ANNA O

by Matthew Blake

E se seus pesadelos não fossem apenas pesadelos? A jovem Anna Ogilvy era uma aspirante a escritora com um futuro brilhante pela frente quando esfaqueou até a morte seus dois melhores amigos sem motivo aparente. Desde então, não acordou mais. Seu sono profundo é conhecido pelos neurologistas como “síndrome da resignação”, um raro distúrbio psicossomático. Dr. Benedict Prince é psicólogo forense e especialista em homicídios relacionados ao sono, e seus métodos são a última esperança para solucionar o infame caso “Anna O” e despertar a mulher para que ela possa ser finalmente julgada. Mas, ao tratar de uma paciente tão famosa, Benedict deve tomar cuidado para que seus problemas pessoais — e os próprios segredos — não sejam revelados. Somente Anna sabe o que ocorreu naquela noite, e apenas o dr. Benedict tem meios para descobrir a verdade. E os dois correm perigo se o mistério for revelado. Com este thriller sombrio e tortuoso, Matthew Blake coloca seu nome ao lado de Gillian Flynn, A. J. Finn e Alex Michaelides como um dos grandes autores de suspense da atualidade.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Suspense

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 2, 2024

About the author

After discovering that the average person spends thirty-three years of their life asleep, Matthew Blake felt the pull of a story. He began extensive research into sleep-related crimes and into the mystery illness known as resignation syndrome, research that sparked a thrilling question: if someone commits murder while sleepwalking, are they innocent or guilty? And so his novel Anna O was born.

Before writing fiction, Matthew worked as a researcher and speechwriter at the Palace of Westminster. He studied English at Durham University and Merton College, Oxford and now lives in London.

Reviews

[Lit with Leigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. IYKYK, my reviews are ALWAYS honest.

Phat ass trigger warning: violent death of an animal, stalking / @ all the comments saying their edition didn't have HP references... Yes, and? Mine did and even without them the book has plenty of other faults.

Writing: fine | Plot: all over the fkin place | Ending: I shouldn't have clocked this in the first 20%

SYNOPSIS

The Silent Patient meets Sleeping Beauty.

MY OPINION

I was PUMPED for this one. The Silent Patient meets Sleeping Beauty? I'm READY. Unfortunately, 91 notes on my Kindle is NEVER a good sign... Clearly this was not for me.

First of all, there were waaaayyyy too many Harry Potter references for a book written in 2022. Under no circumstances should the Deputy Minister of Justice say: "Ten points for Griffindor" in a conversation. Idc if it was a joke. Get a different one. In fact, it should be a hate crime to write FOUR (4) SENTENCES IN A ROW that include Harry Potter references. Feast your eyes upon this:

The whole place with its neo-gothic vibe reminds me of Harry Potter and Hogwarts. But, then again, I'm a minus-fifty snowflake. Everything reminds me of the Boy Wizard. It is strictly muggle business today.

After I read this I asked myself: do I really need my vision? Anyways.

While reading this I honestly felt like parts were missing. There was a lot of things going on, but they were all quarter-baked. For example, Dr. Benedict Price keeps telling us he feels connected with Anna O and he's #TeamAnna, but they legit met 3 times when she was snoozing and he never explained why he believed her? Then we have Anna's diary, which goes 0-1000000, but again, lacks pertinent details to earn my (worthless) buy-in.

Ok I can't get into the rest without some spoilies sooo...

SPOILERS ALERT. SCROLL TO BOTTOM.






Here are my other rich homie qualms:

1. Relentlessly repetitive, especially the end. Holy fk. How many times can Dr. Prince tell us "I don't trust Anna. I know she's a killer. She's here to kill me." Girl I hope so, because I'm TIREDT of listening to you say the same shit. Wrap it tf UP.

2. After the whole shebang, Dr. Prince flees to the Cayman Islands (where he somehow has a job offer despite being arrested and shamed in Britain). He looovessss to tell us how nervous he is that he'll be outed and have to escape. Okay, fair, but why do you keep going on Tinder dates and telling rando hoes you worked on the Anna O case? Well, well, well, if it isn't the consequences of my own actions - Dr. Prince after one of his floozies blasts him on The Shade Room.

3. I clocked the twist in the first 20% but was praying it was just a really obvious red herring a la Freida McFadden. Woooooowwww, the nurse who's been with Anna the entire time and slips her off-the-record sips of "Jack Daniels" is in cahoots with her new partner who happens to be divorced with one kid which sounds exactly like Clara and BY GOLLY, Clara was cheating with someone saved as 'HOSPITAL' in her phone????? WHO WUDDA THUNK IT.

4. Prolonging events until closer to the end to force suspense and attempt to be twisty. Around 20%, Dr. Prince receives a call from his boss telling him to come to her crib and take a file that reveals a connection to the Anna O case. When he arrives, said boss is freshly dead. So you would think he's gonna snatch that file, race home, buss it open and solve some crime. WRONG *Donald Trump voice*. Instead he does a lil spring cleaning, thinks about how he wants his family back, and then sorta glances at it but doesn't pursue it until the last 15/10% of the book. Why would you go play-act the murders at the scene of the crime instead of tracking down Patient X and figuring out why someone murdered your boss over this? He legit never even attempts to suss out the murderer either. Like??? If I'm the boss, I'm haunting your ass FOR SURE.











