Name: Ritik Sahni's review of The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Item: The Silent Patient
Rating: 4
Author: Ritik Sahni

Alex Michaelides

The instant #1 New York Times bestseller "An unforgettable—and Hollywood-bound—new thriller... A mix of Hitchcockian suspense, Agatha Christie plotting, and Greek tragedy." —Entertainment Weekly The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband—and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive. Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word. Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London. Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations—a search for the truth that threatens to consume him....

The Silent Patient

Clara Gauthier

I wanted to be fused with him. I wanted to climb inside him and disappear. 

Fasil Butt

We are drawn to this profession because we are damaged - we study psychology to heal ourselves.

Angelica Garcia

Maria

One of the greatest things to admit is that we weren't loved when we needed it the most. It's a terrible feeling, the pain of not being loved. 

“One of the hardest things to admit is that we weren’t loved when we needed it most.” 

Hannah Nugent

"About love. About how we often mistake love for fireworks for drama and dysfunction. But real love is very quiet, very still. It's boring, if seen from the perspective of high drama. Love is deep and calm-and constant. I imagine you do give Kathy love - in the true sense of the word. Whether or not she is capable of giving it back to you is another question.”

The development of our personalities doesn't take place in isolation, but in relationship with another-we are shaped and completed by unseen, unremembered forces; namely our parents.

Sàrah Cearfoss

Kathy and I first got together: “Choosing a lover is a lot like choosing a therapist. We need to ask ourselves, is this someone who will be honest with me, listen to criticism, admit making mistakes, and not promise the impossible?” I told all this to Kathy at the time, and she suggested we make a pact. We swore never to lie to each other. Never pretend. Always be truthful.

🌱

Theo, one of the hardest things to admit is that we weren’t loved when we needed it most. It’s a terrible feeling, the pain of not being loved.”

She was right. I had been groping for the right words to express that murky feeling of betrayal inside, the horrible hollow ache, and to hear Ruth say it—“the pain of not being loved”—I saw how it pervaded my entire consciousness and was at once the story of my past, present, and future.

"What better way for me to prove that my father was correct—that I’m worthless and unlovable—than by pursuing someone who will never love me?"

“The real motivation was purely selfish. I was on a quest to help myself. I believe the same is true for most people who go into mental health. We are drawn to this profession because we are damaged—we study psychology to heal ourselves”

I lay there listening to the fan. I like the sound it makes, a gentle whirring. I can shut my eyes and tune in to it and disappear.

Maria M

Why didn’t you come to me, I wanted to say. Why didn’t you talk to me? I was your best friend. If you had just said one word, we could have worked through it. Why didn’t you talk to me? I’m here. 

Remember, love that doesn’t include honesty doesn’t deserve to be called love.

Aimee :)

That's the truth. I didn't kill Gabriel. He killed me.

I remained silent. How could I talk? Gabriel had sentenced me to death.

She ended the call and switched on an electric fan. She stood in front of the fan, her hair blowing in the breeze. She picked up a paintbrush, and approached a canvas on an easel. She stood with her back to me. Then she caught sight of my reflection in the window. I think she saw my knife first. She stiffened and slowly turned round. Her eyes were wide with fear. We stared at each other in silence.

This was the first time I came face to face with Alicia

A pinprick along the vein - a tiny hole left by a hypodermic needle - revealing the truth: Alicia didn't swallow a bottle of pills in a suicidal gesture. She was injected with a massive dose of morphine. This wasn't an overdose.

So I wasn't the only one being betrayed. He had returned home, after kissing my wife, and ate the meal this woman had prepared for him, as if nothing had happened. I knew I couldnt leave it here - I had to do something, But what? Despite my best homicidal fantasies, I wasn't a murderer. I couldn't kill him.

I'd have to think of something cleverer than that.

I passed a house with a rock garden and succulent plants. I acted without thinking - my body seemed to move on its own.

My arm reached over the low wall into the garden, and picked up a rock. I could feel its weight in my hands. My hands knew what to do: they had decided to kill him; crack open the worthless scumbag's skull. I went along with this, in a mindless trance, creeping after him, silently gaining ground, getting nearer. Soon I was close enough. I raised the rock, preparing to smash it down on him with all my strength. I'd knock him to the ground and bash his brains out. I was so close; if he weren't still talking on his phone, he'd have heard me.

As you will see, it's an incredible story - of that there is no doubt.

Whether you believe it or not is up to you.

‘What do I want?' I said. 'I want you to keep talking.... Talk - talk to me, Alicia -‘

Alicia stared at me. She was thinking about something. She came to a decision. She slowly nodded.

‘I’m going to see Alicia, I need some answers."

‘From Alicia?' Christian looked startled. ‘And how do you intend to get them?"

I couldn't tell if I were depicted in the act of rescuing Alicia - or about to throw her in the flames.

It was a small movement. Tiny, really. Nonetheless, it spoke

Ritik Sahni

WITH OVER A MILLION COPIES SOLD, read the Sunday Times and No.1 New York Times bestselling, record-breaking thriller that everyone is talking about - soon to be a major film. 'The perfect thriller' AJ FINN 'Terrific' - THE TIMES Crime Book of the Month 'Smart, sophisticated suspense' - LEE CHILD 'Compelling' - OBSERVER 'Absolutely brilliant' - STEPHEN FRY 'A totally original psychological mystery' - DAVID BALDACCI 'One of the best thrillers I've read this year' - CARA HUNTER 'The pace and finesse of a master' - BBC CULTURE Alicia Berenson lived a seemingly perfect life until one day six years ago. When she shot her husband in the head five times. Since then she hasn't spoken a single word. It's time to find out why. THE SILENT PATIENT is the gripping must-read debut thriller of 2020 - perfect for fans of THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW by A.J. Finn and THE GIRL BEFORE by JP Delaney.

