The Patient (ARC Review)

Rather perfectly described as “The Silent Patient by way of Stephen King,” The Patient takes all the best parts of both to create a gripping dose of horror that’s un-putdownable.

Every mental hospital has that one odd, interesting case, and at the nameless New England hospital where Parker works, that patient is Joe, who has been there for over 30 years with no official diagnosis. Fueled by the idea that there’s no one who should be forgotten or labeled as ‘incurable,’ Parker starts researching into Joe’s sealed file, wondering why no one is allowed to treat him. But when Parker finally meets Joe, the encounter is nothing like he had expected…

Told through a series of online forum posts (similarly to the serialized way the novel was originally published on Reddit Nosleep), Parker’s story unfolds at his own hand. 

An interesting way to create a ‘true-story’ feeling, the novelized version hovers a bit oddly between seeming too descriptive and lengthy in each section to be real forum posts and too short for a normal novel. With a little extra length, especially as a buffer at the beginning to ease us into the story and get to know Parker better before everything happens, this story could have only improved and might have been better if it had transitioned into full-blown memoir-style. 

As you read, you’ll have to suspend your disbelief a bit and don’t be surprised if you guess the mystery early. I had a good sense of what was wrong with Joe from very early on and yet couldn’t stop myself from reading. The sheer suspense built in this novel and the exciting drama of it all spurs the story forward even when it becomes classic-horror-story predictable at times, and is certainly worth the few hours it takes to read in order to experience the ride. 

Especially recommended for fans of Paul Tremblay’s, A Head Full of Ghosts, I rated The Patient 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the early copy in exchange for an honest review!