A book written about the study of sleep provided a different and thought provoking book but perhaps a little thin on content. If you are looking for a different book to stimulate your imagination then this might be for you. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

I wanted to love this one and I did for a large part of it, but the ending let it down for me.

I was hooked from the very beginning, it’s clever and so much was based on truth so the author had obviously done their research. I had a lot of thoughts about who could have done it and started piecing it all together. It was fast paced and gripping and I was desperate to find out what had happened.

Until I got close to the end where it all changed and slowed right down, became too repetitive and quite frustrating. The whole book had been tense for me so this was just a bit overkill, I was fully ready to know all the details and I had to read another million chapters to find out. (Not really a million, but that’s how it felt 🤣)

Sorry I don’t leave negative reviews often and you may not feel the same, maybe it was my self imposed deadline which made me too impatient to get to the end but I’m just left feeling a bit meh.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

4.5 stars rounding up to 5. This had me hooked from the blurb!

Anna O fell asleep 4 years ago and hasn’t opened her eyes since. Nicknamed sleeping beauty. Anna was found with a knife in her hand having murdered her 2 best friends whilst apparently sleepwalking. Dividing the public the case has gone viral with everyone having their view as to whether Anna is guilty or not. We enter the story with Anna transferred to a sleep clinic. The ministry of justice wants to puts Anna on trial, which they can only do if she’s awake. Step in Dr Benedict Prince, psychologist and sleep expert tasked with waking Anna.

Having suffered with sleep walking as a child I was hooked on this. This story has so many twists. I actually had the who at the very start, but it took me a while to get to the why. The story is told through flash backs of Anna’s diary and multiple view points. Fans of crime/ psychological books will love this. If it hasn’t already been snapped up it won’t be long before you see this on Netflix or in the cinema! Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy!

Well this sounded fantastic from the blurb and started off great.

A sleep specialist, a murderer asleep for 4 years since the killings and brought to his clinic by the government to try and revive her. This one really had me intrigued.

After a really promising opening this one slowly fell apart somewhat with too many characters, too many twists, too many unbelievable scenarios and just too bloody long.

When I was maybe a third of the way through the book I was wondering why this book didn’t score higher in reviews but by the end I understood unfortunately.

It’s a real shame as I really did enjoy the first third immensely. I don’t want to be too harsh but it’s just the frustration of what could have been a 5 star read slowly fall apart as you turned the pages.

Don’t get me started on the ending. It went on forever and the reveal really want much of a reveal at all.

Two and a half stars rounded up to three due to the excellent opening chapters.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.

Crime is not usually my go to genre but the premise of this one had me intrigued (and that cover!).
About 1/4 in to the book and I just wasn't sure it was for me , it seemed to be dragging , not a lot was happening BUT at the same time something was making me want to read on , what was going on...... Halfway through the pace changes and it becomes much more of a page turner , twists along the way and a final twist which is very clever . I felt it was very fleshed out and would have been better if it was shorter but I'm glad I stuck it through to the end and think it would make a great movie !

This is a fabulously twisted and atmospheric psychological thriller. Anne O, the 'O' is for Ogilvy, her surname and 'Oh my goodness' and 'Oh, I didn't expect that!'.

Anna O is asleep, she has been for four years continuously and the trial is on hold until she wakes. The trial is for the murder she committed, or maybe committed. Nobody seems to know what happened until she wakes and the case can finally close.

This is a book that is slower-paced as such and very deep, looking into several people and their interactions with each other. It is one where I was never sure where the story was going, well I thought I did, but then other things began to emerge and throw me.

Anna is moved to a sleep clinic where she comes under the care of Dr Benedict PRince, he is a lecturer and a forensic psychologist and he is tasked with trying to find a way of waking Anna up. He sort of has a connection to this case as it was his ex-wife who originally attended the scene, she is in the police and was first on the scene.

The story emerges and there are sections from a notebook Anna has kept. This gives you an insight into what was going on in her life before the murders and her falling asleep. Around that there is the main story of Ben, how he is trying to wake her, some psychological profiles, mentions of different diagnoses and all-in-all quite a lot of information relevant to the story. I really enjoyed this and for me, it really added to the story as it sort of added credence to the character of Ben.

