A harrowing psychological thriller debut about a woman who awakens after an assault with no physical proof of the attack and who must try to convince everyone of what really happened.When Dr. Alex Taylor opens her eyes, she is hooked up to an IV, is bound to an operating table, and her legs are raised in stirrups. Disoriented and alarmed, she assumes she’s been anesthetized and brought to surgery … to surgery after being in an accident. But the man standing over her, with his face hidden behind a surgical mask and wielding instruments, is no doctor she recognizes at the hospital where she works as a successful and respected doctor. He’s a stranger—and he’s calmly and methodically telling her how he’s about to attack her. Before Alex can even scream for help, she succumbs to another dose of anesthesia, rendering her unable to defend herself….
When she comes to on a gurney, she finds herself surrounded by her colleagues and immediately reports the attack and rape. The police are skeptical of her bizarre story. And after a physical exam reveals no proof of any attack, even her boyfriend has doubts. Despite Alex’s adamant claims, no one believes her, leaving her to wonder if she has, in fact, lost her mind.
Until she meets the next victim…
An edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller, Don’t Wake Up is also a provocative, timely exploration of victimhood, abuse, and the discrediting of women in our culture.
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Impartial is the best way to describe my feelings on Don’t Wake Up by Liz Lawler. This wasn’t the best psychological thriller, but it wasn’t the worst either. The premise was intriguing, but the execution was really lacking!
Alex Taylor is a highly skilled doctor, with a fantastic career and a fiancé who is everything she is looking for. Her life is perfect, however, one evening she wakes up on an operating table and has no idea how she got there. A masked surgeon appears in the room, but she has no idea who he is and what he wants with her. She is bound and taunted by this masked figure. Eventually he makes Alex an offer, she has seconds to choose, and just like that she wakes up unharmed. With no answers about why she was kidnapped, tormented and then released — no one believes Alex’s story. As her sanity declines and she starts to disbelief herself, she starts to wonder is she alone or could there be others victims?
I was captivated by this story at the beginning, Lawler drew me into this dramatic scene that was happening with the main character. But then the pace really drew out, and it went from thriller to drama. It lacked that suspense and tension. I won’t spoil the ending, but again (another bad ending to add to my list) this just fizzled out and left me bored.
Most of this novel was told through Alex’s perspective. To that extent, I did find her to be a complex character. I really empathised with her, as so many people disbelieved her and what happened to her. Like in the real world, many people discount the victim’s story and then suffer further in their trauma. I wanted to submerge myself into this book and help Alex, let her know she isn’t alone. For being honest and transparent in how victims are portrayed in real life, I am giving this book more stars than it deserves.
Ultimately, I’m on the fence with this one. Don’t Wake Up by Liz Lawler has an intriguing premise and had some plot twists that were compelling, but the pacing and what I wanted from this book were disappointing. As this is Lawler’s debut novel, I have high hopes that we’ll see more from her, and I look forward seeing what she does next!
Read my full review here: https://bit.ly/2HwPgpO
An unhinged person slowly destroying the life of a young woman. What more could you want?
If this horrifying opening chapter doesn’t grab you might be catatonic.
The story builds like the tension one feels climbing up that first hill on a roller coaster. Then the third act is like that first plummet. So fast your heart is in your throat and you hope you don’t go off the rails.
Dr. Alex Taylor wakes up strapped to an operating table. She is naked under the surgical sheets. a blinding light in her eyes. The shadow of a surgeon steps into view and has Alex makes a choice beyond description.
As the surgeon anesthetizes her she’s told an unspeakable surgery will be performed.
Alex awakes in the ER unharmed, but no one believes her terrifying story.
Her friends, her colleagues, not even her boyfriend.
Did she imagine it? Is she losing her mind?
Then the next victim shows up and other things happen and they all connect to Alex.
Soon she becomes a suspect.
Who is out to ruin her life and why?
This is well-written, fast-paced psychological thriller debut with plenty of twists and mind games for every fan of the genre.
I will read more by Liz Lawler.
Impartial is the best way to describe my feelings on Don’t Wake Up by Liz Lawler. This wasn’t the best psychological thriller, but it wasn’t the worst either. The premise was intriguing, but the execution was really lacking!
Alex Taylor is a highly skilled doctor, with a fantastic career and a fiancé who is everything she is looking for. Her life is perfect, however, one evening she wakes up on an operating table and has no idea how she got there. A masked surgeon appears in the room, but she has no idea who he is and what he wants with her. She is bound and taunted by this masked figure. Eventually he makes Alex an offer, she has seconds to choose, and just like that she wakes up unharmed. With no answers about why she was kidnapped, tormented and then released — no one believes Alex’s story. As her sanity declines and she starts to disbelief herself, she starts to wonder is she alone or could there be others victims?
I was captivated by this story at the beginning, Lawler drew me into this dramatic scene that was happening with the main character. But then the pace really drew out, and it went from thriller to drama. It lacked that suspense and tension. I won’t spoil the ending, but again (another bad ending to add to my list) this just fizzled out and left me bored.
