The Silent Patient

Love this novel.
It is as twisted as a criminal mind can be.
The plot is very good psychology and crime combined.

[b:The Silent Patient 40097951 The Silent Patient Alex Michaelides https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1573745054l/40097951.SY75.jpg 59752778].CONGRATULATIONS-Goodreads Choice Awards Mystery & Thriller Winner..I picked this book up because one of the trainers at the gym was talking about it and he said this might be right up my alley. However, I decided to go into this novel with a clean slate, a blank canvas (no pun intended). I didn't read any reviews because I didn't want to see something that would give me any clues, either intentionally or unintentionally. When I know there's a twist, or if I see hints of something, I usually figure out what's going on. So I entered this story in the dark, curious to find what I would discover between the pages.This is an experience. For me, the author's words painted a vivid picture (again, no pun intended). The timeline of the story was a bit hazy at points because the main character, Theo, talks in the past tense, but about a more recent past and a time that seems undefined. I won't mention anything that could spoil what happens. All I'll say is that I had several theories, varying in their levels of crazy. When I got to the end, I wasn't knocked off my chair surprised because I read a LOT of books in this genre, but I also can't say that I completely saw it coming either. Instead, I found myself trying to retrace steps and get oriented. At some point, I feel like I want to read the story again to truly put the puzzle back together in the right order now that I had all the pieces. Alex Michaelides if this is the genre you plan on living in with your books count me in for the next one this was a treat.

The silent patient

This is by far the best novel of 2019. The novel gets you hooked from the first chapter and takes you on a journey that makes you unable to let go until you finish it.
Simply AMAZING

This was between 3 and 4-stars for me. I liked it but I wasn't 100% wowed by it. It was a good read though and a light psychological thriller.

This one is a very compelling read. It kept me very intrigued from the start until the end. The writing style and the pacing is what I liked the most. And the twist? I didn't see that coming, but for me, I think that it wasn't THAT shocking, because there were so many parts in the book that made it so obvious. But still, its a pretty solid read.

The problem with super hyped books is that sometimes they are a huge disappointment. However, it didn't happen with this book.

It. Was. Awesome!!

I'm relieved because it didn't let me down. The pace, the plot, the characters, everything was perfect. I can't wait the author's next novel!!

Wow, this book silently takes you on a journey and then explodes with a loud bang when the realisation kicks in.

I did wonder what all the hype was around this book and I knew there was a shocking twist towards the end. But nothing could prepare me for it.

The book starts off with a murder and a conviction. The murderer is sentenced to a psychiatric unit and although remains silent is seen by Theo Faber, a psychotherapist. His main goal is to get her to talk.

I did wonder several times where the book was heading and what the significance was of all the people Theo interviewed in order to find out more about Alicia. Once the penny drops and you realise what happened on that fateful night you easily forget all the other elements within the book and just let those events consume your mind.

I do have loads of unanswered questions that I feel I need to discuss. This would be a perfect book club book.

“I didn't know it then, but it was too late—I had internalized my father, introjected him, buried him deep in my unconscious. No matter how far I ran, I carried him with me wherever I went. I was pursued by an infernal, relentless chorus of furies, all with his voice—shrieking that I was worthless, shameful, a failure.”

but

“It's not hopeless. You're not a boy at the mercy of your father anymore.”


It all started out so well: The narrator, Theo Faber, is a psychotherapist who goes out of his way to help Alicia, the “Silent Patient”. Alicia has been put into a psychiatric hospital after her husband was murdered with her standing next to him, the weapon at her feet. She refuses to (or can't) speak at all.

Theo himself is damaged as well by an overbearing father who has always made him feel insufficient, worthless and a failure (cf. opening quotation). He feels like he's pretty much the only person on earth who can help Alicia find her voice – metaphorically and literally – and so he sets out to help her.

The setting I described above intrigued me – it sounded exciting and promised suspense and I strongly related to Theo with whom I felt I shared some “history”.

“Psychotherapy had quite literally saved my life.”



The entire first part of the book struck me deeply and the narrative “vibes” resonated within myself:

“I could feel myself thawing in the heat, softening around the edges, like a tortoise emerging into the sun after a long winter's sleep, blinking and waking up. Kathy did that for me—she was my invitation to life, one I grasped with both hands. So this is it, I remember thinking. This is love.”

I vividly remember a few situations (e. g. the restaurant in Amsterdam, C., where they “shot” me ;) ) with my wife of almost 20 years now that triggered similar feelings and reminded me of similar experiences.

“About love. About how we often mistake love for fireworks—for drama and dysfunction. But real love is very quiet, very still. It's boring, if seen from the perspective of high drama. Love is deep and calm—and constant.”

These “autobiographic connections” and the expectations they raised are, undoubtedly, part of why I feel so let-down by and disappointed in this book.

Soon, though, there were discordant tones within the narration that had rung true so far:

“I wanted to reach out and pull her close. I wanted to hold her. But I couldn't. Kathy had gone—the person I loved so much had disappeared forever, leaving this stranger in her place.”

