Ginny Frost
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
fulfilled the category “Book
about an Artist” for the PopSugar 2021 Reading Challenge. The title was not my
first choice for the prompt. I read Get a Life, Chloe Brown and had Luster
as an option, too. Chloe Brown, a romance, switched up the heat level too much,
too quickly for my taste. I opted to try another novel for the challenge, and I’m
glad I did.
Bestsellers are not my jam. I find the books lack the
fun, sexy, deep elements I enjoy. Books like Nine Perfect Strangers or All
the Light We Cannot See made me a bit stabby. But The Silent Patient
hit all the right notes. I love a novel with well-created twists and turns. Gone
Girl and Verity rank very high on my favorite book scale, and I’m adding The Silent
Patient to the list.
It chronicles therapist Theo Faber as he takes on a
tough patient artist Alicia Berenson, who hasn’t spoken in five years. He seems a kind, caring person who genuinely
wants to help her. He’s also dealing with some marital troubles. Alicia herself
is coping with the aftermath of her husband’s murder, which she is accused of
committing. The audiobook used two narrators, a female to read Alicia’s diary
and a male to read Theo’s recording of his involvement with the case. The dual
narrators worked well, calling back to Gone Girl with the diary.
The book moved back and forth through time, but it
was easy to follow. The narration seemed very natural and interesting.
Suspicious characters and red herrings dropped seamlessly throughout the story.
And as I hoped, the end twisted everything around. It was wonderful.
Tying this to the prompt, Alicia’s art plays a role
in the tale. After the murder, she paints a picture in a single go, unusual for
her. All sorts of theories are formed around her subject, herself, and the
title Alcestis, a tragic Greek heroine. Also, art therapy is finally
used for Alicia and her new painting is a key to understating the complexity of
the tale. So delicious!
Just as I began the novel, my PopSugar group on
Facebook posted some bad feelings about the book. No one trashed it, but their consensus
was to pass on the title. I’m
glad I didn’t. It was right up my alley with questionable actions by characters,
lack of trust for most characters, the constant guessing of who-dun-it and how.
The story hit all my buttons for a great read. I can’t say too much, or it will
ruin the experience for you. But if you liked Gone Girl or Verity,
this is the novel for you.
I give The
Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides Five Secret Diaries.