litreadture 's review for:

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

3.0

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

There are many mixed opinions about this book, so I decided to check it out. The plot centers around Alice, who appears to have a perfect life. However, one night, when her husband, Gabriel, comes home late from work, Alicia shoots him five times in the face and then falls silent. Criminal psychotherapist, Theo, becomes intrigued by Alicia’s case and eagerly takes the chance to work with her. His drive to get her to speak and uncover the reasons behind her shooting her husband will lead him down a path that is more surprising and terrifying than he could ever have anticipated.

“Unexpressed emotions will never die. They are buried alive, and will come forth later, in uglier ways.”

First of all, the plot takes a dark turn. It is told in a manner that allows you to grasp the characters on a psychological level. The story could be classified as a psychological thriller, set in a psychiatric hospital, featuring numerous therapists and doctors, but it leans more towards a murder mystery. Honestly, I found it rather dull at first. The pace felt slow for me, and there were some scenes that seemed unnecessary and out of place. I also started feeling somewhat let down halfway through and was hoping for something more thrilling to happen. The characters—I dislike them all and sensed immediately that they are all concealing something—particularly Theo and Alicia. As for Theo, he is a psychotherapist in this story, yet he behaves like a detective throughout, which felt odd and peculiar. Meanwhile, I realize that Alicia is the only character I can trust in this book. Yes, she may have some issues, but I placed great faith in her diary.

And here are the aspects of this book that I found quite disappointing: there are numerous plot holes and several details are left out as the narrative unfolded. However, it did improve towards the final sections. While I was able to predict one of the plot twists, I didn’t anticipate that there would be additional layers to it. The entire storyline was a clever ruse, and Alex Michaelides truly showcased his ingenuity because of it. In summary, I rated this book 3 stars. As a fan of mystery and thriller genres, the story honestly fell short of my expectations and didn’t deliver the thrill I was hoping for.

Content Warnings