Anna O was a real person, a search on the internet will give you information about her ( I should mention that this case was not something that the author has referred to, just something I have come across).

I have, however, seen an article from the author who based this book on real-life events, one is of people committing murder while sleepwalking the other is his study of resignation syndrome, which is where people fall asleep for years with no medical reason. Putting these two concepts together and then researching to create such an enigmatic story makes for addictive reading.

By the end of the book I found myself completely turned around, and so very far from where I thought this would go. I for one completely enjoyed this and it is one for those who like twisted thriller with a strong psychological premise, some great research and one that makes you think. There were a couple of times when I paused to think about what had just happened, to process the next twist or to just wallow in the eureka moment only to have another eureka moment later on!

Addictive, brilliant and one I would definitely recommend.

Beautifully written with such intricate delicacy, this story doesn’t hesitate in pulling its punches.
I simply couldn’t put it down, just like chocolate, just one piece isn’t enough and I was compelled to keep on turning the pages, fervently devouring every word in this must read masterpiece of a thrilling tale.
I cannot put into words the unique and chilling feeling on reading this until its astounding finale.
Highly recommended, a 5 Star rating doesn’t quite seem enough.

ANNA O

Thank you NetGalley for my eArc copy of #AnnaO and giving me the opportunity to read this eagerly anticipated novel before its publication.

Unfortunately I found there to be so much unnecessary dialogue making the starting pace slow, until over halfway through the story; which is NOT something I’m used to when reading a book which I’d anticipated to be a thriller.

But…

Despite this I was still hooked, I was convoluted I had to find out if Anna O was, Awake or Asleep. Guilty or innocent of this crime.

I enjoyed the short chapters and the different points of view this novel was told by; one of the main things keeping me hooked.

So the best bits of this book happen later on, much later on.

But one thing I can say is that, I really didn’t expect or see that ending coming.

#Annao #Thriller #eArc #AdvancedReadersCopy #SlowBurn #UnexpectedEnding

The description of this one had me hooked, unfortunately the actual writing did not!

The book was good overall but I feel it was lacking a lot of information. Though I will admit it did take turns throughout and left you guessing until the end, which I liked.

Anna O is a slow burning psychological thriller that deals with the interesting subject of sleep walking and committing crimes while alseep. The premise is really interesting but at times I felt bogged down too much in technical language but I felt that was a device for the narrator to flex their intellectual muscles. I didn't like any of the characters very much and I had determined the outcome from clues very early on. There has been a lot of buzz about this book and I was glad I had read it but perhaps the hype made me have higher expectations than I would normally have going into a read. I think this would make a brilliant film or tv series.

This was such an interesting and gripping read! I was hooked from the beginning and the reveals in this story were jaw-dropping!
I didn't realise this was a debut novel! It was so well done i was in shock when i found out!

A little slow at times, but honestly such a fascinating story with so much depth - i really enjoyed it!

Anna O has been in a deep sleep for four years after apparently murdering her two best friends. Rumours are rife that she was sleepwalking, others that she knew exactly what she was doing. Dr Ben Prince, an expert in sleep disorders was invited to attempt to wake her. She was taken to a private clinic in absolute secrecy and there Ben began his work. The complex story of how Anna arrived at this point is detailed through her earlier diary entries. Is she guilty? By waking her will Ben be simply sealing her fate at a murder trial? Tormented and confused by this case Ben’s own life is threatening to spiral out of control as it becomes all consuming. An exceptionally clever story that leaves the reader unsure of the truth until the very end.

I thought Anna O was an intriguing concept from the description but when I came to read it it just didn't work for me. It was definitely unique but I found it to be drawn out and very implausible.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an arc in exchange for an honest review.
This book was a real mixed bag for me an intriguing story line involving murder sleepwalking and psychology a real did she didnt she but feel a bit short especially near the end.
The main story line was interesting and well researched but I guessed some of the twists from the start and was hoping it was too obvious to be right. It was also repetitive in some places making the book feel slightly too long. But it was compelling and I did find myself wanting to read on and solve the mystery.
Overall it was worth the read and the psychology aspects were interesting to read about and did add an extra layer to the suspense.

