I’d seen so much hype about this thriller and wasn’t sure if it would live up to expectations but Anna O was clever with plenty of twists and turns to keep you wondering what would happen next.

I really enjoyed this, a thriller with a slightly different take as the main suspect has been asleep for the last four years. Told from different perspectives I felt it flowed well and had plenty of twists and turns. Clearly well researched, a clever story, well written.

This book honestly gave me chills! It’s a fantastic mystery and will have you gripped from the first page until the last !
If you’re looking to completely get lost in a story then look no further!
Would highly recommend

I loved the premise to this book, found it really intriguing, so getting the chance to read the ARC had me grinning wildly.

Unfortunately I didn't quite hit the high notes for me.

I was completely hooked for the first third of the story bit then it seemed to just slow down and never really pick up the pace again.

I also get frustrated with books that have that constant repetition and sadly this one falls into that category. I found myself skim reading over some paragraphs to just get past what I'd already learnt previously.

I enjoyed the different perspectives from the different POVs and timelines, that helped massively with the narrative. The characters are well executed and relatable echos is a big positive for me.

It's a really unique storyline that is dark and somewhat creepy which I loved, it just unfortunately lost its pace for me and didn't fully grip me solidly.

Great storyline which I know others with absolutely adore and it won't put me off trying this author again.

Thanks to netgalley and Harper Collins UK for the ARC.

Absolutely loved it! Thought the premise was super intriguing and it really lived up to the hype and delivered.

Wow, what a book, I absolutely loved it! The storyline is engaging and kept me interested in what would happen next. I thought I’d worked it out but was very pleased to discover I was wrong! I definitely recommend this one. Thank you #netgalley

Anna O. by Matthew Blake


This is the debut by Matthew Blake.


Can a person be held responsible for the actions they take while they are asleep. There are so many secrets and equally as much suspense with Dr Benedict Prince is in the middle of it all.
Murder, mayhem, friendships, family relationships which are not what they seem.
The premise of this one was really good and the first third of the book had me hooked, it tailed off for me and didn't quite hit the mark for me.
Matthew's characterisation showed depth and intrigue, and the premise of the story is riveting but I feel there could have been a lot more done with it. It became quite repetitive.
As I said before there were parts that were very repetitive which made it drag and I’ll be honest I skim read some of these bits as I didnt feel as they added to the story much. I felt like the story did become quite messy in places. There has obviously been quite a lot of psychology research that has gone into this and for that reason I did keep reading. There were twists and turns throughout the book that have obviously been well thought out.
This is definitely a good debut and I will keep my eyes opened for more from Matthew Blake.

Thank you to Net Galley for a copy of this. This book has been all over bookstagram over the last few weeks! I was so intrigued by this after reading the blurb. I love books based on true crime. It also gave me Silent Patient vibes which is one of my favourite books ever!  
  
I found it gripping in places, but in some parts I felt that the book just dragged out for no reason and I couldn’t work out where the book was heading.   
  
Anna hasn’t opened her eyes for 4 years now, after going into a deep sleep the same night that her two best friends were murdered and she was found next to the bodies. This is where Doctor Prince comes in, studying what has really happened to Anna and how he can wake her from this deep deep sleep.   
  
It’s a very dark book but so so intriguing with a unique concept. I enjoyed the chapters from different character perspectives that went back in time, they really helped with the narrative. I just found some of it too intense and confusing which is why I’m only giving this only 3 stars. It felt like one of those books that is probably a few pages too long and a bit repetitive. Probably a bit too much hype for me on this one!

I’ve always been blessed by the ability to sleep well, no matter what is happening in my life, I can close my eyes and be fast asleep in an instant – that being said, I hope I don’t get nightmares from this book!

After Anna messages her parents to say she has killed her two best friends, she falls into a sleep that has lasted 4 years. She has now transferred to a specialist sleep clinic under the watchful eye of Benedict Prince - he must try to get her to wake up so she can be put under trial, but was she sleepwalking when she killed her friends? Or is there more to this case than meets the eye?

I did find Anna O to be an easy and twisty read. I really enjoyed the first half and was drawn into the mystery, however I found the ending to be quite far-fetched and the twists seemed to be being revealed for shock factor alone rather than being realistic to the story. The story itself is told from two points of view – Ben Prince, the sleep specialist and diary entries from Anna’s life before she fell asleep. I never felt really very empathetic towards Ben, who makes some odd decisions at times, but I did really empathise with Anna.

I felt that although the pace is good at the beginning - the ‘main event’ we were building up to happens before the first 50% and the last half really dragged. The scenes in a different country (trying to remain spoiler free!) later on felt extremely repetitive and I was getting annoyed by it and wanting it to finish. If you aren’t a Harry Potter fan, this one might not be for you either as there is a lot of references, some of which are squeezed into places that seem utterly bizarre for them to be in.

Overall, Anna O had a lot of potential but I found the plot to be quite far-fetched and it was disappointing, as I had thought it would be one of my top reads for 2024. Thank you to NetGalley & Harper Collins UK – Harper Fiction for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes when a novel gets a lot of hype I don't want to read it straightaway. I've never been one for following trends... However, I think this is justifiable of the hype (so please just read it!) and I have been a little behind on reviews for personal reasons, so hopefully this review won't get lost amongst all the others. Because I really want you to understand how good this book is....!

It is SO clever.

I've seen a couple of reviews comparing it to Alex Michaelides Silent Patient, and whilst I can (sort of) see why you would compare the two. I personally don't think it's necessary. For me, they are two totally different books, and I actually think I preferred this one.

Anno Ogilvy hasn't opened her eyes for four years. Not since that night at The Farm when she was found with a knife in her hand, her two best friends lying close.

Blood everywhere...

