The Silent Patient in G.N.A. Publishing░N░e░w░ ░A░u░t░h░o░r░s░

Jan 11, 2020 Pat rated it really liked it

So that's what all the fuss was about! At least I'm not out on a limb all on my own with this one. I did actually really enjoy it. The author did an excellent job hooking the reader in right at the beginning. No synopsis from me, there are plenty of reviews that cover that better than I could.

It was one of the most addictive books I've read for a while. Naturally, and having the sneaky suspicious mind that I do, I thought things would not be as clear cut as at first they seemed. There had to be ...more

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Mar 12, 2023 Taylor rated it it was ok · review of another edition

The Silent Patient is an addictive and mediocre mess that has a lot of flaws; especially when it comes to Michaelides trying to deliver a final twist, but I ultimately really enjoyed the ride! :)

My rating/score: 2 out of 5 stars on Goodreads' rating system / 4 out of 10 on my own personal scoring system. ...more

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Jun 15, 2020 Gregory Williams rated it liked it

Shelves: thriller

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 17, 2019 Kimberly rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: book-of-the-month-club-selections

Stunning debut!

I can’t believe this was author’s first novel. It was spectacular. So many twists and turns that I didn’t see coming and an ending that blew my mind.

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Jan 01, 2020 Kim rated it it was amazing

My podcast partner for Books Don’t Review Themselves, Jessica, has been raving about The Silent Patient for a few months now, and it was on my TBR pile, so I decided it was time to finally read it. I can see why Jessica kept talking about The Silent Patient. I kept turning the pages in anticipation of what was going to happen next, and that ending!

Besides the ending, which I did not see coming, the rest of the book is interesting too. Especially its view of mental health and the gaslighting of ...more

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Apr 21, 2020 Pam Carmichael rated it it was ok

Shelves: mystries

I have to be honest, I really did't care for this book, the story got boring, same stuff over and over and the ending was not to me real. It was just okay.
...more

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May 07, 2019 Elizabeth Horton-Newton rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Once I began reading this book, I was trapped in Alex Michaelides psychological thriller, “The Silent Patient”. It is beyond engrossing, it’s tantalizing.
Alicia Berenson is a happily married artist making a name in the highly competitive art field and her husband, Gabriel, is a prominent fashion photographer. On the surface everything seems perfect, until Alicia murders Gabriel. Not only does she shoot him, she shoots him in the face five times. I had to know what drove a seemingly sweet woman Once I began reading this book, I was trapped in Alex Michaelides psychological thriller, “The Silent Patient”. It is beyond engrossing, it’s tantalizing.
Alicia Berenson is a happily married artist making a name in the highly competitive art field and her husband, Gabriel, is a prominent fashion photographer. On the surface everything seems perfect, until Alicia murders Gabriel. Not only does she shoot him, she shoots him in the face five times. I had to know what drove a seemingly sweet woman to viciously kill the man she loved.
The book begins with an entry from Alicia’s diary and some of the story is told this way. It’s a brilliant device providing insight into the woman’s mind. She writes lovingly about her husband and her difficulties in working on paintings for an upcoming exhibit. Alicia reveals other things as well. Once she has been arrested for the killing, she never speaks another word. However, her last painting, post murder, is a self-portrait which she names Alcestis. Alcestis is named for the heroine of a Greek myth who willingly sacrificed herself for her husband. What is the connection between the myth and the self-portrait? Without a statement from Alicia, no one knows what drove her to blast her husband in the face.
Judged as suffering from ‘diminished capacity’, that subtle term for insane, Alicia is admitted to a psychiatric hospital called The Grove. This is where things get even more interesting. Told by psychotherapist Theo Faber who feels he can help Alicia, get her to speak and reveal what occurred the evening of the murder, the story takes off at top speed. Faber is determined to reach Alicia; he is almost obsessed. At times he appears to be infatuated with her. He seems to identify with Alicia, their childhood’s bearing similarities. Supervised by Professor Diomedes, forensic psychiatrist and director of The Grove, Faber breaks rules at times, hoping to break through Alicia’s silence. Faber himself is married to an actress, Kathy. Like Alicia’s, his marriage also appears perfect.
The plot is so clever I couldn’t see the direction it was taking. Compelling yet simple, there are characters whose motivations must be questioned throughout. Yuri is a psychiatric nurse who is dedicated to Alicia, Grove manager Stephanie Clark, Indira a consultant psychotherapist, and, Christian, a therapist Faber had worked with at a different institution, and, of course, Professor Diomedes. Add to this a hostile patient and there is a pool of characters with a variety of personal issues.
The deep psychological insight in this book is skillfully applied. Simple enough for the layman to comprehend, without talking down to the reader. In the end, this is a complex and shocking thriller. I loved every word. I hope the author continues to write books to capture and hold my attention the way this one did. ...more

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Mar 05, 2020 Kristy Brown rated it really liked it

Admittedly it took a while to get into this. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about so I'm really glad I kept reading. Of all the twists I guessed, I was pleasantly shocked by the end. Great story telling. ...more

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Nov 17, 2021 Laura rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction, suspense

Excellent book with a surprise ending! Loved it.

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Jun 30, 2020 E.S. rated it it was amazing

Book Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 Stars)
Audio Book Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 Stars)
Total Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 Stars)

The murder seemed cut-and-dry, as pristine as a realistic portrait on a canvas: Alicia Berenson murdered her husband Gabriel. But then, she went silent. Six-years later, psychotherapist Theo Faber is determined to get her to speak in an obsessive fixation that seems to consume him. But what could Alicia be hiding?

And when she reveals the truth, can she be trusted?

In a striking narrative, the reader b Book Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 Stars)
Audio Book Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 Stars)
Total Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 Stars)

The murder seemed cut-and-dry, as pristine as a realistic portrait on a canvas: Alicia Berenson murdered her husband Gabriel. But then, she went silent. Six-years later, psychotherapist Theo Faber is determined to get her to speak in an obsessive fixation that seems to consume him. But what could Alicia be hiding?

And when she reveals the truth, can she be trusted?

In a striking narrative, the reader builds a trust with Theo, and grows just as consumed as he does in what happened with Alicia and her husband? Why won’t she speak? Is it an act? Or is she a deeply disturbed individual that influences those around her? Alicia has almost a supernatural-like quality to her, and you become connected to her story from the get-go.

Or at least, that’s what the story wants you to believe.

Filled with red herrings, surprising twists, and a truthful examination of human nature, The Silent Patient asks you to question not just Alicia but yourself. What experiences have shaped your life? Is everything really what it seems? Alex Michaelades does an amazing job wrapping the audience in the twists and turns.

It took me a week to put together this review, as I reconciled my thoughts and tried to decide what made this book great. It’s one of my top reads of the year so far, and I think it has to do with the humanity of the story. The world is just far more complex than it lets on, and sometimes when you think you know something, life throws a curve ball. It leaves you with this unrelenting sense of paranoia, and any good thriller makes you look over your shoulder once or twice.

That being said, this novel would not be recommended though to those who are made uneasy by psychiatric wards, suicide attempts, toxic relationships, and murder. But, if you are one to dive into a psychological thriller, you’ll be on the edge of your seat throughout the whole narrative.

It’s really quite a phenomenal story…that is, if you choose to believe it. ...more

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