A review by mightyjor
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I almost didn’t read this book because of all the negative reviews but to each their own. This book is brilliant. The negative reviews left me wondering if this was going to finish on some big dud of an ambiguous ending where nothing is answered or characters act wildly out of character to make things happen. That’s not the case here.
I did see some people rate the book low because of the misogyny and lack of respect towards women, and I kind of get where they’re coming from, but it personally didn’t bother me all that much. We’re hearing the story from our protagonist’s perspective and I didn’t get any author self insert vibes whatsoever. I think the author mostly condones the characters poor actions, though when you first start out it can be a little jarring since all the characters don’t show how slimy they are until we get to know them.
I also heard some people say the ending was predictable and dumb, but I don’t think that’s the case at all. I loved it. It’s just so weird and good and juicy. There’s some plot holes, sure, but nothing I found overly distracting while I was in the actual story.
Overall this was a fantastic book.
I did see some people rate the book low because of the misogyny and lack of respect towards women, and I kind of get where they’re coming from, but it personally didn’t bother me all that much. We’re hearing the story from our protagonist’s perspective and I didn’t get any author self insert vibes whatsoever. I think the author mostly condones the characters poor actions, though when you first start out it can be a little jarring since all the characters don’t show how slimy they are until we get to know them.
I also heard some people say the ending was predictable and dumb, but I don’t think that’s the case at all. I loved it. It’s just so weird and good and juicy. There’s some plot holes, sure, but nothing I found overly distracting while I was in the actual story.
Overall this was a fantastic book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Infidelity, and Mental illness
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual content, Addiction, and Child abuse