Living With B

Alicia Berenson, a celebrated painter, seemingly has a perfect life — until she shoots her husband and falls silent, refusing to explain. Her silence transforms her into a public mystery, and she is confined to a secure psychiatric facility. Theo Faber, a determined psychotherapist, is obsessed with uncovering the truth behind her crime, leading him into a dark and twisting journey of his own.

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my thoughts

I’ve seen The Silent Patient praised almost everywhere, it even won a Goodread’s Reader Awards, so naturally I was excited to finally dive in. I’ve always loved psychological thrillers, and I was hoping this popular novel would pull me out of a slump.

The good news? It did bring me out of my slump.

The bad news? I’m a little nervous it might push me right back in because, honestly, The Silent Patient didn’t live up to the hype for me.

What The Silent Patient Does Well

There’s no denying that Alex Michaelides knows how to keep readers engaged. From the first chapter to the last, I was invested. The writing style is clean and immersive, the plot moves at a steady pace, and the main characters felt fleshed out enough to hold my attention.

The twist was solid, too, and I can see how people were surprised by it. While I wasn’t completely blindsided, it gave a bit more insight to Alicia and why she is currently silent.

Alicia’s character had a ton of potential, especially regarding her struggles with mental health, and Theo’s obsession was interesting to follow.

Why The Silent Patient Misses the Mark as a Psychological Thriller

Despite being marketed as a psychological thriller, The Silent Patient reads more like a character-driven mystery. Sure, it flirts with psychological themes like obsession, betrayal, and trauma — but it never digs deep enough to earn its place alongside true psychological thrillers.

The story remained very surface-level. Instead of embracing the raw, haunting psychological depth that defines the genre, it kept things safe and easily digestible.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing — but if you’re looking for a book that leaves you unsettled and questioning everything (the way the best psychological thriller books do), The Silent Patient probably isn’t it.

It felt like Michaelides had the bones of a dark, powerful story but held back from fully exploring the uncomfortable and messy emotions that could have made it unforgettable.

Final Thoughts: Is The Silent Patient Worth Reading?

If you’re new to psychological thrillers, The Silent Patient could be a great introduction to the genre. It’s fast-paced, engaging, and easy to follow.

However, if you’re already well-versed in darker, more intense psychological thrillers, you might find this book too shallow to be satisfying — more of a palate cleanser than a truly memorable experience.

If you enjoy character-driven mysteries with a twist (but without too much emotional heaviness), then yes, The Silent Patient is worth reading.

But if you’re craving a deeply disturbing, psychologically rich thriller that trusts the reader to handle the dark parts — you might want to look elsewhere.

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