The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

The Silent Patient

By Alex Michaelides
Published: Celadon Books, 2019
Pages: 297
Genre: Thriller
Amazon, Goodreads

We're all crazy, I believe, just in different ways.

About the book

Alicia Berenson's life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house overlooking a park in one of London's most desirable areas. One evening, her husband, Gabriel, returns home late from work, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face and then never speaks another word.

Alicia's refusal to talk, or to 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 sky-rockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure psychiatric unit in North London.

Criminal psychotherapist Theo Faber is captivated by Alicia's story and jumps at the opportunity to work with her. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a path more unexpected, more terrifying than he ever imagined - a search for the truth that threatens to consume him.

Review

Excuse me, I'm going to need a few days to recover from this MIND FUCK. The Silent Patient was just what I needed to get over reading slump.

The plot is great. A famous painter is found guilty of murdering her husband and refuses to utter a single word... that is until six years later when psychotherapist Theo Faber enters the scene. Theo risks everything he has to get to the truth - What really happened that night?

The book reminds me of Gillian Flynn's novels; there's something deeply unhealthy about the characters and it's unsettling being inside their minds. I connected quite a bit with Theo. I'm not going into detail, but I relate to his background and mental state; the unending anxiety and cloud of depression that feels like it'll never go away, that will remain with you for the rest of your days because you're completely fucked up.

The twist at the end blew me away. It was exactly what I was looking for when I read psychological thrillers.

The author sets up the scenes with intervening diary entries perfectly, and the writing is pretty good.

I really enjoyed The Silent Patient and would recommend it to those looking for an entertaining psychological thriller.

RATING (out of five puppies):

Pride Month / My Favorite LGBTQ Characters

June is Pride Month! Love is love is love, and no one should ever be discriminated against for being in a consensual romantic relationship with the one they love. I'm celebrating Pride Month by discussing my top five favorite LGBTQ characters.

April May in An Absolutely Remarkable Thing - I love April; she's smart, quirky, hilarious bisexual that's very relatable.

Ari in Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - This character-driven, slow-burn YA novel is excellent; it's about how a friendship transforms into love.

Simon Spier in Simon vs the Homosapien Agenda - Simon is a lovable, relatable character, both in the book and in the film adaption.

Nina Markova in The Huntress - Nina is a badass! She doesn't feel the need to explain herself or her feelings for others, and she gives ZERO fucks about what others may think of her.

Zoey in the Sawkill Girls - While I didn't end up caring for the book in general, I respected the gay and asexual representation the storyline included. Zoey, a young woman struggling with her asexual identity, the cool outcast that I would want to be friends with.

What are some of your favorite LGBTQ characters and/or books? Let me know in the comments!

WWW Wednesday (6/12/19)

In this weekly meme, I will answer three questions:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish?

What do you think you'll read next?

This meme is held by samannelizabeth.wordpress.com. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit with other participants and see what others are reading.

What are you currently reading?

Seventeen-year-old Edgar Poe is on the brink of escaping from under the thumb of his foster family, the wealthy Allans. Once he's out of oppressive Richmond and away at college, things will change - he'll be free to pursue his art and leave the horrors of his past behind.

Then, on the brink of his departure, a macabre muse named Lenore appears to him, tempting him to a life of dark poetry and gruesome tales. Eddy's foster father believes muses are dangerous creatures who lead artists down a path of ruin. No respectable person would answer their call.

But Lenore steps out of the shadows with one request: "Let them see me!" Will Eddy find the courage to answer her?

The Raven's Tale on Goodreads.

What did you recently finish?

Middlegame by Seanan McGuire - I DNF about 300 pages in. The book started out really good but I felt like I was left in the dark for too long. It didn't keep my interest so I gave up. Middlegame on Goodreads. My rating: ★★

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon - I loved The Priory of the Orange Tree so I had high hopes for this series. I liked The Bone Season but I felt like it doesn't stand out among typical YA fantasy. I ended up just skimming the last 80ish pages. I won't be continuing with the series. The Bone Season on Goodreads. My rating: ★★

The Witch of Willow Hall by Hester Fox - A decent read, but predictable and I think it could use another edit. The Witch of Willow Hall on Goodreads. My rating: ★★★

What do you think you'll read next?

I finally got my hands on The Silent Patient, so I'm excited to dive into it.

Top Ten Tuesday / Unpopular Bookish Opinions

Top Ten Tuesday is a book blog meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's topic is unpopular bookish opinions. I couldn't think of a full TEN so I also mentioned popular books I didn't like. Let's get to it!

