Blackout

by Emily Barr

A tense and chilling Quick Read from the queen of psychological suspense.

You wake up in a strange room, with no idea how you got there.

You are abroad, in a city you have never visited before.

You have no money, no passport, no phone.

And there is no sign of your baby.

What do you do?

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, Thriller, Mystery, Contemporary, France, Suspense

112 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 3, 2014

About the author

Emily Barr worked as a journalist in London, but always hankered after a quiet room and a book to write. She went travelling for a year, writing a column in the Guardian about it as she went, and it was there that she had an idea for a novel set in the world of backpackers in Asia. This became Backpack, which won the WH Smith New Talent Award. She has since written eleven more adult novels published in the UK and around the world, and a novella, Blackout, for the Quick Reads series. Her twelfth novel, The Sleeper, is a psychological thriller set on the London to Cornwall sleeper train.
In 2013 she went to Svalbard with the idea of setting a thriller in the Arctic. The book that came out of it was The One Memory of Flora Banks, a thriller for young adults, which attracted universal interest from publishers before being bought pre-emptively by Penguin earlier this year. It will be published globally in January 2017.
She lives in Cornwall with her partner and their children.

Reviews

[Erica⭐ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sophie wakes up in a room in Paris and doesn't know how she got there and doesn't recognize the clothes she's wearing. She has no passport with her and no money. All she remembers is that she went to bed beside her husband in London on Sunday evening, after checking that her baby was asleep too, and now it's Thursday and she has no idea what happened in between. And where is her baby?

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emily Barr had come highly recommended- so I decided to give this quick read a try. I really enjoyed the book- wondering what had happened to the main character and what had happened before she found herself in Paris without any money or her passport. It was a great introduction to a new author and I can't wait to read more.

[Rob Powell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blackout is an imaginative and fascinating plot where a woman wakes up in Paris with no recollection of how she got there. The book cleverly jumps between past and present and throughout each chapter gradually pulls the two time frames together unravelling the mystery. I think Emily Barr has a great imagination when it comes to creating plots but, and I know this is a short story, I found the characters a little unreal and the ending a little weak.



However I would recommend this book as overall I enjoyed and it kept me guessing throughout. It is worth an hour or two of your time.

https://robpowellwrites.wordpress.com/

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost a 4.

[Sophie (Blogger) · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first thoughts upon reading the back was: I hope this book doesn't give me nightmares. (Which thankfully it didn't) And the next thing was it reminded me of a movie, one where you don't remember anything, your belongings are missing and you have to find your way home, all the while trying to piece together what happened to lead you to this point in your life. Almost like a mystery crossed over with a psychological thriller.

The book starts with the main character not knowing who she is, how she got the Paris and the events that have happened during the period of that she has lost count of. The one thing she does remember is her little boy, and how much she needs to get back to him. Not only did she not remember anything but she also isn't wearing her own clothes, has no passport to get back to London and no money.

Slowly but surely she starts to make her way home, although it is not going to be easy, she slowly remember that her name and her need to get home. After getting money of her mother, a woman who she has never seen eye-to-eye with, she takes a passport from a woman similar to her own description and catches the train back to London. It isn't long before she realises that the life she once had isn't there anymore, the people in her life are different, she is different.

Things seem to be very odd, with her partner acting strange, the nagging feeling she feels and the constant questions, about Paris, the clothes, the need to remember what happened and what caused her her not to remember the important things. Blackout is a mystery, thriller book that will shock you and has a ending that you will never have seen coming, I know I didn't!

If I had to describe this book in three words, they would be Thrilling, Shocking and Amazing.

[Janine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good, fast paced psychological thriller.

[Samantha Luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable quick read.

[Norma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great fast paced thriller.

[Katey Lovell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without giving too much away (which is especially hard when reviewing a short book!) this psychological thriller had me gripped. It had twists and turns and I never knew what to believe. In some ways I do wish it had been a full length novel, purely because in just over an hour I had finished it. There was definitely a sense of disappointment that it was over, it was exactly the kind of book I enjoy, full of intrigue and suspense.

I'd recommend Blackout to anyone, but if you have read and enjoyed books by Paula Daly or enjoyed TV shows such as Broadchurch, this may well be something you'll love.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never read an Emily Barr novel before and I'm not sure I would a bought this if it hadn't a been just a £1 and laying beside a till point when I purchased something else-clearly this book was saying 'buy me'!! It's quite incredible that Miss Barr has managed to cram such a twisted plot in to so few words and make it enjoyable. It's really very gripping and because it's so short you can easily read it in a just a few hours. Not once did I see the ending coming...