Most of this novel was told through Alex’s perspective. To that extent, I did find her to be a complex character. I really empathised with her, as so many people disbelieved her and what happened to her. Like in the real world, many people discount the victim’s story and then suffer further in their trauma. I wanted to submerge myself into this book and help Alex, let her know she isn’t alone. For being honest and transparent in how victims are portrayed in real life, I am giving this book more stars than it deserves.
Ultimately, I’m on the fence with this one. Don’t Wake Up by Liz Lawler has an intriguing premise and had some plot twists that were compelling, but the pacing and what I wanted from this book were disappointing. As this is Lawler’s debut novel, I have high hopes that we’ll see more from her, and I look forward seeing what she does next!
Read my full review here: https://bit.ly/2HwPgpO
An unhinged person slowly destroying the life of a young woman. What more could you want?
If this horrifying opening chapter doesn’t grab you might be catatonic.
The story builds like the tension one feels climbing up that first hill on a roller coaster. Then the third act is like that first plummet. So fast your heart is in your throat and you hope you don’t go off the rails.
Dr. Alex Taylor wakes up strapped to an operating table. She is naked under the surgical sheets. a blinding light in her eyes. The shadow of a surgeon steps into view and has Alex makes a choice beyond description.
As the surgeon anesthetizes her she’s told an unspeakable surgery will be performed.
Alex awakes in the ER unharmed, but no one believes her terrifying story.
Her friends, her colleagues, not even her boyfriend.
Did she imagine it? Is she losing her mind?
Then the next victim shows up and other things happen and they all connect to Alex.
Soon she becomes a suspect.
Who is out to ruin her life and why?
This is well-written, fast-paced psychological thriller debut with plenty of twists and mind games for every fan of the genre.
I will read more by Liz Lawler.
Impartial is the best way to describe my feelings on Don’t Wake Up by Liz Lawler. This wasn’t the best psychological thriller, but it wasn’t the worst either. The premise was intriguing, but the execution was really lacking!
Alex Taylor is a highly skilled doctor, with a fantastic career and a fiancé who is everything she is looking for. Her life is perfect, however, one evening she wakes up on an operating table and has no idea how she got there. A masked surgeon appears in the room, but she has no idea who he is and what he wants with her. She is bound and taunted by this masked figure. Eventually he makes Alex an offer, she has seconds to choose, and just like that she wakes up unharmed. With no answers about why she was kidnapped, tormented and then released — no one believes Alex’s story. As her sanity declines and she starts to disbelief herself, she starts to wonder is she alone or could there be others victims?
I was captivated by this story at the beginning, Lawler drew me into this dramatic scene that was happening with the main character. But then the pace really drew out, and it went from thriller to drama. It lacked that suspense and tension. I won’t spoil the ending, but again (another bad ending to add to my list) this just fizzled out and left me bored.
Most of this novel was told through Alex’s perspective. To that extent, I did find her to be a complex character. I really empathised with her, as so many people disbelieved her and what happened to her. Like in the real world, many people discount the victim’s story and then suffer further in their trauma. I wanted to submerge myself into this book and help Alex, let her know she isn’t alone. For being honest and transparent in how victims are portrayed in real life, I am giving this book more stars than it deserves.
Ultimately, I’m on the fence with this one. Don’t Wake Up by Liz Lawler has an intriguing premise and had some plot twists that were compelling, but the pacing and what I wanted from this book were disappointing. As this is Lawler’s debut novel, I have high hopes that we’ll see more from her, and I look forward seeing what she does next!
Read my full review here: https://bit.ly/2HwPgpO
An unhinged person slowly destroying the life of a young woman. What more could you want?
If this horrifying opening chapter doesn’t grab you might be catatonic.
The story builds like the tension one feels climbing up that first hill on a roller coaster. Then the third act is like that first plummet. So fast your heart is in your throat and you hope you don’t go off the rails.
Dr. Alex Taylor wakes up strapped to an operating table. She is naked under the surgical sheets. a blinding light in her eyes. The shadow of a surgeon steps into view and has Alex makes a choice beyond description.
As the surgeon anesthetizes her she’s told an unspeakable surgery will be performed.
Alex awakes in the ER unharmed, but no one believes her terrifying story.
Her friends, her colleagues, not even her boyfriend.
Did she imagine it? Is she losing her mind?
Then the next victim shows up and other things happen and they all connect to Alex.
Soon she becomes a suspect.
Who is out to ruin her life and why?
This is well-written, fast-paced psychological thriller debut with plenty of twists and mind games for every fan of the genre.
I will read more by Liz Lawler.
Impartial is the best way to describe my feelings on Don’t Wake Up by Liz Lawler. This wasn’t the best psychological thriller, but it wasn’t the worst either. The premise was intriguing, but the execution was really lacking!
Alex Taylor is a highly skilled doctor, with a fantastic career and a fiancé who is everything she is looking for. Her life is perfect, however, one evening she wakes up on an operating table and has no idea how she got there. A masked surgeon appears in the room, but she has no idea who he is and what he wants with her. She is bound and taunted by this masked figure. Eventually he makes Alex an offer, she has seconds to choose, and just like that she wakes up unharmed. With no answers about why she was kidnapped, tormented and then released — no one believes Alex’s story. As her sanity declines and she starts to disbelief herself, she starts to wonder is she alone or could there be others victims?
