The Patient by Jasper DeWitt reminds me of The Outsider by Stephen King SO MUCH. I don't think it's comparable to The Silent Patient at all. That being said, I enjoyed this story and read it in one sitting. Super quick read and at one point I did get goosebumps. It's sort of impossible to put this book down until you're done with it. The only thing I didn't like was that the format of the book is being told through an online forum but I could get past that. look forward to future novels from Dewitt! Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Trigger warnings: animal abuse, rape, mental illness

This book was so chilling and I couldn't put it down! I can see why people say that this book reminds them of "The Silent Patient" but it's very different in terms of the supernatural elements in this book.

The way that the information is presented is innovative and interesting. Thanks for the ARC. I really enjoyed it!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the advance copy. I was really excited to read this although I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I was surprised at the length, for one. I also did not see the ending at all and was left a bit confused thanks to a reference in the acknowledgments. At times towards the beginning, it felt reminiscent of reading The Silent Patient, and I began to expect something similar but was pleasantly surprised when it took a very different turn. There’s still some I don’t understand as far as how much was supposed to be literal vs figurative. Overall, reading this felt like talking with a friend on the phone. Pretty good!

OᐯᗴᖇᐯIᗴᗯ: Through a series of posts on a medical psychiatric forum, Parker H, a young psychiatrist, chronicles his attempts to treat or cure an incurable patient. The patient, Joe, is in his forties and has been in the asylum since he was six years old. All previous attempts to diagnose Joe have been unsuccessful, and the doctors, nurses, and orderlies that come in contact with him often go crazy themselves. Will Parker be the one to cure Joe?

ᗰY TᕼOᑌᘜᕼTᔕ: It was easy to get wrapped up into this supernatural horror story. I wanted to know about this mysterious patient and how he could have such a negative impact on all those around him. I wanted to know if Parker was going to be successful in his attempts or was he going to crack like all the others. It was impossible to stop reading because the characters found a way into my brain. The ending was something I did not see coming. If you are a horror reader, this one is for you!

ᖇᗩTIᑎᘜ: ★★★★

Thank you to Houghton Mifflin and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Patient by Jasper DeWitt was very different and intriguing from the beginning. Written in a form a blog posts from a young psychiatrist, Parker, we follow along Parker's journey as a new doctor at a mental hospital that is underfunded and has lots of types of patients. He is willing to take on the hospital's most challenging and dangerous patient because he wants to be the one to diagnose this patient who has been here for over twenty years. The journey is scary but captivating. It includes violence, horror, and some difficult topics such as rape, abuse and violence.
I liked how it was formatted through blog posts and it was also a very quick read. I felt drawn in from the beginning. The characters were pretty well developed as well. It was different with the horror aspect thrown in and I felt like there were plenty of good plot twists.

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and author Jasper DeWitt for providing me with an ARC of the title The Patient!

This is not The Silent Patient, AT ALL! I know, I had to do a double take as well when I first saw this title. I was like, did they make a new cover for that already!? No. This is a brand spankin’ new book and it’s in a league of its own.

I was completely riveted by this novel. Wow! Dark, supernatural horror is a heck yes from me. The setting, the characters, how this was written… Everything was amazing. I could not put this down and spent many a night up waaaay past my bedtime. Also, the blog post forum style of writing was so unique, it really added another element to this. I can’t recommend enough!!

Thank you again to those named above for the chance to read and review this ARC!

A chilling and dark supernatural horror, which terrified me, and haunted my dreams/nightmares!

A creepy mental asylum,
A fresh faced, over confident psychiatrist,
A supposedly incurable, and dangerous patient
What could go wrong?!

Firstly, this is not like The Silent Patient at all, apart from the setting, its straight up supernatural horror, which is more comparable to Stephen King. If you go into this knowing that, and not expecting a psychological thriller, then you wont be disappointed. I do think this has been marketed wrong, as it was more fantasy horror, and was so creepy!

I really enjoyed the format, where Parker, the narrator posted blog posts on a forum, recounting his disturbing time working with a patient called Joe. Joe had no diagnosis, but had been in the asylum for 35 years, since he was six years old. He has apparently driven everyone who had tried to work with him to madness or suicide, and our narrator talks about his efforts to cure him.

I read The Patient very quickly, and couldn't stop myself turning the pages in horrified fascination! I had to know what had happened to Joe, so kept reading late into the night, and then of course had very bizarre and terrifying dreams! This author's writing style had so much tension, that I could hardly breathe! It was fast paced, and I read it almost obsessively, with my heart racing in fear, and my skin crawling!

I loved the build up, but was less enthused by the ending. This is possibly a me thing though, as I tend to often feel disappointed with the endings of horror books and films. Its almost as if I find the build up so terrifying, that the ending can never live up to my expectations?! I'm not sure that makes sense?! The fear and tension had me gripped throughout, but then I couldn't quite suspend belief enough, and think I built the ending up too much in my mind...I also had a few unanswered questions at the end too.

