Book Review: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Psychological thriller is a genre that is loved by almost all fiction readers. It is the one genre next to murder mystery that makes the audience distrust every character in the premise. "The Silent Patient," written by Alex Michaelides, is one such psychological thriller that follows Alicia Berenson, a famous painter who kills her husband and refuses to talk for six years after that, and Theo Faber, a criminal psychotherapist who is determined to make her talk.

I'll try to write this review without revealing spoilers. 😀

The Silent Patient

The story is written in two narratives, one in the first-person point of view in the present by Theo and the other in the form of diary entries by Alicia. The book has all the elements required in a psychological thriller, namely, a murder, someone following clues, a psych ward in crisis, and a murder convict who hasn't spoken for six years.

The book is extremely fast-paced and keeps us on the edge, and after the major plot reveal, you'll be left completely astonished. While the secondary characters are not memorable, the two primary characters are well-written. We get creeps whenever the psych ward and Alicia are in the scene.

On the downside, the narrative of Theo may come off as rambling in the initial part of the book, but after the ending, we can understand why. There may be some plot holes after the final reveal, but the masterful story building by the author makes us ignore them.

Ultimately, "The Silent Patient" is an exploration of obsession, trauma, and the value of life. It is a great read if you like psychological thrillers with unreliable narrators, jaw-dropping twists, and a well-woven plot.

If you've already read the book, did you predict the twist? Let me know in the comments!!