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charlieb's review against another edition
4.0
Very well executed debut novel. Utterly engaging mystery and the ending was just perfect.
Full review to follow ...
Full review to follow ...
susieg's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
cillybilly85's review
5.0
By far one of the best novels I've ever read. Very thought provoking. Gripping. Could not stop reading.
emandherbooks's review
2.0
The premise of this book, the main character being in a coma but still having full feeling and consciousness was very interesting. It was narrated by him and his thoughts.
I haven’t read a book in that format before, so it hooked me from the beginning. The writing style was easy to follow and flowed well.
Disappointingly, that’s about all the positive I can say. It was supposed to be a gripping who dunnit, trying to sold his own murder but in my opinion this was executed very poorly which was such a shame. I lost interest fairly quickly and wasn’t happy with the resolution.
Wasn’t for me unfortunately.
I haven’t read a book in that format before, so it hooked me from the beginning. The writing style was easy to follow and flowed well.
Disappointingly, that’s about all the positive I can say. It was supposed to be a gripping who dunnit, trying to sold his own murder but in my opinion this was executed very poorly which was such a shame. I lost interest fairly quickly and wasn’t happy with the resolution.
Wasn’t for me unfortunately.
becca88's review
2.0
Provided with an ARC in exchange for a fair review
I'm really surprised at how highly rated this book is. I found it pretty boring, the protagonist is literally in a coma for the whole thing and it's all just flashbacks and snippets of overheard conversations. I wasn't really invested in any of the characters. It feels like an effort to even review and I think I'll have forgotten it entirely pretty soon.
I'm really surprised at how highly rated this book is. I found it pretty boring, the protagonist is literally in a coma for the whole thing and it's all just flashbacks and snippets of overheard conversations. I wasn't really invested in any of the characters. It feels like an effort to even review and I think I'll have forgotten it entirely pretty soon.
pap3rcut__'s review against another edition
1.0
Before I start this review I would like to say this book has an average of 3.5 stars on Goodreads so it may be enjoyable for some however I found it rather tedious until the last 25 pages or so.
Alex is in a coma and unlikely to ever wake up yet is girlfriend Bea is by his side in the hope he'll show signs of improvement his family and friends are slowly losing faith and all Alex can do is listen. Alex soon begins to suspect that the accident that put him here wasn’t really an accident and as his memories come flooding back he begins to realise he may not be the only one in trouble. Through Alex's narrative we are revealed clues from his past which he uses to find out who tried to kill him before they decide to pull his life support.
Now it sounds absolutely gripping however the setting up of the novel was incredibly slow and it was hard to get through and I couldn't connect with any of the characters including Alex. However it must be said as the book came to an end there was that slight bit of sympathy I felt for him as his voice stuck inside his vegetative state gave a very claustrophobic feeling which I found uneasy. Finally I'm no Doctor so I can't really comment yet I find it baffling that someone in a coma could have such a strong neurological response to the people around him yet there were no signs of him being "alive" to friends, family and doctors - for example he could smell cigarette smoke and perfume when Bea was in the room but maybe this was a memory rather than actually smelling it.
Alex is in a coma and unlikely to ever wake up yet is girlfriend Bea is by his side in the hope he'll show signs of improvement his family and friends are slowly losing faith and all Alex can do is listen. Alex soon begins to suspect that the accident that put him here wasn’t really an accident and as his memories come flooding back he begins to realise he may not be the only one in trouble. Through Alex's narrative we are revealed clues from his past which he uses to find out who tried to kill him before they decide to pull his life support.
Now it sounds absolutely gripping however the setting up of the novel was incredibly slow and it was hard to get through and I couldn't connect with any of the characters including Alex. However it must be said as the book came to an end there was that slight bit of sympathy I felt for him as his voice stuck inside his vegetative state gave a very claustrophobic feeling which I found uneasy. Finally I'm no Doctor so I can't really comment yet I find it baffling that someone in a coma could have such a strong neurological response to the people around him yet there were no signs of him being "alive" to friends, family and doctors - for example he could smell cigarette smoke and perfume when Bea was in the room but maybe this was a memory rather than actually smelling it.
thereadingruby's review
4.0
This was one thriller of 2018 which I knew I HAD to read, the synopsis drew me in immediately, and it was a great read.