SPOILERS DONE






Respectfully, this gave me strong The Maidens vibes. So if you liked that, or A History of Fear, you'll probably vibe with this. It was most squirtainly (certainly) not for me.


PROS AND CONS

Pros: interesting concept

Cons: too much Harry Potter, repetitive, unfocused, twist could've been clocked by Helen Keller, silly season behaviour to prolong story, BLEHHHHHHHH

___

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[Nina (ninjasbooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally it was my time to read this (late to the party as always) and I have mixed feeling afterwards. Despite it being a thriller, I felt it dragged on. When I thought it had come to an end, there was still some twists left, and I honestly have no idea why we needed that last twist. It was a bit convenient if you ask me. Other than that, I liked the characters well enough, and felt a bit sorry for the dream expert..

[Jessica Woodbury · Rating 1 out of 5]

I probably should have quit this book but by the time I'd made it halfway I felt obligated to finish, at least to see what kind of conclusion this ridiculous story could be pointing towards. It was even more ridiculous than I expected. The whole thing is absurd, it's also about triple the length it needs to be, every single thing is drawn out in great detail. There is a whole set of diary entries that are not diary entries and it's unclear why they couldn't just be alternate point of view sections of the story. Nothing about the crime makes sense. Nothing about the explanation makes sense. It is all very silly but no fun.

[Lisa of Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Thrilling Thriller

A once-in-a-lifetime patient ends up in the lap of sleep doctor, Benedict Prince. Anna O. has been accused of killing her two best friends while sleepwalking. But Anna has been asleep for the past four years. Can Prince wake her up?

Sleep is very mysterious even to scientists and those in the field. If you ever want to learn facts about sleeping, the bible for anything sleep related is Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, a UCLA sleep researcher. But word of caution: it is B-O-R-I-N-G, but it is incredibly valuable.

And we will go back to sleep in just a minute, but I have a bit of a rant. There is one paragraph that is just plain wrong. It says something about how we don’t know much about MS or Alzheimer’s Disease.

MS, multiple sclerosis, is an autoimmune disease where the body attacks the myelin sheath on nerves. What in the world does that mean? Let’s say I have MS, and I want to take a step forward. My brain tries to send a signal to my leg to move. However, the coating on my nerve is gone so the signal drops off. So if you have MS things are hopeless? No. Please go see a doctor. Reports indicate that 85 to 90% of people have relapsing-remitting MS which means that if the doctors can get you out of a relapsed state, you might be able to have a really high quality of life. Also, if you are interested, look up the article, “Inverse vaccine shows potential to treat multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases.” It is a recent breakthrough where doctors have tagged myelin to a sugar, sent the pair to the liver where it essentially teaches the body not to attack myelin anymore. Maybe Dr. Prince doesn’t know anything about MS……

Now, Alzheimer’s Disease. Mayo Clinic defines this as “changes in the brain that lead to deposits of certain proteins.” Now…ahem…a sleep doctor would know this…but when you sleep, your body will clear the plaque out of your brain. But like on Reading Rainbow, you don’t have to take my word for it. Read Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting by neuroscientist Lisa Genova.

Sleep is super interesting. Remarkably little is known about it, adding to its mystery. It impacts concentration, short- and long-term memory, and mood. And I enjoyed how this book weaved in these elements into the story.

Blake utilizes short paragraphs and short chapters with many cliffhangers, leaving the reader begging for more. Further, the book is set in London and the Cayman Islands, two of my favorite places so I can’t really knock that.

Several characters have major reveals, keeping the reader engaged throughout.

In terms of the ending, I had already figured it out so that was a bit of a disappointment, but I enjoyed the ride so much!

What I Paid:
Softcover ARC: Free provided by publisher

*Thanks, Harper, for a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and unbiased opinion.

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[s.penkevich [hiatus-will return-miss you all] · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Lifts my second cup of copy for the morning* thanks, Matthew Blake, when your cover blurb boasted Anna O will ‘keep you turning pages well past your bedtime’ they weren’t lying. Did I stayed up far beyond a reasonable hour to finish it in one day? Yes. But is struggling through the day today worth it? Also yes. Psychological thriller and crime fiction collide in this unsettling story about a murder that became a media sensation due to the peculiarities of the crime: young, wealthy, highly educated magazine entrepreneur Anna Oglivy has stabbed two friends to death in her sleep and has not awoken in 4 years. Dubbed “Sleeping Beauty” in the press, her prince has come to awaken her: a sleep psychologist named—’irony of ironies—Dr Benedict Prince.’ Structured for maximum tension and infectious pacing and moving perspectives from Dr Prince, others involved in the case and even Anna’s own notebooks, Anna O is a satisfying thrill-ride that successfully pulls off some incredible twists that had me exclaiming aloud. Though beneath the exciting drama is an interesting psychological meditation on sleep and storytelling itself, examining the ways the media, true crime and social media storms sensationalize crimes into their own mythologies as well as the way myth archetypes perpetuate in the present and help frame our way of assessing reality into a narrative. Fast, fun, and impossible to put down, Anna O is a thriller full of surprises.

