Wake Up

by Claire Colley

Ruth has had a hard life, but she doesn't see it that way. She sees herself as charmed and happy. However, she is forced to relive her memories from childhood to the present day and she is confronted with the reality. Can she learn from her past and change her future? Can she wake up?

272 pages, Paperback

First published September 17, 2015

About the author

I live on the south coast of England with my husband and our cat. I spend my days writing, reading and volunteering in my local charity bookshop.

Wake Up is my first novel, although, I have had several short stories published in a variety of magazines. I write horror and contemporary fiction.

I have countless favourite authors and am working on getting a tattoo of each of my favourite novels.

Reviews

[Rosie Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wake-up is a book which deals with the hardships of relationship abuse, a good opening prologue drip feeds the reader with details of Ruth and why she is currently in a coma. The main body of the book splits the chapters between those of Ruth the adult, Ruth the child and Ruth's partner Max. We read of the life-story of Ruth as she looks back whilst in a non-verbal communicative state of her coma. Her brain still functions and she uses the time to re-evaluate her life and to look at the lessons life has given her.

As a child, Ruth was witness to a violent, drunk abusive father, who beat her mother to unconsciousness on more than one occasion. As an adult Ruth has a coping mechanism which she applies to relationships with men, she is a serial "other woman" and is the one to leave her men as she searches for "the one". All she ever wanted was to be loved and for people to stop leaving her.

Ready to leave Max and move in with Fletcher, Ruth is shocked to find she was just another affair and she is not welcome. She returns to Max's flat just before he arrives home from a trip and gets to stay a while longer. However Ruth can no longer be at ease with Max, he has Jekyll & Hyde characteristics. He switches from Mr lovely to Mr jealous and possessive in an instant and he uses his fists when he's angry. In fact it is more than that, he is totally selfish and self-centred surrounding Ruth with his friends, his music, and his gifts as forgiveness when he has beaten her up.

With Ruth in denial of the situation, complications spiral when she finds herself pregnant and Max goes into selfish possessive over-drive. Even with Ruth lying in hospital in a coma Max still thinks only of himself, but Ruth has used the time to find her inner strength and the drive she needs to break from the mould of abuse.

There is some very good writing in this book, the author builds the layers which make a compelling read and the storyline, although sad, touches on real life subjects which are all very believable. For me the book needs one more run through editing to erase the last few hiccups and then this book would be a 5* read.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wake Up is told from the perspective of Ruth (both as an adult and a child) and Max her boyfriend/fiancee. Ruth is in a coma from an accident on the day of her wedding. Max sits at her bedside reading and talking to her. Ruth tells her own story from her childhood where her father abused her mother to meeting Max, having an affair with his best friend, getting pregnant and accepting Max's proposal. She lives a very sad life. Often children of abusers have relationships with abusers when they grow up and that is what happens to Ruth. Max talks to Ruth and tells his side of the story. His affair that she finds out about, his promises to change, how much he loves her and the same things abusers always tell their victims spew from him. Will Ruth survive and come out of the coma? What happens to the baby? Does Max change? This is a dark story about a dangerous situation that all too many people find themselves in.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a great depiction of a domestic violence situation. I feel Claire worked though the experience very well and the story line could be true to life. I liked how the ending turned out.

[Diana Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel was loaned to me by a dear friend. ‘I bought this at The Indie Book Festival last year. I think you’ll find it’s a really good read, but I do want it back!’

Ruth is in a coma. Max is on a vigil by her bed, pleading with her to wake up so that he can make amends. This is a story of abuse, both physical and emotional, which is told mainly through Ruth’s memory as she is reluctant to wake up and face the world again. It wasn’t how she’d planned it.

Desperate to escape her unhealthy relationship she has an affair with her boyfriend’s best mate. Unbeknown to both of them Fletch’s girlfriend Leanne is also having an affair with Max. What a tangled tale, which I recommend will have you gripped to the very end.

[Jackie Davie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spell-binding read in all its gritty glory

One sleepless night, I swallowed this book in one greedy gulp, a complusion to focus on the story... Willing the little girl turned grownup to just. Be OK.

I got the rest of the plot bu reading between the lines. In my reviews, I prefer to reveal as little as possible. Go. Read. and resolve to help real life victims.

[Cori Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreaking and wonderful

This book was beautiful and sad and perfect. Ruth's story is like so many women trapped in a cycle of abuse and denial. I would greatly recommend anyone working with domestic violence victims read this.