A review by literarylily
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was an incredibly compelling read. I found myself constantly wanting to pick it up and telling myself "just one more chapter" - I ended up reading it in one day! I liked how the three narratives; Alicia and Theo's therapy sessions, Theo's private life and investigation, and Alicia's diary entries wove together and played off each other throughout the book. I found myself constantly wondering what everything meant, what was true and how it all connected. Ultimately I did figure out the main twist before it happened, but it was quite late in the book so didn't ruin my enjoyment too much.

What I found difficult to understand was why Theo was there in the first place and why he spent so much time talking to Alicia's family and friends. Especially his thorough investigation, it didn't seem to serve any purpose and it was never really explained why he was so invested in it. I do wish there was more substance after the big reveal of Theo being the stalker to explain his motives in going to the Grove and conducting such a thorough investigation, the "I wanted to help her" line felt weak and honestly like a lie to the reader. But still, it's a four star read for me so I had a good time reading it, just confused by Theo's motives at the end there.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings