This was a car crash of a book. Over complicated and poorly written. I finished it, but immediately wished I hadn’t bothered

Anna O, an intriguing title for an intriguing story. To me the name was strangely captivating and mysterious and I found the story to be the same.
Here we have Anna O, aka sleeping beauty, who has fallen in to resignation syndrome after a traumatic situation which left blood on her hands from the murder of her two so called best friends. She needs to be woken in order for there to be justice for Douglas and Indira, now in steps Dr Benedict Prince the man tasked with waking sleeping beauty, does he have what it takes or will he fall under her captivating spell.

I found the book to be very well written in the early part, maybe a little slow but not enough to lose my interest. There were so many U-turns changing the story which I mostly kept with, I did however find one section around 90% of the way through to be very confusing and I am not sure I followed things at that point for around 5-10 pages.
This book, to me, felt a little like The Silent Patient. I would definitely recommend it to anyone with an interest in psychology and who enjoys a twisting thriller.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reading copy.

Didn’t really engage with this book and was a DNF for me,I found it hard to follow and just wasn’t for me

This was a book I was really excited to read. Especially the element of sleeping beauty.
But sadly it didn't really wow me.
I found the writing to be a little disjointed. The constantly switching around made me lose my place a few times. Then I would find myself a little confused. But even with this I was still intrigued throughout. Wanting to understand the story and where it was going.
Then ending I'm unsure how I really feel. On one hand I kind of saw it coming but not necessarily in a bad way. But at the same time I feel off about it.

It started good but went downhill for me, it was too long and at places sounded like a medical document instead of a story. Just could not keep me interested, though I did finish it. the beginning and the end was good but forget the rest..
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC

Unfortunately this book was a DNF for me. I desperately wanted to read it because there has been so much hype around its release, however I just couldn’t grasp all the sleep terms. I found myself having to google so much that it took away from my enjoyment of the story. Sadly, this book just isn’t for me.

𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗔 𝗢
—𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘄 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗸𝗲 | 𝟰.𝟱🌟

“𝘗𝘴𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘺. 𝘈 𝘥𝘳𝘺 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵. 𝘖𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢, 𝘢𝘳𝘵–𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦–𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴.”

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
✨Mystery/thriller
✨Psychologist POV
✨Thought provoking
✨Intriguing literary techniques
✨Psychology of sleep

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
Working in mental health services, I was always going to love this book. It blends psychology, psychiatry, and crime in a seamless and wholly intriguing way. The premise itself is exceptional; are we really capable of committing murder when we sleepwalk? Those who have never experienced somnambulism before may struggle to relate or find this book realistic, however I found it to be incredibly intellectual and thought provoking.

The author coins a term ‘faction’ in the novel which surmises the blend of fact and fiction, and there was indeed a lot of faction in this novel such as the historical figure of Anna O, the hypothesized resignation syndrome, and the phenomenon of homicidal somnambulism.

My one gripe is that the pacing could have been a lot faster. Blake was masterful at building suspense but with all the endlessly fascinating research piled into this book, I needed the pace to quicken to keep my focus on the novel rather than reading something interesting and then wanting to research everything about it.

𝗞𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵 | 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗵 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘆

This is an incredible debut novel about resignation syndrome which is something I’ve never read anything about, and which I found it totally fascinating. I don’t want to give away too much of the plot but it’s safe to say it was full of suspense, twists and turns and I literally could not put it down. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking to get lost in a fabulous crime thriller. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

TW: murder, death, violence, gore, drugging, death of an animal (violent, on page), stabbing, stalking, infidelity

This book had such a brilliant concept and Blake’s writing was gripping, twisty and fast-paced. However, the ending really let me down – I’d predicted it from very early on and was really hoping for a sharper sting in the tale than I got.

I was really looking forward to reading this, there’s a lot of hype surrounding it and I liked the sound of the plot. Sadly for me I just couldn’t get into it. I tried many times but eventually gave up 40% in. I found the pace slow and the plot was a little confusing at times with the many different characters/ Anna’s notebook extracts etc - it all felt a bit disjointed for me sadly. I know a lot of people have loved it though, maybe if I’d have finished it I would have changed my mind. Not for me sadly.

