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taylorg_1005's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
wrapmeupinplastic's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
missprint_'s review against another edition
4.0
Most of Ingrid Roth's life is a mess. Her mother is barely home, always taking extra shifts at the hospital. Their house is rundown and falling apart. Ingrid hasn't spoken to any of her friends in the neighborhood cul de sac in years. And, of course, Ingrid's father is long gone. But Ingrid has always had diving under control.
Competitive diving is supposed to be a safe space--her ticket to a college scholarship, the way she'll one day get her father's attention. Diving is the one thing Ingrid always does right.
Until she doesn't.
Ingrid doesn't remember the accident. She knows she must have frozen up, lost control. She knows her head hit the board and she's supposed to be resting to recover from the head trauma.
The only problem is Ingrid hasn't been able to sleep in days.
Haunted by her lack of memory of the accident, as scared to return to the diving board as she is to fall behind in training, Ingrid spends her nights watching the neighborhood and Van--her neighbor, her former best friend, the boy she's had a crush on forever.
Then Ingrid finds Van watching her.
Van and Ingrid start spending their sleepless nights together as they both try to find a way to rest. Will the promise of answers be the thing that brings Ingrid and Van back together? Or will it drive them apart once and for all? in The Insomniacs (2020) by Marit Weisenberg.
Find it on Bookshop.
The Insomniacs is a heady blend of the vague menace reminiscent of the Hitchcock classic Rear Window and the summery nostalgia and romance in The Summer I Turned Pretty. Ingrid's narration is choppy and tense as she tries to put together the pieces to explain her accident.
While both Ingrid and Van are focused on fixing their insomnia, the lack of sleep soon becomes a stand in for other problems. After years of letting her athleticism and physicality shape her daily life, Ingrid is paralyzed in the face of so much introspection as she has to confront her feelings about diving and, worse, the memories she can't quite summon of the moments leading up to the accident. Van, meanwhile, struggles to understand what secrets his girlfriend and best friends seem to have been keeping from him and what they have to do with the abandoned house on the cul de sac.
The Insomniacs is an atmospheric story filled with secrets and suspense. Ingrid and Van drive the story but their neighborhood is as much of a character in this tense story where both characters have to confront some hard truths--including acknowledging when they need to ask for help. Ideal for readers who like their protagonists to have a lot of chemistry and their suspense to have tension thick enough to cut with a knife. Highly recommended.
Possible Pairings: Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett, The Vast Fields of Ordinary by Nick Burd, The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han, The Last Time We Were Us by Leah Konen, The Sullivan Sisters by Kathryn Ormsbee, Tonight The Streets Are Ours by Leila Sales, How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford, We Are the Wildcats by Siobhan Vivian, Rear Window (1954)
*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*
Competitive diving is supposed to be a safe space--her ticket to a college scholarship, the way she'll one day get her father's attention. Diving is the one thing Ingrid always does right.
Until she doesn't.
Ingrid doesn't remember the accident. She knows she must have frozen up, lost control. She knows her head hit the board and she's supposed to be resting to recover from the head trauma.
The only problem is Ingrid hasn't been able to sleep in days.
Haunted by her lack of memory of the accident, as scared to return to the diving board as she is to fall behind in training, Ingrid spends her nights watching the neighborhood and Van--her neighbor, her former best friend, the boy she's had a crush on forever.
Then Ingrid finds Van watching her.
Van and Ingrid start spending their sleepless nights together as they both try to find a way to rest. Will the promise of answers be the thing that brings Ingrid and Van back together? Or will it drive them apart once and for all? in The Insomniacs (2020) by Marit Weisenberg.
Find it on Bookshop.
The Insomniacs is a heady blend of the vague menace reminiscent of the Hitchcock classic Rear Window and the summery nostalgia and romance in The Summer I Turned Pretty. Ingrid's narration is choppy and tense as she tries to put together the pieces to explain her accident.
While both Ingrid and Van are focused on fixing their insomnia, the lack of sleep soon becomes a stand in for other problems. After years of letting her athleticism and physicality shape her daily life, Ingrid is paralyzed in the face of so much introspection as she has to confront her feelings about diving and, worse, the memories she can't quite summon of the moments leading up to the accident. Van, meanwhile, struggles to understand what secrets his girlfriend and best friends seem to have been keeping from him and what they have to do with the abandoned house on the cul de sac.
The Insomniacs is an atmospheric story filled with secrets and suspense. Ingrid and Van drive the story but their neighborhood is as much of a character in this tense story where both characters have to confront some hard truths--including acknowledging when they need to ask for help. Ideal for readers who like their protagonists to have a lot of chemistry and their suspense to have tension thick enough to cut with a knife. Highly recommended.
