Insomnia
Ratings31
Average rating3.6
15
Ratings31
Average rating3.6
In this twisty, mind-bending thriller from the bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes, Emma Averell worries that her crippling insomnia is a sign that she's slowly going insane--like the mother she's worked so hard to leave in her past. Emma Averell loves her life--her high-powered legal career, her two beautiful children, and her wonderful stay-at-home husband--but it wasn't always so perfect. When she was just five years old, Emma and her older sister went into foster care because of a horrific incident with their mother. Her sister can remember a time when their mother was loving and "normal," but Emma can only remember her as one thing--a monster. And that monster emerged right around their mother's fortieth birthday, the same age Emma is approaching now. Emma desperately wants to keep her successful life separate from her past, so she has always hidden her childhood trauma. But then she's unable to sleep, and now losing time during the day, also one of the first symptoms her mother showed. Is the madness in her blood, just as her mother predicted? Could she end up hurting her family in her foggy, frenetic state? Or is she truly beginning to lose her mind?
Reviews with the most likes.
full disclosure: i skimmed the last 150 pages because i was sooooo bored since the same things were happening over and over again. but i liked the ending of Behind Her Eyes and wanted to see what she did with this ending. liked the ending
Ian Rankin is quoted(1) as describing this book as “A gaslighting masterclass”, and I couldn't agree more!
Some reviewers have stated that the book starts slowly, and it can feel that way, but if you've ever had to deal with a family like Emma's, and the onset of insomnia, Sarah plays it out absolutely superb.
There are aspects of the story telling that frustrate me, but I'm unsure if it's my frustration with the characters (bloody hell men are the worst) or the way the lack of communication is written. I did find myself irritated at times, and not just at the characters.
All in all, a fantastic read, and highly recommended.
Footnotes
1. First edition paperback, rear cover
I really did not enjoy this at all. I could not get on board with the writing style, hated the characters, and the plot twist was not great. This book was so slow and the ending was not worth my time. The only reason I finished it and didn't DNF was I heard the ending was good, but I should have DNF'd.
