To begin with I think this book is wrongly classified. This is not a Psychological thriller as much as it is horror probably. Not what I was expecting. I’m not fond of horror and hence my review of this book isn’t very positive. I haven’t read enough horror to compare this with other books and rate it accordingly. The writing style is great, the author keeps you engaged but this one just didn’t do it for me. Fans of horror may love this.

A creepy, otherworldly book reminiscent of John Saul or early Steve King. It’s told by a psychiatrist in an asylum who has been treating a difficult patient who he has begun to believe might be something more than just mentally disturbed.

First I’ll say, go into this book with an open mind. Don’t be expecting the usual suspense novel or murder mystery that the cover suggests. This is more of a horror novel. It’s really well-written, and creepy, and fantastical. Go along for the ride. The last 1/3 or so of the book is extremely fun. My only suggestion would be that further books by this author in this genre have cover & jacket copy that signals to the reader that this is John Saul territory rather than BA Paris. If you know that going in (as I did from reading an earlier review), you’ll have a very good time. (Side note, I find it hugely charming that the author thanks his D&D group at the end. That might give you a little taste of what lurks within this novel.)

Thanks to Houghton Mifflin, NetGalley and Jasper DeWitt for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was an interesting read, unlike anything I’ve read. Kept me on the edge of my seat. I would recommend it to friends

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me early access to this title.

Dang, this was unexpectedly creepy. I guess had I done any research prior to reading I would have discovered Mr. DeWitt’s work on the subreddit r/nosleep. As it were, I went in to this relatively blind. Based on the summary, I knew it was going to about a particularly difficult mental patient and an idealistic, wet-behind-the-ears psychiatrist.

The events that are described take place many years prior to the telling and our doctor uses a now-defunct, “reddit for doctors” to recount the events to an online community of medical personnel. The story starts out simply enough. Difficult patient with a variety of mental illnesses, but no definitive diagnoses. Young, newly minted psychiatrist who believes that he can cure said patient and goes forward with treatment against the advice of his older, more experienced colleagues. Creepiness ensues.

If this is the beginning of Mr. DeWitt’s career as a novelist, it’s not a bad start at all. Readers looking for highly fleshed out characters and a deep look into the nuts and bolts of the mental health system will need to look elsewhere. This is a down and dirty, “I have to get this off my chest before it drives me insane” retelling of past events. This is a psychotherapist using psychotherapy to work through his issues. It does take some suspension of disbelief, but it's a horror novel so just enjoy the story.

I’ll give it 4 stars because it’s a quick, enjoyable read. It did leave me wanting more, which is usually one of my qualifiers for a 5 star review. But in this case, I wanted more answers, I wanted more details. But because of the style in which this book was written, it doesn’t lend itself to great detail and exposition (it’s basically a string of long online posts.) I hope that we, the reader, didn’t miss out on something that could have been truly great because of this. Still very good, in my opinion and I hope to see more of Mr. DeWitt in the future.

Unfortunately, this was not my cup of tea. DeWitt’s writing style is commendable, but the subject matter was not as I had anticipated. My daughter would likely love it!

The Patient is one of those creepy stories that keep the pages turning and the reader guessing right up to the end! With each cliffhanging entry of Parker’s online chronicles of “Joe”, the reader is frantic to discover the secrets behind his long-term committal to the asylum and why everyone whispers his name as if he is the Boogeyman. With each entry, Parker reveals a little more until the hair-raising conclusion! This book is scary AF! I’ve been recommending it to all my thriller reading peeps! This haunting story kept me up way past my bedtime and was impossible to put down!


Reader’s Note: Having read and loved The Silent Patient, I found no similarities to the stories except having the word “Patient” in the title and the setting being in an asylum. Why the publisher/marketing execs are comparing them is lost to this reader.


**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **

I had very few expectations before I started this but I was very pleasantly suprised!
The Patient moves along at a great pace and has a real sting in the tail which I have to admit I didn't see coming till the very end. I would definitely recommend this!

I absolutely loved reading The Patient. I went in to it thinking it would be like the book The Silent Patient, but it’s quite different. This book is straight up creepy. It’s about a man who has been hospitalized in psychiatric care for almost his entire life. Everyone around him suffers to the point of committing suicide, which is the reason why a new doctor wants to treat him. The writing style is very similar to Stephen King and I loved the surprise ending and the unique way the story is told.

I absolutely loved this book. The journal/blog style made it seem so real. If you like to read books about psychiatric patients, this one is definitely for you.

