Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. I loved the premise but I just felt I couldn’t get into it and didn’t feel excited to pick it back up. I think people will enjoy this but I didn’t finish it. I will maybe come back to it at a later date though.

*Possible spoilers*

i was SO excited for this book. The premise sounded like something i would love, and it has been so hyped up on bookstagram that i couldn’t wait to get into it… but it just fell completely flat and if it wasn’t an ARC, i would have DNFed it.

Basically, if you have read The Silent Patient, then you have read this book. they are so similar in more ways than one, so it felt like i was reading a book that i had already read :(

(thank you so much to HarperCollins UK for the EARC 🫶🏻)

Dr Ben Prince is given the case of a lifetime, to try to wake up Anna O, the woman who killed her friends before falling asleep and not waking up. Anna is a controversial figure. Some say she's innocent, others think she did it and is escaping justice by pretending to be asleep. Ben gets closer to waking her up and can no longer decide if she is innocent or not, but he still wants to get to the truth.

This was one book I was very excited about this year. I loved the unusual premise: a sleep doctor turned sleuth with a witness who can't be woken up. But sadly, this is another one of those books that I really liked, right up until near the end when I progressively got more and more annoyed with it.

Something I will say for it; I loved the writing. It was fast-paced, with multiple points of view which I thought blended well together and created a really addictive read.

I also very much enjoyed the character of Ben. He's a bit naïve and more than a little too trusting for his own good, but, to me, quite likeable.

If you love a fast-paced thriller, I would still recommend it to you and I will definitely read more books from this author in the future.

Anna O, the central character in the novel, is a young writer who unknowingly commits a double murder while sleepwalking. She then slips into a comatose state. Dr. Benedict Prince, a forensic psychologist, embarks on the daunting task of awakening her to unravel the truth behind that ominous night. The book skillfully intertwines a suspenseful and shocking mystery, captivating readers long into the night.
This is a great read if you like twists and turns, and I highly recommend it.

I was looking forward to reading this one.
But, by 17% I realised I was not going to finish it.
I found it boring. - sorry.

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

Anna Ogilvy was a writer with a bright future. Then, one night, she stabbed two people to death with no apparent reason then went to sleep and didn't wake up she has been Dubbed “Sleeping Beauty” by the tabloids, Anna’s condition is suffering from a disorder known to neurologists as “resignation syndrome.”
Dr. Benedict Prince is a forensic psychologist and an expert in the field of sleep-related homicides. His methods are the last hope of solving the infamous “Anna O’”case and waking Anna up so she can stand trial. As Anna shows the first signs of waking up, Benedict has to decide is Anna really guilty and should be held responsible for her crimes. Only Anna knows the truth about that night, but only Benedict knows how to discover it. Will the truth put them both in danger

Initially I did struggle to get into this one and felt a bit lost at the start but once it got going I was hooked a very intriguing story. This was fast paced with a short chaper format that would worked so well. The final twist had my jaw hit the floor and I was not expecting it at all. Would definitely recommend picking this up and giving it a try.

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins Uk and Matthew Blake for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

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