Sleepless

Sleepless, Romy Hausmann Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews Genre: Mystery & Thrillers I loved Dear Child, so was eager to get into this but....while the writing is excellent the story just failed for me. I did put aside a few times, restarted and managed to finish, purely because I'd got the the point where I had to know how it played out but I really didn't enjoy this read. I found the tale confusing, different time lines, characters that seemed to have two very different stories. Eventually they began to join but I found the co-incidences of how characters were connected too much to believe, and I do believe a lot in random chance but this just didn't feel right. Then there's Laura, supposed to be Nadja's friend according to the description but actually they've not spoken for a couple of years at least. I felt for Nadja, horrific childhood, but really didn't understand her willingness to help Laura. All of the characters were selfish to some degree, Laura and her husband very much so. Nelly was probably the most likable, poor little deluded girl, seduced by a practiced man....even she put out of her mind what her head was telling her. I finished it, but it was a struggle, and even now I'm still confused about certain aspects, why, how, when of certain characters and events... Stars: Two, I didn't hate this book, I was just disappointed in the story, but as usual others adore this read. We all look for different things, this just wasn't a fit for me. ARC supplied by Netgally and publishers

Thank you to Flatiron Books, Romy Hausmann and Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Given the negative reviews I'd seen floating around, I was somewhat reluctant about starting this book. Like many others, I enjoyed Romy Hausmann's debut Dear Child, which was one of the main reasons behind my request of Sleepless. The other reason was the unusual premise of the book: two women, one a housewife and mother, the other a convicted murderer, venture into the woods to hide a dead body, where one is betrayed and an elaborate game of cat and mouse begins. Once I got into the novel however, I just could not figure out why everyone was having such a problem with this book. It is a dark, chilling story which is driven by its characters as much as it is by its plot. It has an intricate storyline with a slower pace and many puzzle pieces to put together. The writing is at times beautiful and haunting. The novel takes a deliberate approach and explores the choices we make and the consequences of our actions. Sleepless is not your traditional psychological thriller and is a novel that probably isn't for everyone. If you don't enjoy nonlinear timelines, multiple narrators or a general sense of "I don't know what's going on," then you probably won't enjoy Sleepless. I didn't have any trouble at all with the different timelines or narrators, but I personally enjoy books that mess with your head (in this case a little) and am used to this type of novel. 3 ½ stars rounded up to 4. Recommended for fans of: suspense, psychological thriller, mystery, and general fiction,.