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msmoth 's review for:
I Can't Sleep
by JE Rowney
Thanks to the author for providing an ARC ahead of publication, in return for an honest review. (May contain slight spoilers)
Becky Braithwaite can't sleep and hasn't been able to sleep for some time. Newly arrived at university her insomnia, and its underlying causes, leaves her less able to cope than might normally be expected. Things then start to take a darker turn as Becky feels like someone is watching her.
First things first, this book was a really compelling read. I finished it in two sittings and was definitely invested in the story. That said, there were a few things which were jarring for me - the use of maybe-fictional place names felt odd, as did the occasional US-ism. It brought me out if the story somewhat.
I think also that, with Becky being the age that she is, it was more difficult for me to relate to her as an older reader. There were occasions where I wanted to give her a shake. Not that this constitutes poor writing, quite probably the opposite, as I was still invested in the outcome, I just wasn't sure I *liked* her much as a protagonist. Her decision making is poor, but obviously there are lots of factors in play which make this the case.
The main thing that I struggled with was the ending. The tension builds so well through the book and I found myself looking at the page count thinking it had to be wrong as there surely had to be loads more "stuff" to happen. I had partially guessed that there was something going on that wasn't just in Becky's head, and I'd thought it was to do with her brother's girlfriend but the final result didn't quite ring true for me. It wasn't quite satisfying as an ending.
Ultimately, though the story has stuck in my head and has had me questioning all sorts of small events throughout the book: was that bit "real" or just in Becky's mind? This definitely shows that the writing is engaging and suspenseful! I'll definitely look out other books by this author in future.
Becky Braithwaite can't sleep and hasn't been able to sleep for some time. Newly arrived at university her insomnia, and its underlying causes, leaves her less able to cope than might normally be expected. Things then start to take a darker turn as Becky feels like someone is watching her.
First things first, this book was a really compelling read. I finished it in two sittings and was definitely invested in the story. That said, there were a few things which were jarring for me - the use of maybe-fictional place names felt odd, as did the occasional US-ism. It brought me out if the story somewhat.
I think also that, with Becky being the age that she is, it was more difficult for me to relate to her as an older reader. There were occasions where I wanted to give her a shake. Not that this constitutes poor writing, quite probably the opposite, as I was still invested in the outcome, I just wasn't sure I *liked* her much as a protagonist. Her decision making is poor, but obviously there are lots of factors in play which make this the case.
The main thing that I struggled with was the ending. The tension builds so well through the book and I found myself looking at the page count thinking it had to be wrong as there surely had to be loads more "stuff" to happen. I had partially guessed that there was something going on that wasn't just in Becky's head, and I'd thought it was to do with her brother's girlfriend but the final result didn't quite ring true for me. It wasn't quite satisfying as an ending.
Ultimately, though the story has stuck in my head and has had me questioning all sorts of small events throughout the book: was that bit "real" or just in Becky's mind? This definitely shows that the writing is engaging and suspenseful! I'll definitely look out other books by this author in future.