Cover Image: The Silent Patient

The Silent Patient

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Member Reviews

I received this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

WOW! Just Wow! I am simply astonished with how amazing this story was! I feel like I just finished listening to a perfectly composed symphony and I am standing amidst hundreds of pleased audience members clapping my hands until they go numb. I have read my fair share of psych-thrillers and this is by far my new number one! This novel could go toe to toe with Gone Girl or Girl on a Train and win by way of knock out.

"Why? Why does she not speak?"

This novel starts out a little differently due to the fact that you know the protagonist (maybe that's not the best word to describe her), or better yet the main character IS guilty of murdering her husband. No question, end of story...or is it? The novel proceeds through the perspective of her psychotherapist Theo. He has taken an invested interest in her (Alicia's) case and his main goal is to get her to speak and tell her story. As events progress it is clear that this story may not be as simple and straight-forward as it sounds. I do not wish to reveal more than that about The Silent Patient because I believe this novel is best read with as few details known as possible.

I simply loved the way Alex Michaelides wove this tale, like a perfectly woven spider's web. And the twist, THE TWIST, simply blew me away. I literally shouted, "No way!" aloud when I discovered it.

Needless to say, this is by far my favorite book of the year, and as I mentioned earlier, my new favorite psych-thriller of all time. Since my completion of this novel a few days ago, I have already been singing its praises at my bookstore and have convinced a number of people to pick it up.

Also posted on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit/40396699

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I found myself completely immersed in this title. Strong character development and expertly plot design and execution.

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I really liked this book. It has some twists and turns that will have your head spinning. I couldn't put it down. It surprised me to learn this is Alex Michaelides first novel. Alicia is put in prison for killing her husband. She begins psychological counseling because she won't speak. The doctor is determined to find out what happened. Quite the thriller. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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This book started really well. The story centers around a patient at a mental prison who refuses to speak after being convicted of murdering her husband. The main character is actually her psychotherapist tries to break her silence. Throughout the book you get to read the patient's diary written before the murder and you also read about the psychotherapist's childhood and life. I have to admit I was a little disappointed with the end and was going to give the book 3 stars but then I spent a good amount of time thinking about the ending and decided it was actually quite good, hence the 4 stars. Definitely a page-turner!

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This is a book I tell all of my thriller loving customers about. The book hooked me from the first page and wow! Kept me guessing and the twist! Double wow! This author is now on my watch list and I can't wait to see what is next on the horizon.

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Wow. A page turner to say the least. We have Theo, a psychotherapist and Alicia an artist. They both narrate the book. But with one narrator, you’re not quite getting the full story. It’s amazing.
There is murder and jealousy and love and cheating and a whole host of other “crazy” characters, that you love and hate. Very easy reading. I flew through it. There were several times where I said “Holy Shit” out loud while reading it...I always consider that a good book! I didn’t see the twists and turns coming....which also makes a great book. Was it the most realistic book? No. But it was beyond entertaining.
I highly recommend reading this book!

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Loved the unique storyline. The telling of the story was perfect. I didn't suspect the ending at all. I liked the setting and character development as well. No loose ends that I can remember. A very good, entertaining read!

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This title is on a lot of lists and will most likely be on the best of the year lists. Its was well-written and keeps you turning pages. Good thriller.

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Phenomenal read. Couldn’t put it down! The ending really surprised me in that I never saw it coming!

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The Silent Patient is a fast paced thrill ride! I found it to be interesting from a psychological perspective and was surprised by some of the twists and turns. I don’t want to say too much and give anything away. Read it and you’ll know what I mean.

*Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

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Hmmmm. This one was solid, but not very suspenseful. It was almost more a mystery, but with very little investigation. The focus is more on therapist Theo and his determination to uncover the secret to patient (and convicted murderer) Alicia's silence. So it's fairly introspective and protracted. I saw the big twist coming only a few paragraphs before it happened, and it was definitely a good one, but by the time it arrived it felt overdue. So I'm not quite sure about my overall feelings here, as I enjoyed it as I was reading it but it left me wanting something more when I finished. Not a bad debut, and I would try another book by Michaelides.

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My counseling master’s generally makes me generally wary of books with a protagonist who is a mental health professional but this one totally worked for me! Alicia Berenson is a famous painter who is married to a well respected fashion photographer. The book opens with her standing over the body of her dead husband- all signs point to her being responsible, and since she refuses to speak, people have no choice but to think she did it. Theo is a psychotherapist who has become obsessed with her case, feeling like he’s the one that is going to be able to get to the bottom of what happened. I really enjoyed the author’s writing style and the story read really authentic- no wild plot twists here, just a solid example of psychological suspense. This goes on my favorites list!

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Rather a ho hum book until the “reveal” at the end. I felt the protagonist was written by a twelve year old. In fact, the whole book was written with little nuance or depth.

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Oh but I do love it when a novel turns all my pre-conceived interpretations upside-down and provides a completely unexpected and shocking ending. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is that psychological thriller. Alicia Berenson is a famous artist married to Gabriel, a fashion photographer. All seems well until Gabriel arrives home late one night and Alicia shoots him in the face five times. She is found at the scene, having attempted to slit her wrists. She will never speak again. Having been found too unstable to go to prison, she is remanded to a secure forensic unit where she is heavily drugged. And that is where Theo Faber, a criminal psychotherapist, with dysfunction in his early years, attempts to get to the bottom of Alicia's own dysfunction and the truth about her husband's murder. The rest you must read for yourself. You will not regret picking up this novel. Highly recommended. Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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One of my favorite books this year. I love this psychological thriller. It was about as much fun to read as The Wife Between Us. Lots of twists and turns and dark secrets, enough to keep the reader satisfied. Will definitely recommend to my customers who love a good intellectual thriller. The hype on this is real.

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While I see why this book will be popular for those who love thrillers and suspenseful "whys"-- I find this book to be just ordinary. I didn't like the trope of a woman lashing out at someone who had been hurting her and then never speaking again. I didn't appreciate the idea that a woman would finally become free only to lose her voice/self.

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Silent Patient is a spellbinding whipsaw of a thrill ride where you won’t see the end coming!

Alicia kills her husband who she appeared to be head-over-heels in love with. She is arrested, tried, found guilty and taken to a mental health facility. Throughout the ordeal, Alicia refuses to discuss her motive or to talk at all for six years.

Her therapist, Theo, tries to break through Alicia’s silence. His story is told within the Silent Patient. Alicia’s diary entries are also provided. I enjoyed Alicia’s viewpoint the best. However, the shocking ending is the best part of this tale. This psychological thriller is highly recommended for domestic thriller fans. 5 stars!

Thanks to Celadon Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

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An original and propulsive thriller. Despite the huge number of thrillers I read, I wasn't able to guess the twist to this one until it happened.

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I really enjoyed this novel, it kept me guessing until the end! Definitely will recommend this book to fans of thrillers and suspense.

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This was unputdownable and absolutely thrilling. It is so well written and interesting, it is hard to believe it was written by a debut author. I cannot wait for what else is produced by this writer.

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