Thrillers usually have a hook to grip the reader’s imagination from the very beginning, thus compelling the reader to move forward with the exciting plot development, and The Silent Patient is one of those; our book review may help you pick this book.
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is one such mind-bending psychological thriller. In this article, we bring a spoiler-free book review of The Silent Patient.
About The Book
by Alex Michaelides
Title: The Silent Patient
Author: Alex Michaelides
Genre: Crime, Thriller, Mystery, Psychological thriller
Publisher: Celadon Books
Pages: 339 pages
Goodreads rating: 4.2/5
Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect – a famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot; Alicia shoots him five times in the face and then never speaks another word. Alicia’s refusal to talk turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander. This mystery captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the spotlight in a secure forensic unit in North London. Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk takes him down a twisting path into his motivations—a search for the truth that threatens to consume him.
Note: The novel deals with potentially triggering issues, including murder, mental/physical abuse, mental illness, and trauma.
The Silent Patient Book Review
The Silent Patient seems, on the surface, to be just another basic psychological thriller book. In many aspects, it was, but in other ways, it stood out due to the strong characters, complex plot, and important topics.
The Silent Patient questions the terrible events that left one person dead and another enduring a mute existence in a psychiatric hospital by looking past the façade of a seemingly perfect married pair to reveal the dysfunction beneath the surface of contemporary life.
“Remember, love that doesn’t include honesty doesn’t deserve to be called love.”
Alicia Berenson is a famous painter. She is accused of killing her husband, Graham, a famous fashion photographer. Hence she has been taken to the Grove. Alicia shot Graham and hasn’t spoken since.
Criminal psychotherapist Theo Faber obtained a position at the Grove with the intention of working with Alicia. He understood that he could make Alicia speak. Others have tried and fallen short. Will he be prosperous?
The readers get a glimpse into Alicia’s life via her conversations with Theo. More importantly, we learn their perceptions of her, what they know about her, and their preconceived notions about her. The writings in Alicia’s journal provide the reader with additional information about her.
Finally, Alicia uses written words to “talk.” But why may she have shot her husband? Whenever will she speak? Why is she silent right now? Is it a decision? Is trauma to blame?
“There’s so much pain everywhere, and we just close our eyes to it. The truth is we’re all scared. We’re terrified of each other.”
Theo tries to encourage Alicia to communicate in portions primarily from his point of view, and then there are bits from Alicia’s journal. With Theo speaking to Alicia’s friends and relatives, this lets us fit together historical puzzle pieces in a detective-like manner. It’s interesting to realize that psychotherapists shouldn’t do these things; they should treat the patient.
Theo is a fascinating character as well. He tells the story throughout most of the book. Additionally, the reader is given a window into his world, his innermost thoughts, and his way of thinking. Meanwhile, we wonder why he is so fixated on discovering her motivation. Why is he so compelled to discover the truth?
Numerous auxiliary characters give the narrative dimension. Some only appear sometimes, while others play regular roles and lurk in the background. Even without them, everybody contributes in some way. Do not misunderstand, though—this is the Alicia & Theo Show.
“Choosing a lover is a lot like choosing a therapist. We need to ask ourselves, is this someone who will be honest with me, listen to criticism, admit making mistakes, and not promise the impossible?”
Alicia has always been a mystery. She now resembles a pale version of who she once was. But as we discover more about her early years and her relationship with Gabriel, we start to put flesh on her bones through her thoughts and recollections.
The opinions of her friends and coworkers offer a significantly different perspective on her ideal life. We learn that Alicia’s mind works perfectly even after this grave tragedy.
Theo is responsible for leading the conversation during their frequent meetings. And at first, he is more than capable. It’s not only about feeling good about saving a broken soul. He is aware that his colleagues have attempted and failed to contact Alicia.
If he can convince her to talk, it will be a big compliment to him and a confirmation of his skills. As time passes, we see him get fascinated with solving the mystery of his renowned patient, and his desperation causes him to act inappropriately. You start to question whether this is an attempt to achieve professional success or just plain hubris.
“You know, one of the hardest things to admit is that we weren’t loved when we needed it most. It’s a terrible feeling, the pain of not being loved.”
Dark in tone, Alex Michaelides’s book The Silent Patient is nevertheless a captivating mystery that takes a deep look at psychotherapy and the relationship between a patient and a psychiatrist. Theo tries to put the broken parts of Alicia’s life together and discovers something completely unexpected despite the rigid boundaries of ethics.
It’s a surprisingly profound relationship that considers someone’s life.
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides mainly contains a true, honest, and realistic feature that makes it all the more compelling and intriguing, despite being slightly implausible and overly dramatic.
Although this is the author’s debut book, it is clear that she has written screenplays with a skilled pace and storytelling. The book can be seen as a movie. Although the reason for Gabriel’s death isn’t disclosed until the conclusion, the reader keeps developing suspicions.
Towards the end, when a character receives what they justly deserve, it is incredibly fulfilling.
I hope you enjoyed the Book Review of The Silent Patient!
Conclusion
Rating: 4.8/5
Recommendation: This title is for those inclined towards nail-biting surprises with a strong cast of characters and an incredible writing style.
About The Author
Alex Michaelides is a bestselling British author and screenwriter. His debut novel, the psychological thriller The Silent Patient, is a New York Times bestseller, with over three million copies sold. He studied psychotherapy for three years and worked at a secure unit for young adults for two years. This work provided material and inspiration for his novel The Silent Patient.
Link to buy The Silent Patient
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