‘The mind is its own place and can make a heaven of hell and a hell of heaven.’
—John Milton

To be honest, thrillers aren’t my usual read but wow this one blew me away. I recalled seeing Jaidee’s wonderful review so when a friend was really trying to sell us on this book at book club, I figured I’d give it a shot. I’m glad I did, and now I finally have a thriller I can recommend at the bookstore or library that I’ve actually read. I enjoyed the way this leans heavily into psychological aspects of sleep and, in an author interview, Blake said he wanted to approach something ordinary like sleeping in a way that will reshape how we think about it. ‘People sometimes say that after reading or watching Jaws they never went in the water again,’ he says, ‘I wanted to write a thriller where after reading it you’ll never sleep in the same way again’ It’s true, this made sleep eerie. The story moves at an incredible pace with very brief chapters that tend to leave you wanting more making this easy to fly through, and the twists are pretty incredible. There is a lot going on here, with many betrayals in both past and present and a lot of chess maneuvering of power struggles that sometimes catch you by surprise. Blake litters the tale with great clues while also allowing your own assumptions to distract you and even if you may have guessed some of the twists, they hit so sudden and successfully it really rocks you. It’s just a ton of fun and you’ll keep reading because you simple have to know the answers. Which you will eventually get.

Sure, the psychology of this has some artistic liberties and I’m guessing someone with a strong background in it might find a lot to criticize, but Blake does well by framing the book around how the way we sensationalize and mythologize things often ends up overriding the truth in the court of public opinion. In this way the book is fairly geared towards looking at the storytelling of a crime and understanding it and rationalizing it through our own storytelling, which is what interested me most. I think this is a book where, plot wise, it is best to know as little as possible so I’ll avoid much talk about the plot and want to briefly think about the mechanics of the themes.

‘That’s what this entire case comes down to, isn’t it? It’s been like an illusion, diverting the audience while the real sleight-of-hand is performed.'

While fictional, the story takes a lot of inspiration from real cases, such as the 68 cases of homicides involving sleepwalking have gone to trial, and the mysterious cases of Uppgivenhetssyndrom or “resignation syndrome”. The psychological aspects, while still fairly fictional in many ways, do add an interesting layer to the story similar to the way hard sci-fi uses scientific explanations to help ground stories.

‘Psychology is the one thing true crime rarely does well. Everyone focuses on the who and the how rather than the why. A dry history of the case misses the essence of it. Only drama, art—fiction, if you like—gets to the emotional truth of things.’

Dr Prince is described at one point as looking similar to Robin Williams from Dead Poets Society , though this seems a bit of a slight of hand to distract you from how much his character and methods of trying to wake up Anna are reminiscent of Williams playing the doctor in Awakenings , a film based on Oliver Sacks’s memoir about trying to “wake” patients with “sleep sickness” (encephalitis lethargica) which also involved using familiar songs. We also have the Anna O’s namesake as a real-life reference, Frauline Anna O, a case involving sleepwalking that Freud centered in a lot of his work on “hysteria”—a rather unfortunate diagnosis that was often a simple excuse to silence women or remove their agency that I discussed more at length here. All of this adds together to give a cool grounding for the story.

‘But one person’s obsession is another’s cure.’

The whole procedural aspect of the novel is bathed in a rather fascinating look at the more abstract sides of crime and the psychology involved in it all. Blake sets up a really fascinating scenario that makes you question ideas of morality and how much motivation and intent is involved in that. If Anna did indeed stab them, yes she is a killer, but is she morally a murderer if she wasn’t aware? If Prince does wake her up and she goes to trial, is he morally complicit in harming Anna by helping the State (who has ordered him to do this) return her to a media storm of a trial. But also where does the boundary of help cross into harm in general, and how much does the treatment of a patient during a past case that becomes highly relevant to the present case reveal a history of medical abuse in the name of “helping”?

’Is evil something that must be exterminated from the body, a psychological cancer, rebuilding the patient from scratch? Or is it inherited, biological? What does evil even mean?’

I enjoy the way this bridges the idea of crime procedure into a more literary type of thinking, through which Blake brings in a lot of references from In Cold Blood to Greek myths and Anna’s obsession with Euripides’ play Medea. Especially as Anna was an aspiring writer herself, how much of our ideas of myths and archetypes inform our decisions on right and wrong or direct our thinking in ways that cause us to miss glaring red flags (or crumbs of clues laid out by the author). But this also leads into ideas of psychosomatic illness and the ways that something that could be imagined can also affect us in very real ways. ‘Can the mythic become fully material? If we answer that, we begin to answer the mysteries of life itself,’ Prince states about his theoretical ideas on brain behavior. When truth and fiction become indecipherable, we often create stories to better understand stories. Psychologist Carl Jung, who studied under Freud, was also highly interested in fairy tales, which he called ‘the purest and simplest expression of the collective unconscious psychic process.’ He was interested in how archetypes shaped our understanding of reality, and Blake does well by demonstrating that very notion through this narrative here.

‘You wanted to turn me into a tabloid villain. A first-name criminal. A myth, an archetype.’