The Richard and Judy bookclub pick and Sunday Times Bestseller

Fantastic phenomenal the description of her eyes is beautiful. I lowk kinda guessed what was happening but I still enjoyed. I’m confused about the connection to the snow. Also the british man doing an American girl accent is epic.

Angeleeka

**THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER** "An unforgettable—and Hollywood-bound—new thriller... A mix of Hitchcockian suspense, Agatha Christie plotting, and Greek tragedy." —Entertainment Weekly The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband—and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive. Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word. Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London. Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations—a search for the truth that threatens to consume him....

this was one of my favorite reading experiences ever. i was as in a reading slump & i ate this up. genuinely incredible idk why i loved reading it so much. i loved the pace and the ending was saur good. 

nina 

ok tapi sinting ni org yh overall masih oke buat gwejh cukup kaget dan menebak-nebak

maye

I went into this trying to see what was all the hype about and not really convinced at first. And it isn't until almost the very end that the plot thickens and the plot twists are unexpected. There's some scenes I felt were unnecessary, but overall, a really good book.

Tsu 💙

Thea Lee

Natalie 

Tbh I wasn’t expecting that plot twist that definitely gave it an extra star. Easy to read but I don’t think I was that attached to the characters and the timeline is a bit confusing once the plot twist unravels. 

Rose Donovan

A real page turner with a plot twist worthy of Patricia Wentworth and Agatha Christie. I highly recommend to any mystery and thriller enthousiast. 

Júlia Dinis

This book is poignant, precise with just enough detail and suspense with an amazing twist. Enjoyed it to bits. Superb. This book is what made me love Michaelides and i started The Fury then put it down but had a "what the heck it's Michaelides" moment so i read it again and i am so glad i did because that was a good one too!

Danielle Naurayan

After reading number of books and watching countless movies in Mystery/Thriller genre, it has become easier to see the twist in the tale or figure out the mystery in the story before the author lets you in on it. However, this book proved all my guesses and predictions wrong. 

The story is simple, told sharply in small chapters making it an easy read. 

It’s also fascinating to know that this is a debut book from the author. Really excited to see what he has in store for us in future.

Adwait Kulkarni

After reading number of books and watching countless movies in Mystery/Thriller genre, it has become easier to see the twist in the tale or figure out the mystery in the story before the author lets you in on it. However, this book proved all my guesses and predictions wrong. 
The story is simple, told sharply in small chapters making it an easy read. 
It’s also fascinating to know that this is a debut book from the author. Really excited to see what he has in store for us in future.

This book was hard to get through but the twist was worth it 

ness

what a miserable waste of time. i'm honestly very irritated with myself for reading it 

rory

This was so interesting to read as a therapist. I thought the countertranference was super obvious for most of the book, but it was definitely not quite in the way I was expecting. I wouldn’t say the twist was COMPLETELY shocking, but it was still pretty good. Love a good mystery, especially when the writing itself is purposefully misleading!

Emilee Keawe Oldroyd

This was the first thriller book of mine. I really enjoyed it when the plot twist hit—it was just wow. I would love to see a movie about it.

prachi priyadarshini

Great reminder not to be so trusting of people. 

soph 

Arden Stirling

i just finished it and i'm not lying when i say that i literally stared at the wall for half an hour to recover from what i read. my jaw actually dropped and i couldn't believe my eyes.

victor

i got this book recommended to me a lot when i asked for recommendations for psychological thrillers. i know this is a well loved book. and yet i hated every second of it. slowly i realized that theo was an unreliable narrator as the book went on, and though it was a page-turner, at the same time, i was incredibly bored?

i wanted to see this book through and so i did. i found the writing to be lackluster and the plot twist to be sure, shocking, but also made no sense? everything felt all over the place and not cohesive for me. maybe i’m just not seeing the beauty in this book, but i did not find it to be a read that was intellectually stimulating for me.

Tara Bounkeovisane

i got this book recommended to me a lot when i asked for recommendations for psychological thrillers. i know this is a well loved book. and yet i hated every second of it. slowly i realized that theo was an unreliable narrator as the book went on, and though it was a page-turner, at the same time, i was incredibly bored?

i wanted to see this book through and so i did. i found the writing to be lackluster and the plot twist to be sure, shocking, but also made no sense? everything felt all over the place and not cohesive for me. maybe i’m just not seeing the beauty in this book, but i did not find it to be a read that was intellectually stimulating for me.

One of the most mind-blowing twists I‘ve ever read. Highly recommend it ! 

Helen 

Seems like a popular plot twist in a few thrilled books I’ve read lately.

Megan Lown

Silent Patient

4.75 stars. I fucking loved this. I was having a moo reader's slump and this was the only book worth reading!!

Tali ⋆.˚🦋༘⋆

huge page turner with a thrilling twist! 

Siri 

I enjoyed reading this. The ending felt a little rushed & predictable.

Ritik Sahni &
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

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Ritik Sahni &The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

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Ritik Sahni &
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides