I’ll admit that I found it quite difficult to keep up with who everyone was, even in the later stages of the book I had to keep reminding myself who was who and what kind of relationship they had with Silvia largely because the chapters were quite short.

Although she doesn't speak throughout the book, it shows six characters who visit her hospital room and have differing relationships with her, each very different from the others. I had seen glowing praise for her debut novel, A Tiny Bit Marvellous, so I was delighted to receive this book for review to decide for myself whether Dawn is as good an author as she is a comedienne.

Her past holds a dark and terrible secret, and now that she is unconscious in a hospital bed, her constant stream of visitors are set to uncover the mystery of her broken life. I will not include any spoilers, but the book has one of the most awful characters ever written, the most hateful person ever.

So, I approached her new novel with a little trepidation, unsure as to whether she deserved a second chance. As expected, there were some hilarious comedy moments from French (I particularly liked the scene with the 'healing' animals - I was laughing out loud! That said, the characters are distinctive and you will love and/or hate them each in turn (I liked Cassie the best). Some aspects I would rate very highly, and towards the end of the book, I was shouting internally that it couldn't possibly end satisfactorily (but it actually did, sort of, I think).

Winnie goes on something of a journey through the story, as do all the characters really as they each grow and change through the book, as result of Silvia's mysterious coma and their own responses to that.

I didn't laugh out loud, but I did snigger a few times and there are some funny moments but really, don't read this expecting a comedy sketch, it's a great story just as it is and next time I won't hesitate in picking up one of her books. Although her character initially provides a balance against the others who actually know Silvia by the end her role is crucial, not just for Silvia but for many of her visitors too.

I have heard people say that this depiction of a Jamaican woman was stereotypical but I personally disagree because I liked that you read it through her voice. We meet her ex-husband, her estranged daughter, her best friend, her cleaner and her nurse, who all talk to the sleeping Silvia, revealing what has happened in the past. It’s through these different visitors (and effectively their monologues during the visits) that we get a sense of Silvia’s life and relationships (at no point are we presented with Silvia’s viewpoint herself). Dawn French is a person that almost everyone knows and a person who a lot of people love, simply for her ability to make you laugh. I spent the majority thinking, well this isn't funny, she'd never be allowed to light candles in a real hospital because the alarms would go off and she'd be chucked out on her ear by security.