This brief psychological thriller is told through a series of discussion board posts written by Parker, a new psychiatrist who graduated from a prestigious university but accepted a position at a state hospital in order to stay in the area. He’s surprised to find that a patient, Joe, has been institutionalized for decades and that only the nurse who administers his medicine is allowed in his room—previous doctors, nurses, and orderlies who have had contact with him have been institutionalized themselves or have killed themselves after treating him: Joe has the ability to summon the worst fears of those who encounter him.

With the cockiness that comes from his prestigious education and inexperience, Parker decides he can finally diagnose and cure Joe, and the director of the hospital finally relents and allows him access to Joe, not knowing that Parker has surreptitiously perused Joe’s medical records. When Parker meets Joe, he is seemingly sane—polite, rational, and engaging.

Parker becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth about Joe. Is he being kept at the hospital for nefarious purposes, does he have a diagnosable psychiatric condition, or is something else at work?

The Patient was a quick and engrossing read, and the structure provided an additional layer of interest. I enjoy thrillers in which characters become paranoid and unravel, and this novel had that in spades. I wish there had been more development of the secondary characters, particularly Jocelyn, his fiancée, and the conclusion verged into the otherworldly, which isn’t my preference, but it other ways the ending was creepily satisfying.

Parker H is a still wet behind the ears psychiatrist who takes a job at an asylum. He is determined to "cure" a 40 year old patient who has been housed there since he was six years old. The story has more twists and turns than a mountain road but it is fleshed out well and moves at a quick pace. It is told in a series of online posts which not only helps to move the story along, but also gives the reader glimpses of Parker's thought process throughout. It is quite dark with some interesting yet violent scenes. I'm not sure if this is considered a psychological thriller or is more in the horror vein, but it seems to be planted in both worlds. While I normally do not like horror books at all, I really enjoyed this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Miflin Harcourt for the opportunity to read an eARC of this book

This was one great book, even if it was a little short, it was still amazing! I was so lucky to find this book, it is completely my style. I loved the story was written in this format, I loved the main character and I just loved the story. The ending wasn’t my favorite, but at the very end it gave me chills, so it was almost a perfect book. I have to read more from this author.

This was a really interesting psychological thriller! I was a bit surprised by the ending - I completely wasn't expecting it. I'm also not a fan of the supernatural but otherwise this was a great read! I enjoyed how it was written in online posts and how the narrator communicated with the reader. At just over 200 pages this was a super fast read!

I was given this ARC by netgalley and publisher for honest review and opinion

Awesome thriller book where the writing style is in the format of posting online.
It is about a new grad of mental health doctor that takes a job at an asylum. He begins taking care of a 40 year old pt that has been there since a young age and believes that he has been wrongfully held captive.

I was hoping this would be a good read, I didn’t realize when I started it that the story would consume me for the rest of the day and that I wouldn’t put it down until it was finished. I haven’t flown through a book this fast in a long time.

5 STARS

Parker, a young, overconfident psychiatrist new to his job at a mental asylum, miscalculates catastrophically when he undertakes curing a mysterious and profoundly dangerous patient.

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Real talk: I feel like I've been in a book slump for the last month or so. I've read a few good books here and there...but nothing that really stuck out as a "wow" for me. That is, until I decided to pick up THE PATIENT.

I have seen this one floating around the 'gram for the last few weeks with fabulous reviews and rightly so! This book blew me away. I actually could have read it in one sitting but I was camping...and it was getting dark...and honestly, when the trees started to creek in the wind I had to put it down for the evening! This is a fast paced slow burn (weird, right?) but it totally fits.

THE PATIENT is a very character driven book that slowly increases the tension every chapter until I literally felt my skin begin to crawl with anticipation. Although the ending isn't as explosive as I expected, I think it fits the narrative set up quite well. This book is best read blind, so I won't spoil too much more - other than saying fans of horror and Stephen King-eque writing need to pick this one up now!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for my review copy.

This book was a very unexpected find for me as I just came across it on other book bloggers instagrams and sites, as well as seeing it about on GoodReads and NetGalley. I requested it and was lucky to receive an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the book. I loved the suspense of the short chapters written in a blog like style which I thought was very unique, clever and original. I loved the character of Parker as he was really fleshed out and I could totally relate to him with regards to his mental health and state of mind. This book may hold triggers so just a word of caution.

