Extra Book - The Silent Patient

Book: The Silent Patient
Author: Alex Michaelides
Pages: 352

This is my 133rd read for the year

I don't normally read off challenge this close together, but this was such a quick read, I stayed up late to finish it.

This is the story of Alicia Berenson and Theo Faber.  Alicia has been in a mental hospital for a number of years after murdering her husband.  She has not uttered a word since the night of the murder, and is kept heavily sedated.  The staff have all tried to reach her, and take her off her medication, but it causes her to try to harm herself or others.

Along comes Theo - a psychotherapist who thinks he can get her to talk.  He is hired at The Grove where Alicia is being kept and begins the arduous task of getting her to reveal what really happened the night of her husband's murder.  As he works with her, the truth starts to come out as Theo visits people who knew her before the murder.  And he becomes more determined than ever to get her to talk once and for all.

This book was fine.  I picked it up after seeing it promoted on Instagram (yep - still fall for that form of marketing) while I was in an airport a few weeks ago.  It was on sale so I figured "why not"  It wasn't terrible, but it isn't high quality literature.  Not by a long shot.  Amusing, and easy to read?  Yes.  Has a bit of a twist at the end?  Yes.  But after you read the twist, you will want to start the story again and try and figure out how that all makes sense.  I never became particularly invested in any of the characters - just mostly kept reading to see where it was heading.

Do I recommend it?  Not sure.  Great plot twist, and an easy read if you are heading on vacation soon.  Quality writing? Nope.

Stars: 3