Unpopular bookish opinions

Just because it's YA/YA fantasy doesn't mean I'll automatically read it - OK, I enjoy young adult, and my read list includes A LOT of YA fantasy. But when a new YA release comes out, I wait to see what other bloggers are rating it before picking it up myself. To be honest, I get bored with YA fantasy; it just all seems the same and to blend together. There are several series that stand out as great novel - An Ember in the Ashes and Throne of Glass come to mind - but generally I have to be in the right mood to truly enjoy the genre. (Please know that if you're a big YA fantasy fan, I'm not trying to judge you! This is just my opinion). If you know if any outstanding YA fantasy that you think deserves more attention, let me know and I'll give it a try!

Reading shaming - This isn't really an unpopular opinion but it's worth mentioning. It drives me crazy to see someone - usually a snobbish jackass, judging someone else on their reading habits. If you only reading classics or ancient Greek or what-have-you, cool. If you like smutty romance or Western paperbacks, that's also cool. If you don't even like reading, that's your personal preference, and I don't think I (or anyone else who isn't you) have a right to judge or criticize you for that. Read what you love; who cares what anybody else thinks of you.

Reading in public - I love cute, aesthetically pleasing Instagram posts of book bloggers reading at the beach or at a park but, for me, I cannot do it! I can't read in public. I don't hate it when others do it but I can't do it myself. If I had to guess, I'd say MAYBE it's my anxiety - I like to know what's happening around me if I'm out in public and I can't do that with my nose in a book. Do you also hate reading in public! Let me know in the comments!

Writing/annotating in books - Don't do it! It ruins your book! In college I'd do this with my textbooks but definitely would not do it on my regular books. I'm OK with sticky notes, but no more than that.

Audiobooks - I have nothing against audiobooks. I've tried them multiple times but I just can't get into them. There's something about reading words on paper and translating them into an image in my head that beats audiobooks in my opinion.

Popular books/series I didn't like

The Maze Runner - I mostly disliked The Maze Runner because I felt the writing was dull. Instead of using cues/physical references to provide insight into a character's feelings, the author merely stated stuff like "Thomas was mad." The simplicity irritated me. I didn't continue with the series. 

Miss Peregrine's Home - I was, and still am, confused by the book. It reads like juvenile fiction but contains minor cursing and more mature subject matter (such as the reference to incest). It was located in the adult fiction section of my local library, which further confused me on who the attended audience of the series is supposed to be. I believe I gave it three stars. I did continue with the other two books, but I still felt the same. I also hated the ending; it was too picture perfect for me.

Shatter Me - I disliked the author's writing style in Shatter Me.

Infernal Devices - It's been a while since reading this book, but I believe it just didn't capture my interest. I know Cassandra Clare's books are very popular, but I have yet to fallen in love with one of her novels.

Slayer - I REALLY wanted to like this one. I love the Buffy TV series. I got bored while reading this book, though, and was disappointed by it.

WWW Wednesday (6/5/19)

In this weekly meme, I will answer three questions:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish?

What do you think you'll read next?

This meme is held by samannelizabeth.wordpress.com. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit with other participants and see what others are reading.

What are you currently reading?

Meet Roger. Skilled with words, languages come easily to him. He instinctively understands how the world works through the power of story.

Meet Dodger, his twin. Numbers are her world, her obsession, her everything. All she understands, she does so through the power of math.

Meet Reed, skilled in the alchemical arts like his progenitor before hime. Reed created Dodger and her brother. He's not their father. Not quite. But he has a plan: to raise the twins to the highest power, to ascent with them and claim their authority as his own.

Godhood is attainable. Pray it isn't attained.

Middlegame on Goodreads.

What did you recently finish?

The Passage by Justin Cronin - The Passage started out great but kind of fell apart in the middle then turned into a disappointment. It wasn't for me. The Passage on Goodreads. My rating: ★★

What do you think you'll read next?

Top Ten Tuesday / Books from My Favorite Genre

Top Ten Tuesday is a book blog meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's topic is Books from My Favorite Genre. I can’t decide on my favorite genre, so I’m focusing on my top favorite horror books. By horror I mean the truly terrifying, creepy as hell stories that stay with you long after you finish reading it. Several of my choices are classics but I’ve also sprinkled in a few more recent novels.

The Damnation Game by Clive Barker

The story follows a gambling addict who, upon his recent release from prison, is hired to be the personal bodyguard of one of the wealthiest men in the world. The job proves to be much more dangerous and complicated than he anticipated. The Damnation Game is crazy as hell and a bunch of batshit occurrences take place. The Damnation Game on Goodreads.