Throughout the book you begin to become more and more uneasy as we really want to find out about the mysterious patient called Joe who Parker has forced himself to be assigned to. Each chapter gets grittier and darker and it really takes your breath away at some points with its creep factor. I would loved to have seen a few more characters developed especially that of Jacquelyn who is Parkers partner as I feel she was just there as a support mechanism for Parker and did not add any meat to the bones if it were.

I loved the huge build up and the characters experiences of dealing with Joe as this made it all the more frightening. The only thing for me was that I thought the book took a bit of a far-fetched turn and the genre changed into a horror/sci-fi type of novel which are not my favourite. However I am glad I requested it as I was in no means disappointed.

The writing like I have already mentioned makes this book unique and really steps it up in terms of the change of writing that is becoming more and more popular among authors. The book is relatively short and it was a quick read for me.

I can’t wait to see what Jasper Dewitt does next. This novel will definitely add the creep factor to your nights of reading.

This novella is as if The Silent Patient was written by Stephen King. Although if King had written the book, it would have been AT LEAST 600 pages longer. But you get the point.

I was SO intrigued by the premise of The Silent Patient, but I didn't much like the book itself (here's my review). So I was really excited when I saw another book with a similar premise, that I was hoping would have a better execution. And The Patient by Jasper DeWitt did not disappoint!

The Patient is a novella, so there's less character development and the focus is more on the plot, the pace is faster. From the very beginning of the book I was on the edge of my seat, the author did a great job at keeping a steady tension and at times I was genuinely scared. And even though I did guess the ending, I didn't see that as a downside and it didn't hinder my reading experience. Overall I simply had a ton of fun reading this book.

So it's a horror novella with supernatural elements and if you enjoyed Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough or It by Stephen King, or if you just love the horror genre and are looking for something new and "off the beaten track", you have to pick up this book!

This had me totally creeped out! It's told as a psychiatrist's anonymous posts on an internet forum, a tale of an asylum patient he'd treated who had been locked up for decades and was psychologically dangerous to anyone who spent too much time around him. I was totally gripped by the story, though I found some parts toward the end a bit cheesy. Would definitely recommend to fans of suspense and horror!

Once you start reading be prepared to keep reading! When you have to stop to work or be an adult then you will be thinking about getting back to this book the second you can! This book is told by a psychiatrist with angst over inability to treat a patient. Highly recommend! Thank you netgalley in exchange for my honest review!

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. I read it in a number of hours. The last few chapters especially had me at the edge of my seat. I'd highly recommend this read

A quick and spooky read. I felt like I was reading a reddit post which is fitting considering where the story originated. The chapters ended briskly and each one on a cliff hanger. I would recommend if you want a fast, enjoyable read.

"Whatever you do, don't tell your child that the monsters they see are only things they created with their imagination."

This debut thriller is suspenseful and held me glued to the pages so I read it over a couple of hours today. There are elements of the practice of psychiatry and mental illness along with the supernatural. The narrative, in the format of dated installments posted to a defunct web page, MDconfessions.com, was written under a pseudonym and the names and places of all those referenced in the story have been changed. The synopsis gives an idea of the plot.

Patient Joe has been housed in a private room at the Connecticut State Asylum since he was 6 years old. He's considered to be dangerous and incurable. Dr. Parker H- finagled a way to get permission to treat him despite the previous long list of failures by other psychiatrists there. Therapy does not go as anticipated. NO SPOILERS.

Personally I'm not that much into horror anymore, but I have lately read a few titles in the genre and I enjoyed how succinct and compact this short novel was. I'm just glad I read it during the daylight hours because I don't want any nightmares! I thought the hubris of Parker was perfect as a foil for Joe and everything just came out with each successive "posts" providing more revelations -- some were quite surprising and all very interesting. I am fascinated by psychiatry but always a bit dubious about how effective it may or may not be. This "case" proved that not everyone can be fixed. One of my favorite supernatural/horror authors is Dean Koontz and this reminded me of his focus on battles between good and evil. I liked the menacing and foreboding tones in the prose of this book and the overall nightmare-like setting of the asylum. Fun read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me access to this E-arc.