[Shriya · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

I was recommended this book by Amazon since I love the Quick Reads charity.

The writing is easy to follow, I did gasp at one point but the ending was disappointing. I wanted a detail account of her Blackout.

[KL Caley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Premise: Sophie should have the perfect life. she has the perfect man, Rob, a hard-working school teacher, and now a new-born baby son called Arthur. When she wakes up in Paris, in a strange house, on her own and recognising no-one she panics. No passport, no money, she needs to get back to London back to her family and figure out what on earth has happened to her.

I liked this book. It is part of the “quick reads” collection which I have begun looking through lately. The idea of this collection is exactly as it says on the tin (or should that be cover), a shorter than normal book by world leading authors. One of the things I quite like about these books are that they force the authors to cut out a lot of the waffle that sometimes goes on in books. This keeps the stories quite fast paced with a lot happening in less time. Blackout is no exception, with a clear-cut and fast paced plot it meets the quick read criteria perfectly.

I always think it is useful to see an extract of an author’s writing and in this book there are quite a few action focussed parts to choose from but I thought this one is quite interesting as its intriguing without giving too much plot away:

“It is Thursday. The day that should be Monday is actually Thursday. Even at my worst I never lost three whole days. Nobody loses three days. It is not possible. Days come one after the other, from the day you’re born until the day you die. If you stay in bed for a day, the day still happens. If you black out in a coma or something, you wake up in hospital. You do not wake up in a mysterious room in Paris.

I went back and forth on whether to give this book 4 or 5 stars but I settled on 5 as despite the books small size it captured quite a few themes; relationships, trusts, childhood memories, post-partum depression, estrangement (to name a few), and I think that is an amazement achievement for an author.

I also liked the character Sophie, she was an interesting mix of vulnerable and strong and I think she came across as very likeable.

I had never read any of Emily Barr’s work before, but I will certainly look forward to reading more of her works.

Please leave a like if you think my review/feedback of the item was helpful to you. Alternatively, please contact me if you want me to clarify something in my review.

[Christopher Dove · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a novella under the 'Quick Reads' label that provides 97 pages of mystery and intrigue. It tells the story of Sophie Mayes, a Londoner and mother of a one year old child. The story begins with her waking up completely alone in a room she does mot recognise and in clothes she has not worn before. Not only that but she soon discovers that she is actually in Paris. She has no recollection of how she got there. She also finds she has no money and no passport. Once she realises the extraordinary situation in which she finds herself, her first thought is how on earth she is going to get back to London and her partner Rob and their child Harry. This is the premise of the novel. The format of the story alternates between Sophie's situation in Paris, which is narrated in the first person, and her experience a year before of the birth of her son. It was a traumatic birth, and it becomes plain pretty quickly that this had a devastating effect on Sophie's mental health. This knowledge about her mental state then cleverly colours how we view Sophie's version of events in Paris. This is a neat little mystery which keeps the reader guessing until the final pages.

[Nic (nicsbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I randomly walked into my local library, trying to kill some time before going to the cinema, and this quick read fell into my hands. The cover and the tag line hooked me instantly. I went upstairs and sat in a quiet corner and was completely transported for a couple of hours into the anxiety-induced world of Sophie Mayes.

This was superbly written and I could envisage every moment of panic, horror and mystery. It’s got a rather simple narrative at its core, but executed in a way you would never expect. I thoroughly enjoyed this and would love to read more of Emily Barr’s work in the future.

Not a bad choice for a random read!

[Lucy Pardoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wasn't sure in the first few pages how I felt, but quickly got into it. Wasn't sure where the plot was going to go but I'm happy with where it did. Read it in a day, very easy, fluent read. Condensed version of the type of novels I enjoy. I liked the elements of post partum depression, how it was shown and explained from Sophies side and the "goblin child". I wish there would have been some conclusion on Roger and what's her face instead of them just getting away as I feel they could just come back again... Stan Jess and her sticking by Sophies side even when she had doubts.

[FeedMyReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you wake up in a different room and different clothes, your partner and baby are missing and you have no idea how you got there it can't get any worse can it? You then realise you're in a different country, have no money and no passport.

Written in a way that keeps the reader guessing throughout, this twisted story sees Sophie in Paris and desperate to get home but is it her mental health causing her the problems or is there something bigger at play? A well thought out and delivered story that I really did enjoy.