The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

You all know this story: a young girl suffers from a demonic possession and two priests attempt to exorcise the demon. This book, along with the original 1970s film, is fantastic. I definitely recommend it for horror fans. The Exorcist on Goodreads.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Like The Exorcist, we all know this story - a young, obsessed scientist who creates a hideous human-like creature using stolen body parts. The book is excellent; the plot of the novel is constantly distorted in mainstream media from terrible, misinformed film adaptions and popular references. Frankenstein on Goodreads.

Handling the Undead by John Ajvide Lindqvist

In this novel, the author of which is known as the Swedish Stephen King, thousands of recently deceased are reanimated. It's a very beautiful, yet spooky story about grief. Handling the Undead on Goodreads.

Into the Rolling Deep by Mira Grant

Seven years ago a documentary crew disappears while attempting to find evidence of ancient sea creatures. Now, a new crew assembles to finish what was started. Whether it was a hoax or a true terrible tragedy, the truth can only be found in the waves. The writing is addicting and very lyrical. Though it's classified as a sci fi, I consider Into the Drowning to be horror because of it's subject matter and the dark, super creepy atmosphere it has. Check out my full review here. Into the Drowning Deep on Goodreads.

Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin

Rosemary Woodhouse and struggling husband Guy move into an old apartment building where they meet the Castvets, an elderly couple. Despite Rosemary's reservations and the increasing strange noises she hears at night, Guy takes a shine to the couple. Rosemary becomes pregnant and the Castvets take a special interest that isn't all that it may seem. Rosemary's Baby is a classic that, like Frankenstein, is constantly made into terrible remakes. Stick with the originals, trust me. Rosemary's Baby on Goodreads.

'Salem’s Lot by Stephen King

When discussing horror, we, of course, have to mention Stephen King. 'Salem's Lot is one of my favorite of his books. It's about a writer who moves to Maine and discovers all the town's residents are slowly turning into vampires. The book literally gave me nightmares which usually never happens to me. It's a great read! 'Salem's Lot on Goodreads.

The Shining by Stephen King

Another Stephen King novel that probably almost everyone in a first world country knows. It's terrifying, creepy and awesome. The Shining on Goodreads.

Swan Song by Robert R. McCammon

The Swan Song is post-apocalyptic story following the aftermath of a nuclear war. It's a long one - 900+ - but definitely worth it. It reminds me of Stephen King's The Stand, but I feel like Swan Song is more of a horror novel than The Stand. Swan Song on Goodreads.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

We Have Always Lived in the Castle is incredibly creepy. It's told from the perspective of Merricat Blackwood who lives with her sister and sick uncle on a family estate. Six years earlier, Merricat's family went through a tragedy that left them isolated from the rest of the village. The book is mind-blowing and incredibly spooky. We Have Always Lived in the Castle on Goodreads.

May 2019 Wrap Up

This is my first-ever wrap up post! For the month of May, I read 10 books. I guess I'll just get right to it.

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell - A sci fi read about traveling to a different planet to research other life, The Sparrow is a great read. The Sparrow on Goodreads. My rating: ★★★★★

Gemina and Obsidio by Ami Kaufman & Jay Kristoff - Gemina and Obsidio are books two and three in the Illuminae series, which is a fantastic sci fi series! The Illuminae series on Goodreads. My rating (for both books): ★★★★

Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid - A fictionalized documentary following the rise and fall of a 60s rock band. The format didn't work well in print. It'd probably be much better as an audiobook. If you want to check it out, definitely get the audiobook. Daisy Jones & the Six on Goodreads. My rating: ★★

The Huntress by Kate Quinn - A great read that connects the story of several rich, interesting characters during and right after World War II. The Huntress on Goodreads. My rating: ★★★★★

Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand - The novel is about a group of girls who uncover a dark mystery on a remote island. It wasn't my cup of tea. Sawkill Girls on Goodreads. My rating: ★★

The Woman in the Window by AJ Finn - It's a thrilling read about a woman suffering from severe case of agoraphobia who believes her new neighbors are hiding something.  I stayed up late glued to the story. The Woman in the Window on Goodreads. My rating: ★★★★★

Beartown by Fredrik Backman - Beartown is a beautifully told story about residents coming together in a small community when a tragedy strikes. The best book I've read in May! Beartown on Goodreads. My rating: ★★★★★

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi - A YA fantasy, the novel is pretty over-hyped and irritating. I felt like it had potential but the writing and plot could have used some work. Children of Blood and Bone on Goodreads. My rating: ★★★

White Oleander by Janet Fitch - White Oleander follows a teen's journey after her brilliant, poet mother goes to prison for murder. I didn't care for it either. White Oleander on Goodreads. My rating: ★★★