I picked this up because it was compared to The Silent Patient, which I thoroughly enjoyed. At the start it read a lot like The Silent Patient, although it quickly became very creepy, and the similarities ended.

I was not sure what to expect with this one, but I was thoroughly surprised. The diary entry format is a favorite of mine although it doesn't work for every book, but in this instance it worked very well.

The Patient is a short read, but one I found myself quickly unable to put down. It kept me up all night. I just had to find out what happened in the end. While it wasn't as creepy as it started out being, I'd highly recommend it to all my horror loving friends.

Parker is a psychotherapist who has just begun his career. He has set to enact real change with his patients after seeing this system fail his mother when he was a young boy. As soon as he begins his new job, he is told about one particular patient that is incurable and off limits. As he starts to dig into this case, Parker has to try to sort manipulation from reality and decide how far he’s willing to go to help his patients.

I’m giving this book 3-3.5 stars. The first half was very intriguing! The way it’s written as an online medical forum was something different and really fun to read. The story pulled me in and i was so interested to see what the situation was with this patient! Things started to fall short for me in the last 30%. I had to enter a state of suspended reality to open my mind to the story. That on its own isn’t a deal breaker but I think I was going into this expecting a psychological thriller more than a sci-fi. I also felt that the end was a little bit rushed and I still have some lingering questions about some loose ends at the end.

So well written! I loved this book from the first chapter. I do have to say I didn't love how it turned out/the ending but mainly because it forced the book into a genre I don't typically read. That made me consider rating it three stars but overall, the book was so entertaining that it truly deserved four stars. Such an easy read...you sont be able to put it down!

A young and dynamic psychiatrist lands a job in an asylum for mentally insane and starts taking interest in a patient that has been labelled as “incurable”. The said patient is kept in strict confines and is feared by all the staff and doctors of the hospital, since every doctor, nurse, and orderly that has been tasked to deal with the patient has ended up insane, or dead. The new doctor is adamant to find a cure for this patient but what he finds out is horrifying beyond words.

Ok, this book is super gripping and a very enjoyable read. The story is told in a series of entries on a web forum by the doctor, who under an alias, now wants to share the experiences he had while he tried to cure the incurable. This book actually, in reality too was started as a Reddit thread that on popular vote is now turned into a novel. I’ve had real good experiences with Reddit threads turned into novels (I’m thinking of Penpal by Dathan Auerbach, please go read it ASAP if you haven’t yet) and this was no exception. This is such a page turner, and I legit finished it in one sitting. I thought it was a thriller, which it is for the most part, but the ending has a horror aspect to it which was only slightly disappointing, but the more I think about it, the more it looks perfect to me. The best part is, it’s actually a very intelligent narrative and would definitely make you turn it over in your head again to understand it better. Highly recommended if you are looking for a quick, and gripping read that will also make you turn the gears of your mind a bit.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the uncorrected proof copy for the review, I loved it.

Parker H., an overconfident young psychiatrist, is sure that he can cure this mysterious mental patient that has gone for years without a diagnosis. The problem is - this patient is volatile, scary, and unpredictable. Every other doctor that has tried to cure him has failed miserably.

This book was terrifying - and I LOVED it! It had all of the elements that I search for in a good horror/thriller. I would not recommend reading this right before bed!

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Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin for the ARC of The Patient by Jasper DeWitt. I am new to this author’s books, and was intrigued by the unusual plot line of this psychological thriller/horror story.

Parker H. is a young optimistic psychiatrist who wishes to take on the treatment of the most feared incurable patient at the psychiatric hospital where he works. He has only heard stories about Joe which suggest that he drives those who come into contact with him to kill themselves or go crazy. After Parker H. is given permission by his superiors to treat Joe, he learns the secret nature of his patient’s problems, which are far stranger than he could have imagined. Parker H. details his encounters with Joe through a series of internet postings, which is where the reader learns the truth.

The Silent Patient meets Stephen King? Sign me up! I really enjoyed this fast paced and suspenseful thriller. It is creepy, terrifying and leaves you wondering if this could really happen. Its themes question humanity, memory and fear. The blog posts are a very effective format for the telling of this story. I highly recommend this dark and twisty tale to those who enjoy psychological horror.

4.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Patient.

I wasn't sure what to expect with The Patient; the premise sounded interesting so I was excited when my request was approved.

On the other hand, I wasn't a fan of The Silent Patient so I had some doubts going into this.

