I was very intrigued by the premise of Anna O and the positive reaction from the ARC on Bookstagram.
This is a very well paced and researched novel based around automatism or the sleepwalking defence for criminal acts.
I definitely agree with other reviewers I'm that the last third of the book could be fleshed out and I found some of Ben's chapters a bit of drag while the breadcrumb offerings of Anna's POV definitely kept my interest.From my own point of view it was very obvious who PatientX was and I was interested how Matthew Blake would pull it together.
Overall would not be for me but I think those will be a huge hit when it is released

I'm genuinely not sure about this book, i've been generous and given a 3 star rating - i like the premise, i think it's well written but it didn't quite have enough oomph for me. Having said that i can see other readers loving it for the style and story line but personally i would have liked a bit more suspense and action. the last content of the last 20% should have taken up more of the book and the first 80% could have been faster paced.

I would recommend this book but to a very particular audience, readers of a more high brow persuasion to my usual bookers.

With thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for sending this book for review. All opinions are my own.

This started off well with lots of interesting information about psychological theories but I failed to connect with any of the characters. Ben was incredibly annoying so I didn't get a lot when it was his PoV but Anna was much more interesting as her story gradually unfolded through her diary entries. It's a hard book to review because it was very gripping and I raced towards the ending but despite this I didn't really enjoy it although I'm fairly certain it's going to be a huge hit and I'm the odd one out.

Thank you HarperCollins and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this before publishing.

I am torn with this book, parts of it I loved and parts of it I am just not sure about.

The first two-thirds of the book were great, and then for me it just went downhill. I'm not sure what happened but it just didn't fit right with the rest of the story.

Although set around a really interesting subject, of which I had no previous knowledge, it was too drawn out, too slow and I just couldn't wait to finish it.

I did guess who PatientX was and am glad I was right - to be it was obvious but to others it may not be.

Due to it being too drawn out and too long I would give 3.5 stars but can't that is why it gets 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Anna O is a victim of Resignation Syndrome, a condition that causes long term sleep for months, sometimes years. Before she can be put on trial for the murder of her two friends, she must wake and give her version of events.

The concept of this is interesting and the information given about the medical conditions in this book seemed to have been well researched in my opinion which makes Matthew Blake a great author. There are many authors who drop the ball when it comes to research but I believe that Blake did everything he needed to make the fiction somewhat believable.

Although I believe that Blake is probably a great author, I'm not sure if the book itself qualifies as great. It's a good read and if you're a fan of The Silent Patient, there's every chance you'll love this book. As someone who did not enjoy The Silent Patient, I found some similarities but thankfully I didn't end up hating this book the way I did that one.

With the heaviness of the book, I found I couldn't read large amounts of it at any one time and needed to split this up into smaller chunks than I would ordinarily read. As a quick reader and someone who can read for a sustained period of time, it put me off that I found it too heavy to do those things.

Overall, I think this was a good read and would maybe recommend this to a certain few who I know would enjoy it.

I enjoyed the first two thirds of this book the most - the pace was great and it pulled my curiosity along with it. I felt the novel lost its tautness a little towards the end and I found myself skim reading a lot of it. Still, I didn’t guess the ending! Lots of twists to keep the reader entertained.

Two bodies were found murdered at The Farm four years ago and the main suspect Anna Ogilvy has been unable to help police as she hasn't opened her eyes since that fateful night.

Dr Benedict 'Ben' Prince is a specialist in sleep related crimes, can he help Anna to open hers eyes and give her side of the story?

The book is told from different points of view including entries from Anna's journal, where she gives account of her history of sleepwalking and her interest in sleep disorders.

This is no ordinary psychological thriller, at times there is a lot of detail relating to the psychology of sleep related disorders but I couldn't put this down, I kept wanting to know more. Who is behind the Suspect8 blog? What caused Anna to be asleep for so many years and how was Patient X related it all.