After reading multiple books at the same time, I dedicated yesterday to finishing the second half of this book in one sitting and on reflection, still not sure how I feel about this. Some aspects are brilliantly written, the premise grips you from the blurb/first page and a gradual build up of the case/story has you on edge, the writing in certain parts is brilliant - I love how Blake references true crime in the UK (infamous cases which add to the mystery) Shakespeare within the story, even comparing the Greek Gods of Death and Sleep (who are brothers), in order to assess the fine line between the two states of being in this context and it is honestly pure genius.  Special mention to that moment where Emily meets Anna after she finally opens her eyes and the nostalgia that ensues with Emily remembering how Anna was as a baby, the eyes being the part of the body that do not change, so even if 4 years have lapsed, that remains the same and all the moments shared over the years *chef's kiss*. 

The cons: The punchline hit and missed me, to be honest. That moment where everything unravels and the reader is brought in on the twist... I was so ready for that moment but I guess I was waiting a while so when it eventually happened, the writing left me confused. I was expecting more from the second half in terms of exploration and investigation of the crime, as a reader alot of points where you expect follow through were missed eg the file Ben picks up from Bloom's office was not even looked at until I think 80% of the way through. There was more repetition in the second half which was unnecessary and the words could have been used to boost the storyline which didn't happen. I have told all my friends about the story (because it is brilliant) and yet as the book went on, as a thriller, it failed to deliver for me. I will look out for more from Matthew Blake because I did enjoy this in parts and he is a welcome voice to this genre, I can imagine the next one will be brilliant and there is massive potential based on the idea alone. Thank you @netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest unedited review.

My rating for this is generous - I've rounded up from what would be a 3.5 rating.

Initially, I really enjoyed Anna O I was hooked from the beginning and I was having a great time. 'Great' is used loosely, as in deed this book actually made me afraid to fall asleep. So, there's that. What had initially drew me in and had me so engaged was the mystery, and that there was so much more to it than expected! I didn't think this was going to engage in a full on unravelling conspiracy, but it did, and I was enraptured.

However, as other reviewers have noted, this began to become a bit tiresome as the novel went on. For me, my enjoyment began to sour in the last act. Whereas the surprises and punches the book had taken previously were exciting and thrilling, towards the end they felt cheap and overused. It is like Blake couldn't properly decide on an ending so decided to do them all, before setting on one 'true' ending, and it, quite simply, wasn't satisfying. Ironically, despite taking forever to get there with the multiple detours, it felt rushed. Not earned. The previous 'twisty' endings had just made it tiresome.

I also took issue with some of the references in this. As others have noticed, the Harry Potter references were absolutely not needed and were just awkward, out of place, and so out of date. Why, Matthew Blake, why? Get over it already.

Now, what I did like:

I liked the different perspectives that were used in this, and that it wasn't just Ben's. I really liked how we had Anna's diary, other people's opinions on Anna, and then present day Anna herself. I thought it made it mega interesting and really played on how other people's point of views - or the media, in particularly - can colour your perspective on someone. At first it seemed like Anna was an unfortunate victim (despite the fact she was the one who committed the murders), to a calculating horrible woman, to someone who was both and yet not at the same time. I definitely think she was the most interesting character for that reason alone. She was mythologised and torn apart. The question always: Who is Anna O? But then Anna O became a figurehead, an idea of a person separate from the actual woman. I think Blake did a good job at examining media representation and the impact this has on identity.

Reasonably enjoyable thriller that rather outstays its welcome, particularly in the rather implausible ending. It’s an interesting concept - what are we capable of when we’re asleep - but I found the delivery less exciting as time went on. A lot of people are getting a lot more out of it than I am, and perhaps it would make a great summer beach read, but personally I was unconvinced by the characters and therefore struggled to run with the twists.

The promise was better than delivery of the idea. I found it somewhat repetitive. It is centred around crimes that the premise is that can be committed whilst sleep walking. Are they responsible or not? I persevered but cannot say I was really engaged. Thanks to NetGalley.

Tense, twisty and kept me awake at night!

As someone who is fascinated by the science of sleep, I was so intrigued to read this and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

Ben, a sleep psychologist and divorced dad, is given the opportunity of a lifetime when he is instructed to use his up-to-now theoretical method of waking a woman affected by a condition called ‘Resignation Syndrome’. The woman, known as ‘Anna O’, has been asleep for four years following the brutal, frenzied murder of her two housemates. But there are repercussions to waking her, not least to Ben’s own family.

