Fiction Review - The Silent Patient

ALICIA

Alicia Berenson writes a diary as a release, an outlet - and to prove to her beloved husband that everything is fine. She can't bear the thought of worrying Gabriel, or causing him pain.

Until, late one evening, Alicia shoots Gabriel five times and then never speaks another word.

THEO

Forensic psychotherapist Theo Faber is convinced he can successfully treat Alicia, where all others have failed. Obsessed with investigating her crime, his discoveries suggest Alicia's silence goes far deeper than he first thought.

And if she speaks, would he want to hear the truth?

Fiction Review: 

The Silent Patient – by Alex Michaelides

“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.” 

I cannot begin to express how clever this book is. It first started off with a creepy main character (Theo), and his infatuation with curing his patient, Alicia, who has not spoken once since she shot dead her husband. This made me, as the reader, a little uncomfortable, but I am glad I decided not to put this book down.

Written in first person by Theo and through diary entries by Alicia, this immediately rang bells in my head – I already know that 1st person narratives are never to be trusted (which is what makes it so great). Thus I really did want to carry on reading and find out what the big reveal would be – and I was rewarded with an exceptional final quarter of the book where the whole twist came down through tasteful writing. The tension was built up slowly (some could argue a bit too slow), exploring both Theo’s and Alicia’s separate lives and minds.

The plot is very mind-boggling – as we end up going back in time, sometimes without realising it, weaving together both Theo’s and Alicia’s lives in unexpected ways. Each character in the book has apt significance – although sometimes their dialogue may be a little wooden – but their roles revolved around our seemingly innocent protagonists and we end up questioning who the ‘bad guys’ really are. There were at times subtle hints as to how things would play out, and perhaps those with sharper minds may get there quicker than I did.

I really loved Theo’s own exploration of his relationship with his girlfriend Kathy (see quote in bold above) – and his ability to pause and asses his situation and the meaning of it all. At first, I was confused why Kathy was such a big part of the book (indirectly, more than directly), but her significance was revealed later. The quote above really stood out to me – I think it’s a perfect way of describing ‘love’. These clever and wise notes by Theo make us believe that our main character is wise and all-knowing, yet at the same time it shows he is too clever, too composed – and this should say something else about his true character. I had always wondered about the point of the by-line ‘Only I can make her speak.’ This arrogance at first frustrated me – although I knew there would be a viable reason for that. When you get the end, you will understand how everything connects back to the beginning.

The quality of writing is excellent throughout the book – together tied in with the twist and mysterious element to the plot. I finally understood that this was Theo’s journey into understanding who Alicia really was as a person, in order for him to appease his own being. I can say no more, except this is a book you really should have on your TBR list this year.

Originality ♥♥♥♥

Quality of writing ♥♥♥♥♥

Plot ♥♥♥♥

Setting ♥♥♥

Character ♥♥♥♥

Overall ♥♥♥♥

Thank you to the publisher, Orion, for sending an ARC in return for an honest review.

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Note: I received an ARC of The Silent Patient from the publisher - this is my honest review.