I liked the principle of this book, briefly put: four years ago, Anna O seemingly killed two of her friends – a bloodied knife bearing only her fingerprints was found near her, and she was found in a deep sleep that she has never come out of. Fast forward to present day and the MoJ has enlisted sleep expert Dr. Ben Prince to wake her up so she can be tried for the crime – interesting and unusual. However, I found the tale to be all over the place and very hard to follow, being rather heavy on confusing technical terminology around sleep and other medical details, which are described in great depth. This led to me skim-reading as I wanted to get to the bottom of the mystery, which I am sad to say was somewhat predictable. As I have said, the tale has a fascinating premise and I think it will appeal to many readers, sadly it’s just not for me.

Anna Ogilvy hasn’t opened her eyes for four years
Not since that night at The Farm when she was found asleep with a kitchen knife in her hand, her clothes bloodstained, the bodies of her two best friends lying close.
She’d committed the crime of the century – but nothing and no-one could wake her from the nightmare.
Believers in her innocence call her Anna O. Believers in her guilt call her Sleeping Beauty.

Well, this is certainly different. Great writing and plenty of intrigue. I particularly liked the short chapters meaning I could pick it up as and when. More authors should think of their readers. The story is a little long-winded in places with lots of medical descriptions and terminology which might put some readers off. I found that it read as a mix of fact and fiction which I like. It’s an intricate and involving story but one I thoroughly enjoyed reading. It’s well worth sticking with until the end.

Four years after she was found with a bloodied knife in her hand and the bodies of her 2 flatmates nearby, Anna O has been in a deep sleep. Moved to the Abbey sleep clinic it's down to Dr Benedict Prince, a sleep expert, to try and wake up so she can stand justice.
Dubbed Sleeping Beauty by the media Ben's loyalties vary as time goes on. Is she innocent or guilty? The story is told from Ben's point of view and extracts from Anna's journal
My opinions of the book varied throughout my reading, I enjoyed the unique premise of the book but found it slightly long winded and repetitive in places.

I had very high expectations for this read, and I wasn’t disappointed! A young woman is accused of the murder of her two friends, but since that night several years ago, she has been asleep. Dr Benedict Prince (Sleeping Beauty Easter Egg, ahoy!) is tasked with waking her in time for the Ministry of Justice to put her on trial. But far more is going on than at first appears. I was completely hooked with this from the beginning. A compelling, page turning read that is bound to be a popular read this spring.

Whilst I would recommend this book to my audience it wasn't really for me. I found myself racing through it just becasue I felt I needed to see how it ended but therefore I think some of the content went over my head. Maybe a little too heavy on confusing, medical detail for me and I just didn't find the charcaters likeable which always effects my enjoyment of a book. That said, it was a fascinating premise and I think it will be loved by many! My advice...read carefully and don't rush it!

An original storyline told from the POV’s of forensic psychologist Dr Benedict ‘Ben’ Prince and in the form of diary entries from Anna Ogilvy. Anna is the daughter of a wealthy family who, after confessing to killing her two friends and work colleagues, fell into a deep sleep, where she remains 4 years later until… Well paced and well written it was a compulsive read, although I did find some of the references to various technical aspects of sleep went a bit over my head!

Briefly, the jury is out. Is she guilty? Those who believe guilty call her The Sleeping Beauty, those who believe she is innocent call her Anna O, but the only person who really knows is asleep! Wanting to take her to trial she is taken to Ben’s Harley Street sleep clinic as he has published a paper which indicates he has a method to wake those in long term resignation syndrome (sleeping).

This plot was so clever, full of twists and turns, so hard to guess just what was coming next. Who do you trust? Well that’s one of those questions I kept changing my mind about. I had guessed the big reveal/twist before the end but it was more luck that judgement. A dark twisty story with a lot of literary references, a lot of sleep references, and a cracking storyline. I enjoyed it.