The scariest thing about this book is the demonization and mistreatment of people with mental illness that continues to be rampant in horror.

Mentally ill people are constantly the subject of thrillers such as this, always forming the basis of some monster, and it's incredibly frustrating. I was almost willing to give it a pass because the first 50% of the book is incredibly atmospheric, tense and gripping (despite the issue of a psychiatrist being so judgmental towards patients, I was genuinely enjoying the story) but a dramatic shift seems to take place halfway through the story. It's almost like DeWitt was uncertain of how to conclude things and just rushed through to the ending, sacrificing atmosphere and his characters and any semblance of "believeablity" in the process - which I don't think is necessary to fiction, since it's, You Know, Fiction, but with such a rigid setting and lead-up, I expected just a little more reality to continue to carry the story. Instead it feels lazy and cheap, and the twist fails to shock or thrill. Incredibly frustrating and lackluster ending, that definitely wasn't up to par with the beginning.

This is a short, quick read. It is amazing what Jasper DeWitt managed to create in such a short read. He sets up an atmosphere, you could not feel it any more keenly if you were sitting in the hospital or walking the halls next to this young, overconfident doctor. His determination to be the "one" who finally cures a patient who has been in this very creepy mental hospital for over 30 years, rolls off his shoulders as if you had known him for years. The writing skills and abilities demonstrated in this book insure my interest in Mr DeWitt's past and future titles. Once you read it, you'll add him to your TBR list too.

An ambitious, arrogant young psychiatrist, a crumbling mental hospital straight out of a horror movie, and a mysterious patient who has an unsettling effect on everyone he comes in contact with - some of them go mad themselves, others seem compelled to self-harm, and only a few of the hospital personnel who've been there since the patient arrived decades ago have ever seen him. The novel is clearly set up to draw the reader into the story, as the psychiatrist, despite being warned by his superiors not to approach the patient, grows more and more certain that he alone can cure him. It's a circular trap, well set by a talented writer, but when it's finally sprung - on the reader as well as the protagonist - it''s a strangely unsettling denouement.

An ambitious, arrogant young psychiatrist, a crumbling mental hospital straight out of a horror movie, and a mysterious patient who has an unsettling effect on everyone he comes in contact with - some of them go mad themselves, others seem compelled to self-harm, and only a few of the hospital personnel who've been there since the patient arrived decades ago have ever seen him. The novel is clearly set up to draw the reader into the story, as the psychiatrist, despite being warned by his superiors not to approach the patient, grows more and more certain that he alone can cure him. It's a circular trap, well set by a talented writer, but when it's finally sprung - on the reader as well as the protagonist - it''s a strangely unsettling denouement.

Thank you to HMH Books for the advanced copy!

I did quite enjoy this book, however, I went in with expectations that were not met and that is mainly my fault. I thought this was going to be more of a psychological thriller and I did not expect it to become a horror sci-fi novel. Don't get me wrong, it worked for the genre, but I just wasn't expecting it. So when the story turned, I was completely taken aback.

What I did enjoy was the creepiness factor of the story. I was completely enthralled with "Joe", the mental patient who Parker tries to cure. I studied forensic psychology in grad school and I found myself trying to diagnose"Joe" as well.

This book is also super short, like maybe 200 pages or so. So it's a super-fast read and the story does draw you in right away! I think if you go into the story knowing that there will be a supernatural element to it, then you will quite enjoy it!

Final rating: 3.5 stars

The Patient by Jasper Dewitt

What I Loved: This quick little book has been heavily marketed as The Silent Patient by way of Stephen King, and in a way I would say that’s accurate if Stephen King = supernatural twist.

I will admit I was not expecting some of the twists. Honestly I have the horrible habit of trying to guess the twists by prediction the most outrageous twist imaginable. I would say I am correct about 50% of the time so I was quite tickled The Patient managed to surprise me.

The book is short so the pacing is realtively quick and consistent. I for one was sucked into the mystery of this patient who supposedly drives any caregivers insane.

What I Didn’t Love: I was not expecting this book to be epistolary but it was laid out kind of like blog entries. I found the format a little jarring initially but once I got the hang of it, it was no longer distracting. I think it is a natural hazard of writing such a short book- the characters were very one dimensional and I would have liked a little more back story on all of them.

But overall the novel was enjoyable. I would recommend it to people looking for short horror.

Parker is a keen new psychiatrist at a facility in Connecticut who takes it upon himself to help the hospital’s most dangerous patient. The patient, known as Joe, was admitted at just six years old and has no fixed diagnosis. His symptoms evolve and change and almost every member of staff who has made contact with him has been driven insane or committed suicide.

