We follow Alex, who is in a coma, unable to move but can still hear everything that is going on around him. Although this brain activity doesn't show up on any scans.

Alex is an extremely likable character and you'll find yourself feeling so uncomfortable knowing what he's going through and the frustration that he can't make anyone see that he's aware of everything.

Upsetting in parts, shocking in others, this is well worth a read.

I'm afraid I didn't enjoy this book. It was a great idea for a thriller, however, for me, in this case, it just didn't work. I found the ending to be over emotional, and in extreme contrast with the rest of the book. Not for me - Sorry!

How do you solve your own attempted murder when you are in a coma and everyone thinks you are in a vegetative state? Written from this point of view, Alex is a climber who has supposedly had an accident while climbing but he can't remember the fall. His girlfriend, his closest friends and his father and sister are his most regular visitors and the plot unfolds through their conversations and Alex's memories. Well crafted, this mystery doesn't miss a beat and even has a rational resolution. Not just a 'whodunnit' this novel explores 'locked-in' syndrome, and how long we keep someone alive when in a persistent vegetative state. An excellent read.

The narrator is in a coma after a climbing accident; can he recover? Family and friends visit and talk to him so he finds out that his girlfriend is seeing another man. Then the police turn up; was hi in an accident or was it attempted murder? If so, how can he defend himself? I enjoyed the book very much

I think this was certainly an intriguing way of narrating a thriller. Whilst an enjoyable read, it was a bit slow-paced for me.

I enjoyed this book because it was clever. All the information the reader gets is from either Alex's memories or the conversations that occur in his presence, which made the story very intriguing and like an onion it was multi layered. Each character was vividly described and easily identifiable and I particularly liked the way Alex (and therefore the reader) wasn't allowed to be privy to all the information as he kept drifting off to sleep. I was rooting for him to come round at the end but in a way I'm more satisfied with the reality that he didn't and am pleased that we didn't get a sugary happy ending.

This book just keeps you reading. I can't imagine how it feels to be able to see and feel everything going on around you but having no means of communicating this. Alex is also trying to solve the mystery of his fall and protect his girlfriend. A brilliant read and an author I will be reading more from

This is a psychological thriller with the main character in a coma, and although there have been a few books with the same theme this year this one had me gripped. It just felt so different and the ending sad but overall a well written novel.

Alex wakes up in a hospital unsure of why he is in there. He soon realises that he can't move, but he can hear everything going on around him. This would have to be your worst nightmare!

This book is chilling and a thrilling read! Alex learns through listening to conversations had in his presence from family, friends and medical staff, that he had an 'accident' whilst rock climbing. Being an experienced rock climber, Alex is unable to fathom how this accident occurred.

Frustratingly, Alex must try and let those around him know he actually is not in a coma before they decide to turn off his life support.

This book left it's mark on me for various reasons. From the abuse that a nurse subjected Alex to, to a girlfriend flip flopping between loyalty towards him and moving on with another significant other, to a family torn apart by the predicament they now find themselves in.

A great read with lots of thought provoking content. Would also provide plenty of discussion for a book club!

An unusual storyline, this book gripped me from the start and I just couldn't put it down until I knew how it all was going to end, beautifully written ending that tugged at my heart strings.

I didn't know what to expect with this story, but I was reall surprised how good it was, it follows the story of Alex, a young lad that' has had a fall whilst rock climbing, his family and his girlfriend all think Alex is in a coma, but whilst his body can't respond his mind is awake and he's trying to figure his fall out, was it an accident or was he pushed, told mostly through Alec's thoughts from snatched conversations with his visitors and his memories, can he figure it out before his time runs out. For a debut novel it's brilliant.

I did enjoy "if i die before i wake" and the twist at the end is very clever. I did want to hurry up though as it did get slightly monotonous with poor Alex just lying in his hospital bed and his girlfriend Bea doesn't come across as particularly likeable. A nice summer read though.

The description for this book sounded intriguing and it certainly delivered. We join Alex in his coma as he tries to untangle the events leading up to his being trapped inside his body but being aware of everything happening around him, and we share his heartbreak as he listens to the pain his loved ones are going through, and his torment as he swings from wanting to die or to live. I was gripped from the start and was still thinking about it long afterwards, I would definitely recommend this debut and look forward to what comes next from Emily Koch!

Alex is in a coma. This book is written from his perspective. He tells us what he hears and feels and how he is trying to get his body to move again. He listens to conversations trying to find out how he ended up in a coma and what his prognosis is. The fact that Alex is narrating makes this book a little different.

What happens when you're in a coma but can hear and feel everything? Alex has been in a coma for over a year, and can hear and feel everything. He can't remember exactly what happened to cause his coma, and he's ready for his family to let him go, but why are they so reluctant to withdraw treatment? The book is told from Alex's point of view, and didn't have the ending I was expecting, yet it was a good easy read.

One of the most touuching, heartbreaking crime stories I have read for a long time - unique protagonist. Loved it.

4.5 Stars

The only reason I didn't give this book that last half a star to make it 5 stars is that I just really didn't like the ending. I know that's a personal issue and I'm sure a lot of people will love the way it ended, but I didn't. Even still, I loved this book!! The story line wasn't obvious and I loved that it kept me guessing. This book got me talking about it A LOT and what I would want if I were in that situation, along with some friends and family. It's such a great and emotional story. A must read!!

This is an author i want to read more from, simply fantastic. I won't be surprised in the least if this is a beat seller it deserves to be

I really enjoyed this. Took me a while to get completely into it but I was glad I did. Very different to what I've read recently and really well written.

This is Emily Koch’s first published novel and it is a tour de force.

The opening of the book has Alex trying to communicate with his girlfriend Bea who is angry with him. She goes for a run and he goes off to go climbing as it is his passion. Unfortunately on this occasion Alex ends up in hospital. Eventually he realises that he is in a coma. The story unfolds through Alex who is diagnosed as being in a permanent vegetative state and the only way he can discover what happens is through the voices of his visitors and the medics that attend to him. These visitors are his father, his sister, Bea and her parents, and their friends Rosie, Tom and Eleanor.

Alex is actually in a locked-in syndrome rather than pvs. He is fully aware of those around him, slowly figuring out the different nurses and doctors by their care for him and their attitude towards him. Alex cannot see anything. On occasion his eyes open slightly but then he is blinded by the lights streaming into his pupils.

As time passes he comes to realise that he is not going to recover and he prays for death. He is reminded of his deceased mother who suffered from cancer and could not speak and her wish for him to make the family understand that she wanted no further treatment. His father wants him to fight for life and will not talk with the medics about withdrawing medical treatment for Alex and letting him die. Then Alex decides he wants to live – just as the family are coming to accept that death would be preferable for Alex.

This is a really brilliant book. We have a mystery and a thriller and the structure of the drip-feed of information that Alex needs to make sense of what happened to him. The agony of hearing a part of a conversation and then being overcome by sleep as his medication kicks in and he misses vital clues. Slowly over the months Alex is stronger and his brain is not so foggy so he can reason and evaluate what has happened, who has done and said what.

I am sure that many people would consider the horror of finding themselves in a locked in syndrome – what if I could not make them understand that I can hear you; help me; can you not see that I am trying to communicate. But Ms Koch has done more than this. I never thought about the torture that would be involved in the efforts to maintain the body in a stable condition; the thirst, the pain, the cramps. The reliance on the nursing staff and whether they are gentle or rough. It just doesn’t bear thinking of – but the author has and it is this that makes the book much more potent, much more horrific. The efforts Alex made to signal by moving his finger, the concentration required.

Absolutely brilliant. I urge you to read this.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.