[Mel C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sophie wakes up in a room in Paris. She has no money, no passport and no memory of how she got there, and more importantly she doesn't know where her baby is.

This short story is a real page turner from the beginning. It's tense and intriguing and filled with the stressful and terrifying fears of any parent. The book is a mere 97 pages long but touches upon a few themes including post natal depression, anxiety and fear. It also displays the tenacity and determination of a parent who will do anything for their child.

Worth a read!

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. The first couple of chapters grabbed me quick. Then completely lost me and put me in a bit of a reading slump. I only got to page 40 odd, then decided to pick it up just finish it. Towards the end it captured my attention again, but the ending just stopped. I have so many questions I have a left with now. I would give this book 1 star if the beginning and ending didn't hold me like they did. I guess I am just a bit disappointed.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book but it wasn't what I got!

As it is a quick read I don't want to give too much away.

The main character Sophie has a happy life and a baby it seems would only add to what she has. But when she wakes up in a room that she doesn't know, clothes she doesn't recognise and a city that she can't remember visiting what is going on?

Definitely going to keep an eye out for this author as I would like to read some of her longer works

[Melissa Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great little novelette! From the first page I was hooked and the plot didn't disappoint, at any stage. I only wish it was longer, so I had more time to enjoy it.

Sophie wakes up in a room, no memory of a thing that has happened to her or how she ended up there. From the moment she awakens, she has to try and piece together what has taken place and it fast paces itself to a conclusion that you won't see coming.

I look forward to reading more by Emily Barr in the future. Fabulous.

[Emma Ferrier · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Well... it was better than the previous Emily Barr title I read though perhaps only because it was so short there was no room for really shoddy mystery work (by that, I mean placing info in that we are supposed to find inconspicuous except it's blatantly clear it's relevant for the entire plot). It was alright but I felt as though it was lacking... something.
I found Sophie so bland. She is exactly. the. same. as every single woman in these types of stories and I'm so over it.

[Abi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick read that I picked up from the library today because the premise sounded amazing, and I read it in one sitting.

I enjoyed reading it, and it kept me intrigued throughout, but I didn't love the presentation of mental health throughout.

I didn't see the twist coming, so that was good, but I think I would have preferred to see a few more chapters at the end, and better discussions about mental health and postpartum depression.

[Kamla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the RNIB version narrated by Rachael Ray, not the Audible version narrated by Clare Corbett.
Although I like both narrators a lot, I found Rachael's voice very soothing, almost ASMR in quality. The book was also excellent, cramming a decent domestic noir into a mere 3 hours.

For those reasons, I will listen to this again.
Well worth your time and a good introduction to the writing of Emily Barr.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a Quick Read, and thoroughly engaging throughout. When Sophie wakes up in Paris in unusual clothes and not knowing how she got there, we are taken in stages through her eventful life ti that point. It is fast-paced and entertaining, and I gave it a mean 4 stars because parts were a tad far-fetched. I’d read more by this author!

[Tarina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Summary:

Sophie wakes up in Paris but can’t recall how she got there. What happened to her? How can she get back to her family in London?

My Thoughts:

This is a nice little mystery however I personally think it would have been much better as a full-length novel. I wanted to learn more about Sophie’s husband, his mistress & her parents.

My Rating: * *

[Jessica F C · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t think I realised that this was just a short story until it arrived. It was brief but I enjoyed it, it’s been a while since I’ve read any of her books, whereas years back I used to be an avid fan. I used to like how all her books were set or featuring another country, somehow they felt travel related.

[Nav · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick read from the library! Fast paced thriller never read Emily Barr work before this just had me shocked when I turned the last page! Super shocking thriller. You go to bed and wake up in another city!! You have no money no passport no baby!! What would you do ? Gripping!!
If you are looking for a quick read this is good 😊

[Aparna · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a quick read, basically a short story, so you can’t fault the author for lack of detail and the odd plot hole. It is quite fast paced and unpredictable. I’d recommend to someone who wants a quick, page turner.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever and interesting short story

I enjoyed the twists and turns, and didn’t anticipate the ending. I did feel the ending was too abrupt though, and it could have done with a few hundred extra words to elaborate on what was a clever resolution.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I personally found the plot fairly predictable but it was well-written and exciting; it's a massive cliché but I genuinely could not put this book down. Would definitely recommend, and has made me keen to read other works by this author.