A review by carolynbruce
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

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

3.0

I find the trope of “it was the narrator all along!” a bit unsatisfying in mysteries. I didn’t feel like it was even a little bit hinted at beforehand (unless I missed some very subtle cues). I find it a bit of a cheap trick in mysteries, like the author doesn’t trust themselves to fool the reader without just outright lying to them. I was also really taken out of the story when the narration abruptly changed after the reader reads Alicia’s final diary entry.  Theo just straight up admits everything to the reader and drops all pretense, but his character hasn’t yet learned that he’s been exposed, so his change in tone comes out of nowhere narratively. I found it jarring as a reader, which is a shame, since I had been fully engrossed in the story beforehand!
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