I really wanted to love this, as I thought the premise and marketing were fantastic. It started off really well, and I was absorbed in Ben’s narrative, but I just found it hard work from about 20% in. Ben’s internal monologue felt manipulated to serve the plot and the twists felt like they were written to order. I still think the idea is brilliant and I am absolutely sure it will do really well.

A really interesting premise for a book - I was quickly pulled into the story.
The middle section was a bit slow and I found myself losing interest a bit but it soon picked back up and the twists kept coming right to the end.
Recommended.

✨Anna O by Mathew Blake ✨

“No one else ever really knew what happened that night, the terrible choices that had to be made.”

Here’s a thing, I’ve got major FOMO and when I saw all the ARCs for this book being sent out, I had to go and requesting from #netgalley who graciously granted me the ARC along with #harpercollins , so thank you very much!

Anna O is due to be published in February 2024 and is already getting lots of publicity around being the next big thriller/mystery. I can definitely see why. This is a story full of twists and reveals, unreliable characters and cinematic settings. I can see it so easily being turned into a bingeable Netflix mini series.

If you were a fan of stories like the Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides and other similar thrillers revolving around psychiatry and hospitals then you will love this. Sadly this wasn’t 100% for me because I prefer things a little less twisty and with some questions left unsolved however that’s personal taste and I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending this to pretty much anyone who dabbles in thrillers.

I can definitely see why Anna O is being hyped so much already and I think it’ll have no trouble filling the best seller shelves at the bookstores! Can’t wait for more people to read it and share their opinions.

#AnnaO

I really enjoyed this book and was completely captivated by its story

This book is 400 pages but it did feel a lot longer not sure why but it just took me a long time to finish it.

The story is dark and very twisty with multiple viewpoints and lots of back and forth

Plenty of twists and turns that kept you on your toes however i did guess who it was but I’m sure the twisty ending will surprise many.

Lots of psychological details which intrigued me especially the condition of Anna

I will look forward to more books by this author

Thank you Netgalley for a copy for an honest review

Anna O by Matthew Blake.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins for the arc for an unbiased review.

The synopsis for this book is fairly minimal, and in many ways, having read the book I can see why. It might put some readers off, not having much to go on, other than an absorbing thriller (which I felt it was), and a small amount of blurb, yet it is a book that has so many twists and turns, I imagine trying to even explain what this book is about in a limited synopsis scenario wouldn't be easy.

But just what was it about this book that I found so gripping?

The premise as a whole was just something that brought a different angle on the mystery of how and why Anna did what she did, and why she was still asleep.
The problem is how do I expand the review without giving much away, because it was so cleverly crafted in my opinion. What I will say, is we have multiple points of view, including diary entries from Anna's past.
The plot did have a lot going on, but I didn't ever feel as it it was convoluted. This won't be to everyone's taste, but if twisty, dark thriller mysteries are something you enjoy, you should definitely read this book.

After the end, it took me a while just to absorb everything and look back to see what clues I saw, and what I might've missed. Or the ones I saw but realised my hypothesis was wrong.

A book I will love to own, and highly recommend. I'd also be giving this book out to friends and family.

Easily 5/5 stars 🌟 🌟🌟🌟🌟

This book came with minimal blurb outlining the story, but what there was intrigued me. Four years ago, Anna Ogilvy was found asleep with a knife clutched in her hand, in bloodstained clothes. The bodies of her two best friends nearby. Nobody could wake her, she remained in a deep sleep, uninjured, with no drugs in her system. She became known as Anno O. Others referred to her as Sleeping Beauty.

We discover that the Ministry of Justice are determined to see if she can be woken, as they want to get her to trial. They involve clinical sleep psychologist Professor Ben Prince in the case. Ben Prince has carried out studies on crimes carried out while sleeping.

