Anna O has been in a deep sleep for four years after apparently murdering her two best friends. Rumours are rife that she was sleepwalking, others that she knew exactly what she was doing. Dr Ben Prince, an expert in sleep disorders was invited to attempt to wake her. She was taken to a private clinic in absolute secrecy and there Ben began his work. The complex story of how Anna arrived at this point is detailed through her earlier diary entries. Is she guilty? By waking her will Ben be simply sealing her fate at a murder trial? Tormented and confused by this case Ben’s own life is threatening to spiral out of control as it becomes all consuming. An exceptionally clever story that leaves the reader unsure of the truth until the very end.

I thought Anna O was an intriguing concept from the description but when I came to read it it just didn't work for me. It was definitely unique but I found it to be drawn out and very implausible.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an arc in exchange for an honest review.
This book was a real mixed bag for me an intriguing story line involving murder sleepwalking and psychology a real did she didnt she but feel a bit short especially near the end.
The main story line was interesting and well researched but I guessed some of the twists from the start and was hoping it was too obvious to be right. It was also repetitive in some places making the book feel slightly too long. But it was compelling and I did find myself wanting to read on and solve the mystery.
Overall it was worth the read and the psychology aspects were interesting to read about and did add an extra layer to the suspense.

I liked the principle of this book, briefly put: four years ago, Anna O seemingly killed two of her friends – a bloodied knife bearing only her fingerprints was found near her, and she was found in a deep sleep that she has never come out of. Fast forward to present day and the MoJ has enlisted sleep expert Dr. Ben Prince to wake her up so she can be tried for the crime – interesting and unusual. However, I found the tale to be all over the place and very hard to follow, being rather heavy on confusing technical terminology around sleep and other medical details, which are described in great depth. This led to me skim-reading as I wanted to get to the bottom of the mystery, which I am sad to say was somewhat predictable. As I have said, the tale has a fascinating premise and I think it will appeal to many readers, sadly it’s just not for me.

Anna Ogilvy hasn’t opened her eyes for four years
Not since that night at The Farm when she was found asleep with a kitchen knife in her hand, her clothes bloodstained, the bodies of her two best friends lying close.
She’d committed the crime of the century – but nothing and no-one could wake her from the nightmare.
Believers in her innocence call her Anna O. Believers in her guilt call her Sleeping Beauty.

Well, this is certainly different. Great writing and plenty of intrigue. I particularly liked the short chapters meaning I could pick it up as and when. More authors should think of their readers. The story is a little long-winded in places with lots of medical descriptions and terminology which might put some readers off. I found that it read as a mix of fact and fiction which I like. It’s an intricate and involving story but one I thoroughly enjoyed reading. It’s well worth sticking with until the end.

Four years after she was found with a bloodied knife in her hand and the bodies of her 2 flatmates nearby, Anna O has been in a deep sleep. Moved to the Abbey sleep clinic it's down to Dr Benedict Prince, a sleep expert, to try and wake up so she can stand justice.
Dubbed Sleeping Beauty by the media Ben's loyalties vary as time goes on. Is she innocent or guilty? The story is told from Ben's point of view and extracts from Anna's journal
My opinions of the book varied throughout my reading, I enjoyed the unique premise of the book but found it slightly long winded and repetitive in places.

I had very high expectations for this read, and I wasn’t disappointed! A young woman is accused of the murder of her two friends, but since that night several years ago, she has been asleep. Dr Benedict Prince (Sleeping Beauty Easter Egg, ahoy!) is tasked with waking her in time for the Ministry of Justice to put her on trial. But far more is going on than at first appears. I was completely hooked with this from the beginning. A compelling, page turning read that is bound to be a popular read this spring.

Whilst I would recommend this book to my audience it wasn't really for me. I found myself racing through it just becasue I felt I needed to see how it ended but therefore I think some of the content went over my head. Maybe a little too heavy on confusing, medical detail for me and I just didn't find the charcaters likeable which always effects my enjoyment of a book. That said, it was a fascinating premise and I think it will be loved by many! My advice...read carefully and don't rush it!

