Judy Koenig

I don't often read Jodi Picoult books because I don't like the way she ends her stories. Sometimes she takes the easy way out, and the endings seem trite. For instance, My Sister's Keeper was a gem up until the last few scenes. The same with The Tenth Circle. But this one stands out as exceptional. I don't want to spoil it for others, so I'll be vague, and you'll just have to read it for the details. There are 2 main themes in the book. Honey is one of them -- how to raise bees and protect them, the history of bee keeping, the uses for honey. The 2nd theme doesn't emerge until halfway through the book, and then it is quite a surprise. This becomes a central theme, and the 2 authors have clearly done their research. The story is told from 3 or 4 perspectives going back and forth across a time period of about 4-5 years. It works well, and the suspense kept me reading late into the night. I guessed the ending, but I suspect that's just because I'm familiar with author's style. Otherwise, it is a very good book, and I highly recommend it.

Good story. I liked the main character even though she was maddeningly self-defeating at times. The book was a bit too long. It could have been cut down by a third. I didn't like any of the of the characters on board the ship, but but that may have been because of the way the narrator portrayed them.

Drivel. Absolute drivel. I expected better after Push, but this was appalling. The plot was stupid, unrealistic, and not sensible. The characters were unlikable, even Blair's mean-mouthed little girl. The women, especially Blair and Whitney, were utterly depraved. (I don't think I'll ever give a neighbor my housekey again). It was hard to have sympathy fir any of them, even the boy who was injured. I wonder if the author intended that? Was she trying to write a story that could go directly to Hollywood? A screenplay for HBO? I don't understand the 5 stars others have awarded. Lastly, the ending lands with a thud. That's sort of a pun.

Like others, I feel duped by all the rave reviews of this book. And I feel tricked by the author. I understand the use of an untrustworthy narrator as a literary device, but it takes a deft writer to carry it out effectively. That didn't happen in Silent Patient. Instead, the author takes the reader through Theo's (main character) "investigations" into the murder said Patient is accused of. These are all distractions and are not worked into the plot at all. From the outset, I wondered why Theo was undertaking this investigation, why he was so interested in this case. I suppose this was the author's way of giving the reader the backstory, introducing potential culprits. This might have worked if it had been carried out better. I was confused by the time line (and even more so at the end). When did this take place? I thought at first it was long ago because of the way mental health is dealt with (i.e. talk therapy was novel). Women are locked up in an institution entirely run by men, except for Stephanie. Freudian theory is predominate. But then, there were sophisticated computerized systems. The ending still leaves me baffled because the timeline of the murder, the incarceration, Theo's marriage , and Theo's work at the institution don't jive. To avoid spoilers, I will stop. The book is not well written and not well conceived.