A thrilling read with complex characters and dynamic storylines. The book successfully melds characters stories together while maintaining an exciting and detailed account. Very good read. This is an author I will keep my eyes on

There is a lot going on in this story that is told by many different people as well as the victim, Anna, before and after the attack that left her in a coma. A very dark, disturbing tale.

Ooooooh I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was quite excited by the “blurb” and it didn’t disappoint it really was a great read.

Anna is a popular teacher & mum and she is badly beaten and left in a coma; there the story begins.

The story goes back and forth to before and after the attack where it build up to give you more of an insight into Anna’s life and the mystery surrounding the attack.

I found it easy to follow and was hooked from the start and really didn’t want to put the book down! It was pretty fast paced with lots of really quite unlikeable characters haha and had you constantly guessing who was the one who attacked poor Anna and there were plenty of suspects!

It’s a must read for sure and I’m glad I had the chance to read it, would certainly read more from the author! Top book!

When I Wake Up is pitched as comparable to The Girl on The Train and Before I Go To Sleep, which immediately sets it up to fail. Anna is attacked and left in a coma, and through the stories of various characters in the book in the months leading up to the attack, we find out all about Anna's life and the various people who could have had a strong enough grudge against her to be able to commit such a brutal crime.

I was excited to read this book, as I LOVE a good, dark twisty thriller and initially, I was drawn into the story. But then it just kept going and going and going and it felt like it was never going to end. The book was pretty much a crime, then the introduction of characters who are all shown to have motive for the crime. It all felt very simplistic and although I didn't entirely predict the attacker, it didn't feel like a surprise when it was revealed.

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a bad book by any means, there was plenty of back story and character development, but the whole thing just felt predictable and too long and drawn out. If you're into mystery thrillers that aren't too hard to follow and like everything to be laid out in front of you very simply, this book is worth a read.

'Why won't Mummy wake up?'



When Anna, a much-loved teacher and mother of two, is left savagely beaten and in a coma, a police investigation is launched. News of the attack sends shock waves through her family and their small Swedish community. Anna seems to have had no enemies, so who wanted her dead?


As loved-ones wait anxiously by her bedside, her husband Erik is determined to get to the bottom of the attack, and soon begins uncovering his wife's secret life, and a small town riven with desire, betrayal and jealousy.



As the list of suspects grows longer, it soon becomes clear that only one person can reveal the truth, and she's lying silent in a hospital bed...



* * * * *



I found WHEN I WAKE UP to be a delightful read. It is filled with so many twists and turns that the reader will need to buckle up to enjoy the ride. Set in Sweden, I loved seeing how their police worked and also enjoyed learning about their different traditions.



Another thing that set this book apart was watching Anna, who is the mother of twins, discover her sexuality when she falls in love with a woman. She tries to weigh whether this is just a fling or is her happiness worth breaking up her marriage and changing the twins' lives.



There were a lot of suspects that all could have easily attacked her for various reasons ranging from jealousy, obsession to love. All of the characters are very well drawn out with all of their strengths and weaknesses.



I do feel that any of my readers who enjoy a good mystery will enjoy WHEN I WAKE UP. Having it set in Sweden definitely adds that little bit of extra to this book. There is both violence and sex so not appropriate for younger readers.


*** I received this book at no charge from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed within are my own.

Unfortunately this book was a miss for me. I got about halfway through and picked up another book. It's doubtful I'll end up finishing this book, though I might skim ahead and see "whodunnit". I read a lot and I pride myself on finishing books I start but this one seemed long and tedious. The characters weren't likable or relatable. Others have also mentioned the sex. I enjoy a good steamy book on occasion but this unexpected and I don't feel added much value to the story.

I love a thriller, and honestly this one kept me guessing until the very last paragraph. There was even a touching love story in the midst of the horror which helped to shock and awe!

When I wake up is a book about a wife and husband who are not feeling the "love" in their marriage. She is a teacher who was voted "Teacher of the Year" and he is a house painter who is also trying to live his long time dream of becoming a music band.
After going back and forth between these two and introducing other characters into the mix, things get a bit crazy and the wife ends up in the hospital after being attacked.
I could go on with this book but the main thing was I felt the wife was a bit of a wimp at times and that her and her husband had NO clue of what the other's likes and dislikes were as well as just knowing each other in their marriage. It kept my interest but by the end I was ready to move on to another book.