The novel Anna O is at its best during the big twists, but also the investigation into how society loves to create a villain and how this can be detrimental to uncovering the actual truth. How much do we as a society want so badly for a sensational story like the myth of old that we go creating one where there isn’t? ‘The media pumped out sensationalist nonsense until Anna became a myth rather than a human being,’ and the efforts of doctors, lawyers, and police are under constant media attention and social media fandoms looking to paint anyone as a culprit of conspiracy. Dr Prince’s own family is in the line of fire with journalists harassing his daughter at school and some of the fandoms like to use threats of violence. How much does a court trial using tax dollars become at the will of mass outrage that wants to build a myth over find the truth? Does the obsession with true crime turn everyone into armchair detectives each trying to control the narrative? 'This case has become a parlour game. Endless coverage mutes the real effect.' Furthermore, we see how much the conspiracy theories and ideas of Anna are often horrifically soaked in misogyny. Anna O grapples with these questions in often surprising ways, such as an ending that—without giving anything away—begins to nudge ideas of storytelling that might threaten to reframe everything we knew so far.

‘My job is to play miracle worker, coaxing the dead back to life.’

Overall, this was a blast. The writing can get a bit clunky or over-dramatic at times but it really pushes the story forward and even the slower middle section never feels like it sags under the weight of lengthier discussions on psychology. Sure, theres some cliches like Prince’s divorce and trying to connect with his kid feeling very standard detective fair, but it works well into the story and even the whole event that occurs in the Forest the paintball game is kind of stupid but pulls together in exciting ways. I did like how much this story shifted just when you thought you knew what was going on and the Anna diaries add a cool texture to this making you follow multiple plotlines of shadowy figures and betrayals while scrambling to see how it might all connect. A rip-roaring thriller and a pop-psychological playhouse, Anna O was great.

4/5

‘The perfect murder is a postmodern enterprise. Discuss.’

[allie (▰˘◡˘▰) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wish I could go back in time and throat punch myself in the Indigo checkout line before i bought this

[Linzie (suspenseisthrillingme) · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 budding twenty-five-year-old writer with a bright future. Then, one night, she stabbed two people to death with no apparent motive—and hasn’t woken up since. Dubbed “Sleeping Beauty” by the tabloids, Anna’s condition is a rare psychosomatic 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. But he must be careful treating such a high-profile suspect—he’s got career secrets and a complicated personal life of his own.

As Anna shows the first signs of stirring, Benedict must determine what really happened and whether Anna should be held responsible for her crimes. Only Anna knows the truth about that night, but only Benedict knows how to discover it. And they’re both in danger from what they find out.

Oh. My. Freaking. God. What a true mind-bender of a book. An ingenious mix of psychological suspense and mild crime fiction, Anna O is sure to be lauded as one of the best books of next year. From the carefully crafted characters to the riveting premise, my mind is well and truly blown to minuscule little bits. Want to know exactly why? Read on for more of my reasons…

First off, this plot was Hitchcockian to the extreme. Finely layered and peppered with deftly hidden clues, I didn’t have a chance to guess what was to come before even one of the jaw-dropping reveals. Told through multiple POVs and Anna’s own journal entries, the onion-like buildup to this dynamite plot was truly sublime. I do have to say, however, that the twists were the ultimate stamp of perfection. Actually causing me to shout “WHAT?!?” as my jaw quite literally dropped more than once, they were clever and cunning in a way few authors can muster.

Then there were the sharp characters who felt wholly true-to-life in a book that had a ripped-from-the-headlines appeal. With believable behaviors and equally realistic thoughts, they were used by Blake to con and misdirect yours truly over and over again. Take it from me, I fell in love with them all. Well, until the truth was revealed in all of its glory, of course. After that, some got my sympathy and others my happily doled out disdain.

I do have to say, however, that the middle was rather obscure and long-winded. Diving deeply into the psychology of the case, I have to admit that I felt lost multiple times. Pile on the fact that it was a complex and intricate plot, and it was inevitable that I’d lose my way here and there. By the end, though, the blindingly brilliant climax and shock-inducing conclusion were sure to leave a s*** eating grin on my face just the same.

As I walk away from this novel, I can’t help but wonder what kind of virtuoso-like mind came up with this plot. Detailed and utterly awe-inspiring, it seriously reminded me of The Silent Patient in all of its mind-blowing intensity. Was it just a bit too long and perhaps somewhat overly convoluted? Yes, maybe a tad. All in all, however, I highly recommend giving this book a shot. Just don’t go in expecting an adrenaline-fueled storyline dripping in suspense. After all, the slow rollout of this groundbreaking mystery was just another one of its charms. Rating of 4.5 stars.

Thank you to Matthew Blake and HarperCollins for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

PUB DATE: January 2, 2024

Trigger warning: fatal stabbing, stalking, infidelity, poisoning, mention of: animal death, separation and custody dispute

*Synopsis provided by the publisher in order to keep the mystery well hidden.

[Jaidee (lost in Vegas for a few days) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 .5 "elegant, well-constructed, immensely satisfying" stars !!!

2024 Honorable Mention Read

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and Harper Collins Canada for an ecopy. This was released January 2024. I am providing an honest review.

I am a believer in psychological thrillers once again. This debut novel by Mr. Blake knocks this out of the park. Elegant prose and absolute perfect plot construction and development.

How many unreliable characters inhabit this novel ? Sleep disorders, privilege and twisted personalities. Who is the villain and how many antiheros ? This is so carefully created and you need to pay very close attention and I mean very close attention. Each twist is surprising and plausible. What the fuck is going on ? Hell if I know but NEED to know. Aha I got it. No I don't.

O how satisfying is that first ending ? Very but wait there is more. Holy Shite...yes yes yes !