An original storyline told from the POV’s of forensic psychologist Dr Benedict ‘Ben’ Prince and in the form of diary entries from Anna Ogilvy. Anna is the daughter of a wealthy family who, after confessing to killing her two friends and work colleagues, fell into a deep sleep, where she remains 4 years later until… Well paced and well written it was a compulsive read, although I did find some of the references to various technical aspects of sleep went a bit over my head!

Briefly, the jury is out. Is she guilty? Those who believe guilty call her The Sleeping Beauty, those who believe she is innocent call her Anna O, but the only person who really knows is asleep! Wanting to take her to trial she is taken to Ben’s Harley Street sleep clinic as he has published a paper which indicates he has a method to wake those in long term resignation syndrome (sleeping).

This plot was so clever, full of twists and turns, so hard to guess just what was coming next. Who do you trust? Well that’s one of those questions I kept changing my mind about. I had guessed the big reveal/twist before the end but it was more luck that judgement. A dark twisty story with a lot of literary references, a lot of sleep references, and a cracking storyline. I enjoyed it.

Can you commit a double murder while asleep? Can the trauma cause your mind to shut down your body, sending you into a deep sleep? Is it possible that you could have murdered two people alone? Is there more to the story?... Read it!

A slightly out there premise made me a bit sceptical about whether I would enjoy this book however, I did!

I would have thought the book would be a bit heavy but the author writes in a short and succinct style that keeps you interested.

I started 'Anna O' and thought why had I left it so long in my TBR pile; the concept of sleep disorders was interesting. As was the reference to the most common types of dreams.
I didn't feel like I got to know the characters - they were just there in the capacity of their job roles. There were too many elements and in an attempt to create twists, it read as disjointed and confusing.
The book felt like it peaked too early and may have been better as a shorter version.
Thanks, NetGalley for an advance copy.

Anna O
Look, what can I say, this is going to be a lot of people's cup of tea. A clever premise, a murder allegedly committed while our chief protagonist was asleep. A sleep doctor balancing moral, ethical and work dilemmas in treatment of Anna and a classic whodunnit.

But, it's just not my thing. The way modern thrillers pull together the many threads of the plot at the very last minute really irritates me and this was no different.

If you like twisty, psychological thrillers I am going to guess you will enjoy this one.

Thanks to Netgalley, Harper Collins UK and Harper Fiction for approving me to read this. I had seen a lot of people reading this on bookstagram and was very excited to get this arc.

Anna O has been asleep for 4 years after murd 2 of her friends whilst in a sleep state. Dr Ben Prince is a sleep psychologist who has been tasked with trying to wake her. However, this case is not as straight forward as it seems, with secrets and lies that have been well hidden.

I’ll be honest I was really curious how interesting a book about someone being asleep would be, I worried it may be a bit slow and not a lot going on. However, the writer really managed to keep things interesting and hold my interest.

I really liked the psychological side, I felt like I was learning as well as reading, I found it fascinating reading about people doing things whilst sleep walking/in a sleeping state. It’s also a really thought provoking book, it would be great to be done as part of a buddy read as I think it provokes a lot of discussion points, namely is someone accountable for an act they commit whilst asleep? Can they be brought to trial over a cri if they weren’t fully conscious when they committed it? What are the implications of this? I think this would bring out some great discussions if you reading this as part of a book club or buddy read.

This book had a lot of twists and turns, secrets that were revealed that kept it interesting. It was told from multiple POV’s and the use of Anna’s diary entries, the chapters were short so that made it an easy read. My only slight criticism is I felt the last few chapters seemed to really drag out the story with information that I didn’t feel really needed to be in the book before getting to the final twist. They just felt a bit slow to me and I didn’t feel it needed some of those chapters.

