The Silent Patient Book Review by Alex Michaelides

I’m a big fan of thriller and mystery novels, so The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides has been on my list for a while now. I recently listened to the audiobook and found it to be a very exciting story that was unlike anything I’ve read before. Keeping reading my The Silent Patient book review for all my thoughts about this gripping psychological thriller novel.

And if you enjoyed today’s book review, you can read more of my thriller recommendations here.

Trigger Warnings: This story does feature many dark themes including: Death, Murder of a loved one, self harm, drug use, domestic tragedy, and mental illness.

What is The Silent Patient about?

The Silent Patient is the story of a a famous painter named Alicia Berenson. She lives a peaceful life with her husband Gabriel (an in-demand fashion photographer) in North London. She’s a painter and he’s a fashion photographer. The two seem like the perfect pair, until one night when a tragedy occurs. Her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot and Alicia fatally shoots him. After that, she never speaks again.

Alicia’s refusal to speak is unusual but she is not interesting in giving any kind of explanation for what happened that night. Alicia’s case is one that fascinates the world. She is placed in a psychiatric hospital and Alicia’s silence just encourages public imagination. The price of her art skyrockets because people are so curious about what really happened in that grand house. What would cause the young artist to kill her husband?

Enter forensic psychotherapist Theo Faber. When he begins working at The Grove (the psychiatric facility where Alicia lives) he is fascinated by the famous painter. Alicia Berenson’s life and story are very interesting t him. Although he’s a newer employee at The Grove, he’s desperate to show his new boss what he can do. He offers to start meeting with Alicia for individual therapy sessions to see if he can help.

But while Theo just wants to help her and learn Alicia’s story, the main character is either not capable or not willing to help him out.

The Silent Patient is the story of a criminal psychotherapist who will do whatever it takes to get the entire story. Even if what started out as a mild interest soon becomes an obsession.

Who is author Alex Michaelides?

Alex Michaelides is the author of The Silent Patient, as well as The Maidens and The Fury. The Silent Patient is his first novel and according to Wikipedia it won the Goodreads Choice Award 2019 in the Mystery and Thriller category. It’s so cool that he won for his first book! I’ve read through a ton of book reviews on Goodreads. The Silent Patient has a 4.18 score and most of the reviews appear to be good.

My Thoughts

I was a little hesitant to dive into such a dark story. But the book summary intrigued me. I had to know why Alicia stopped talking after her husband’s death. Was it an accident? Or maybe it self defense? What if it was revenge? There were so many different reasons why Alicia could have killed Gabriel and I wanted to know why.

I had a weird feeling about Theo from the beginning, but I think it’s because of how interested he was in trying to help Alicia. At times it felt like he was TOO interested in her, if you know what I mean. And other characters pointed that out! But I think some doctors are just like that. Take Dr. House, from the TV show House. His team is always faced with weird cases that they are determined to solve.

I knew from reading reviews beforehand on Goodreads that there was going to be a big twist in this story. And there was. I did my best to try to figure it out before hand, but sadly I did not. There were too many red herrings that kept me at bay. But I am glad that I didn’t see the end of the book coming. As I neared the end, I was hanging on the edge of my seat and couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next. In a lot of thrillers you may be disappointed by the ending, but not this one! The big reveal of the plot twist is absolutely worth it.

Is Alicia Berenson Relatable?

It is hard to say at the beginning of the book, because Alicia is silent. The trauma of Gabriel’s death has apparently taken a toll on her. I assumed her silence was either from guilt or from shock.

When Theo convinces his boss Dr. Lazarus Diomedes to let him start working with Alicia one on one, it takes a long time before he is able to see the real her come through. She is so drugged up while in the secure forensic unit that she barely has a personality at first. But Theo takes a big risk in requesting for her to be taken off the drugs that keep her calm. 

Female characters are often misunderstood in the presence of criminal activity so this was not surprising to me. I don’t think people took her seriously because she seemed to have it all in the beginning. A great marriage, a home in one of London’s most desirable areas, and a successful art career. But as the story progressed and we learned more about Alicia’s life through her journal entries, it was very surprising to me the truth.

But then there’s the mental health aspect of this story. Unreliable narrators are often a feature in thriller novels and you wonder who you can trust. Alicia? Theo? Alicia’s diary? The side characters at the mental institution?

Theo’s Perspective

Theo is an interesting character because he has his own motivations for wanting to work with Alicia. He grew up in a not so savory home and so to him, Alicia is not just a psychiatric patient who did something bad. She’s a misunderstood person who also had a tough childhood and may have more to say, even if at first she won’t speak a single word.

How scary is The Silent Patient?

The Silent Patient is not scary, but it is creepy at times. Alicia’s character is going through a lot and her reactions to things can be jarring.

Does The Silent Patient have Inappropriate Scenes?

That is up to interpretation. I wouldn’t say that the Silent Patient has inappropriate scenes, but it does feature some dark subjects so make sure read my trigger warning at the beginning of this review if you are concerned.

Can a 12 Year Old read The Silent Patient?

I would not recommend it for the average 12 year old. Books with darker topics like this one may be more suitable for older audiences. But there are always exceptions so if you are looking for a book to give to your 12 year old, make sure you read the trigger warnings first.

What is The Main Message of The Silent Patient?

I think the main message of The Silent Patient is that everyone is flawed and to trust no one until they have proven themselves. Many of my favorite thrillers feature unreliable narrators which helps to move along the story but makes the mystery harder to solve. You can’t just listen to one side of the story. You have to take in every point of view.

Is The Silent Patient worth The Read?

Yes, The Silent Patient is worth the read. It’s a story that kept me on the edge of my seat for the entire book. I loved the story telling aspect of Alicia having a secret diary where she wrote down her thoughts before her husband was murdered. Her diary entries really added a lot to the story as Theo worked to uncover the truth.

In Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed my review of The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides! I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy such a dark thriller, but by the end of this book I was as desperate to uncover the truth as Theo Faber. A lot of psychological thrillers will lead you straight to the ending, but The Silent Patient has twists and turns so you’ll have no idea where this story is headed.

But wait, there’s more!

If you enjoyed today’s review you can read more of my book discussions here. And make sure you check out my thriller reviews here!