YOUth Review – The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

The Silent Patient tells the story of a woman who committed a horrific act of violence against her own husband, however, it is her behaviour that is so intriguing. Instead of focusing on retelling the crime, the book is centered around the mind of the woman herself. Alicia shot her husband 5 times in the face and then never spoke again, causing her to spend the rest of her life in a forensic unit. Her refusal to explain the seemingly random act compels the public. Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who had been waiting for an opportunity to work with Alicia before he landed a job at her unit. The book is written in a way that is consumed in suspense, mystery, and psychological puzzles. It has you questioning everything written, expecting plot twists, and creating your own answers. However, it is written so smoothly, with the constant building of suspense, that the reader does not need to make their own answers, they are perfectly given. The novel is so intriguing and alluring that plot twists aren’t necessary to hold your interest, but they are certainly given. The main characters both hold a mysterious quality. Theo is incredibly determined to gain an insight into Alicia’s life, however, we do not know much about him, leaving the readers wondering and immersed in his own secrets that are slowly being unveiled. The book catches your interest from the first line and it will maintain your interest until the very end. The pieces of the crime aren’t given all at once, or immediately linked together, which leaves the reader skeptical, however, they all come together creating a surprise in the final twist.

Makenna M.