This is quite obviously delusional – Theo simply confuses his picture of Kathy with the real person. Sure, this is certainly a literary device but crudely wielded and, thus, it annoyed me slightly in the beginning.

Later in the book, Theo's own issues become even more prevalent and, to me at least, more and more annoying. They escalate in their narrational crudeness as well:

“Perhaps he wasn't human at all, but the instrument of some malevolent deity intent on punishing me. Was God punishing me?”

What?! Yes, sure, whatever...

There are quite a few characters as well who take quite some space in the book but never really get used: There's Jean-Felix, a caricature of a gallery owner and Alicia's friend, there's her brother-in-law, the latter's wife, Tanya (his assistant, how cliched is that...), Alicia's cousin Paul and others who pretty much all have something to hide or to be embarrassed about but who only ever serve as a means to an end – to distract us, the reader, from the simple truth which you begin to sense early on and which leads to “the big twist”.

Some characters, like the hospital's director, Diomedes, are pretty much caricatures of themselves, so shallowly are they depicted.


On the other hand, Michaelides does get a few things right: Short, engaging chapters that keep you glued to the book (“just one more chapter and then I'll sleep!”), inserting excerpts from Alicia's diary helps as well and all in all, it's still an interesting read – at least in the beginning.

The middle parts of the book are rather slow and uneventful. Lots of stuff is going on but only few things happen that actually drive the story forward. Towards the end, things are being rushed and the story, after “the big twist”, deflates as quickly as a punctured balloon.

Ultimately, this book has good ideas and an interesting premise but it feels sensationalist and simply can't live up to the hype that's been generated about it. Alex Michaelides is, first and foremost, a screen writer and it definitely shows in this book.

UPDATE: It's been two years and still no one has educated me on what it was I missed! AND now Michaelides has another book out... dare I? Only time will tell.


I read this based on Blake Crouch's outstanding review, and against my GF Patty's hesitations. I fear I may never read a book based on his review ever again. I really truly do not understand the hype surrounding this book, if you do please PLEASE educate me on what it is I missed. As Greek tragedy's go this book was as flat as can be, a few interesting plot devices wasn't enough to save it, neither was the creep factor. As creep factor's go this was a 5 star...no joke. I would not want to have an Alicia, or a Theo in my life.

Overall, this was a bit of a clinical read, completely flat with whitewashed walls, and fluorescent lighting (harsh and highlights all the flaws)...bit of a bore actually, played out almost exactly as I thought with very few surprises, ones that made me go - “o - ok”... not “O - OK!” -.-

mr michaelides pls give me my wig back...

4.5 Stars 😊

Great story, with some good red herrings and some unexpected things.

👍🏽Pick it: if The Sinner and psychology is your jam.
👎🏽Skip it: if you're looking for a horror, not cerebral thriller.

I pride myself in pegging the plot twist. Even the best of thrillers tend to follow a loose, but calculable trajectory. When I hit that plot point in Silent Patient biting my tongue on spilling spoilers, I gasped out loud. Not because it's a dramatic reveal, but because the author rolled out the climax patiently, which personally, made this thriller stand alone. I've recommended this book to several who will back up the hype.

Enjoyed the use of time throughout. Fairly quick read.

Alicia Berenson and her husband Gabriel seem to have the perfect life, until one night Alicia is discovered standing over Gabriel's body holding a gun. It seems unbelievable, but Alicia's prints are the only ones on the gun and there is no evidence of another person being in the house, so the police have no choice but to conclude that Alicia murdered Gabriel. The one question on everyone's mind is - why? It appears that they will never know, as what makes the case extraordinary is the fact that Alicia has not uttered a single word since she was found that night.

Theo Faber is a psychoanalyst who is drawn to Alicia and is determined to find out her story and help her break her years-long silence. He gets a position at the psychiatric facility where she has been since her trial and begins working with her. He soon finds himself ensnared in the tangled web of Alicia's past, and the lines between professional and personal start to blur as he becomes more and more desperate to make Alicia speak again. Will he be able to get answers before too many lines have been crossed?

After the Gone Girl craze of years ago I got somewhat tired of psychological thrillers, but I devoured The Silent Patient in one sitting while on an airplane and had to spend a few minutes absorbing everything when it ended. It's impossible not to get drawn into the lives of Alicia and Theo and the mystery of why Alicia killed Gabriel as well as why she has never spoken a word since. I can't say much without risking spoilers, but the story is intricately plotted with a mind-blowing twist at the end that I did not see coming. I recommend this book for fans of psychological thrillers and suspense!

An incredible debut novel that has left me staring into the void, processing, after just finishing... After reading an excerpt, I was hooked and every page sucked me in deeper. Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has felt drawn to Alicia Berenson's case since it began. A new job has provided him with the opportunity to help work towards some sort of breakthrough and he plans to do just that. Alicia, silent after being found with her husband dead at her feet, has been forgotten, no longer front page news, tucked away quietly in a psychiatric facility facing closure. This book touches on so many difficult topics, mental health, love, and betrayal. The author did a fabulous job of building the story and then twisting it in a way I never would have seen coming!? Highly recommended read and will be back for more from this author!