I am exhausted now and must sleep but I am no murderer and I do not sleepwalk and I will never forget Anna O !

Jessica Chastain...do I have a role for you and yes you too Rosamunde Pike and yes you too Ryan Gosling o and a cameo for Nicole Kidman....o yes o yes o yes.... Anna OOOOOOOOOOOOO !

[Sam Stoddard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not once did I understand what was happening.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘The Mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven out of hell, a hell out of heaven.’ John Milton

This famous quote is at the centre of this intriguing novel that explores the psychology of sleep, dreaming and sleepwalking. The novel revolves around the fascinating fictional case of a young journalist known as Anna O. who in 2019 purportedly murdered her two best friends while sleepwalking. She was found lying on the floor, between their beds in their holiday cabin, fast asleep, covered in bloodstains and clutching a bloody knife. Since then, she has remained in a deep sleep for four years, diagnosed by psychiatrists with a catatonic condition, known as Resignation Syndrome and nicknamed Sleeping Beauty by the public.

Now the Ministry of Justice want to see if Anna can be woken up so she can be put on trial for murder. She is transferred from Broadmoor Hospital to the exclusive Abbey Sleep Clinic on Harley St, where forensic psychologist Dr Ben Prince will attempt to rouse her back to consciousness. But Ben doesn’t just want to wake Anna, he wants to know whether she is guilty of murdering in her sleep.

The events are told in several voices, including that of Ben, his wife Clara a police detective who was first on the scene of the murders, Anna’s nurse Harriet and Anna, mostly through extracts of her diary leading up to the murders. Prior to the event, Anna was working on an article about a woman, Sally Turner, nicknamed the Stockwell Monster, who stabbed her twin stepsons to death while supposedly sleepwalking in 1999, twenty years to the day before Anna’s friends were found murdered. Within a year, Sally had committed suicide in Broadmoor Hospital, leaving behind a child, known only as Patient X.

If you’re interested in the mysteries of sleep, dreaming and sleepwalking you will find this book fascinating, although it can be a bit repetitive and drag a little, and some suspension of belief may be required. But even so the original premise and the multilayered, complex plot are compelling and you will be pulled into wanting to find out the truth behind the murders. The novel is cleverly written with plenty of twists and an excellent build-up of tension and suspense.

With thanks to Harper Collins Au via Netgalley for a copy to read.

[JaymeO · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I’m sorry. I think I’ve killed them.”

Can a person commit a crime while they are asleep? Twenty-five year old Anna Ogilvy is accused of killing her two best friends while sleepwalking right before she falls into a deep sleep for four years. She then becomes known as the infamous Anna O case and needs to be woken up in order to stand trial. Can someone who is suffering from resignation syndrome ever wake up? If they do, will they have any memories of the crime they committed? Are they innocent or guilty of the crime? Forensic Psychologist Dr. Benedict Prince is an expert in sleep related homicides and believes he can wake Anna O. But did she really commit the murders? Or was it patient X, the child of a notorious serial killer? Who is patient X?

The publishers promote Anna O as the thriller of the year, but it doesn’t quite deliver. I can see why readers seem to be polarized with their ratings. This slow burn mystery takes a very long time to unfold, introducing characters, but not fully developing them. The science is well-researched, but reads more like a Non-Fiction book about Resignation Syndrome than a thriller. The plot also feels very contrived to make it fit a narrative, rather than a good story being developed into a satisfying ending. It takes a very long time to pull this twisted tale of Sleeping Beauty and the prince together, but it does lead to several clever twists.

Anna O is a decent debut with an intriguing premise, but hopefully Blake will figure out how to more seamlessly blend his research into a nail biting thriller.

3.5/5 stars rounded up

Now available!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper publishing for the ARC of Anna O in exchange for an honest review.

[Austin Pierce · Rating 1 out of 5]

I absolutely hated this book. Started out intriguing and then just became a boring overcomplicated mess that easily could have wrapped up 100 pages earlier. I honestly surprised I finished it.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Killing someone while sleeping. Sleeping for years and years. Is this possible? A syndrome, called resignation syndrome. Ever heard of it?
It was all new to me, and so I found this story utterly fascinating. So well done, it pulled me in almost at once. Loved the pacing of the story, the mounting tension. Would she wake up? Is she guilty, if so what would happen to her?

So different than most thrillers out there. Found it to be quite a ride.

[Ceecee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 rounded down

‘Sleep.
Those little slices of death....’ Edgar Allan Poe

‘Death, so called, is a thing that makes men weep,
And yet a third of a life is passed in sleep’ Lord Byron

Do you ever wonder what you might have done whilst asleep? What we might be capable of? Ben Prince is a forensic psychologist and sleep doctor on Harley Street, he becomes infamous and inextricably linked to the shocking case of Anna O, otherwise known as Sleeping Beauty. Who is Anna O? What has she allegedly done?

I love the concept and premise of the novel with the author hooking me into the mystery of Anna O just as Ben Prince is himself. Add in cleverly utilised Greek tragedy, Shakespeare, Hitchcock references and Truman Capote’s ‘In Cold Blood’ and you have an immersive slow burner mystery thriller. Woven into this gripping storyline is psychology which creates an feeling of authenticity especially Resignation Syndrome which is well worth reading about. Whilst some of the psychology references might be slightly above my head, I think they are necessary in giving credence to the character of Ben Prince who is excellently portrayed, as is Anna O.