I was captivated by this story at the beginning, Lawler drew me into this dramatic scene that was happening with the main character. But then the pace really drew out, and it went from thriller to drama. It lacked that suspense and tension. I won’t spoil the ending, but again (another bad ending to add to my list) this just fizzled out and left me bored.
Most of this novel was told through Alex’s perspective. To that extent, I did find her to be a complex character. I really empathised with her, as so many people disbelieved her and what happened to her. Like in the real world, many people discount the victim’s story and then suffer further in their trauma. I wanted to submerge myself into this book and help Alex, let her know she isn’t alone. For being honest and transparent in how victims are portrayed in real life, I am giving this book more stars than it deserves.
Ultimately, I’m on the fence with this one. Don’t Wake Up by Liz Lawler has an intriguing premise and had some plot twists that were compelling, but the pacing and what I wanted from this book were disappointing. As this is Lawler’s debut novel, I have high hopes that we’ll see more from her, and I look forward seeing what she does next!
Read my full review here: https://bit.ly/2HwPgpO
An unhinged person slowly destroying the life of a young woman. What more could you want?
If this horrifying opening chapter doesn’t grab you might be catatonic.
The story builds like the tension one feels climbing up that first hill on a roller coaster. Then the third act is like that first plummet. So fast your heart is in your throat and you hope you don’t go off the rails.
Dr. Alex Taylor wakes up strapped to an operating table. She is naked under the surgical sheets. a blinding light in her eyes. The shadow of a surgeon steps into view and has Alex makes a choice beyond description.
As the surgeon anesthetizes her she’s told an unspeakable surgery will be performed.
Alex awakes in the ER unharmed, but no one believes her terrifying story.
Her friends, her colleagues, not even her boyfriend.
Did she imagine it? Is she losing her mind?
Then the next victim shows up and other things happen and they all connect to Alex.
Soon she becomes a suspect.
Who is out to ruin her life and why?
This is well-written, fast-paced psychological thriller debut with plenty of twists and mind games for every fan of the genre.
I will read more by Liz Lawler.
Impartial is the best way to describe my feelings on Don’t Wake Up by Liz Lawler. This wasn’t the best psychological thriller, but it wasn’t the worst either. The premise was intriguing, but the execution was really lacking!
Alex Taylor is a highly skilled doctor, with a fantastic career and a fiancé who is everything she is looking for. Her life is perfect, however, one evening she wakes up on an operating table and has no idea how she got there. A masked surgeon appears in the room, but she has no idea who he is and what he wants with her. She is bound and taunted by this masked figure. Eventually he makes Alex an offer, she has seconds to choose, and just like that she wakes up unharmed. With no answers about why she was kidnapped, tormented and then released — no one believes Alex’s story. As her sanity declines and she starts to disbelief herself, she starts to wonder is she alone or could there be others victims?
I was captivated by this story at the beginning, Lawler drew me into this dramatic scene that was happening with the main character. But then the pace really drew out, and it went from thriller to drama. It lacked that suspense and tension. I won’t spoil the ending, but again (another bad ending to add to my list) this just fizzled out and left me bored.
Most of this novel was told through Alex’s perspective. To that extent, I did find her to be a complex character. I really empathised with her, as so many people disbelieved her and what happened to her. Like in the real world, many people discount the victim’s story and then suffer further in their trauma. I wanted to submerge myself into this book and help Alex, let her know she isn’t alone. For being honest and transparent in how victims are portrayed in real life, I am giving this book more stars than it deserves.
Ultimately, I’m on the fence with this one. Don’t Wake Up by Liz Lawler has an intriguing premise and had some plot twists that were compelling, but the pacing and what I wanted from this book were disappointing. As this is Lawler’s debut novel, I have high hopes that we’ll see more from her, and I look forward seeing what she does next!
Read my full review here: https://bit.ly/2HwPgpO
An unhinged person slowly destroying the life of a young woman. What more could you want?
If this horrifying opening chapter doesn’t grab you might be catatonic.
The story builds like the tension one feels climbing up that first hill on a roller coaster. Then the third act is like that first plummet. So fast your heart is in your throat and you hope you don’t go off the rails.
Dr. Alex Taylor wakes up strapped to an operating table. She is naked under the surgical sheets. a blinding light in her eyes. The shadow of a surgeon steps into view and has Alex makes a choice beyond description.
As the surgeon anesthetizes her she’s told an unspeakable surgery will be performed.
Alex awakes in the ER unharmed, but no one believes her terrifying story.
Her friends, her colleagues, not even her boyfriend.
Did she imagine it? Is she losing her mind?
Then the next victim shows up and other things happen and they all connect to Alex.
Soon she becomes a suspect.
Who is out to ruin her life and why?
This is well-written, fast-paced psychological thriller debut with plenty of twists and mind games for every fan of the genre.
I will read more by Liz Lawler.