The Silent Patient

(Spoilers!) This book had me and… wow, was not expecting that ending. Not like any book I’ve ever read, but maybe I just need to read more. Very interesting to be reading from the perspective of the perpetrator and the victim simultaneously throughout the story…but you don’t know which is which until the very end. As soon as Theo began crossing some confidentiality boundaries and doing some of his own digging, the answers to what really happened to Alicia seemed to always be just out of reach. As I was reading I really felt like the lead up was taking forever, I got a little bored with so much ground being laid for a story that seemed to have all the dots connected already, until I realized I was an idiot because Theo and Alicia were living in a world where they were the only two people in the world that could make sense of the whole story, yet the readers don’t get to fully experience the weight of each of Alicia’s experiences described until the last few pages of the book. It’s much easier to not believe a person’s narrative when they’re deemed clinically psychotic and schizophrenic, but it makes you feel even more horrible when you find out they were telling the truth all along and just in redoble misunderstood. I’m ultimately amazed by Theo’s character. We get the story from his perspective 70% of the time. He lets us in on all the facts. He reveals new knowledge of Alicia’s life as if he is discovering her for the first time step by step. You also get to experience the depth of all of his immediate emotions throughout his relationship with Kathy(only to find out he stays with her in the end..? What?) You get to feel all of his emotions with him as he continues to discover more and more secrets about Alicia and Kathy, trying to make sense of these women independently until you realize that they’re completely connected and intertwined. And the only reason why they’re intertwined is because of Theo…which makes you hate him a little while also having complete understanding for the acceleration of his actions. Anyways, yeah, great story, incredible character development. Obviously can’t read this one again, absolutely would not hit the same a second time. But very well done.

Why is there so much hype around this?! It was so slow and only got slightly exciting towards the very end.

Could not put this book down, a real page turner.

…….. a tapestry of deception. Excellent mystery

First book I have read in years and the first chapters caught my attention immediately. The twists were 10/10

This is flat out the best book I’ve read yet.

Everyone raved about the crazy plot twist and so I persevered through the book thinking it would get better but it is truly the slowest book I’ve ever read. The crazy twist which wasn’t that crazy in my opinion happens in the last chapter which didn’t make the book any better. I struggled to finish this book.

Really good book, couldn’t put it down

'everything about this book was well done. All details that were had written meaning.

This book had a few plot holes and a number of instances where the reader is asked to take a leap of faith - woefully disappointing particularly considering the hype.

Amazing read!!

Good read, loved the story. The ending is rough.. only because I wish there was more to it but overall I enjoyed his book.

The Silent Patient provided me with a story that is not only extremely well written, but chilling to the bone. The short chapters made me continue reading long into the night, with my excuse being “one more won’t take that long.” I thought the dynamic between Alicia and Theo was extremely interesting to pursue, despite one of the characters not uttering a word. The only gripe I can think of is the lack of a specified timeline, never indicating the book takes place in chronological order, which was no doubt intentional.

This book is unique. I loved the twist towards the end. It was surprisingly unexpected. I used to see this book all the time and I remember when it was popular. It took me awhile to pick it and I’m glad I did. It was thrilling and there were so many great quotes on human behavior. The only thing I didn’t like was the ending. I didn’t like not knowing what happened to Theo or Alicia. It felt incomplete.

Great read! Excellent mystery full of twists. I enjoy a novel that is unpredictable.

Don’t get all the hype. Yeah, interesting plot twist, but it became rather predictable and lost credibility when Theo learned what his wife was up to. I hoped for a more delicious read given the ratings.

Literally love this book and the plot twist had me shook honey🤧

Loveeeed

I didn’t see Alicia as borderline, myself, but apart from that, this book was legit.