I was immediately gripped by the story and the writing and was eager to return to the book whenever opportunity arose. The novel is written from different perspectives, predominantly Ben in the present and diary entries written by Anna in 2019, now held in the possession of a mysterious character, Lola. As the story switches between the present day and the past, the reader is drip fed information about the events leading up to Anna falling asleep. I developed various theories, some that held for a solid portion of the book but were ultimately quashed. To say more would potentially be a spoiler, but the structure, pacing, and literary devices used all enhanced my enjoyment of the story.

I’d have loved a note from the author about what research he did for the novel, the parts that are based on real science and events, any that are invented, and any further reading.

Huge thanks to the publisher, Harper Collins, and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of ‘Anna O’, on which this review is based.

Got a copy of this from Harper Collins/NetGalley as ARC for honest review. Hopefully I can always deliver an honest review.

We spend an average of 33 years of our lives asleep. But what really happens, and what are we capable of, when we sleep?

The first chapter of the book - the description of the date drew me in. Very cleverly written. It sets us up for the flashback and main story.

Anna Ogilvy (Anna 'O' of the narrative) is a budding writer with a bright future who, one night, allegedly murdered 2 people - stabbed them to death. Did she know what she was doing or was she sleepwalking and committed the crime without being aware? She hasn't woken since the crime was committed...

'Sleeping Beauty' - dubbed by the tabloid newspapers. What a great moniker!

Benedict Prince is a forensic psychologist, charged with discovering the truth behind the killings . He operates out of Harley Street - but is not a 'doctor'. He has a complex personal life and secrets of his own.

The plot has the vibe of Hitchcock - there's a clue to this near the beginning with references to Strangers on a Train, Vertigo and Psycho. Seems that Matthew Blake, the author enjoys the psychological thriller. This is reflected in the layering of the story and the clues that are scattered through the narrative.

My reading style is usually to get the first few chapters done and then snatch a chapter or two when the opportunity takes me. Often just before going to sleep. From that perspective this book probably isn't the best. The middle of the book is a bit drawn out and confusing. So, the plot pace varies and some of the slow pace is followed by rapid development that makes it a little difficult to follow at times. Probably better to pace things (as reader) more evenly. The multiple POV also make dipping in and out tricky.

That said the concept is great:

What do we do while asleep?
Who really knows what we are capable of?
Are we responsible for our actions when we sleep / sleepwalk?

This is a clever piece of suspense and crime fiction. I am sure this will be popular. I wonder if it will be picked up by someone as a movie?

The characters of Benedict Prince and Anna 'O' are nicely developed through the narrative.

On the downside. Harry Potter references are scattered throughout. I've nothing against Harry Potter. I have read them all and enjoyed them. I have also read Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London that mentions Harry Potter along with many sci-fi references. They fit with his narrative and add to the laconic humour. I'm not sure whether they actually benefit Matthew Blake's narrative. Just a personal view.

Overall an enjoyable suspense and crime story. Worth reading.

A seemingly out of the blue murders and a suspect with very little motive. Is the world wrong about Anna O?

This was a an addictive and suspenseful thriller. I couldn't predict some of the twists and turns of the story and this kept me gripped. If you liked the Silent Patient you'll love this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review

So this book is about Anna Ogilvy a woman who has not woken since the murders of her two best friends. Anna was found asleep holding a kitchen knife, blood on her clothes and the bodies lying close to her. There are 2 types of believers, those who think she is guilty call her sleeping beauty and those who think she is innocent call her Anna O. Either way this was the crime of the century but was it Anna or someone else that committed it.

I am not gonna lie this drew me in from the blurb and I was so hyped to read it. It did seem as though I had been reading it forever as it took a while for me to actually start enjoying it. However, once I got over that little blip I did enjoy the book. Did I guess the identity of child X? Yes I did but that didn’t spoil the book for me. It did have moments where I felt the author could have condensed the story but overall it was a decent thriller.