I won’t tell any more as I don’t want to ruin the story. This book is one where going in blind is best, as the plot of the story really throws you at every turn. If the story outline had been further explained in advance I likely would have passed on reading this, thinking it not my usual type of read. However, the approach to the story and the way the author keeps us on our toes really makes it a psychological page-turning guessing game! The continual switch in storytelling methods further works to keep the reader trying to detangle the story, with first-person, third-person, and diary entries all used. This was a very clever and unique story, with just a few niggles. Ben was a tad annoying at times, and the continual use of his daughter's nickname was a little grating. The story felt a little drawn out at one or two points, it could have avoided some of the repetition in revisiting scenes. The ending took a little dive off the deep end, but objectively, the entire story is so warped that when you step back, you do wonder if is it really that much of a stretch.

Overall it is a dark and complex psychological thriller with a lot of twists, which will have you questioning when is a crime really considered a crime!

*I received this book for review from NetGalley, but all opinions are my own.

Do not read the reviews!!
Read the book first!!
Not my usual opening to a review but I think it's valid with this book. I started reading it, knowing nothing apart from the name and the cover. Having now read it I'm very glad I went into it with no idea what I was letting myself in for.

It's not my usual genre but I was hooked fairly early on. The twists and turns were believable and it was a ride from start to finish. The end was a surprise and felt a little farfetched but that didn't spoil the book.

4.5 Stars
A captivating, clever and unique premise attracted me to this book.
Told in multiple POVs with first person, third person and diary entries plus several timelines, it was still easy to follow. It has a well developed immersive plot which was interesting and intriguing. The writing style was engaging and the characters were well developed. Overall, a multi-layered and complex mystery thriller with depth and twists. Recommended. Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley UK for the ARC.

A compulsive read - had me up all night to finish! I'm a huge fan of Benedict Prince and can't wait to see what other's think when they meet this cast of characters. (Loved Bloom's character too! I'd be interested to read more about her, the center on Harley Street and their dynamic with Ben)

The concept of this book was really gripping and interesting, as a fan of thriller novels it definitely had me hooked.
One of the main characters, Ben, I found quite annoying and self centered but this may have been the point.
Anna was an interesting character and the book did keep me guessing until the end with multiple twists which I enjoyed.
The middle section lacked a bit of pace but overall I enjoyed and would recommend

What a story! I went into this blind since the premise was so abnormally vague but I think it's actually the best way to read this one.

It's so cleverly written and felt a bit like a documentary style with so many aspects and moving parts!

The actual premise for the book is incrediblu unique and original and has clearly been thoroughly researched and though through.

The characters were well crafted and brought to life. It does have quite a slow pace but I think it works for this story because there are so many chapters and so much happening!

This easily stands head and shoulders above other thrillers

Anna O by Matthew Blake

Wow, what a rollercoaster!

As ever, I try to give genuine and honest feedback, both good and not so good.

The idea for this story is intriguing, and pretty original. The book is without doubt well researched and well 'imagined'. There are some great characters involved and the central two, Ben and Anna make this compulsive reading. However, I found this to be waaaay too long a tale, and was surprised but equally disappointed by its ending. I really feel that several alternative conclusions would have been far better and certainly more believeable than the eventual one offered. At times in my opinion very repetetive, and the CONTINUAL mention of Ben's daughter's nickname really started to annoy me after only a few chapters in :-(

I would still recommend reading this as the good definitely surpasses the not so good. Take a trip into this dark and creepy world where you will question what is real and what has been cleverly concocted!

This is one of the best psychological thrillers I've read in a long time. It's almost documentary in style giving the events from the perspective of the different characters in the story. It isn't fast paced but instead builds slowly to a conclusion which I just didn't see coming. The story centres around Anna O who is accused of murdering two of her friends four years previously. The west is that Anna doesn't remember the events of that murder which she appears to have committed in her sleep and hasn't woken up since.

Her case sparks endless media interest not least from the Ministry of Justice, the police and psychology experts. One such clinical psychologist is Professor Prince who has studied the spectrum of crimes committed whilst under the influence of sleep. Co-incidentally, his ex-wife is the senior police officer who attended on the night of the murders. I won't spoil the story but will simply say there are enough twists and turns to keep you page turning until the final reveal. Great book for fans of crime thrillers with a difference.