By: Alex Michaelides
Rating: 4/5
Review:
There is always a turning point in our life when something happens then our lives turn upside down "we won’t be the same again". This is exactly what happened with one of our main characters in this novel, “Alicia Berenson”.
"Gabriel Berenson" is a famous fashion photographer who is happily married to the famous painter Alicia; at that moment, everyone around them thinks they have a wonderful marriage, until the day the neighbours heard a gunshot coming from their house, the police arrived and found Alicia shot at her husband with five bullets in his head; since then, Alicia refused to talk or make any statement or explanation for the accident. The court ruled for hospitalisation in a mental illness psychiatric hospital, and because of their fame, the crime went viral in the city.
During that time, many psychiatrists and therapists made an effort to make Alicia talk, but there was no single improvement in her condition since that time; she became the “Silent Patient”.
"Theo Faber" is a criminal psychotherapist interested in Alicia's case. So, what pushes Theo to support Alicia, or are there any mutual interests? Or just an interesting case for Theo? and why is it an interesting case? Are there any hidden secrets? Does Theo succeed in making Alicia talk?
Also, the novel focuses on when the trauma has happened, and the people's reaction when receiving this trauma as we responded to it differently; for some of us, the response started immediately after the incident; this is what happened to Alicia when she entered the phase of silence, and for some of us, the trauma takes time to appears severely and chronically, and it might last forever.
Considering Alicia's condition, does her silence happen by her choice? or is she traumatised by what happened and now considered a patient with a mental illness?
On the other hand, it discusses the effect of untreated childhood trauma in adulthood, which could be linked to mental illness in the future, as it determines the behaviours in emotional maturity, by giving a good explanation of the background of the characters and their relationships with their families. as well as discussing the seeking perfection in relationships and marriage can destroy the entire life and the consequences of cheating in relationships.
What I like is showing how the psychiatrists and therapists use an alternative method of treatment with their patients, which could appear by using art as a therapy; in some cases shows that the new method of treatment could be satisfactory in many patients and better than the traditional and chemical treatments, as Alicia is an artist, she used painting to interpret her feelings and struggle and might be to deliver such a message since she in the phase of silence. “Art is a beauty that amuses our senses and is sometimes used to deliver direct or indirect messages”.
What disappointed me was that, when Alicia decided to talk, it would be better if there had been more explanation by giving a reasonable reason for her talk, and the time when she decided to speak wasn't convincing to me at all.
I enjoyed the beautiful writing style and how the author “Alex Michaelides” crafts the plot in a mysterious way, which puzzled me while reading; my mind couldn’t stop analysing the situation and kept guessing the next happening, and when the time to reveal the murderer, I reread it again trying to collect the pieces I have missed.
Finally: I highly recommend this book if you are into a psychological thriller, crime or mystery. Many people were unhappy with the ending, but I enjoyed it.
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