This sordid book should have been listed as a LGBT read. The mystery takes back seat is to ALL the smut and bawdiness that is prevalent throughout the entire book with all the cast of characters. The premise of the plot seemed intriguing...until the lewd and lascivious onslaught began and overwhelmed. Additionally, , there are no likeable characters, and I did not connect with any of them. The author seemed more interested in creating a ribald storyline than creating dynamic, well rounded characters. Big mistake, in my opinion. Character development is the substance that "makes a book"! The flat characters and their lack of motives in this book lost my interest. At the 33% mark I skipped to the 95% mark because I certainly did not want or need to read more of the tawdry scenarios, but I wanted to find out how the mystery concluded. The climax and ending were very exciting and satisfying, so I give it 2*.

The premise of When I Wake Up was interesting to me. I thought Jessica Jarlvi created strong characters, and the setting of a small town in Sweden was very well detailed. The story itself was entertaining. I didn't find it "shocking,' though there were a few unexpected twists. Overall the pacing was rather slow, punctuated by lightly graphic sex scenes. The portrait of a marriage with secrets and lies in abundance, and the mystery of what happened to the wife held my interest but it was easy to pick up and put down this book.

WHEN I WAKE UP is a dark mystery/thriller debut novel by author Jessica Jarlvi. This fast- paced novel packs a punch and will have you totally gripped from beginning to end. I can just say set some time aside to where you will not be disturbed so you can devote to figuring out who the attacker is. I loved this book!

'Why won't Mummy wake up?'

“When Anna, a much-loved teacher and mother of two, is left savagely beaten and in a coma, a police investigation is launched. News of the attack sends shock waves through her family and their small Swedish community. Anna seems to have had no enemies, so who wanted her dead?”

The novel is set in a small town in Sweden, where Anna, “teacher of the year” and the mother of five-year-old twins is left in a coma after a vicious attack in the parking lot of her school.

Her husband Erik is determined to get to the bottom of the attack, and soon begins uncovering his wife's secret life, and a small town alienated with betrayal and jealousy.

So, who did it? Actually, there are a lot of suspects with motive and opportunity. This book was very difficult to put down, as I was intrigued to figure out who was behind the attack on Anna.

The story switches time frames with numerous points of view, from the present to the months leading up to the attack on Anna. Each chapter is devoted to a character and time frame, to present multiple points of view and easy to follow. Warning- The story contains some explicit sexual scenes.

The complex list of characters was well flushed out, especially Daniel, a seventeen-year-old pupil of Anna's. So many lies and secrets! The pages flew by in this fast- paced suspenseful thriller and I enjoyed every bit of it.

I am not going to say anymore as I don’t want to give the plot away, but this is a very riveting and powerful story. I loved it. All I can say is read this book… I don’t think you will be disappointed.

As the list of suspects grows longer, it soon becomes clear that only one person can reveal the truth, and she's lying silent in a hospital bed...

Many thanks to Jessica Jarlvi, Aria & NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I tried reading this. lol several times and I just have no interest in it.

When I Wake Up by Jessica Jarlvi
Publisher: Aria

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher Aria for the ebook ARC of When I Wake Up by Jessica Jarlvi in exchange for an honest review.
Anna, is an adored teacher and mother of young boy twins, Sebastian and Lukas in a small Swedish community.
A police investigation is put into motion when Anna is brutally beaten and is now in a coma. Anna’s husband, Erik is determined to get to the bottom of the attack. Anna seems to have no enemies, so who would want her dead?
Erik slowly begins to unravel his wife’s secret life. The list of suspects seems to keep growing, and the only person who can reveal the truth, is in a coma in a hospital bed.

This is a well written book, and it kept me wanting to read more. It was wrote in different points of views from each of the characters. I found that you got to get to know each of the characters very well. It kind of seemed to unravel very slowly though. Some of the characters are not very good natured or appealing but the book itself was still very enjoyable! It kept me guessing through to end and it had my twists and turns. I definitely recommend reading the book. I give it 4 stars.

