggest complaint was that the characters, while somewhat intriguing, often felt one-dimensional rather than fully fleshed-out individuals. Outside of Theo and Alicia, the characters were such a snore. I don't want to give any spoilers because I think you should read this book without knowing much about it, but I tended to overthink the plot because I assumed Michaelides would go deeper with character development. I was wrong! Much of this was surface-level writing, which isn't bad, but it made me less connected and invested. That was also my reasoning for rating this in the middle of the road - I didn't care what happened to anyone, and so it ended up feeling more flat than anything else.

While it wasn't the best book in the world, it was like true popcorn reading - I couldn't look away. I'd somewhat recommend it for a super quick mystery read, although prepare yourself for some pretty unlikeable characters and possibly forgetting about this novel quite quickly after you read it. 
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