If your reading habits are anything remotely like mine, you love a feel-good relatable novel (preferably with a swoon-worthy romantic trope). There is virtually nothing in my life that a good YA novel can’t fix.
But of course, there is something to be said for the more intense, dark, and convoluted novels. The ones that make you sit on the edge of your seat, giving yourself paper cuts due to frantic page turning.
The books that make you feel like the head detective in your favorite crime show, swerving red herrings while mentally dissecting and second guessing every single detail.
Today, the book I am reviewing is definitely more like the latter.
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is a true psychological thriller through and through. The book follows a young woman named Alicia Berenson who one night shockingly and violently shoots her husband, and then never speaks again (hence the title The Silent Patient).
Now institutionalized in a forensic unit for several years, the infamous nature of the highly publicized killing leaves the public wondering and waiting for an explanation to this mystery.
Theo Faber, a psychologist, has always wanted the chance to treat Alicia. Theo, like much of the public, has heard the sensationalized, gruesome, and peculiar nature of the case. When a spot opens at the facility Alicia is kept, he jumps at the chance to potentially uncover the true psyche of Alicia Berenson. But, at what cost?
Will what he unearths lead to a shocking discovery, or will he find himself in too deep, so deep that he buries himself in the process?
I’ve owned The Silent Patient for a few months now, but I hesitated to begin reading. I am a firm believer that reading is meant to be whatever you want it to be. When I am especially busy in life, I tend to gravitate toward the more simple, easy-reads.
Lots of words could be used to describe the The Silent Patient, but ‘simple’ and ‘easy read’, would not have been two that I chose at first glance.
Once I started reading, I was proven wrong. Although I still wouldn’t describe the book as particularly ‘simple,’ author Alex Michaelides writes with such ease and flow that it truly feels like the main character is speaking to you in conversation. Even my friends who aren’t huge readers truthfully enjoyed this book, and I think that is a testament to great writing.
Michaelides gives the reader information skillfully and strategically, helping us paint a picture in our minds, creating the narrative that becomes The Silent Patient.
I have never been recommended a book more than The Silent Patient. My sister, mom, and multiple friends have raved about the novel, especially its unexpected twists and turns.
Now, I am joining the chain of command! I highly recommend The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides.
If you want an incredibly entertaining page-turner with just the right amount of heaviness, mystery, and intrigue, this book is definitely one to pick up on your next trip to your local bookstore!
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