BUT I was so scared reading it! The setting was so creepy and dreary, it was perfect! I found the story riveting, and couldn't stop turning the pages, and kept looking suspiciously at the shadows!

The Patient was a scary, and quick story, that will stay with me for a while. I can see it as a film/movie! It was a great debut for this author, and I look forward to seeing what else he comes up with! I will definitely be sleeping with the light on tonight though, and will get my husband to check the wardrobes, and under the bed before I close my eyes...😱 😱 😱 😱

Synopsis: Parker is a new psychiatrist at a mental hospital. On his first day he hears about their most challenging patient...Joe. He begins to treat Joe and writes on an online forum about his time with Joe. Joe is now in his 40s, after being dropped off when he was 6 due to an mental illness that not one doctor can accurately diagnose. Parker wants to diagnose and cure Joe. What he doesn't realize is that every other healthcare provider that has tried to treat Joe has become mentally ill themselves, or worse, succumbed to suicide. After his first visit with Joe, Parker is more determined than ever, but with that comes multiple other concerns that have Parker questioning who is really the sane one here?

Review: 4/5. Being in healthcare myself, I really enjoyed this one. I stayed up late reading because I wanted to "diagnose" Joe too. I liked the style of writing as it appeared almost like a diary entry for the online forum. There were moments that were terrifying and moments that full on had your heart racing as you feared for Parker. Other times, you felt for Joe and you wanted him to be ok. What happens will leave the book with you for awhile, especially if you are a healthcare provider like me. It makes you question what you would have done in these situations. I highly recommend this book and really enjoyed it. Jasper Dewitt did a great job in his first book and I can't wait to read more in the future!

First off, I read and really enjoyed The Silent Patient and the ONLY similarity between these two books is a mysterious patient in a pysch ward that a doctor tries to cure...end of similarities, period. My rec is to not pick this book up if you think it will be similar to The Silent Patient.

Now, the Stephen King comparison seems much more applicable and while this story was short and entertaining and kept my interest it just wasn't what I expected at all, mostly because it bordered on horror which is not something I typically read.

I liked the journal entry style story telling but yet also didn't like it. The narrator seemed to try and impress his audience with his big vocabulary and I would have preferred less poetic comparisons and more facts please (the narrator is a medical practitioner after all!) I had an inkling all a long of what was really wrong with Joe and while I wasn't exactly right I wasn't too far off and therefore not surprised by the outcome. Like I said, I enjoyed the narration style and way the style progressed more than the story itself.

While I liked this book, I did have a difficult time with the way in which it was presented. That being said, I found the story of Dr. Parker H. And his patient compelling, and unique.

I enjoyed the casual blog post style writing and at just over 200 pages, I flew through this one quickly! I was hooked from the very beginning, engrossed in the journey of Parker trying to uncover the diagnosis of this peculiar patient. It was creepy and suspenseful. The ending, however, did feel slightly rushed and could be described as a bit far fetched. I was not expecting the direction it took at all - could be more described as horror! Overall, I think this is a spectacular debut for Jasper DeWitt and I am definitely excited to see what he does next!

I really enjoyed the writing style of this book. It drew me in fairly quickly and reads super fast, which was a bonus seeing as it releases July 7th!

Parker, our MC who works at a psychiatric hospital, becomes intrigue with a patient who has been there since childhood, Joe, who no can seem to help or diagnose.

There are some horror and dark elements in the story, which I'm generally not a huge fan of; however, this is a very intriguing and gripping book that draws you in immediately. .

Many thanks to @netgalley and @houghton_mifflin for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Patient is an impressively well crafted creepy mystery that attempts to treat an institutionalized patient in an asylum. The main character, Parker, is a young doctor who is eager to solve the investigation of why this patient, “Joe” has been institutionalized for twenty years and why every attempt at treating him ends horribly wrong for everyone involved.
The slow trickle of information is conveyed to the reader through a blog entry format as Parker, the psychiatrist, explains his experiences with Joe. This is an interesting way to dispel information, which only adds to the suspense and unease as the case unravels. As the reader you are taken on a ride that only increases suspense and disbelief as more is revealed about Joe.
I would recommend this novel to anyone looking for a genuinely creepy story that gets under your skin. It is a slow unraveling mystery that is very unsettling and leaves a strong impact afterwards. As I was reading the novel I was even questioning the validity of the main character’s thoughts, motives and reasoning. This cat and mouse game includes trying to decipher who is the real victim and what is the truth.
This is a excellent psychological thriller that I enjoyed and would recommend to readers who enjoy thought provoking mysteries that leave more questions than answers.
Thank you very much to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I was immediately interested in reading this book once I read the description, being a huge Stephen King fan. I love the format this author used to write this story and felt that it added to the story as a whole. Parker is a young, psychiatrist that works at a psychiatric hospital that has a patient that no one can diagnosis and those who try go crazy themselves. Parker makes it his goal to try to help this young patient and in doing so learns that sometimes the monsters beneath our children's bed are real. This was a good read and had a good combination of suspense and good old fashioned Stephen King level horror.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this advanced copy.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy. A newly graduated Psychologist, Parker, gets a job at a insane ward with an infamous patient. The patient was first admitted as a young boy with night terrors that became so much more, leading to thirty years left in the ward with no answers, except mysterious deaths and violence to anyone who interacts with him. Parker decided he will be the one to get answers and cure him..what follows is his journal writings.
This is actually a really interesting, different take on a horror book (and a fast read) but it feels rushed and un-detailed. It felt like I read a plot highlight for a movie and not a 300 page book..

