Thanks to Gideon and NetGalley for allowing me to read Locked In before the publication date.
On the day that 2 parades are taking place in central London, an explosion leaves 11 dead and hundreds injured. One of the dead was Prince Yusuf Al-Ghamdi. His death escalates into a political situation between governments and places increased pressure on the police to identify what and who was responsible for the explosion.

One of the critically injured cannot be identified. The man, who staff have called David, does not respond to any stimuli. The medical team are of the view that he will not recover and are considering whether to apply for permission to remove care. Dillon Kendrick, a volunteer for Westminster Council is assigned to represent David’s interests in the absence of next of kin.

Geoff and Valerie Pound appear, claiming that David is in fact their son, Adam.
Gideon has written the book in a style where David/Adam narrates his thoughts about what is going on around him and his response to the people who come into his hospital room.
This is alternated with the day to day situation as it is experienced by the medical team, Dillon Kendrick, the investigators, the politicians and not least, the Pounds.

I found the story to be somewhat surreal and rather spooky.

Amazing protagonist perspective here - he hears everything but cannot communicate. It’s a credible story and very clever in how the mystery is ultimately solved but what I enjoyed the most was the author’s writing style. Very different to mainstream thrillers.

I thought that this was another pandemic read but it isn't and I cannot say that I enjoyed it coz this one is not an easy read.

I haven't read a book where all heavy and triggering issues were DUMPED in one book. Well, not all as it doesn't include the climate change. Lol.

- Child abuse
- Religious org as a cult
- Black Lives Matter
- LGBTQ
- Anti - LGBTQ
- Gaslighting
- Terrorism
- Racial discrimination
- Bullying
- Gaslighting
- Social media pressures
- and maybe forced euthanasia (but I maybe wrong with the term)

It all started with the BLM and gay pride having a crowd party at a London street when a blast happened hurting many and killing some. Including David.

I liked that the investigation is not the usual detective style but more on news development, memory recollection, conversations and opinions. You will feel like you are watching a tv series and the stories are given out to you as they happened.

I felt all the heavy emotions here especially how there are people who are still closed minded about gays or the LGBTQ community. As we enter this era, we have to be open to a lot of new things and views. I guess, there are people who really don't want to change the order of things. The audacity of some to even use religion and the Bible to justify their wrongdoings is soooo infuriating.

I was thinking of how I am.going to review it coz most of the issues are very sensitive and these are.topics you just don't sit on with your friends and talk about it over coffee. I decided not to elaborate on it BUT highly suggest that you pick this book up with an open mind and be ready to get angry, furious, disappointed, frustrated and all those synanimous negative feelings you may feel reading this.

Thanks Netgalley for this wonderful and heavy read.

I really loved the premise. But unfortunately, I couldn't get into the book. The writing style was a bit, actually too unconventional. Everything was told from the POV of a man who's in a coma. Everything he remembers and hears. I felt like the writing was quite chaotic. And there were a lot of triggers - LGBTQ, terrorism, racism. And lots of politics. Lots and lots of it.
Unfortunately, this book was not for me:(

Unfortunately I really could not get into this book. I gave it a fair shot, but the writing style at the beginning was just awful. The book is about a person who has been harmed in an explosion at a pride event in London and is currently unconscious in the hospital. There is an advocate who is assigned to him since no next of kin have been identified and the advocate helps to tell the story by speaking to the patient in a coma. But here’s the kicker: the story is being told from the perspective of the unconscious person who has no idea what is going on. There are no descriptions outside of quotations and there are random sounds strung together to make some kind of series of events. I know that the author was trying something slightly different but it didn’t work well. I can’t say I would recommend this book unfortunately, but I do appreciate having had the chance to give it a try through Netgalley and the publisher.

Locked In left me with a lot of things to think about. What do you get when you allow a Black Lives Matter demonstration at the same time, same place as a Pride festival? An explosive mix... and that's what happens. Eleven dead, hundreds are wounded after a massive explosion on a sunny June day. David, the main character of this book, barely survives. He is critically wounded but somehow his body survives - more or less. His mind does too. The only thing is that the connection between the two is gone. David can hear but that's all. He cannot feel, see or move a muscle.
How do you tell a story with a character that cannot talk? With lots of interior monologue but also with the help of the things he hears from the tv in his hospital room, and the visitors he get. Mainly his doctor and a couple of nurses but also Dillon, his 'responsible adult'. This is important because at the start of the story, nobody knows who David is. He himself doesn't even know who he is.
From day one this story enfolds as a battle between several parties. The hospital management, the doctors, the nurses, the social services, and not to forget the politicians ánd the press.

Although not 100% correct, I think, in some medical matters, this is a moving story about someone who only wants to be himself.

Thanks to BooksGoSocial and Netgalley for this review copy.

I loathed the writing style! I couldn't get into the story because I was distracted by the chaos of words, punctuation--an unreadable mess! But, in a way, I'm glad for that because then the writing plunged into every social trigger imaginable: transphobia, homophobia, racism, and on and on. If I had been reading a paper book rather than an ebook on my kindle I'd have thrown the book at the wall then in the garbage. Sorry, not sorry.

This is the first of Gideon's books I've read and if this one is anything to go by it won't be the last. It's compelling reading and both disturbing and thought provoking in equal measure. Covering as it does issues of extremism, church cults, gay rights and homophobia its a difficult read at times.
The book starts with "David" who is rushed to hospital following a bomb attack in London. He is diagnosed with locked in syndrome with the only sense he still has being hearing. He cannot communicate, move, or see.

Gradually his story emerges and we see reinforcement of typical stereotypes by the media, online trolls etc. I won't add more in fear of spoiling the plot but if you only read one book this year, make it this one.

