Books
Book Review: ‘The Silent Patient’
It’s been about a month since my last book review, and in that review, I mentioned how completely out of character it has been for me to be reading so much lately. Well, since then, I am very proud to say that I have read six more books. That’s right, six whole grown-up books I’ve read in the last five weeks. I mean, I know I told you all that I hoped the previous book review I wrote wouldn’t be my last, but there was never a time when I imagined myself reading six books in a five-week period. So mom, I guess this isn’t “just a stage” after all.
Of those six books, only two have been thrillers, which if you read my last review, you’d know are my favorite. I enjoyed reading both of them, but the one I’m going to write about today is called “The Silent Patient” by Alex Michaelides, a psychological thriller that was super easy to read and nearly impossible to put down.
The Silent Patient is about Alicia Berenson, a famous painter in London, who murdered her husband and has been silent ever since. Alicia was convicted, then admitted into a psychiatric unit in North London, where she has spent the last six years silent. Theo Faber is a forensic psychotherapist, who, after six years of obsessing over Alicia’s case, finally gets the opportunity to work with her. Theo, you’ll learn, had a pretty traumatic upbringing. Given this and his seemingly miraculous recovery to become a forensic psychotherapist, Theo immediately empathizes with Alicia’s story and feels compelled to fix her. A psychotherapist turned Sherlock Holmes in a matter of pages, Theo is determined to unravel the mystery behind what sparked Alicia’s violent act and her subsequent silence.
Between their silent meetings together and his own—what I can only describe as—illegal and inappropriate “detective work,” Theo begins to grasp the true identity of Alicia Berenson. Just like any psychological thriller worth its salt, the twists and turns in this book will leave you wanting more until the very end. And the ending, well, that you certainly won’t expect. I didn’t, that’s for sure.
Overall, I really liked this book. It’s been a while since I’ve read a thriller, and The Silent Patient did not disappoint. The storytelling in this contemporary novel is dark, twisted, and addicting, with an ending that will leave you speechless. On a 5-star scale, I’d rate this book a 4.5. I highly recommend it.
The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix, $12.18 Paperback
Release Date: July 2021
Cozy up on your next snow day and read Gary Hendrix’s The Final Girl Support Group.
Author of The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires (2020), Grady Hendrix succeeds again in tapping into our favorite horror films to deliver this mystery. Six young women make up the “Final Girl Support Group.” Each survived horrific massacres that have been turned into successful film franchises. Movies such as Friday The 13th and Halloween actually happened in this version of America. Twenty years later the spotlight has moved on and society has found new monsters and victims. Still, these women sit in a circle of chairs in a church basement trying to figure out how to live their lives. Paranoid Lynnette Tarkington reluctantly participates in group therapy sessions with Dr. Carol Elliot along with fellow survivors Marilyn Torres, who has buried her emotions in wealth; Dani Shipman, who might have killed the wrong person; Julia Campbell, whose encounter left her in a wheelchair; and Heather DeLuca, who is succumbing to addiction. Some of them are in denial about what happened. Some still live in terror, always looking over their shoulders, imprisoned by their own fears.
The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
After one member of this vigilant sisterhood is murdered and a series of persistent attacks threaten the rest, Lynnette becomes increasingly suspicious that the attacks are originating way too close to their inner circle. “Does this ever end?” Lynnette asks. “Will there always be someone out there turning little boys into monsters? Will we always be final girls? Will there always be monsters killing us? How do we stop the snake from eating its own tail?” The book is creepy enough on its face, but Hendrix’s use of narrative tools heightens the unease.
The Final Girl Support Group isn’t necessarily scary, but the plot is action-packed and delivers its share of gore. The novel is an ultimately entertaining and inspiring take on horror movies, trauma, and self-determination. Available on Amazon!
I first read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo this past month after my friend and I swapped our favorite summer books. I opened the book one Saturday morning and couldn’t put it down. Despite the fact that it was published nearly five years ago, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo continues to captivate readers’ interest on BookTok, Bookstagram, and Goodreads.
“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Evelyn Hugo — $9.42 Paperback/$22.36 Hardcover
This story is about renowned Hollywood actress Evelyn Hugo who, after decades of blockbuster hits, is now 79 and ready to give an exclusive interview after years of dodging the press. But the only one granted access is a little-known journalist named Monique Grant. Though she can’t understand why she’s been chosen, Monique goes to Evelyn’s home and finds out Evelyn doesn’t just want to do an interview — she wants to lay out every piece of her truth for Monique to write and sell her biography.
Though Evelyn won’t answer why she picked Monique to do the job, Monique agrees and Evelyn’s story begins to unfold from her calculated beginnings in Hollywood to the millions she enjoys in the present, each section of her life titled by each of her seven husbands and her reasons for marrying (and divorcing) them. As you journey through Evelyn’s life, it feels as if you’re being granted exclusive access to something you shouldn’t be seeing. It’s hard to believe the characters and events in this book aren’t real celebrities.
To me, a great book is one that makes you forget you’re reading in the first place, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo does exactly that. It’s an instantly captivating book, thanks in part to the story, but mostly to Taylor Jenkins Reid’s writing. Her stories flow smoothly, her characters are complex and realistically flawed, and I happily got lost in the pages until the very end. This is the perfect cozy fall read!
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