The story is told via several perspectives and in different formats which creates a multi layered mystery locked within a mystery like a set of Russian dolls. Each perspective drip feeds and adds to our understanding and yet conversely serves to deepen the mystery which is tantalising. It also builds an aura of threat and there are some terrifying moments. Ultimately, a deadly cat and mouse game ensues which is both shocking and tension fuelled. The suspense grows, there’s a web of lies to navigate as well as chameleon characters whose deception is breathtaking. Obviously, my jaw drops on more than one occasion with the excellent plot twists and the ending is the biggest twist of all - just the way I like it!

Whilst I genuinely enjoyed this and I think the world will know ‘Anna O’s name’ it does get a bit protracted in the second half. However, it’s got bestseller written all over it. It’s different, intelligent, fascinating and well written. What more can you want?!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HarperCollins UK for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well I thought I would give this a go but unfortunately it didn’t float my boat 🛶 it was repetitive the characters were not appealing to me & it read like a medical case study about Anna O was supposed to be a thriller but there was nothing thrilling about it just could not go on. 2.5 🌟

[❋ Booked Out Today ❋ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anna O by Matthew Blake

Thriller | Dual POV

•Anna O is suspected of committing a double murder while sleepwalking and then never opened her eyes again. Benedict must determine if Anna should be held responsible for her crimes. Is this forensic psychologist in danger from what he discovers?
•I loved the opening chapter of this book. It pulled me in and set me up for massive expectations. I tend to read a chapter here and there, so every time I picked this book up again the plot confused me. I found the plot dragged for so long and then rushed into a confusing conclusion. I wasn’t sold on this, I loved the story concept but it didn’t match up with what I had expected.

★★★ 3/5

(Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC)

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh I loved Anna O!! I regret having it on my NetGalley shelf to be read for so long. I could not get enough of this story. When I wasn’t reading it I was thinking about just how it was going to unfold. I loved that all of my theories were wrong and the ending was jaw dropping. This book has been much hyped and is still not out until February. In my opinion, it is worth the attention. Do whatever you have to do to get your hands on this book.

Anna O is famous around the world. 4 years ago she killed 2 people in her sleep. And she hasn’t opened her eyes since. She is now being transferred to a sleep clinic for high profile people and it is Ben’s job to wake her up.

So many questions!! murdering in your sleep, how is that even possible? Why did Anna do it.. did she do it? why is she still asleep? I loved reading the chapters from Anna’s diary, getting to know her better and learning what happened in the lead up to that infamous incident.

Just fantastic!! Thanks so much to Harper Collins UK for sending me this advanced copy. Publishes on February 1st.

[Mª Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entre 3 y 3,5⭐

No he terminado de conectar con este thriller. La historia prometía y me han gustado los giros, pero en muchos momentos me ha resultado lento, cosa que, en este tipo de libros, llevo bastante mal. .

Dice la sinopsis:
¿Y si nuestras pesadillas no fueran realmente tales? Pasamos unos treinta y tres años durmiendo, pero ¿qué ocurre realmente cuando dormimos y de qué somos capaces?
Anna Ogilvy lleva cuatro años sin abrir los ojos. No lo ha hecho desde aquella noche en La Granja en la que la encontraron dormida con un cuchillo de cocina en la mano, la ropa manchada de sangre y los cadáveres de sus dos mejores amigos tendidos cerca. Ha cometido el crimen del siglo y nada ni nadie puede despertarla de la pesadilla.
Quienes creen en su inocencia la llaman Anna O. Quienes creen en su culpa, la Bella Durmiente. Pero nadie puede apartar los ojos de la historia...

Mis impresiones.

Thriller, que se ha convertido en un fenómeno internacional, publicado en más de treinta países. No comparto el hype, pero lo puedo entender.

La trama es atractiva. Parte de una premisa que sin ser novedosa llama la atención. Está dividida en cinco partes, que se articulan en capítulos cortos titulados con el nombre de la persona que los protagoniza. Los correspondientes a Ben están narrados en primera persona. Entremedias, extractos del diario de Anna desde pocos meses antes de la noche de los hechos. Todos ellos nos darán los distintos puntos de vista desde los que se cuenta la novela.

El punto fuerte son los giros, que aparecen cuando menos los esperas y le dan un vuelco al asunto. El problema es que entre giro y giro se pierde en divagaciones de todo tipo y, a menudo, en dar vueltas sobre lo mismo. A mí hubo momentos en los que se me hizo lento y me sobraron páginas.

Tiene su punto predecible. El quién se ve venir desde el tren y se puede intuir fácil el porqué. También es verdad que yo llevo mucha negra a la espalda y ya pocas cosas me sorprenden. A su favor decir que no es tramposa, cosa que se agradece, y que deja pistas al lector.

El desenlace me ha gustado mucho. Tiene su miga. No digo más sobre él porque es fácil caer en un spoiler.

En conclusión. Un thriller con una premisa que sin ser novedosa sí es interesante. Los giros están bien colocados, pero el ritmo es más lento de lo deseable en este género. No está mal, que cada cual decida.

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars
Video Review: https://youtu.be/3hvDORi-RaE

Supernatural thrillers can be challenging to pull off. By their very nature they require a suspension of disbelief. Some succeed and some don't.

