Scan barcode
A review by alexiasp
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I read this purely because of the hype....and I'm not mad??
I don't read thrillers, so I can't tell you if this is good or bad from that perspective. I didn't particularly feel thrilled reading it.
But this is definitely a popcorn book. It's something you can enjoy without too much brain, like when you're on a treadmill and reading, because might as well. It is extremely fast-paced, with very short chapters, straight from the beginning. The equivalent of scrolling on TikTok in a book is perfect for a short attention span, which can be fun ngl.
As for the plot, I found the endingnot super predictable (at least if you don't read thrillers often), but quite unconvincing. Was all of that build-up with the other characters just thrown in the trash?? And the whole situation with her just becoming a murderer...I'm not convinced.
There were also quite a few painfully cringe moments in the book, for example, Theo claiming he became a therapist because he's soooo fucked up inside. Here's a cookie. Nobody cares. He's also just an unlikeable character who has no business being a therapist.
Another of my question mark moments in the book was when we were reading Alicia's diary and the fact thatshe wrote down full conversations exactly as they happened in real-time. I get the purpose of the diary: to move the plot forward and unveil the mystery slowly to the reader, but like???? And when she was writing after Theo injected her with the sedative: "I'm so drowsy. I want to sleep...But no-not yet. I've got to finish the story." There's no way you want me to believe someone wrote that down in a diary.
Anyways, yeah, read if you like thrillers, I guess (or like me, just because you're nosey).
I don't read thrillers, so I can't tell you if this is good or bad from that perspective. I didn't particularly feel thrilled reading it.
But this is definitely a popcorn book. It's something you can enjoy without too much brain, like when you're on a treadmill and reading, because might as well. It is extremely fast-paced, with very short chapters, straight from the beginning. The equivalent of scrolling on TikTok in a book is perfect for a short attention span, which can be fun ngl.
As for the plot, I found the ending
There were also quite a few painfully cringe moments in the book
Another of my question mark moments in the book was when we were reading Alicia's diary and the fact that
Anyways, yeah, read if you like thrillers, I guess (or like me, just because you're nosey).