Author: Alex Michaelides
Title: The Silent Patient
Genre: Adrenaline–Psychological Thriller
Publication Date: 2021
Number of Pages: 368
Geographical Setting: London
Time Period: Present day
Series (If applicable): n/a
Family violence–fiction
Marriage–fiction
Artists–fiction
Psychotherapy–fiction
London, England–fiction
Psychological fiction
Suspense fiction
Appeal:
Relationships. Both Theo and Alicia are in marriages fraught with mistrust and betrayal. Theo’s relationships with his wife, his old therapist, and the staff and inmates at the institution are important to the story, as is–of course–his relationship with Alicia, which grows and changes over the course of the novel.
Mood. The tension is palpable throughout the story, as the story and characters slowly reveal secrets and motivations. A sense of foreboding runs throughout.
Plot. Narrator and reader strive to learn What Really Happened the night Alicia shot her husband. Secrets and deception are revealed that build an ever more complicated story before the big reveal that ties it all up in the end.
3 terms that best describe this book: ominous, brooding, twisty
Similar Authors and Works (why are they similar?):
3 Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors
The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and A Dangerous Obsession, Michael Finkel
True crime that reads like a psychological thriller, The Art Thief is about fine art and a criminal couple. The story builds in tension and culminates in an exciting conclusion.
Savage Appetites: Four True Stories of Women, Crime, and Obsession, Rachel Monroe
Like Theo in The Silent Patient, in Savage Appetites, four American women across decades set out to understand what makes a person turn to crime.
Scoundrel: The True Story of the Murderer Who Charmed His Way to Fame and Freedom, Sarah Weinman
Murder, betrayal, and complicated people who are not what they seem are featured in both books.
3 Relevant Fiction Works and Authors
The Captives, Debra Jo Immergut
Both psychological suspense novels are about male therapists with questionable morals treating female criminals with mysterious pasts. Ominous pacing and plot twists are also features of both.
Behind Her Eyes, Sarah Pinborough
A dark relationship thriller that explores infidelity and offers an unexpected ending.
Sometimes I Lie, Alice Feeney
Another twisty psychological thriller featuring a silent and unreliable narrator, in this case a woman in a coma.
Title: The Silent Patient
Genre: Adrenaline–Psychological Thriller
Publication Date: 2021
Number of Pages: 368
Geographical Setting: London
Time Period: Present day
Series (If applicable): n/a
Plot Summary: Theo, a psychotherapist, becomes fascinated with famous
painter Alicia, who is in a mental health institution after shooting her
husband five times in the head and refusing to speak a word after the
incident. He manages to get a job at her institution and take over her
treatment. Primarily narrated by Theo, who is troubled by his past as well
as his present, the book also uses excerpts from Alicia's diary to fill in
the blanks. Suspicious characters and emotional betrayals lead up to a
final twist as Theo digs deeper into Alicia's past.
Subject Headings: Family violence–fiction
Marriage–fiction
Artists–fiction
Psychotherapy–fiction
London, England–fiction
Psychological fiction
Suspense fiction
Appeal:
Relationships. Both Theo and Alicia are in marriages fraught with mistrust and betrayal. Theo’s relationships with his wife, his old therapist, and the staff and inmates at the institution are important to the story, as is–of course–his relationship with Alicia, which grows and changes over the course of the novel.
Mood. The tension is palpable throughout the story, as the story and characters slowly reveal secrets and motivations. A sense of foreboding runs throughout.
Plot. Narrator and reader strive to learn What Really Happened the night Alicia shot her husband. Secrets and deception are revealed that build an ever more complicated story before the big reveal that ties it all up in the end.
3 terms that best describe this book: ominous, brooding, twisty
Similar Authors and Works (why are they similar?):
3 Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors
The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and A Dangerous Obsession, Michael Finkel
True crime that reads like a psychological thriller, The Art Thief is about fine art and a criminal couple. The story builds in tension and culminates in an exciting conclusion.
Savage Appetites: Four True Stories of Women, Crime, and Obsession, Rachel Monroe
Like Theo in The Silent Patient, in Savage Appetites, four American women across decades set out to understand what makes a person turn to crime.
Scoundrel: The True Story of the Murderer Who Charmed His Way to Fame and Freedom, Sarah Weinman
Murder, betrayal, and complicated people who are not what they seem are featured in both books.
3 Relevant Fiction Works and Authors
The Captives, Debra Jo Immergut
Both psychological suspense novels are about male therapists with questionable morals treating female criminals with mysterious pasts. Ominous pacing and plot twists are also features of both.
Behind Her Eyes, Sarah Pinborough
A dark relationship thriller that explores infidelity and offers an unexpected ending.
Sometimes I Lie, Alice Feeney
Another twisty psychological thriller featuring a silent and unreliable narrator, in this case a woman in a coma.
I also read a thriller for this week and I was so close to choosing The Silent Patient!! I ended up reading The Housemaid and I am using a lot of those subject headings for my annotation as well. How did you like the book? I've heard great things about it!
ReplyDeleteIt was my first audiobook ever, and I have to give credit to the narrators. The book kept me listening and thinking, "something's not right... something is going to go wrong" the whole time
DeleteI used to be 100% against audiobooks but this past year I have slowly been getting into them. Most of the things I listen to are just re-reads though because I tend to lose focus a lot whenever I'm listening to a story. At least if it's a re-read I'm not missing much of the story.
DeleteHi Jenni! I read this book a few years back and really enjoyed it! To be honest, it took me a minute to get into. I heard great things about it , so I didn't wanna give up. But, once the story starts picking up, I was definitely much more intrigued. Good book choice! I hope you enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteHi Jenni! I have to say when I read this book I wasn't a big fan and didn't get interesting to me till the very end. The plot twist was very good! The rest? Eh.
ReplyDeleteHi Jenni! I read The Silent Patient as well. I thought it was an average read, and I kept reading it because I wanted to know what happened, and the pace kept drawing me back. But that plot twist. I liked how you found non-fiction books to match The Silent Patient. I had a hard time finding True Crime and matching my read. I never searched for anything True Crime at all. I will keep trying.
ReplyDeleteExcellent job on your first annotation! The appeals and readalikes really shine. Keep up the great work!
ReplyDelete