“We're all crazy, I believe, just in different ways.”
What's a book that you've read because everyone else was reading it? I've been reading a book a week for the last ten years, and every once in a while a title comes along that everyone, from seasoned book reviewers to friends who rarely read, agrees must be read. Over the years those titles have included Gone Girl, Ready Player One, The Hunger Games, The Midnight Library, and countless more. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides has been on that list since it was published in 2019. I tend to wait a bit before reading mega-hyped books, so it isn't uncharacteristic that I've waited this long to read this one. Now that I've read it, I finally see what all the hype is about.
Gabriel's murder was a pretty open and closed case. The evidence against his wife Alicia was insurmountable. Responding officers found her clad in all white, the gun used to put five rounds into Gabriel's face resting at her feet. What went wrong with the happy couple? She was a successful artist, the rare individual whose creativity combined with business savvy to turn her passion into a lucrative career. He was an equally thriving fashion photographer, the perfect match for his talented wife. Despite all of the evidence that Alicia killed her husband, investigators are unable to ascertain one final piece of the puzzle. Why did Alicia murder Gabriel? They can't expect an answer any time soon. Alicia hasn't spoken a word since that night.
Theo is a young psychotherapist trying to find his place in his new job at a secure psychiatric facility. He's intrigued by Alicia, who has been living in the facility ever since she was deemed unfit to stand a fair trial. He hasn't been officially assigned to work with her, but the puzzle of her case is something he is unable to ignore. As he navigates the perils of being the new guy in a place filled with peers who seem more inclined to further their own careers than to actually help their patients, Theo does everything he can to put himself in contact with the facility's most infamous charge. With enough time and access, Theo believes he can be the one to unlock her mind and find out just exactly what happened to bring her to this place.
After reading The Silent Patient for myself, it is easy to see why the book has resonated with so many readers. Michaelides has written the kind of compulsively readable novel that contains all of the elements that I crave in a psychological thriller. His plot is efficient in its simplicity. One character is locked away in her own mind while the other attempts to unlock it. Shifting points of view between the two characters give the reader insight into each one while methodically revealing bits of information that ramp up the suspense and drive the plot forward. Michaelides steers the reader through the labyrinth-like narrative he's constructed, allowing us to attach to his characters while leading us to misdirection after misdirection. It all culminates in a climactic twist that not only shocked me but impressed me with the precision with which it was delivered. The Silent Patient has the goods. It is a complex narrative with a propulsive plot, provocative mystery, and empathetic characters that all come together into an expertly crafted read.
For more information visit Amazon and Goodreads.
(2022, 25)
I still haven't read this one! I put it on my TBR list when everyone else was reading it, but then I kind of forgot about it. Thanks for the reminder. :)
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely worth the read!
DeleteI do remember seeing this everywhere. I will take a look at it.
ReplyDeleteKaren @For What It's Worth
I was surprised at how much I actually enjoyed it!
DeleteExcellent review as always. I am in awe
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI ended up having very mixed feelings about this one. It just did not grab my attention from the start, so I missed some important details and it was just kind of blah. I am glad you liked it though!!
ReplyDeleteI was quite the opposite haha! It's so rare that our opinions don't align. I'll have to search for the next great one that both of us can enjoy!
DeleteThis is one I've seen around a lot but never knew what it was about and I've never given it much thought. It does sound like something I'd like after reading your review. I'll request a library audio!
ReplyDeleteI think it will make a really great listen!
DeleteIt's always great when a hyped book lives up to the hype. I have only read one of the books you mentioned (Gone Girl), but I actually read it soon after it came out after seeing it at the library.
ReplyDeleteYou were ahead of the trend!
DeleteI agree about hyped books -- the mega hyped ones especially. All that usually makes me wait quite a while before I read it, just to see what the reviews are like and if it's worth the hype. This one though, was incredibly good -- I was thoroughly swept up in it!
ReplyDeleteI was happy that this one lived up to the hype! Have you read his other book?
DeleteIt took me a long time (and reading a lot of hyped books) to learn this lesson: if I'm not genuinely interested in a book, and excited to read it, I'm not going to enjoy it no matter how hyped it is. You'd think it'd be obvious but time and time again I'd see blogger friends rave about a book (the latest "it" book making the rounds) and I'd cave and read it - no matter that it had no strong appeal for me. Apparently the lesson still hasn't fully taken but I did it again last month... and DNF'd the book LOL
ReplyDeleteMy husband read this one a year or so ago and I remember him being impressed with the final twist.
I've definitely become more selective with the hyped books I choose to purchase. I'm usually pretty safe picking a thriller, but this one impressed me more than I expected. Glad your husband enjoyed it too!
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