The Silent Patient follows the story of Alicia Berenson, a woman that was charged for the murder of her husband. Shortly after, Alicia stops speaking and earns her famous title as “the silent patient’. Theo Faber, a psychotherapist, is intrigued by Alicia’s case and decides to take it and attempt to explore the reason behind her silence and ease her pain. He lets her express her emotions through art, reduces her medication, and exhibits patience with her. This all allows him to earn her trust and so Alicia hands him a diary, in which the entire story up till her husband’s murder is detailed. Throughout the story, Theo learns more and more about her traumatic childhood and the effect it had on her. Towards the end of the book, the reason behind her silence, husband’s murder, and even Theo’s role in the entire narrative plays out and is uncovered alongside multiple plot twists.
This book was very well-written, and I loved the way the author was able to manipulate the readers’ minds so easily. He made the readers feel as innocent and clueless as the main character and allowed the plot twists to affect us in the same shocking way that it did the main character. I was pleased with how the book ended, which is rare out of most of the books I have read. I did not find myself bored or uninterested at any point in the story and I was hooked to the story throughout the entirety of the book. It was a very thrilling book, and I was not able to put it down once I picked it up. There is a lot of talk about a traumatic childhood, from drugs, to suicide, to death, and so I would not recommend this to younger readers. I would recommend this book to ages 14 and up and for readers who enjoy thrillers, suspense, and mystery books. I would even say that readers who don’t usually read this genre of books would still enjoy it. I give this book 5 stars.