The synopsis of this book sounded absolutely amazing, and then I get into the book. It would have been a wonderful story except for the fact that the story was lost in politics right from the beginning. There’s also a host of trigger warnings that should have been applied to the book, but weren’t. Trigger warnings include but are not limited too racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, child abuse, terrorism/hate crimes. I really wanted to enjoy this book, but unfortunately it was one that I had to DNF for the reason that the storyline was lost in politics. The style in which the author writes was also a little unconventional to me, but I could get over that if not for the politics buried all throughout the story. I doubt I’ll pick up another book from this author but I might give his other works a chance, I haven’t decided yet. Also the line in the copyright section about the references to medical care strictly as plot points leaves me a more then a little unsettled. If the author wanted to write about a medial condition then he should have looked up the treatments used for that condition and not just used medical care/treatments as strictly for plot points.

This book is quite different from what I expected when I read the intriguing premise. The issues are some of the more difficult of our time, clearly the author has his own views about assisted dying, homosexuality and the complexity of guilt regarding childhood experiences, the influence of family and society. This novel will certainly make you question your own opinions about these issues.

The point of view is important to note: the novel is playing out in the mind of the patient, everything is taking place within his room. Conversations and the TV station he listens to will give you all the background you need.

Characters are very well written, and I raced through this book. Gripping from the start and everything that a psychological thriller should be. Dont take my word for it.......read it ! You wont be disappointed

Free ARC from NETGALLEY

Might have been a good story, sadly it was lost in politics from the start

This book is full on. I had to take some breaks because I found it quite anxiety filling but we'll done to the author for making the reader feel such emotion.

First time trying this author, definitely would try again.

I love the claustrophobic element of this book. I found it quite irritating at first, as sound effects were typed rather than described, then I realised it was just how David was hearing things, and that you weren't really supposed to understand until David understood.

On the whole, I thought it was quite clever. I felt it a little bit of a let down towards the end though as the plot twist became more obvious as I got closer to it.

Worthwhile read though, did enjoy it.

Oh dear my lean spell continues with this book. The idea was clever and more interesting than other books I’ve read where a character is in a coma and can’t communicate but knows what’s going on. The problem for me was that it was such a thoroughly sad tale. So if it wasn’t bad enough being in a coma poor David/Adam had multiple sorrowful issues. A very quick read perhaps because I just had to skim read so much.

- [ ] Locked In
- [ ] By: Gideon Burrows

- [ ] An explosion in the middle of a PRIDE festival leaves many wounded and dead. One of the victims is in the hospital and is in a comma.
- [ ] 🏥
- [ ] This novel gives you the inside narrative of the victim who does not respond to any stimuli and the hospital declares brain dead.
- [ ] 🏥
- [ ] As the investigation begins a girl is quickly accused of the bombing. Her family is being treated horrible.
- [ ] 🏥
- [ ] The patient “David” has an social advocate until his family steps up. As the story progresses we find out father was not a nice man and the advocate continues to work with “David”.
- [ ] 🏥
- [ ] This novel turns twisty to the end and you will need to read to find out the unbelievable twist. I will say I figured it out quickly, but that did not take away from the novel.
- [ ] 🏥
- [ ] This novel came out April 21, 2022. Thank you @netgalley and #gideonburrows for this novel. #booksconnectus, #bookreview, #gideonburrows, #netgalley, #stamperlady50

While I thoroughly enjoyed the premise of this book, this was really difficult subject matter I wasn't ready for and wish had been forewarned. It provoked some major emotions out of me and at times was difficult to keep going. Some of the writing felt a bit choppy & not very seamless along the way between view points & conversations. And I felt the ending fell flat for me unfortunately. Not satisfying.
But this book had some major potential and I feel this author did a great job all those things aside. I'd definitely give him another shot in the future.

An unidentified victim of a terrorist explosion at a Gay Pride event lies in a hospital, said to be in the kind of coma that is said to be irreversible.

The staff still talk to.him though just in case he is still on some level aware of sound, although the doctor's findings are not promising. In fact the patient, christened Dávid, is aware of everything said to him, as his perceptions and hearing settle down. It's just that he cannot respond. Meanwhile the question of whether or not to allow David to lie gather momentum.

It might have been interesting if the the science and current understanding of locked-in syndrome had been explored a little more, alongside how this might link to persistent vegetative state. However, that didn't seem to suit the aims of the writer, where this locked-in state is used more as a device through which the responses of nurses, doctors and the patient's advocate to someone who can't talk back are explored - there is plenty of projection. The novel also charts how easily swayed they are to TV news discussions, newspaper reports, and so on. Family also appear at the bedside, but this only serves to deepen the mystery surrounding the case. Meanwhile, David's voice and narration also convey their own story, with all the limited perspective of an individual who proves to be already damaged, way before the terrorist attack.

The quest is also on to find the perpetrator.

Some readers might find the premise of this story like a little woke for their tastes. However, this is balanced by an awareness of how the world of realpolitik actually works - and perhaps too, how unspoken expectations complicate relationships of all kinds.

There are enough twists to create surprises.

The story runs a lot through dialogue rather than description, giving the whole thing a rather subjective, gosippy feel but that may be intentional.

Thank you NetGalley, Gideon Burrows and BooksGoSocial for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
This book is read from a POV of a man in coma whom everyone presumes can't hear, feel and think but isn't. A victim of the bombing he tries to remember how he got to the pride parade where the bombing took place.
This book was a really controversial and personal read I still don't know how I feel about it but it was an epic read.
I love how the subjects were approached from all sides and it gives so much room for thought.
It contains LGBTQ representation, terrorism, islamaphobia, homophobia and gay conversion therapy.

#netgalley #lockedin publication date 01. May 2022
I haven't read any other book like this it is a quick paced thriller, I really connected with the characters. Overall a great read 4/5 stars