THE BASICS
- Title: The Silent Patient
- Author: Alex Michaelides
- Genre: Mystery Thriller
- Structure: Alternating first-person narrative
- First Line: “I don’t know why I’m writing this.”
Synopsis: Promising to be the debut novel of the season The Silent Patientis a shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband—and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive…
Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.
Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that 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 tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, 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 and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations—a search for the truth that threatens to consume him…
THE GOOD
I was extremely curious to read this book. The second I saw it on Book of the Month’s options, I added it to my box. I have to admit that I was expecting something different due to the synopsis of the book. That’s not to say that this isn’t a fantastic read.
First, I would like to acknowledge that this is Michaelides’ first novel. Granted, even though I’d consider this a debut piece in the literary world, Michaelides’ is no novice to writing and it shows in his work. Before debuting his first novel, he was the primary screenwriter for a couple successful movies. You can see his screenwriting past come forward in how vivid and palpable this book is. Despite being familiar with the writing universe, coming forward with this as a debut novel is nothing to bat an eye at. I’ve read many a debut novel from screenwriters with ghastly outcomes. This is quite an achievement. Bravo to the writing in this book at any rate!
Another great thing about this book is that the characters have significant depth to them. There are two first-person narratives throughout the novel. Each person is distinct and carries their own unique conflicts. It makes for an interesting read and a definite page-turner.
Lastly, I’d like to gravitate towards some of the content without revealing too much or giving away spoilers. There is quite a bit of focus on childhood and how trauma, particularly childhood trauma, can effect someone well into their adult years. I’m blown away by the amount of knowledge in this book. Everything is accurate. I note that as someone who knows psychology and someone who experienced a lot of childhood trauma. I commend Michaelides for articulating such a heartbreaking reality in a beautiful, moving, and thoughtful way. If you’ve ever experienced trauma and/or a difficult childhood, you will find a home in this book.
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There’s only a couple things I’d like to note in this section. First, the promotion for this book is toting it as a “psychological thriller”. This is not a psychological thriller. There’s a difference between the sub-genres of mystery, thriller, suspense, and psychological thriller. Anyone who loves the overarching genre of mystery (like me 🙂 ) will know the difference from reading experiences. I would definitely put this book closer to the category of “mystery” and drop the “thriller” identification.
I think the story was excellent and engaging. However, I always felt like it was on the edge of being something more. I’m an advocate for upping the stakes when it comes to pushing the boundaries of each character. Most of the time, it seemed like the story was getting there, but would stop just short of the train tracks. I think if this story would’ve pushed the boundaries more, then this would’ve been an easy 5/5 stars.
CONCLUSION
I rate this book 4/5 stars. The writing is engaging and enthralling. You can be completely pulled in and transported into this story. I’m extremely impressed that this is a debut novel and I believe that we can expect more excellent work from Michaelides in the future. I would put this more in the category of “mystery”, not “psychological thriller”. If the story had pushed the boundaries more, this would’ve been an easy full stars. Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to get lost in a great work and delve into an intriguing story!
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I received The Silent Patient from the Book of the Month Club. It was so great to receive personalized book recommendations at my doorstep! Honestly, I’m not sure if I would’ve picked up and experienced The Silent Patient if it wasn’t for BOTM. You can join the club here for under $15 a month!