Described as The Silent Patient meets Stephen King, I knew I had to read this. The format of the book is really original. It’s told in posts from an online forum where Parker decides to tell the story of his experiences with Joe. The author builds up the story slowly and it got very creepy, creating tension so well that I had literal goosebumps at one point.

Unfortunately, for me the ending let the book down. It’s a short book but I feel like the last post was rushed and the author could have added a few extra pages to explain things in more depth.

Overall I really enjoyed The Patient but if you are faint hearted and prefer a more realistic plot then this might not be the book for you.

The Patient by Jasper DeWitt is a dark and disturbing horror novel. The story is told in blog posts from an online medical forum from 2008. An anonymous young psychiatrist called “Parker” tells his experience at a Connecticut insane asylum with a patient that has been locked up since he was a 6 year old boy in the 70’s. The boy is a man now and they call him Joe. Every doctor that has treated him either loses their mind or commits suicide or both. Parker thinks he can get through to Joe, now in his 40’s. What follows is a journey into craziness! I enjoyed the buildup to the end of the story more than the end itself. I wasn’t expecting supernatural elements but they fit in nicely. People sensitive to child or animal abuse may want to skip this one. However, if you like your books dark and dreary this is for you! I tremendously liked this book and look forward to more from this author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This one was a little disappointing. I requested it because it was compared to Stephen King and the Silent Patient. I don't think it was like either. I didn't like the format either.

I loved the format of this book, where a young idealistic psychiatrist is sharing his experience with the audience of an online forum. The book was very short, which meant a quick but intense read.

Joe is a patient who many have given up on, but a fresh young doctor decides that he may be the one to unravel the mystery of his illness. This novel takes a supernatural turn fairly fast, and I must say that for me it fell a little flat. There’s no doubt that it’s a great read and sucks you in, just maybe not right up my alley.

The Silent Patient meets It meets Sour Candy
this was so creepy and weird!! I absolutely loved the format this was written in - it really felt like you were reading a scary story that is posted on Reddit forums and made it such a compulsive read. I also thought the length of this was perfect. I thought the ending moved a little too quickly but still, I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

I requested this ARC because it was compared to "The Silent Patient" by Alex Michaelides, but was disappointed in the plotting. The structure of the novel, a blog post several years after the events, caught my attention and I was drawn into the story. I enjoyed the mystery of "Joe" and how his interactions with hospital staff resulted in several suicides. The element of conspiracy and the concealment of "Joe's" past kept the narrative moving forward. There was very little character development of the narrator, Parker, but I was willing to overlook that to learn more about the background of "Joe". The book was satisfying, if a little bit rushed, for the first 2/3 of the novel. After that point, it took a turn that I was not expecting and did not feel fit with the direction of the narrative. I was disappointed in the resolution of the book and would not recommend this for most readers.

The Patient had me intrigued 75% of the book. At first it seemed so psychologically scary that I did not want to read before going to sleep. Joe totally had me hooked! It was fascinating how he could find a persons soft spot. But I didn’t like the ending. Too bizarre. And if this could really happen to a psychologist, I will never be one.

4-5 stars, not quite as good as THE SILENT PATIENT to me, but not quite fair since it’s not just a psycho thriller, but a horror mixed with! Well written, definitely original, and absolutely creepy!! This was a book that had my brain spinning and my heart racing, as I read the pages. It was well done, in mixing the two genres, and making sure that both would likely enjoy!! I couldn’t give it a full 5 stars, as something was missing for me, maybe just the comparison to Silent Patient, which may be a bit biased. Overall, I think it was quite scary, disturbing, thrilling, and chilling! I didn’t find it unputdownable, but I did not have any trouble finishing. It’ll definitely bring in the bone chilling chills and gasp worthy shocks, but if you’re expecting the silent patient, it is not that! Highly recommend to both horror and thriller fans, as I do think both will greatly enjoy this book!

Will make sure to buzz it around platforms, as well as use my low Amazon reviewer number on release date!

The Patient follows a young psychiatrist recounting his most horrific ordeal (on a blog) with a seemingly undiagnosable asylum inmate.

Maybe I'm just not a horror fan? Or maybe this just wasn't such a great book. For such a short book, I felt the beginning of this novel was quite slow. The blog posts were both interesting and cheesy at the same time. I didn't find any of the descriptions overly chilling or horrifying, maybe because they were too in your face? I was just disappointed overall and the conclusion only solidified the 2 star rating for me.