The Patient is a fast read and written in a diary format by a psychiatrist named Parker, who details his consultation with an unusual patient at an asylum.

Named only as Joe, this patient seems to have a profound and devastating effect on anyone who crosses paths with him; his doctors, nurses, other patients. He is deemed incurable.

As Parker delves into the psyche of this strange man, he discovers a shocking reason as to why Joe will never leave the psychiatric facility.

First, the novel is too short so exposition is lacking. We get basic details about Parker and his fiancee, Jocelyn, and why he retained a position at an institution below his educational standards.

We also know why Parker became a psychiatrist, and though I didn't dislike him, I wished I had known more about him.

The true reason behind Joe's sociopathic, homicidal behavior is a good one; I enjoyed that reveal, but I was hoping for more interaction between Joe and Parker, scenes of psychological and emotional manipulation.

For example, how does Joe chip away at Parker's psyche, burrow deep into his own feelings of inadequacy and his deep rooted fear at not being able to save people (namely his own mother).

Scenes between Joe and Parker would offer insight into the former.

What is he? Where does he come from? Does his kind only prey on children? Why? Because they're innocent?

The interaction between Joe and Parker was too short and came off as abrupt.

The cast of characters is small, understandably, but I would have liked to see small moments of tenderness and love between Jocelyn and Parker to remind readers of their bond, why Parker is working in this heck hole to begin with.

Jocelyn is a peripheral character, reduced to not even a supporting or minor character, just someone in the background.

Scenes with Parker would have made her more than a one dimensional character and exposition on their relationship would make readers, like myself, care more about them and set everything up for the finale.

The Patient had a good premise, but needed to be fleshed out. It could have been truly terrifying.

A psychiatrist, revealing himself as Parker H. on an online forum recounts his unusual interactions with a patient inside a New England mental hospital. On his first day at a state mental hospital, Parker learns about an unusual patient feared by the residents and staff. The patient, Joe, was admitted at age 6 and has been kept in isolation for over 30 years. The patient has never been diagnosed, his symptoms appear to evolve, and he has only been allowed minimal contact with others due to the affect he has on them. Every person who comes in contact with the patient is driven to madness or suicide. Parker, overconfident with his ability, becomes fascinated with the patient and determined to be the one who finally cures him...but some monsters aren't meant to be saved.

The Patient is a horror novella in which a psychiatrist reveals his interactions with an enigmatic patient over a series of blog posts. The reader is quickly immersed into a story about a patient named Joe, who is labeled a monster and has a reputation for inducing madness in everyone he comes in contact with. The main character is a young and overly confident psychiatrist whose childhood trauma feeds his need to save those deemed hopeless. Parker's initial interactions with Joe lead him to feelings of uncertainty about Joe's actual "condition". The Patient is an interesting short story which is presented as a unique case of mental insanity but becomes something more sinister as the plot continues. This book does contain some content which may not be suitable for some readers including: violence, abuse, sexual trauma, and suicide. I wouldn't say this novella was overly horrific or terrifying but it was an entertaining and quick read with an unusual twist.

Definitely a compelling storyline but I was expecting a thriller, not melodramatic supernatural horror. The author hooked me at the beginning but lost me with the hard to stomach detour.

The Patient is a fantastic suspense tale with a surprising level of depth. Formatted as a series of blog posts from an anonymous psychiatrist, the story comprises many of my favorite elements: a mental health facility, the "new kid on the block" do-gooder, and an overlap between natural and supernatural. The story behind the mysterious patient works on both literal and metaphorical levels, and the novel explores grand themes like fear, sanity, (subjective) reality, memory, and humanity itself. As far as suspense goes, the blog-post-series format does a superb job of keeping the reader engaged. The narrator's storytelling serves as a form of catharsis, but he also addresses forum comments, making his experience feel even more "real." The Patient is a quick, thought-provoking read that merits attention!

Written in the format of blog entries on a message board for healthcare professionals, Parker divulges the story of Joe, his first patient after finishing school and seemingly, one of the most dangerous.

I loved this story! I loved the format of the blog posts. It was so fresh and interesting. Parker was also a great character that had a great backstory to go with his insistence on working with Joe. He was smart, quick witted, and empathetic. I really resonated with him. I didn’t really know what this story was going to turn into as I read it, but luckily I was so hooked that I read it relatively quickly. I also loved the ending. I thought it was totally refreshing to see these types of stories end on a positive note.

I give my upmost kudos to Jasper DeWitt on The Patient. Be sure to snatch this one up when it’s released!