Why Won’t She Talk?

Here we are, The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides. This book was fascinating to say the least. I try to guess endings to books within a few chapters and this one had me stumped. Alicia has been convicted and sentenced to a psychiatric facility, the Grove, for shooting her husband five times in the head. Not being new to thrillers (let’s be real, my favorite genre) I wanted to jump on the she didn’t do it train ASAP. Well, Alicia was found by the police with the gun and attempting suicide by slitting her wrists and she hasn’t spoken one word since then. A very Colonel Mustard in the library with the candlestick moment there. Now here we are years later and a psychotherapist, Theo, is intrigued with her case and seeks a job at the facility. Theo is determined to get Alicia to talk and make a breakthrough, he wants to help Alicia more than anything. He wants to know what everyone wants to know, why did a seemingly happy and up-and-coming artist, kill her husband. The deeper he digs the more he sees how complicated Alicia’s life has really been. While he is trying to save Alicia, Theo is also going through some hardships at home and has his own mental state to worry about. These two intriguing stories of different lives shows you how messed up lives can really get thanks to the circumstances surrounding them. This book will take you on a whirlwind of thinking Alicia did it, then taking a turn to have you believing that she is completely innocent. I’ve learned while exploring this genre of thrillers to never count out a suspect or your wildest thoughts. This story really shows you that everyone has dark thoughts, but it is the will to act or not act on them that sets us apart. 

Favorite Quotes – “We’re all crazy, I believe, just in different ways.”

“About how we often mistake love for fireworks-for drama and dysfunction. But real love is very quiet, very still. It’s boring, if seen from a perspective of high drama. Love is deep and calm-and constant.”

Click on the book title to purchase this book! Happy Reading!