A review by agonyofdesire
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

challenging tense medium-paced

1.25

I thought it impossible for a book to infuriate le this much and I was proven wrong. From the depiction of mental illness to the depictions of mental health facilities and professionals, as well as the villainization of people with mental illnesses, it was possible the worse reading experience of my life. If I wasn't listening to the audiobook, there was no way that I would have finished the book. Other than the main character, every other character was nothing but a plot device, they were only there to serve his arc. 

The twist, in the end, felt cheap and anticlimactic. He ( Theo) has spent a long time interrogating Alicia's family, friends, acquaintances... dragging the reader along a wild goose chase that did nothing but waste time. Creating red herrings that have no impact on the story. 
 

Overall the book was messy, the reveal of the killer was not well thought out, and the whole plot lacking. I could not garner a single atom of sympathy for the characters.
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