I loved the psychological thriller portion of the book, always wondering what was going to happen to Joe and Parker through their therapy or discovery of Joe’s files. However, the demon aspect to explain what was wrong with Joe towards the end of the book felt fake/supernatural/unrealistic to the point that it didn’t make enough sense for me to love this book. Especially the discovery in the house....that part felt under developed and just thrown in.

When I got this book, there I was, rubbing my hands together in excitement, mumbling “Oh, goody, oh, goody!” I absolutely love stories written from this angle. The protagonist is talking to you, writing updates on his blog. It’s your job to read between the lines to determine what is actually going on with him and the other characters in his notes.
Parker H. is a young and eager psychiatrist who decides on his first day on the job that he will cure the hospital’s most notorious tenant, a forty-year-old man who’s been locked in solitary for thirty-six long years.
Joe has a negative effect on anyone who’s spent any time with him. They tend to go crazy and commit suicide in some gory fashion. Parker isn’t intimidated, though. He knows that Joe has been misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and lost in the system of the mental hospital. He can cure him and ease him back into normal life. But it’s painfully obvious that Parker thinks a little more of himself than his true abilities reveal.
As he and Joe continue their doctor/patient visits, it becomes painfully obvious that something terrible is going to happen. But when, where, and how? The author, Jasper DeWitt, takes the allure of the unknown within asylum walls and crafts an evil and mesmerizing tale for your enjoyment. That is if your nerves can take it!
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt, and NetGalley for making it available.)

I initially read a Bookish First Impressions excerpt of this book and was hooked. While waiting for raffle to end I found it on NetGalley where I was granted an ARC!

When narcissism rules over logic you can expect a thriller ride!

On March 13, 2008, Dr Parker writes a journal post filled with vagueness and pseudonyms as he cautiously shares “secrets” he has discovered as a psychiatrist. He goes back to his early days of training at prestigious schools yet choosing to work at an underfunded “Connecticut State Asylum”. Trouble lies ahead when this novice, well educated physician decides he can help the most notorious violent patient in the history of the institution.

Dr Parker’s mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia when he a child which prompted him to become a psychiatrist. His ego and desire to be a trail blazer sets him on the path of danger. He learns of a “resident “ who has been at the facility since he was admitted at age 6 in 1973 initially with night terrors. Dr Parker learns from Nessie the nurse director that the patient has been isolated due to his tendency towards violence. He is further warned by almost every staff member to stay clear of “Joe” as working with him has caused many staff to either commit suicide or end up in a facility themselves.

Undeterred by such stories, Dr Parker believes that there must be a logic solution. He begins to secretly, or so he thought, investigate the story of Joe. He spends much of his time researching the scant history in Joe’s medical records. He goes so far as to obtain audio recordings of therapy sessions. The history describes an extremely volatile person with whom traumatic events occur in his presence. His violent, aggressive abuse towards his roommates lead to his isolation for the safety of others. Joe seems to know which “buttons” to push in order to further traumatize others around him.

Eventually, he is approached my the medical director who grants him permission to see the patient. Dr Parker’s initial sessions with Joe seem to be going well so he is allowed to continue to treat him. So, of course, Dr Parker’s sense of self importance doesn’t allow him to recognize that Joe’s cooperation with him is just a manipulative ploy. This leads to disaster and danger for everyone.

Admittedly, I don’t think I was aware that in some book listing the “genre” includes supernatural. It was advertised mostly as a horror psychological thriller. While the story was unnerving in the typical thriller fashion, I was lost at the end. It didn’t seem like the story was brought to a tidy conclusion incorporating all aspects I was expecting. There were a lot of unanswered questions and not in the thoughtful, reflective manner. They more more like the missing pieces of this puzzle. Joe has a fiancé Jocelyn who is mentioned occasionally with not much character development. Also, we are also left to wonder about Joe’s sister who was briefly mentioned as well as a father who died. For me the ending felt unsatisfying and empty after a great start which pulled me in immediately.

I would like to open this review by saying that this really was not my type of book. Okay. Then why am I still thinking about it days later? This novella was written in an unusual way - in blog style I guess - and I got used it it after a while. The story was interesting from the start but it kept me engaged. I enjoyed it although it was not my usual type of choice to read.
Thanks to author, publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I went into The Patient thinking it was a psychological thriller, and it wasn't. It's a horror story written as if it was left on a discussion board/blog. The format was unique and worked, but it's not my style and I wouldn't have chose to read it if I knew how it was set up. I prefer realistic fiction, and this had some paranormal elements, so that was also a negative for me. With all that being said, the writing, storyline, and ending was great for what the type of book it really was, it just wasn't for me. The book description needs to be changed in order to attract the right audience.