Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

154 reviews

homebodywitch's review

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I absolutely loved this and devoured it in one day. I have read people’s criticisms of it and get where they are coming from but I found this unputdownable. I had so many theories going, trying to be on the lookout for clues, and in the end the twist really did get me! I literally said “oh my god” out loud. Is it a perfect book? No. Some of it is nonsensical. But it’s fiction. And it’s gripping. I found it compelling and would highly recommend it as a page turner. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Murder, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Stalking

klandry98's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Gaslighting, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Death, Gun violence, Grief, Mental illness, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Car accident

bbrewer14's review

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A psychological thriller with an unexpected twist, I never saw the path coming that the author veered down. Theo Faber is a psychoanalyst working at a secure mental hospital for violent offenders. His focus is on Alicia Berenson, a famous artist turned murderer who is locked in the secure ward. She has not spoken a word since the day she killed her husband. Theo’s goal is admirable and insane. He wants to get Alicia to talk despite her years of silence. He wants to know the truth of what happened the night Alicia killed her husband. This book is one that I didn’t want to put down. Some of the language and side stories supporting the behavior and reasoning of the main characters were graphic, but they are easily skimmed over to avoid the gratuitous language and pictures the author builds in your head. Ultimately I forgave the author on these little indiscretions when the plot twisted so completely that my jaw dropped. An excellent read and a great introduction to this author. I will be looking for more of his books. Highly recommend if you like mysteries, plot twists, and psychological thrillers. Great novel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Gun violence, Car accident, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual content, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Gaslighting, Mental illness, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Body shaming, Violence, Confinement, Drug use, and Child abuse

annelisedreyer's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The twists at the end are truly mind blowing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Murder, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Blood, and Toxic relationship

laurareads_bcn's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I was not expecting the twist at the end. A must read

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Medical content, Mental illness, Torture, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Suicidal thoughts

monloesco's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Liked the book overall,

Spoiler

the plot twist was good and the fact that the narrator was unreliable was really fun for me

Read the last 100 pages in a day 'cause I couldn't put the book down. Some things were kinda rushed imo,

Spoiler

I would've loved a confrontation with Kathy and Gabriel

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Child abuse, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Infidelity, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Car accident, Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Minor: Sexual assault

leah08855's review

dark emotional informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Car accident, Alcohol, Death of parent, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, and Suicidal thoughts

aaronreadsatad's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Confinement, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Gun violence, Infidelity, Alcohol, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, Addiction, Suicide attempt, Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, and Injury/Injury detail

tiffyd's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Suicide, Infidelity, Murder, Self harm, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Confinement, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Addiction, Abandonment, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, and Drug abuse

Minor: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Medical content, Stalking, Death of parent, and Car accident

dudecahedron's review

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

It was a pretty easy read with very pleasant pacing. The plot isn't entirely linear, there are lots of flashbacks, the chronological order is sometimes scrambled which adds on to the mystery of the slient patient. Following along with the POV chatacter, trying to figure out the mystery and understand the life of the main character, the enigmatic artist constitutes most of the fun. This book really keeps you on the edge of your seat!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking

Moderate: Medical content, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Minor: Car accident, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship