Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this pre-publication.
The premise of the novel sounded interesting, unravelling the truth of a murder allegedly committed by a young woman who then falls asleep for four years.
I found the mechanism of interspersing excerpts from Anna O’s diary quite interesting for most of the novel. However, there is a lot of repetition in the book and the last few chapters felt both confused and contrived, leaving me somewhat disappointed when the truth is finally revealed.

Anna has been asleep for four years after being found at the scene of the murders of two of her friends. If/when she awakes, she will be on trial for their murders. It’s Dr Ben Prince’s job to try to wake her, but at what price…?

This is a very clever novel and I was hooked for the first three quarters of it. However, I felt it lost its way in the final quarter and my concentration waned.

It’s an incredible premise for a psychological thriller and I’m sure it’ll be a big hit, but unfortunately not a hit for me personally due to the meandering ending that doesn’t seem cohesive with the rest of the novel.

I’m giving it three stars however for the premise and the fact that the majority of the book is well done.

I was so excited to read this story, as the premise seemed really interesting. I found the first maybe 30% of the book really intriguing but then it turned really repetitive and felt that it ran for way too long. I could see quite a lot of the twists happening, and then some of them were drawn out for ages. It was a classic "it's this person... No this one.... No this one" and I kind of just wanted to scream "just tell me!". I'm really disappointed I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I was going to.

I was excited to start this one; the premise had me intrigued and I was looking forward to seeing how it progressed.
While the initial pace drew me in, I soon found it repetitive and drawn out. The characters were boring and I struggled to remain engaged.

Anna O has a great premise and it starts well. I liked the restrained voice of the narrator, Ben – which contrasts nicely with the (melo)dramatic set up – and it has some interesting characters. However, overall I was disappointed.

I appreciate it’s a high-concept novel, not a piece of gritty realism, and I’m not one of those people who gets upset about minor departures from procedure, but there were some major implausibilities in here. Some I can’t explain without spoilers, but the obvious ones are that Ben and his mentor, Bloom, who are supposed to be brilliant psychologists at the top of their profession, make the most basic errors in their casework and appear to have had an education which begins and ends with Freud.

The story is weighed down by a baggy structure which leads to a lot of repetition. The Hitchcock, literary and mythological references feel heavy handed – and there are just too many of them.

I worked out where the story was going fairly early on (to be fair, I read a lot of crime fiction) but I was interested enough to skim-read to the end and see if I was right (I was).

A shame because there’s great potential in Anna O – perhaps Blake had too many choices and couldn’t pin down where to go.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I hadn't heard much about this book or author beforehand but was intrigued by the blurb. Once I started, I found it so hard to put down as I wanted to read more and more, especially as the plot developed and characters got super interesting. When I did finally finish and put it down, I actually said out loud: "That was a great book". It's probably the best book I have read this year (and I'm up to 85 at the moment).

Fabulous plot, great characters and full of suspense. I had no clue until the reveal and this was really satisfying!

Highly recommended read.

Anna O by Matthew Blake is a thriller with a unique storyline.

Dr Benedict Prince works at the Abbey an exclusive sleep clinic. He is tasked with trying to wake up Anna who has been asleep for the last 4 years after being found covered in blood next to her 2 best friends bodies.

This is a really interesting and compelling look at sleepwalking and what could potentially happen when you are asleep.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will definitely be recommending it to people I know.

Thank you to #Netgalley and #Harper Collins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Anna Ogilvy has been asleep for years - ever since she apparently killed two of her friends whilst sleepwalking. Now she has been transferred to Ben Prince's sleep clinic, and he has ideas on how to wake her. In attempting to do so, however, he becomes drawn into investigating her past. What really happened that night? Did Anna mean to kill her friends? And how is her case linked to the Stockwell Monster, an earlier incident in which a women was convicted of murdering her step-children in her sleep?

Anna O is a thriller with an interesting-sounding premise, but it's considerably less pacy than the blurb promises. There are few moments of tension and the mystery that underpins the novel is both slack and contrived.

As a narrator Ben is unfortunately not very interesting. He is a divorced dad who lives in isolation. His only friends are his boss and his ex-wife, and his conversations are almost entirely about his work. Aside from his daughter, he is entirely surrounded by unsympathetic female characters.
We also spend some time with Anna via her diary, which is supposedly a key piece of evidence that was removed from the scene. Her voice is a little stronger than Ben's, particularly when she is investigating the Stockwell killings, but the narrative still moves very slowly for a thriller.

Ultimately, this is a novel with a good enough elevator pitch that I'm sure it will be successful. However, the reading experience is not of the same calibre as the high-profile thrillers it is being compared to and I was never truly drawn in to Ben and Anna's worlds. The contrived ending would be more forgivable in a pacier book, but Anna O instead chooses to linger, giving the reader time to question some of the more improbable details and distasteful displays of gender politics. I suspect the inevitable film will be differently paced.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I found the premise of this book really exciting - the idea that Anna O murders her best friends and promptly falls into a coma-like sleep - but the execution was really quite disappointing.

We are introduced to Dr Benedict Prince, who is given the seemingly impossible task of waking Anna Ogilvy after 4 years. In tandem, we have access to Anna's diary, leading up to the events of the night in question, to shed light on whether she actually wanted them dead, if she did it subconsciously or if she had actually been manipulated into doing it. There's also a cast of supporting characters who all add different dimensions to the story.

My main issue with the book was how repetitive it was. Thoughts which should have taken up a few lines seem to go on for many paragraphs. Impending doom is impending for a really long time, and it actually has the opposite effect on the suspense levels. The pop culture references are also distractingly frequent. You could easily cut 25% of the book and it still have a similar effect.

I guessed the 'twist' fairly early on, and that ruined it for me a little - I don't think there were enough key players to make it a proper guessing game. The ending is rather abrupt and rushed, and left me feeling relieved it was over.

I also felt Prince's backstory could have been dealt with in a different way. He comes across like a character who has no idea about his entire history, which makes it difficult to root for him. I also felt there were quite a few continuity errors along the way, so things just didn't add up,

All in all, it felt like it could have done with a better editor - I was disappointed with the book and wouldn't recommend it.

@currentlyreading__
Book 89 of 2023

Thank you to @NetGalley, the publishers @harperbooks and the author @matthewblakewriter for the advanced e-copy of 'Anna O' ahead of publication in February 2024.

Once in a while, as a reader of yet-to-be-published books, you come across one which you know will be a big hit. As you're reading you imagine it on ITV as a prime-time drama series and start piecing together who you'd have play all of the characters. This is one such book.

'Anna O' is stylish psychological thriller with killer twists I, a seasoned professional reader although I say so myself, did not see. Our eponymous character Anna Oglivy committed a heinous crime and then went asleep for four years. Our male protagonist Dr Ben Prince, a psychologist specialising in sleep disorders, is seconded by the MoJ to wake Anna. The so-called Sleeping Beauty is a mystery to Dr Prince as well as the heinous crime she is alleged to have committed. If you’re after a thriller with an edge, characters you’re totally invested in and a plot to make those cogs whir, this one is for you!


#bookstagram #bibliophile #bookworm #book #booknerd #bookstagrammer #kindle #instabook #reader #bookobsessed #bookstagramuk #readersofig #bookreview #netgalley #matthewblake #annao

Anna Ogilvy is asleep, and has been for years, ever since she sent a message to her parents to say she thought she had killed her two best friends. The authorities want to prosecute, so turn to Dr Ben Prince, Harley Streey psychologist and sleep specialist. Can he wake her? And were the events of Anna’s last night of consciousness really as they were reported?

The premise of this was intriguing. What could lead to someone falling asleep and never waking up? Can you kill people in your sleep and if not, what led Anna to murder?

The writing was good, and I was immersed fairly quickly in the story.

In the end, however, I felt that it didn’t really pay off. The plot became far too convoluted and at times confusing, whilst certain elements were easily guessed. It just didn’t quite do it for me I’m afraid.

Mostly enjoyable, the twists felt a bit complicated and came all at once. I personally would have preferred them spaced out, brilliant concept!

When an author gets compared to another, in this instance Thomas Harris, you wonder if they'll live up to the comparison. Does Matthew Blake? No, not quite. Anna O doesn't quite reach the heights of Thomas Harris at his Silence of the Lambs best.

The mystery at the heart of Anna O, did the so-called 'Sleeping Beauty' murder her best friends or not, is artfully crafted, intriguing and keeps you guessing until the end. The characters, particularly Anna herself and Dr Benedict Prince, are engaging. It's impressive how Blake gives voice to Anna, a character who spends much of the book asleep. The science behind Resignation Syndrome and sleep therapy is clearly well researched, interesting and presented in such a way so as not to overwhelm the reader.

It's just a pity that the end, when it comes, is such an anticlimax. Maybe it's a case of one revelation too many, but for me Anna O would have worked better if the last three chapters had been excised.

Thanks to HarperCollins and Netgalley for providing an advance copy.

"Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting" (Wordsworth’s Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood). For Anna O we shall have to read rebirth because she has been in a sleep state for 48 months. When I first read the precis for Anna O, I was concerned with having to read through 48 months of patient obs but I should not have worried as its nothing like that, Anna O committed a crime which brought great notoriety but seemingly she knew nothing about it because immediately after the crime she fell asleep, a sleep lasting 4 years. That was until an eminent pyschologist, specialising in sleep disorders, was seconded by the Ministry of Justice in an effort to wake her. We learn from the Covid Inquiry how useful a diary can be and Matthew Blake uses this literary device to fill in the backstory of Anna O. You have to understand that after she awakens, Anna has amnesia, no knowledge of what has gone before. Weirdly, although it's not mentioned, she slept right through Covid 19! So, was she guilty of a crime she had no knowledge of? How would it be handled by The Crown Prosecution Service? Things hot up when another similar crime is discovered.
I really enjoyed this lengthy thriller especially with the double twist at the end. They say revenge is a dish best served cold, in the novel the dish is sub zero and it's just this one factor that spoiled it for me. Yes, there was an explanation but I just didn't buy it. So that was the only spoiler. I would heartily recommend the book though, as it gives the reader many opportunities to play detective.

If we believe the hype the "Anna O" by Matthew Blake is going to be massive in 2024. It certainly is a page-turner and it had "Girl on a Train"/"Before I Go to Sleep" vibes - a psychological thriller. It is a complex but clever read - the author knows how to keep you gripped. Firstly you are drawn into the story of Anna O - did she kill her friends/did she know she had killed her friends/was she asleep when she killed her friends? We then move onto other threads that involve Anna Ogilvy and her own investigations that happen before the double murder - who is Patient X? I was suspecting quite a few people and at times did wonder whether the narrator was reliable or not. I briefly suspected the ending but not enough. Clever stuff.

I’ve seen quite a lot of excitement about this novel on Twitter (X) and was pleased to see it on NetGalley. I requested it quickly
This novel is a strange story of a murderous who becomes incapacitated and seemingly sleeps for years, and a psychiatrist is appointed in order to try and wake her up to stand trial. We gradually discover that there are further links between the psychiatrist and the patient and the book is a mystery Looking into the original murder Resignation syndrome appears to be a real condition usually affecting children of asylum seekers. Where patients become lethargic eventually shutting down and apparently asleep. The treatment appears to be removing the children from the family. Although there is some suggestion that successful immigration status may cause improvement
The unnamed child of undetermined sex seems to be an important part of the mystery, and it’s starting to irritate me 3/4 of the way through .
I found the book all a bit confusing and left me feeling very confused and disorientated , perhaps this was the intention of the author. I personally didn’t really like having my emotions manipulated like this I didn’t really enjoy reading the novel.
Although the characterisations of all the people in the novel seem realistic for relationships, both past and present seem to me to stretch the imagination somewhat.
The author does have a clear easily read writing style It wasn’t a difficult book to read although I personally had trouble following some of the relationships.

I read an early copy of the novel on NetGalley, UK. The book is published in the UK on the 1st of February 2024 by HarperCollins, UK, Harperfiction
This review will appear on NetGalley, UK, Goodreads, and my book, blog, bionicSarahsbooks.wordpress.com

After winning the ‘bidding war’ for this title the publishers clearly have big plans for Anna O, which they describe as ‘The biggest new crime thriller novel for 2024 from an astonishing literary fiction voice’