The story:
In August 2019, Anna Ogilvy was found asleep in the cabin of an exclusive outdoor activity retreat. Beside her was a blood-stained knife with only her fingerprints on it. In the neighbouring cabin, her two best friends lay dead. In the four years that have elapsed since that day, Anna has not opened her eyes. Some believe she is guilty; others are certain she is innocent; and forensic psychologist Dr Benedict Prince thinks he can find out the truth. Because Dr Prince believes he knows how to wake Anna up…

My thoughts:
Wow, this book was a real rollercoaster of a read! I was delighted to receive a copy as part of the Tandem Collective readalong, and at each stage we were challenged to decide whether Anna was innocent or guilty of the murder of her two best friends Douglas and Indira. Suffice to say, I flip-flopped many times!

I had never heard of resignation syndrome before — the condition that has left Anna asleep for the four years that have passed since the crime occurred. The human mind is still such a mystery, and I found this aspect of the story really fascinating.

The book is divided into multiple parts, with each chapter narrated from the point of view of a different character and also including excerpts from Anna’s diary from the months running up to the killings. From the start it seems pretty clear that Anna is a killer — but did she commit the crime while conscious, or was it while sleepwalking? And if the latter, can she be held accountable for her actions?

By the end of part one, the scene has been set. We know about the crime that has been committed, and the challenge Dr Benedict Prince has been set by the Ministry of Justice — to wake Anna up so she can stand trial. He states at the beginning of part two that: “The only way I can help Anna is by discovering more about her past.” And as the book progresses, we gradually learn more about the events of that fateful night. We learn that the Ogilvy family, along with the two victims, were at exclusive Oxfordshire outdoor activity centre The Farm to take part in an elaborate game of cat and mouse — divided into Hunters and Survivors. Anna was a Hunter… We learn about the people that were on The Farm that night, and we learn that Prince’s (now ex-) wife was the first police officer on the scene.

The more we find out, the more complex the case becomes, and events in the present also take a deadly turn. We also see Dr Prince’s growing obsession with Anna’s case, despite potential risks to his own and his family’s safety. And what is the connection to a twenty-year-old killing by the so-called Stockwell Monster in August 1999, which Prince’s colleague and mentor Professor Virginia Bloom was somehow connected to?

Overall this was a really brilliant read that kept pulling the rug from under me just as I thought I knew what was going on. A dark and compelling mystery that sets the bar high for thrillers in 2024!

Blake

“𝐼𝓃 𝒢𝑒𝓃𝑒𝓈𝒾𝓈, 𝒥𝑜𝓈𝑒𝓅𝒽 𝒾𝓈 𝒷𝑜𝓉𝒽 𝒹𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒹𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂 𝒾𝓃𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓅𝓇𝑒𝓉𝑒𝓇, 𝒾𝓃𝓈𝒾𝓈𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒶𝓃𝒶𝓁𝓎𝓈𝒾𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝒹𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝓈 𝒾𝓈 𝓈𝑜 𝒹𝒾𝓋𝒾𝓃𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 ‘𝒾𝓃𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓅𝓇𝑒𝓉𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃 𝒷𝑒𝓁𝑜𝓃𝑔𝓈 𝓉𝑜 𝒢𝑜𝒹.’ 𝐸𝓋𝑒𝓃 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝐵𝒾𝒷𝓁𝑒 𝒹𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓈𝓁𝑒𝑒𝓅 𝒸𝒶𝓃 𝒷𝑒 𝒹𝒶𝓃𝑔𝑒𝓇𝑜𝓊𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈.”

Budding journalist, 25-year-old Anna Ogilvy, murdered two people seemingly without a motive and falls into a permanent sleep state immediately after. Was she sleepwalking when she carried out the murders? Is someone who commits a crime while asleep culpable? Dr Benedict Prince, forensic psychologist and sleep expert, is tasked with attempting to wake Anna so she can stand trial.

This one just wasn’t for me. I started reading it a few months ago but struggled to feel the impetus to pick it up, got to about 25% and just put it away for a while. The premise sounded very interesting and unique, but the execution….

It’s supposed to be a thriller but let’s just say, I was far from thrilled. Painfully slow-paced, meandering and repetitive, I found myself nodding off a few times while reading - oh, the irony!

I didn’t feel drawn into the story at any point, I felt permanently as an outsider looking in, so I never felt any attachment to any character. I didn’t care enough about any of them to be bothered about their outcomes. The hype around this when it appeared on NetGalley drove me on to finish it as I thought, surely it must improve? It did not, dear reader. In saying that, there are plenty of 4 and 5 star reviews on Goodreads so there are fans of this one: maybe a bit of a marmite book?