The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides - 3.5

I really enjoyed this, mainly because the plot twist genuinely caught me off guard, something that doesn’t happen often, even with books that promise it. While I do think the twist slightly masks the novel being otherwise quite average, I was still fully invested, especially in the final stretch where I couldn’t put it down.

That said, I often find with thrillers that the focus on shocking the reader comes at the expense of stronger writing. The prose here felt quite basic, though I was willing to overlook that because of how engaging the story was. The structure, however, was clearly well thought out to pull off such an effective twist.

I did notice some oversimplification in its portrayal of mental health and the psych ward setting, which felt a bit unrealistic.

Overall, I’d say it’s absolutely worth reading, but largely for the twist. It’s a fast, gripping read, even if it doesn’t hold up as strongly under closer scrutiny or after reading others’ reviews.