This book features a psychiatrist telling the readers about his encounters with a particular patient, Joe. Joe, who is an adult in this story has been hospitalized In a psychiatric facility since he was six years old. Over the course of Joe’s life in the facility multiple strange and creepy occurrences among staff and previous roommates have been reported. Events like staff members committing suicide after being exposed to Joe and reports of Joe doing unspeakable things to former roommates. The psychiatrist becomes obsessed with Joe’s case and tells his accounts of what he experienced with Joe.

Overall the plot was unique and Joe was extremely creepy. At times I had to take a break from this book after reading especially scary scenes. The author does a good job of making the reader question whether Joe is crazy or not and if something more could be going on with him. I liked that it was told from the psychiatrist’s point of view and that he was constantly talking to the reader. The ending was pretty shocking and not something I could have guessed. If you like twisted, horror-themed books than I would recommend this one!

Okay, so this started off very strong for me. I was loving the story and flying through it! However, it took a very horror turn in the middle that I was not expecting. I was looking forward to a mystery/thriller that would give me a sense of relief at figuring out the puzzle by the end. Instead I was left feeling very icky, which may have been the author’s intent. I enjoyed the writing style and characters a lot, and I think people who are big horror fans will enjoy this one. It was just a little too much for me personally, and that’s my own fault for not looking deeper into the book before reading.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3342335218

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Writing style: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

⚠️WARNING: DO NOT READ THIS ALONE AT NIGHT!!⚠️

The Patient was the first horror book I’ve read and I was not disappointed! I loved the psych ward setting, especially with my background in psychology and mental health. I found the psychiatrist jargon to be interesting (nerd alert!😂) and couldn’t wait for them to figure out what “the patient” should be diagnosed with.

This book was pretty short (225 pgs) and each chapter was written as a forum post (think Reddit and creepy pasta) by the main character (a psychiatrist). It was a suspenseful page turner and could easily be read in one sitting! I really enjoyed the ending and thought the pacing of this story was phenomenal! I was totally engrossed in this story and couldn’t put it down!

If you love scary stories, are down for some creepy psych ward vibes, and need a quick pick me up read, go pick this one up!!

This is a truly creepy story of a young psychiatrist, Dr. Parker, who believes he knows better than everyone. It is a memoir of his time spent in a state mental sanitarium and is told from his perspective. The Patient is Joe, who has been locked in the asylum since he was a child. The good doctor believes he can get through to Joe, even though he has been warned that every doctor who every tried to treat Joe ended up going mad. Did I mention that this is a horror story, not a psychological thriller? Interesting read, not what I was expecting, and unbelievable sadly. Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for my copy of this story.

After reading the psychiatric files of Joseph M., a secluded patient at the end of the hall who had been in the mental hospital for over thirty years, Parker H. a newly hired psychiatrist was determined to help or “cure” him. Sure, those in his contact suffered tragic outcomes, but Parker felt that something didn’t quite fit here. How could the mild-mannered Joseph M. be such a monster?

Parker graduated from a prestigious New England university and decided to start his career at a Connecticut state asylum. His interest in psychiatry stemmed from years of witnessing his mother’s neglect from a broken medical system after being institutionalized for paranoid schizophrenia.

The hospital directors just wanted to medicate Joseph M. and avoid talk therapy. After all, his parents were quite wealthy, and the hospital needed the money. Could Joseph M. be a victim of a similar broken system as Parker’s mother?

Parker asks to oversee Joseph M. After much pushback, his request is granted. Will the idealistic Parker be able to help him, or will he fall prey to a similar fate as the others?

Parker chronicles his career working with Joseph M. in the riveting The Patient. This well-written story grabbed me from beginning to end. I just couldn’t put it down. The story structure and character development added to the suspense and over-all plot.

There was only one downside to this book: the ending. I felt it was a huge surprise but a cop-out. I don’t want to give anything away, and maybe it's just personal preference, so I’ll leave it at that.

Still, The Patient is an exciting must-read and readers will enjoy the journey.  I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

(The complete review has been posted on www.underratredreads.com)

What a super fast, off the rails read! When Parker becomes a doctor in a psychiatric hospital, he becomes determined to take on the infamous patient named Joe. But Parker knows nothing about Joe, or why he's been there since he was a child. What he finds out is shocking, but it's only the beginning. The ending left me with my mouth hanging open, and I had to go back and read the last few pages again just to make sure I understood what I had just read!! Loved this!