Honestly this one didn't work well for me. The characters and plot just felt too surface level. The story lacked the depth and complexity to make it believable or at least engrossing enough to ignore logic.

This story just fell flat for me and I hoped it would work better than it did.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

We spend an average of thirty-three years asleep. But what really happens, and what are we capable of when we are sleeping?

Anna Ogilvy was a budding twenty-five-year-old writer with a bright future, Then one night, she stabbed two people to death with no apparent motive - and hasn't woken up since. Dubbed "Sleeping Beauty" by the tabloids, Anna suffers from a rare psychotic 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 represent the last possible hope of solving the famous "Anna O" case by waking Anna up so she can stand trial.

This well-written thriller kept me guessing. Anna O has been sleeping for four years after stabbing two of her friends. Dr. Benedict Prince specialises in sleep disorders and, he is going to try and wake Anna up.

This story is multi-layered and complex. I certainly learned a lot about the psychology surrounding this story, and it's told from multiple points of view. The pace is on the slow side, I quite enjoyed this debut novel that had me gripped and guessing all the way through.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HarperCollinsUK #HarperFiction and the author #MatthewBlake for my ARC of #AnnaO in exchange for an honest review.

[Emily Rainsford · Rating 2 out of 5]

The fact there's extreme hype around this with over 6 months til launch made me approach this with some trepidation. Hype always makes me nervous, but the logical part of my brain thought - dude's got huge book deals out of this, publishers are calling it an "instant global phenomenon", so there's gotta be something to it that made them so excited??

Well I certainly hope that in the next six months this is going to get a SIGNIFICANT substantial edit. It starts out pretty intriguing but slowly it just turns into a meandering mess. The ending and "climax" is unbelievably drawn out and repetitive, and why the Dr Prince character just allows what happened to happen despite clearly seeing it coming makes no sense. Then at the end you get pages and pages of dense prose in an Agatha Christie-style "I am the bad guy and this is exactly why and how I did it" exposition which feels like someone telling you their plot idea, not actually the writing of it.

As soon as the book started, with a sinking feeling I thought "oh no, please don't just be The Silent Patient". For the record, that particular book also got 2 stars from me for being glaringly obvious while also making absolutely no sense, and for the use of the diary trope which can rarely be done believably. Well, I don't want to spoil this gem so I won't tell you it's check, check and check. Sigh.

I kept waiting for the stomach dropping twist in this one but everything was pretty obvious from a mile off. I also didn't like any of the characters enough to care about them. I took an instant dislike to the central character when he just would not shut up about how fat his boss was. Like omg she's so *corpulent* and she eats all the cheesecake and she never takes the stairs (meanwhile he is shown taking the lift himself approximately eleventy times). Even at her *SPOILER ALERT* funeral, he's thinking about how the coffin seems too small for her, like duuuuuude.

I think the overall idea had a lot of potential. Maybe the people who thought The Silent Patient was good will like this too. If you're a hardened thriller reader who needs a truly wild twist to surprise you, you're probably not going to find it here imo.

[Dutchie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anna has been accused of killing two people while on a family retreat. Promptly after the murders, she falls into a deep sleep similar to that of a coma called Resignation Syndrome. Dr. Benedict Prince has been tasked with trying to breakthrough to Anna so that she can stand trial for her crimes.

The novel starts out great, and I was definitely excited to see where it was going to go. However, once Anna is transferred under Prince’s care we get so far into the psychological weeds I almost fell into a coma myself. I think if this is your type of thing to learn as much as possible about the subject and the possible treatments, then you may find this intriguing. At about 70% it picked back up again and turned into the thriller I was hoping it would be.

Unfortunately, for me, the pacing just didn’t work. If the middle had been condensed and stuck more with the crime and thriller aspect of it, I would’ve enjoyed it much more so.

[simona.citeste · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nu știu dacă o să fie cineva gând în gând cu mine la treaba asta dar pe mine cartea m-a trimis cu gândul la Pacienta tăcută.

Nu sunt povești similare dar simt că anumite lucruri au corespondent acolo.

Mi s-a părut o poveste bună, atent construită astfel încât să nu plictisească dar nici să nu bubuie de adrenalină.
Vă zic că ultimele 20 de pagini schimbă complet jocul!

[Sarah ♡ (let’s interact!) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anna O was one of those books that caught my eye as soon as I walked into my local bookstore. It just so happened to be its release day, I hadn’t heard much about it, but the premise sounded intriguing, so it was instantly bumped up my TBR list.

Anna O hasn’t opened her eyes for four years.
Anna O will wake up the world.

A dark, twist-filled, thriller; as Doctor Benedict Prince accidentally ends up unravelling a deeper mystery than he first thought - by waking Anna O from her deep slumber that’s lasted for years. She was found in a deep sleep by the bodies of her two best friends, suspected of their murder.
Benedict is a sleep expert and knows about the darkest chambers of the mind, secrets that can lay buried in the subconscious.
It’s when he starts to study Anna O’s dreams, memories and visiting the site where the horrific murders took place, that things are not what they seem.
A story born from the question; ”if somebody commits murder while sleepwalking, are they innocent or guilty”?