It was the crime of the century.

But Anna slept through it all, and hasn't woken since.

Believers in her story call her 'Anna O', those more cynical call her 'Sleeping Beauty'. And everyone wants to know how the story ends.

The Ministry of Justice are keen to get her on trial. Which they obviously can't do whilst she's asleep, so they take the step to move her to an infamous sleep clinic 'the Abbey'. Used by the rich and famous and known for it's discretion.

One of the Abbey's best 'Sleep Doctors', Dr Benedict (Ben) Prince is called in late one night under mysterious circumstances to find his boss and mentor, Dr Bloom, and a representative from the Ministry of Justice asking him to sign the official secrets act before they will disclose why they are there at the ungodly hour.

Ben is reluctant at first, he has his own thoughts and theories about the 'Anna O' case, and he isn't sure he wants the responsibility of trying to wake her. But he can't resist the chance to prove one of his own research theories right.

But at what cost?

I had hear a lot about this book & it mainly lived up to the hype. I didn't guess the final scenario until almost before the reveal but sometimes it too a long time to get to the point.
I like a book where I have to fit the parts of the puzzle together but some of the characters could have been given a bit more depth.
On the whole a good read which made you want to find out the ending.

I read amazing reviews about this book so had very high hopes. It was good, very similar to The Silent Patient. Very twisty but saw a few of them coming. Would recommend, a good read nonetheless.

Unfortunately, I tried a few times to get into this but every time I DNFd around the 15% mark. I found it very slow paced for a thriller.

Because I haven’t finished the book, I haven’t left a review on Goodreads or Amazon.

Thank you for the opportunity to give it a try.

The Synopsis of this book gripped me and I couldn't wait to read it.

Anna O has been in a 'deep sleep' for 4 years after apparently commiting murder.

Dr Prince a sleep disorder specialist and forensic psycologist is called in.

I enjoyed it

Anno O has been 'asleep' for 4 years after a traumatic event where two of her friends were murdered. She had been a sleep walker from an early age, and woke to find herself holding a knife, and staring at a pair of bodies. Did Anna commit a murder whilst asleep?
Ben, a forensic psychologist is called in to try to 'cure' her of this long sleep, so that she can then stand trial for the murders, and she is transfered to his Sleep Clinic for treatment and monitoring. Can he bring her out of this deep sleep, and get to the bottom of the murder?
I really enjoyed this book, and I must admit to being surprised by the ending.

‘Innocent until proven guilty. The court of public opinion doesn’t count.’

This debut book Anna O. by Matthew Blake had us reading long into the night. We were gripped! The writing is engaging, provoking, and thrilling. The characters have depth and intrigue, and the crux of the story is utterly compelling. Can we be held responsible for the actions we take whilst asleep? So many secrets, so much suspense and Dr Benedict Prince the sleep disorder specialist and forensic psychologist is in the middle of it all. Murder, mayhem, complex friendships and messed up families. This story has it all.

We did think it dragged in parts with some repetitiveness, however we couldn’t put it down despite this. The psychology of it was riveting and the thrilling mystery had us guessing and discussing everything along the way. Especially as it all happened in our backyard! We won’t go into specific details as the story with its twists and red herrings aplenty needs to be experienced rather than spoiled.

We’re definitely fans of this debut Author and look forward to his next thrilling ride.

‘If only I can stay awake. Sleep is danger. Sleep is death. Whatever happens, I must not close my eyes.’

This debut book Anna O. by Matthew Blake had us reading long into the night. We were gripped! The writing is engaging, provoking, and thrilling. The characters have depth and intrigue, and the crux of the story is utterly compelling. Can we be held responsible for the actions we take whilst asleep? So many secrets, so much suspense and Dr Benedict Prince the sleep disorder specialist and forensic psychologist is in the middle of it all. Murder, mayhem, complex friendships and messed up families. This story has it all.

We did think it dragged in parts with some repetitiveness, however we couldn’t put it down despite this. The psychology of it was riveting and the thrilling mystery had us guessing and discussing everything along the way. Especially as it all happened in our backyard! We won’t go into specific details as the story with its twists and red herrings aplenty needs to be experienced rather than spoiled.

We’re definitely fans of this debut Author and look forward to his next thrilling ride.

I was totally intrigued by the blurb of this book. I did find it a little hard going but it kept me gripped to the very end

I loved the premise of this book but if I'm honest I found it really hard going. It felt like it could have been told in a lot less pages and was too drawn out. Too much detail on some things that weren’t needed.
I admit I found myself skim reading a lot of it as I was just bored.
I'm fully prepared to admit that it was perhaps my issue and I wasn't able to connect with the authors writing style but I just wasn't drawn into it. I wasn't captivated and I kept putting it down and it took me a long time to read it.

A forensic psychologist explores and attempts to remedy “Anna O” of a condition where the patient is in a deep sleep for 4 years after allegedly commuting two acts of murder - I mean what a premise! This book keeps you guessing to the very last page and really reminded me a lot of “The Silent Patient” by Alex Michaelides both in tone and setting. I felt the story seemed quite long in a way but it allowed the characters to become fully fleshed out and there are some great quotes dispersed through the book - my kindle copy has a lot of highlights which isn’t often something I usually do when reading. I think the author is clearly very talented and had thought this plot through extremely well, it was refreshing to have a full circle novel without plot holes or to be left questioning anyone or anything.

If you, like me, have a weird obsession with sleep and dreams, then read this. If you, like me, enjoyed “The Silent Patient,” then read this. If you generally fancy a mystery/thriller that will keep you guessing at theories, then definitely read this! A four star from me and I’m looking forward to what this author brings out next.

Many thanks to Harper Collins, Netgalley and Matthew Blake for the ARC in extra for an honest review.