A review by annoyedhumanoid
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

dark mysterious 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

4.0

i take issue with the fact that

Alicia sees the play Alcestis about a husband condemning his wife to death, can't get it out of her head, and then like the next day it happens to her

. like, i appreciated the revelation at the end that

Gabriel effectively sacrificing Alicia for himself reignites her memory of her father wishing—aloud—that she had died instead of his wife, and causes her to snap

, and i really like tying the play into that, but i think it was done too perfectly and thus unbelievably.
the narrator reminds me of an Edgar Allan Poe character. not any in particular, just in general.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Self harm, Abandonment, Blood, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Infidelity, and Violence

Moderate: Gore, Grief, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual harassment, Suicide, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Cursing, and Car accident

Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, and Forced institutionalization