A review by anikaslibrary
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

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

3.75

As my last book of 2023, I’m surprised to say that I really struggled to get through this book. At first, I borrowed it from the library but the beginning is soooo slow and takes forever to get into. I was at Part 2 before I called it quits, returned the book and instead started listening to the audiobook so at least I could multi task just to get through it (I was determined to see it through). The middle part didn’t fair any better and was quite boring. Liked the twist at the ending because I didn’t expect it and the women’s perspective (the audiobook did a great job portraying her part),  those are the only reasons why I put it at 3.75 instead of 2.5. Read more for spoilers.

The whole book I was so annoyed. Just seemed like a therapist with a savior complex who only looked out for himself. I rated it 3.75 because it seemed like his character was meant to be written that way for a reason but I didn’t really vibe with it.  The audiobook had great narrators but still didn’t really grab my attention. I liked the way he twisted it at the end but I still feel like part 5 could’ve wrapped up in a better way and felt very rushed compared to the other parts which were dragging on.
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