Overall this really surprised me, it’s such a unique premise and I’ve not read a book like this before, I really enjoyed this and would definitely recommend it.

A much hyped literary thriller that will appeal to fans of While To Were Sleeping and other medical mysteries. However, the story was not for me, too much meandering in time lines and the ending a disappointment. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Anna O was a whirlwind of a book. I could never guess what was going to happen and the whole book shocked me. At times I found the book a little far fetched but I still enjoyed it. I absolutely loved the concept and the plot, I was hooked from the first sentence. The book had my guessing loads of different scenarios and I couldn’t predict the direction of the book.

The story starts by introducing us to Dr Benedict Prince who is a forensic psychologist and an expert in sleep related homicides. He works in a clinic in Harley Street and helps people with their sleep problems. Anna O is a 25 year old who stabbed 2 people to death with no motive before closing her eyes and never opening them since. She has been brought to the clinic after 4 years of having resignation syndrome. It is up to Dr Prince to encourage Anna to open her eyes and discover the truth.

This story was a whirlwind and the pace was steady. It began to speed up after certain events and chapters were left on cliffhangers. I found myself to eager to read more and want to see if my guesses were correct (spoiler, they weren’t). I loved how the chapters were told from different perspectives and even got diary entry chapters from Anna leading up to the murders. It was interesting to read different points of view and try to put the puzzle together. I highly recommend this book if you liked The Silent Patient!

Oh my freaking god. What a novel! This thriller had you guessing until the end and even until it was revealed I never knew who patient x was. I really enjoyed the concept of the book, the short chapters and the diary extracts really kept the pacing spot on. Very enjoyable read

Regrettably, "Anna O" by Matthew Blake did not manage to capture my interest in a substantial manner. The narrative, to put it frankly, seemed to meander excessively, unfolding as if it were an academic textbook dedicated to the realm of sleep, replete with numerous references and an inundation of technical terminology. While undoubtedly informative, this surplus of information on the mechanics of sleep overshadowed what I had anticipated – a compelling and engaging storyline.
The emphasis on the intricacies of sleep, rather than on developing a gripping plot, left me feeling somewhat disillusioned. I found myself yearning for more narrative substance and a deeper exploration of the character's experiences and emotions. Unfortunately, Ben Prince, the central character, emerged as disappointingly sedate, lacking the dynamism necessary for a reader to form a genuine connection.
The novel's promising premise hinted at the potential for an intriguing tale, but the execution, in my estimation, fell flat. The disparity between expectation and reality left me with a sense of dissatisfaction, as the novel failed to deliver the immersive experience I had hoped for. While the technical details on sleep may appeal to some, for me, the overarching focus on this aspect overshadowed the potential for a richer and more emotionally resonant narrative. In essence, "Anna O" turned out to be a literary journey that did not align with my preferences, and I found it to be a rather lacklustre read.

A decent enough high-concept literary thriller that I'm sure lots of people will enjoy. Not quite as good as I was hoping for, if I'm totally honest, but others will no doubt love it, as the hype surrounding this novel would suggest.

'Was she guilty?' my date asks, or the woman who was formerly my date. I am nothing but a ghoul to her now, an anecdote for Christmas, or New Year. 'When she stabbed those two people. Did she really get away with murder?'

Anna Ogilvy has been asleep since August 2019 but her name is on everyone's lips.

Four years ago Anna was found asleep at an exclusive retreat called The Farm. She was in bloodstained clothes, holding a knife, and her the bodies of her two best friends lying next to her. She hasn't woken up since.

Those who believe she is innocent call her Anna 0, those who believe she is guilty call her Sleeping Beauty.

Anna O was a good concept and well executed on the whole. I didn't like any of the characters but I was interested in the mystery. However, I felt like the last third of the book I was rapidly losing interest in the outcome of the book. I felt like some of the later twists were a little implausible.