“Unexpressed emotions will never die. They are buried alive, and will come forth later, in uglier ways.”
-Sigmund Freud
First and foremost, I want to say that this is a book review, which can only be based on opinion. All of the opinions in this article are my own.
TW: This book contains mentions of abuse, harassment, murder, self-harm, and suicide.
Plot Summary:
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 part of 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…
I am not one to simply select a novel that is categorized as a thriller over a romance novel or a memoir, however, the popularity that has surrounded and continues to surround this book since 2019, was too much to be left unread.
The Silent Patient was written by Alex Michaelides and released in 2019. Only a few days after its release, readers were already raving about the novel. Three years later, reemerging in early 2022, the book resurfaced as a TikTok recommendation through the sub-genre referred to as BookTok. Due to its popularity, I bought a copy, and after letting the copy sit on my bookshelf for what seemed to be a matter of months, I finally decided to give it a try.
Long story short: I am beyond glad I did.
I will admit, as in most books, the first section was slow, and as I mentioned previously, I began reading the book through an extremely pessimistic lens. So, there were countless times when I almost gave up on the book before the plot truly transformed into the maze of a storyline that Michaelides had created. However, only a few pages into the second section, I was hooked, lined, and sunk, managing to finish the book in its entirety in only a matter of hours.
As detailed in the plot summary, the novel is focused on two main characters, Alicia Berenson, the “silent patient” that the book is referencing, and Theo Faber, her psychotherapist. Michaelides reflects the contrast between these two characters, not only in the plot but also in dialogue and writing style. While Alicia Berenson is not able to speak, the reader is able to examine her inner thoughts through art and diary entries. On the other hand, Theo Faber is able to speak, but his thoughts are selective in terms of what is revealed to the reader. This contrast makes for enticing character and plot development that leaves the reader asking questions and wanting more, all leading up to the shocking conclusion that even I did not expect.
I would love to go on and on and on about how this masterpiece of a book turned me into a thriller fan, having read four thriller novels so far this year, but I want everyone to be given the opportunity to experience the book for themselves.
Overall, The Silent Patient is a 5-star read for me. It has been my favorite book that I have read so far this year, and I have not found another thriller that lives up to it yet.
With that being said:
- If you are a thriller fan…
- If you like to read in general…
- If you do not like to read at all…
READ THIS BOOK.
I am thoroughly convinced that The Silent Patient is a novel for the ages, able to captivate all readers and non-readers alike.