The Patient is horror writing at its best, right up there with Stephen King for that don’t look behind you feeling. It’s a chilling, fast paced read - you won’t be able to put it down - and it will leave you with that creepy feeling that makes you check the closet doors or look under the bed at night.

Parker is a newly trained psychiatrist who uses connections to secure a position at the Connecticut State Asylum, a looming, decaying Gothic building and perfect setting for what is to follow. He’s fascinated by Joe, a youngish man who has been incarcerated since he was six years old. The staff avoids him and mysterious, frightening and sometimes life threatening occurrences happen around him. Parker discovers that Joe has not been treated for years and that his case files have somehow disappeared. Being an overly confident, ambitious young doctor, Parker decides to psychoanalyze Joe, diagnose and cure him. Job offers will follow and Parker will be on his way to a stellar career.

It is hard to believe this is a first novel! The format is original - Parker tells his story in a series of posts to a Reddit like site. Author Jasper DeWitt slowly builds suspense until an ending that is deliberately vague. I’m looking forward to his next thriller and this time I won’t start reading it at night. 5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Jasper DeWitt for this ARC.I

When I saw this book on the NetGalley website I was intrigued. Normally I reserve my horror reads for the fall time, when the theme seems to fit the weather. Still, a chance at an advanced reader copy for such an interesting story was something I couldn’t resist so I put the request in and was approved. I waited for a day that I felt ready to jump into the horror genre and here we are, talking about a book that took me on a wild ride and that surprised me.

The book follows Parker H. a young psychiatrist, telling the internet through a messageboard about the dreary mental hospital in New England he works at, and about the curious case of a long-term patient there.

The patient, known simply as Joe, seems incurable. Many doctors have tried and no one has succeeded. What began as a child with night terrors ends with a man in a small room in a psych ward for decades. What’s worse, patients, doctors, nurses and orderlies seem to go insane, some driven to suicide.

Parker, being young, cocky and perhaps incredibly stupid decides he will cure Joe. Well, as we all know in our own day to day lives nothing really works out according to plan. While battling his own personal history and coming face-to-face with a patient that defies all the diagnosis, evaluations and even what some would consider the normal ways of the unvierse, slipping to paranormal territory, Parker is not prepared for this as much as he thinks he is.

And Joe? Joe’s just ready to have some fun with his new doctor.

I admit starting this book felt a little slow. While I was interested I guess I didn’t feel connected to Parker as much as I would have liked but as I went through I found myself cheering for him and hoping against the odds that maybe he would actually succeed in his mission or, at the very least, make it out alive. Joe was a perfectly creepy character and while there were parts that I could see were meant to draw sympathy I really can’t even begin to express the level of disgust and negativity that poured out of me, directed at the character by the end of this book.

To make me so completely despise a character that way is truly a wonder. When I finished the last lines of the book I was, in part, glad it was over because it seemed that things would be okay although there was a hazy cloud of negativity that made me think maybe the horror found in these pages wasn’t really over.

Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Jasper DeWitt and NetGalley for the ARC!

Creepy, chilling, and disquieting are there three words I'd choose to describe this book. Really made me want to keep reading, and then made me stop and think for a second at the end. Recommended read!

Joe is a long-time patient of the Connecticut State Asylum. Brought there when he was 6 years old and treated by various doctors throughout the years, he has been seemed incurable. It seems people that have direct contact with Joe tend to end up dead.

Parker is newly hired at the CSA and has heard of Joe. After a time, he manages to gain access to Joe and receives permission to treat him. Will he be the one doctor to figure it out and cure Joe?

The book is written in letter/memo style with Parker posting his experience with Joe on a public forum. I actually enjoyed this style and it made for a quick read. What left me wanting however, was the story behind Joe. For me, the explanation given and the ending itself were unfulfilling. I felt there definitely needed to be a bit more. The story itself is interesting and makes for a good, mildly scary read.

I appreciate the author and NetGalley providing an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thrilling, clever, unique! This novel was a very quick and quite scary story about a man trying to cure a patient with a mysterious death toll in an under funded mental hospital. The form of a reddit thread was clever and turned a potentially tired plot into something new and exciting. There were some surprising twists and the pacing was wonderful. What holds me back from giving a full 5 stars is the treatment of the wife. She felt so one dimensional and I was dissapointed by her storyline.