The Silent Patient

Interesting premise but gets so bogged down with psycho nonsense that adds nothing to the book. I called the twist ending by chapter three and wasn't surprised by it. I was however, surprised at how long the author can drag out the simplest of moments that make each chapter seem bloated. Wasted potential, trim the fat.

I read a ton of psychological thrillers, and most fall short of the mark for me. Granted, the continued exposure does mean that it is increasingly harder and harder to "get" me with that required big twist. Then, along comes this debut from Alex Michaelides. The story is a slow build, and in the beginning, it feels almost like two separate stories. Most of it is told from Theo's point of view, but we also get glimpses into Alicia's life through her journal entries, so there's Theo's personal life, Alicia's inner turmoil before the murder, and their interactions together. I'll admit that I was a bit confused at first about where this tale was headed, and it does take a while to get there. Despite that, there's just something thoroughly compelling about this story. Whatever that special something is that pulls a reader into the story and doesn't let go - this one has it in spades. Then we get to the twist and I was gobsmacked. It came out of nowhere - but it really didn't, not when I looked back at everything I'd absorbed to that point. So, I was thrown for a loop, yet it all connects and makes sense. Everything, from the how and why of the murder to that jaw-dropping reveal, it all just works. To sum it up, The Silent Patient is dark, twisted, and filled with not so likable characters that still managed to draw me in completely. Slow build or not, I kept turning those pages and finished it in one day - Well, one sleepless night because one chapter turned into two, and so on. And this debut has put this author firmly on my radar.

One hell of a read moreover you can finish it in a day despite the initial slow build, it keeps you turning the pages. For me, I just couldn't sleep despite having a heavy workload the next day, it just kept me going through page by page until it was over. A thrilling ride indeed. The movie rights acquired by Brad Pit's Plan B production and I really, really hope that they nail the movie adaptation unlike the poor depiction of Child-44 which really disappointed me, I meant the movie unlike superb novel. Anyway, glad I read it. Highly recommend to thriller genre fans and ladies who are interested in emotionally driven love stories as well with utmost respect and no offense. It's incredible. Enjoy.