Quiet sleepy small town. A beloved teacher, a devoted wife and mother of young twins...who would want to brutally beat her up and leave her for dead? The book actually starts with the attack scene and then cleverly unfolds in present and recent past timelines to answer that very question, because no one is really what they seem at first glance. Few things are currently as popular as female authored female driven suspense mystery thrillers and Scandinavian crime fiction. This one combines both and delivers on both accounts. Despite the misleadingly zombie reminiscent cover and title, despite the somewhat over Anglicized/Americanized nature of writing (or is it just the names?), this book is unmistakably a proud Swedish export and an exciting one at that. Essentially a domestic thriller, it goes on to explore the mental atmosphere of the situation with an astuteness equaling any serious drama, unraveling the psychological makeup of marriages and relationships within the story with a deftness and emotional intelligence that's most inspiring to see, especially in a debut. There's realism and vividness to Jarlvi's writing that makes for an absolutely engaging read. I read most of it in one prolonged seating, unable to out it down. A thriller that genuinely thrills and suspense that's expertly maintained throughout until the very end. The author has obviously spent some time in the US, the ending is entirely too cute and upbeat for Scandinavian fiction, but I don't even care, the characters were so compelling, you end up wishing them a proper happy ending. Very entertaining read. Enthusiastically recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

I really enjoyed this story. I was immersed in the story line and loved how well written it is

There was a lot thst went on in this book. Relationships, blackmail, obsession, abuse & the list goes on. So much went on that towards the end it was a tad much. But a good read.

Thanks to NetGalley for this copy to review.

This was one of the better suspense novels I've read in a long time. Anna is a teacher in a small Swedish town and is attacked in the school parking lot. She is left for dead but ends up in a coma. The police investigate and come up with several suspects. As Anna awakens and recovers at home she struggles to recover her memory. Her husband Erik tries to help take care of their two sons but he's worried about the police and them finding out about his affair. Well written and amazing for a first novel. I couldn't put this book down. I had to find out who was responsible for hurting Anna.

I liked the whodunnit aspect of the book, just when I thought I figured out the culprit, another twist was thrown into the story. Wishing the sex scenes didn't deter from the story, but I would feel uncomfortable recommending this book to some of my library patrons due to the content.

I am terrible at putting books into classifications but When I Wake Up didn’t strike me as the psychological thriller which the Amazon listing indicates it is. However, I did think that it was a very strong domestic drama (is that a thing?) which put three households into the spotlight as Jessica Jarlvi shook their respective worlds upside down.

At the centre of the action is Anna. She is a teacher – married and has two kids. She seems well liked and respected by her colleagues but is facing a bit of a problem at school with a troublesome pupil (Daniel).

Next spotlight family is Iris (a Librarian) and her artist husband Rolf. They have an open relationship where both are free to sleep with any women they want. Iris has seduced Lena and the two women have been having clandestine meetings in the library. But Iris wants to move on as Lena has become too dependent upon her – Lena is not so happy at this prospect.

Finally household three…Daniel (the problem pupil) and his drunken mother. Daniel craves a “real” family and sees his teacher Anna as the ideal person to provide the stability and affection that he believes he is missing. Daniel’s attentions to Anna are both creepy and sinister and this makes for uncomfortable reading at times.

When I Wake Up opens with a violent attack on Anna by person (or persons) unknown. The book will pick up the story of events after Anna is hospitalised. She is in a coma so cannot reveal the identity of her attacker and it is not clear if she will even survive the ordeal. However, the narrative will also slip back to events prior to the attack and the reader gets to see how the three spot-lit families will interact, where their stories overlap and we get to speculate over which of the cast of characters may have been responsible (directly or indirectly) for Anna’s attack.

Jessica Jarlvi does a great job of juggling her characters, each will fall under suspicion for Anna’s attack and I found it difficult to work out who may have been to blame. One word of caution for those with more prudish reading tastes – there is a fair amount of…let’s call it “nakedness” in this story so if you blush easily you may wish to skim a bit!

Entertaining and engaging story and the characterisation is spot on (which is essential to make a tale like When I Wake Up work for the readers). If you like a domestic drama this is one you should not miss.

A great debut and a well written book, with interesting characters and conflicts in a small Swedish town that has conflicts and challenges that could be anywhere in the world.