However, although the plot sounds thrilling, it's not exactly unique, in that similar book plots exist in The Lovely Bones etc. However, the fact that the narrator here is 1. Male - I find less narrators, in general, these days are male, especially if written by a female author. 2. In a coma - I feel as though most books with these Victim observing the world they have left behind plots are set from the beyond, but this book has the victim in a coma when the book opens.
Now, although this plot has the original viewpoint of Alex narrating the story from a coma, this does hurt the pacing of the story, overall. Because events of the story have to be related to Alex's hospital bedside, in order to have him observe and narrate. This is the problematic part of the book, as the pacing is, possibly, the most crucial part of a thriller and really effects the readers experience. I honestly think this could have been solved completely with alternating chapters, with a different point-of-view. This could have allowed us to experience more of the characters and to avoid stretching out the plot too much.
In terms of writing, I found this particularly well done, especially for a debut novel. The way that Koch was able to convey Alex's pain led the reader on an emotional journey, this book was the definition of intense, and if it wasn't for the drawn out plot then this read would have been a 5-star for sure. I'll definitely be looking out for Koch's next book!
If you're looking for a great read in 2018 from a new author, I'd recommend you pick this one up!
I received this E-Arc in exchange for an honest review and would like to say thank-you to RandomHouse for providing me with an advanced-readers-copy of this book.
Full Review Here: https://thereadingruby.blogspot.com/2018/01/if-i-die-before-i-wake-by-emily-koch.html
However, although the plot sounds thrilling, it's not exactly unique, in that similar book plots exist in The Lovely Bones etc. However, the fact that the narrator here is 1. Male - I find less narrators, in general, these days are male, especially if written by a female author. 2. In a coma - I feel as though most books with these Victim observing the world they have left behind plots are set from the beyond, but this book has the victim in a coma when the book opens.
Now, although this plot has the original viewpoint of Alex narrating the story from a coma, this does hurt the pacing of the story, overall. Because events of the story have to be related to Alex's hospital bedside, in order to have him observe and narrate. This is the problematic part of the book, as the pacing is, possibly, the most crucial part of a thriller and really effects the readers experience. I honestly think this could have been solved completely with alternating chapters, with a different point-of-view. This could have allowed us to experience more of the characters and to avoid stretching out the plot too much.
In terms of writing, I found this particularly well done, especially for a debut novel. The way that Koch was able to convey Alex's pain led the reader on an emotional journey, this book was the definition of intense, and if it wasn't for the drawn out plot then this read would have been a 5-star for sure. I'll definitely be looking out for Koch's next book!
If you're looking for a great read in 2018 from a new author, I'd recommend you pick this one up!
I received this E-Arc in exchange for an honest review and would like to say thank-you to RandomHouse for providing me with an advanced-readers-copy of this book.
Full Review Here: https://thereadingruby.blogspot.com/2018/01/if-i-die-before-i-wake-by-emily-koch.html
ashykhaira's review against another edition
4.0
Alex has been in a coma for two years now and thinks he lies in a coma due to a fall as everyone said.Yet he keeps trying to think back to the fall.why was it he didnt remember the fall?slowly as time passes,he finds out things from stories told by his family and friends as they visit him.
A reopening in the case with new evidence suggests that foul play was involved.He started to realize that his one dr who visited him who was always silent may not be his dr at all.slowly he pieces the events together and solves his murder,but no matter how hard he tries,he never regains consciousness and his family eventually decides to turn off life support
A reopening in the case with new evidence suggests that foul play was involved.He started to realize that his one dr who visited him who was always silent may not be his dr at all.slowly he pieces the events together and solves his murder,but no matter how hard he tries,he never regains consciousness and his family eventually decides to turn off life support