Possible Pairings: Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett, The Vast Fields of Ordinary by Nick Burd, The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han, The Last Time We Were Us by Leah Konen, The Sullivan Sisters by Kathryn Ormsbee, Tonight The Streets Are Ours by Leila Sales, How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford, We Are the Wildcats by Siobhan Vivian, Rear Window (1954)
*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*
bookworm123456789's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
katcountry0913's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
shelf_inspiration's review
3.0
3 Stars
REVIEW: Thank you to NetGalley, Flatiron Books, and Marit Weisenberg for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book follows Ingrid who suffered a concussion at one of her diving meets. Ingrid can't remember what happened to cause her to hit her head, only that she met eyes with her neighbor and crush Van right before. Ingrid is also unable to sleep, and one-night see sees Van staring out at her. Both the teens begin to meet up and spend their sleepless nights together while they try to piece her memory back together. They also get wrapped up in a mystery of one of the houses on their block which holds some dark secrets.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. In the beginning, I had a hard time getting into it, connecting to the characters, and I thought it was slow. However, as the story progressed the plot became more interesting and I became more invested. The last third of the book was so good, and I wish that there would have been more little clues or lead up to some of the big reveals that would have made the first section of the book more fast-paced. I did like Ingrid as a character and I thought that her (and the other characters) family situations were inclusive. The author included all sorts of family make-ups and dynamics which are representative of families today, so that was refreshing.
I would recommend this book to others who love YA books about teens in high school or books that follow specific friend groups. This story did have a little romance and mystery in it as well, so I think many can find something to enjoy in this story.
See more on my Bookstagram: Shelf.Inspiration Instagram
SYNOPSIS: Ingrid can’t sleep. She can’t remember, either. A competitive diver, seventeen-year-old Ingrid is haunted by what she saw at the pool at a routine meet, before falling off the high dive and waking up concussed. The only thing she remembers about the moment before her dive is locking eyes with Van—her neighbor, former best friend, and forever crush—kissing his girlfriend on the sidelines. But that can’t be all.
Then one sleepless night, she sees Van out her window…looking right back at her. They begin not sleeping together by night, still ignoring each other at school by day.
Ingrid tells herself this is just temporary, but soon, she and Van are up every night piecing her memory back together. As Van works through his own reasons for not being able to sleep, they’re both pulled into a mystery that threatens to turn their quiet neighborhood into a darker place than they realized.
RELEASE DATE: September 1, 2020
REVIEW: Thank you to NetGalley, Flatiron Books, and Marit Weisenberg for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book follows Ingrid who suffered a concussion at one of her diving meets. Ingrid can't remember what happened to cause her to hit her head, only that she met eyes with her neighbor and crush Van right before. Ingrid is also unable to sleep, and one-night see sees Van staring out at her. Both the teens begin to meet up and spend their sleepless nights together while they try to piece her memory back together. They also get wrapped up in a mystery of one of the houses on their block which holds some dark secrets.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. In the beginning, I had a hard time getting into it, connecting to the characters, and I thought it was slow. However, as the story progressed the plot became more interesting and I became more invested. The last third of the book was so good, and I wish that there would have been more little clues or lead up to some of the big reveals that would have made the first section of the book more fast-paced. I did like Ingrid as a character and I thought that her (and the other characters) family situations were inclusive. The author included all sorts of family make-ups and dynamics which are representative of families today, so that was refreshing.
I would recommend this book to others who love YA books about teens in high school or books that follow specific friend groups. This story did have a little romance and mystery in it as well, so I think many can find something to enjoy in this story.
See more on my Bookstagram: Shelf.Inspiration Instagram
SYNOPSIS: Ingrid can’t sleep. She can’t remember, either. A competitive diver, seventeen-year-old Ingrid is haunted by what she saw at the pool at a routine meet, before falling off the high dive and waking up concussed. The only thing she remembers about the moment before her dive is locking eyes with Van—her neighbor, former best friend, and forever crush—kissing his girlfriend on the sidelines. But that can’t be all.
Then one sleepless night, she sees Van out her window…looking right back at her. They begin not sleeping together by night, still ignoring each other at school by day.
Ingrid tells herself this is just temporary, but soon, she and Van are up every night piecing her memory back together. As Van works through his own reasons for not being able to sleep, they’re both pulled into a mystery that threatens to turn their quiet neighborhood into a darker place than they realized.
RELEASE DATE: September 1, 2020
mirareadsalot's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75