Despite being a thriller story with some jaw-dropping moments/ twists, Anna O does feel like it drags on at times. The writing style is engaging enough, but the concept outshines the actual story overall. The last 100 or so pages are paced well with what feels like twist after twist!
I did really like the character of the dream psychologist, Dr Benedict Prince, and ended up feeling rather sorry for him as he falls deep into the obsession with this case.
I feel inspired now to finally read In Cold Blood by Truman Capote this year!

3 Stars

”Happiness is the greatest medicine mankind has ever known. Hope is right up there too.”

[Kim ~ It’s All About the Thrill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guys… this book!! 👀 I wanted this book from the second I heard about it!! Thank you @harperbooks for this gorgeous gifted copy!! 🥰 First… the obvious.. THIS COVER!! I zoomed in on it because it’s honestly a work of art. Look 👀 at these details!! This is just an ARC so I can’t imagine how stunning the finished copy is!! Out in the US January 2,2024! 🥳🥳

Wow!! This was mind blowing. 🤯 The book references how everyone knows Anna’s name… Let me tell you… in the literary world we all are going to know her name as well!! This gave me vibes of one of my favorite books… The Silent Patient… not because they are anything alike.. but the medical mystery and the tension.. suspense… and OMG 😳… the twists.

You are accused of killing your BFF’s… while you were sleepwalking… WHAT?! Right?! Is that possible?? 🤔 Apparently so.. 🤫… How terrifying.. You haven’t been arrested.. WHY?? Well… they are still waiting for you to wake up… 😮… FOUR years later!! 😳🤯🤯 OMG no wonder everyone knows her name!! 😳

I couldn’t put this book down!! 😍 As a nurse.. the medical psychological aspect of this was fascinating to me…. the thriller lover in me was hanging on to every word. It was much more of a tangled web than I expected! So many OH 😳 moments!! 👏👏 Absolutely fascinating!! Obviously I am an Anna O fan!! 💖💖 @matthewblakewriter killed it!! 🔥🔥

[John · Rating 1 out of 5]

Early contender for worst book of the year.

[Adela · Rating 3 out of 5]

O carte cu o idee extrem de interesantă la bază, însă prea lungă pentru plotul pe care îl are.

Anna Ogilvy omoară două persoane în timp ce doarme, iar apoi nu se mai trezește. Este diagnosticată cu sindromul resemnării și la distanță de câțiva ani, dr. Ben Prince îi preia cazul, cu speranța că va reuși să o trezească.

Povestea este destul de lentă, nu pot spune că am simțit suspans. M-a interesat tare mult cazul Annei din perspectiva sindromului și a crimei, însă nu a prea funcționat pentru mine felul în care e scrisă. Totul e zis pe ocolite, efectiv e dus cu zăhărelul cititorul și se tot promit dezvăluiri de la un capitol la altul, dar apoi sunt lăsate în aer.

La polul opus sunt ultimele ~100 de pagini în care se întâmplă prea multe prea repede și mi-a făcut capul calendar.

Cu toate acestea a fost o lectură interesantă și eram curioasă să aflu care e deznodământul. Capitolele scurte au ajutat.

"Amintirile pot fi periculoase. Ajutate de o cantitate suficientă de alcool sau de droguri, precum și de stările de absenţă din timpul somnului, amintirile se pot transforma în acțiune. Veteranii care aud o teavă de eşapament și reacționează ca și când s-ar afla într-o zonă de război. Copilul care este martor la o tragedie și, într-o zi, repetă exact aceleași mișcări - violența naște și mai multă violență."

[Frank Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just finished. Listened to this mostly on audio but also read the printed format. Could have been the audio but this one was way too freaking LONG! Could have cut 150 pages out of this one and it would have been much better. Read so long towards the latter half I in fact actually lost interest and when the grand reveal came not only had I already predicted it but I didn't really care that much anymore. This novel is supposed to be the best thriller of the year but I don't think it will even make my top 20. It was good, don't get me wrong, but probably would have been a lot better for me 5 or 6 years ago when I first started reading this genre.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was reeled in from the start by an interesting premise — could someone be guilty of murder for killing during a sleepwalking episode? — and the (initially) sympathetic voice of the protagonist, Dr. Benedict Prince, who is an expert on resignation syndrome, a depressive condition experienced by children whereupon they drift into a stupor to cope with massive psychological trauma.

The exasperation at the melodramatic plot that was both exhaustingly drawn out and inexplicably rushed began creeping in at the midway point. There were multiple POV characters, all unreliable as befitting a psychological thriller, and their differing takes added tension, but in many ways I felt this chorus simply filled out Ben Prince's thin story and milquetoast personality.

I'm the absolute worst at figuring out the who in whodunits. I don't work particularly hard at following the clues- I just enjoy being carried along by the story and surprised in the end. But this ending simply made no sense to me. Like, none. I think I stopped caring how it ended, just that it finally did.

Matthew Blake is a fine writer — the prose is smart, sharp, polished. But it seems like the story got away from him and he tied himself into knots with the same rope he used trying to drag it back in.

[Neide Parafitas · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5🌟

Sou muito atraída por estes temas, pelo que, mal saiu o livro, fiquei logo de olho nele! No entanto, dei por mim aborrecida em vários momentos. As personagens são pouco marcantes e o mistério demorou bastante a evoluir.

Por outro lado, também desde cedo suspeitei daquele final, tirando assim o factor surpresa, que para mim é importante. Honestamente, esperava mais...