Book Review #88: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

 

This book has been on my TBR for a really long time, always in the middle of the pile. Not something I was rushing to read, but also not something I was dreading. But eventually the premise hooked me in enough to move it to the top of the list.

Alicia Berenson has a seemingly perfect life - until the day she shoots her husband in the face five times. Since that day, she hasn't spoken a word. But why did Alicia kill her husband? And can anyone make her talk?

I'm not sure how I feel about this book as a whole. I liked the overall concept, and I liked the twist that came with the ending, but I didn't love the book while I was actually reading it.

For a start, I really struggled with the main character, Theo. Because while this is Alicia's story, it is told by psychotherapist Theo Faber, who is trying to get her to speak. I couldn't work out how I felt about him, or what his intentions were. It was not enjoyable being in his head. And now that I have had some time away from the book, I can confidently say that I understand where the author was going with the character, but I'm not a fan of the way he was written.

But alternatively, I loved the character of Alicia. Certain parts of the book are written from her point of view as diary entries, and those are the parts I looked forward to. It was a massive relief to be in her head after spending any amount of time with Theo.

Because of the premise of the book, you think it's going to be a lot more exciting than it is. You will probably keep reading to find out the ending (and you should!), but the beginning is slow, and some parts feel so insignificant that there may be times when you don't want to continue. 

After reading the book, it didn't surprise me that the author has a psychological background, because the book does delve into the psychological aspects of Alicia's actions. You could tell that the author has that experience, and that made the story feel authentic.

The weirdest thing about this book, for me, was that I almost became obsessed with it overnight. I spent a week reading snippets here and there, and then suddenly finished it in a day. The lead up to the ending is great. The closer you get to the conclusion, the more you have to read.

What was good? 

Apart from everything I've said, the ending is great. I haven't spoken much about it, but it changed everything for me. It turned quite a mediocre 1.5 star book into a 2.5.

What was bad?

The story spends so much time setting up red herrings that go literally nowhere, and I hated that. I am still asking myself why this person or that person was under suspicion when they had nothing to do with anything. There were too many characters for so many of them to be meaningless once you close the book.

Overall

I loved the ending, and overall concept, but I thought the book itself was just mediocre. I've read better thrillers with worse plots, but I'd love to read another thriller from Michaelides that focuses less on the psychology and red herrings, and more on the thrills and characters. 

2.5/5 stars