Book Review: The Silent Patient
Title: The Silent Patient
Author: Alex Michaelides
Length: 323 pages
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Plot Summary: Alicia Berenson, a talented painter, inexplicably murders her husband Gabriel by shooting him five times in the face. Following this shocking act, she becomes completely silent, refusing to speak a word. Six years later, psychotherapist Theo Faber takes on her case at The Grove, a secure psychiatric facility where Alicia is institutionalized. Determined to uncover the truth behind her silence and the motives for her husband’s murder, Theo delves deep into Alicia’s past, interviewing her acquaintances and family members. As he pursues answers, Theo’s own life begins to unravel, and the investigation takes unexpected turns, leading to a startling revelation that challenges everything he thought he knew.
Review: What a turbulent journey! At first, I had a distaste for the book due to its generalizations about the field of psychology. Then that distaste grew into weariness for the narrative contained too many unreliable characters. And then… the author absolutely pulled wools over my eyes! I almost laughed at how I did not see the ending coming. Clever. Clever, indeed. Michaelides crafted a twist that was both shocking and brilliantly executed.
Rating: 3.5/5