With over 280 reviews on Netgalley it’s been made available to a lot of readers and the reviews are decidedly mixed so far: a lot of 5-star reviews and a lot of 2/3. I can see why: there are good things about it – primarily the pitch (“She’d committed the crime of the century – but nothing and no-one could wake her from the nightmare.”) and the opening couple of chapters which caused so much publisher interest. Several of the reviews (and blurbs) talk about ‘the stunning twist’ and ‘a plot that keeps you guessing’. Whether the average reader will agree with that will depend on the individual – and, to a degree, how much they read in the genre, I think. There were things I liked about the book – it is an interesting premise and the opening set up is strong. Overall, however, I have to say, this didn’t work for me.
Without spoilers, the ‘twist’ of who the murderer and mysterious ‘patient X’ were are pretty easy to guess from very early on – partly because of the limited cast size, partly because it was the ‘type’ I’d read many times before. It’s true that there are a lot of ’twists’ before the final reveal is made, but whether you feel these are genuine or that it is laboured/ cheats will depend on you.

Personally, I didn’t care for some of the tropes/ cliches (depending on how generous you wish to be) like the character who figures things out but will only say in person (Oh-oh!)…the obfuscation overuse of pronoun for a key element of the book and the author’s habit of ending chapters with melodramatic lines (“As an adult her eyes are never open,” says Emily, “As a child they were never shut. That’s how the nightmare began”) or suggesting ‘action’ (“She is here to bury me”, “I am about to break bread with a killer” etc) that don’t then materialise quickly enough, For me, it became a bit monotonous. And while it’s nice to have a book that ties up its complex strands, here I felt the climactic reveal was too long and very much a breaking of the prime writing advice ‘show don’t tell’
The author has clearly done a lot of research into sleep research and uses it throughout the book – whether the reader thinks this adds to the story or slows the plot down will depend on them: clearly it has divided reviewers so far. There are a lot of cultural references and touch points (it’s a brave author who references Hitchcock so much) which again may appeal to some readers but, particularly around the mythology slowed the story down for me.
Overall, I can see why the book received such interest from publishers but personally (and I recognise I may be in the minority here), I found some of the plot details and logic difficult to go with – particularly around the protagonist’s background (or lack of it) and circumstances. Having said that, I have no doubt this book will do phenomenally well – from the author’s acknowledgements I’m guessing it’s already on its way to being a tv/ movie – and I’m sure many people will really enjoy it, I’m just sorry I didn’t ‘get it’ more. Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity to read for an honest review.

Anna O by Matthew Blake

This thriller is coming out in February 2024. I was delighted to get an advance copy from HarperCollins. I had seen some rave reviews here & was dying to read out.

The blurb tell us that Anna Ogilvy hasn’t opened her eyes for four years. Not since that night on the farm, where she was found asleep with a kitchen knife in her hand, her clothes bloodstained, the bodies of two close friends lying close.

She’d committed the crime of the century, but nothing or no one could wake her from the nightmare.

What did I make of it? It started off with so much intrigue - it’s a fantastic premise. The pacing is excellent and I was certainly captivated enough to fly through it.

Unfortunately, I found the medical aspects of this overwhelmingly distracting and detracting from the story. Her presentation did not make any medical sense and presented no physiologically plausible context for her continued existence. I may not have been the right audience for this book.

If you don’t think too much about the realities you may very well get swept away in this snappy thriller. I was a big fan of Anna’s mother in particular who is a very memorable character, a powerful politician who turns to religion in the wake of Anna’s notoriety. I did see the breadcrumbs laid in terms of the later reveals of the book.

This book looks set to be a popular one in 2024. It’s wasn’t for me but I seem to be the outlier. Thanks again to harper Collins for an advance e-copy of this book.

This book is very well written and I thoroughly enjoyed the complex story and the characters of Ben and Anna. I was engaged throughout and the premise of the storyline was excellent. What let the book down for me was the twist ending. For me personally, it didn't work and spoiled the enjoyment the story had built. I'm sure many readers will find it a clever twist and it will be touted as a twist you won't see coming (which you won't) but for me it wasn't a satisfying twist. The ending felt rushed and I felt very frustrated and disappointed. The twist doesn't come until near the end and up until that point I was fully invested in the story and the characters. For that reason I am giving it three stars. I really did enjoy the unique premise, the characters, and the entire plot and the mystery of the murders. it was simply the plot twist at the end that didn't work for me.

Even though everyone is talking about the book, I did not find it that entertaining. There were too many characters with confusing stories and too much back and forth. I did lose the plot at times so definitely not the book for me.