Silent patient written by Alex Michaelides is the first psychological thriller I have ever read. Hence I am going to be reviewing it like a thriller novice, as it’s my first encounter with psychological warfare that’s unleashed by this book.
Plot Summary
This story essentially revolves around Alicia Berenson and her silence. Alicia is an artist who fortes in painting photorealistic oil paintings, which becomes the reason for her popularity. But one day when the police are called to her house her reason for popularity alters when they find her husband, Gabriel dead. Shot in the head five times by her and with a refusal to speak anything after that.
Six years pass since her refusal to speak, no one has heard one word from her. Sitting in the Grove, a forensic institute, we still don’t know what was the reason she committed such a brutal crime. The only clue is the last painting she painted after killing her husband and her long long silence.
Someone finally takes the dare to solve this mystery, this how our second primary protagonist is introduced. Theo Faber, a psychotherapist with a keen interest in Alicia Berenson. Through Theo we come face to face with many elements in Alicia’s life, that may have been instrumental in the murder.
Review
The book is written in fairly simple language, there is not much medical jargon that might have made this book complex. The two protagonists are well developed. But other than that, secondary characters are not given much attention. As the story majorly revolves around the two primary characters.
The story is an easy read, but it is slow progress. You get to know about Alicia and Theo little by little. The driving force behind the story is essentially the question WHY, why did she kill him. While it is a good motivator to continue the book, it lacks the drama and volume for a perfect ending.
The part I liked the most was the ending because it was a well worthy twist to wait for, but I did get an inkling for the last twist. And hence it lacked the dramatics.
This book also gave me an insight into the world of psychology, it brought forward the inner working of our brain and how it works under absurd circumstances. The importance of past and childhood can clearly be seen in this book. Giving some compelling takeaways as psychology lessons.
Should You Read This Book ?
As a novice, I would definitely suggest giving a one-time read to this book. It is a good book to enter the world of psychological thrillers. Its simple language is definitely suitable for everyone. But if you are looking for a book with adventure and excitement, then maybe this book is not for you. I would give this book 3.5/5 for its interesting plotline and easy to follow plot.
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