Scan barcode
A review by booksaremypeople
The Insomniacs by Marit Weisenberg
5.0
While the Insomniacs is categorized as young adult, it felt like it would appeal to a much broader audience. Iris is seventeen, a senior in high school and a competitive diver. When the novel begins, we learn she has suffered a recent concussion while diving that leads her to be an unreliable narrator. She keeps reliving her bad dive, trying to piece together how the accident happened. As she recovers in her bedroom, she has a great view of her neighborhood including her longtime crush, Van’s home, as well as the abandoned house next door where she swears she sees evidence of people occupying the house. The concussion has made her an insomniac and she soon learns that Van also shares her affliction. Together, they begin not sleeping together each night.
This novel is beautifully written offering a pitch-perfect plot reveal. Iris feels like a wholly three-dimensional character who struggles with making connections with other people. I also appreciate how her single mother is a good mom who is trying her best instead of falling into the trope of bad parenting that’s portrayed in so much young adult fiction.
This novel is part Rear Window, part love story and all heart. I recommend it to anyone, teen or older, who enjoys a well-written novel about friendship, relationships, secrets and the drive and passion it takes to be involved in competitive sports and the anguish a teen can feel when they are unable to partake in the thing they love. Thank you to Flatiron Books and Netgalley for the advanced review copy.
If you want to learn more about this book, you can listen to episode #31 of my book recommendation podcast, Books Are My People.
Merged review:
While the Insomniacs is categorized as young adult, it felt like it would appeal to a much broader audience. Iris is seventeen, a senior in high school and a competitive diver. When the novel begins, we learn she has suffered a recent concussion while diving that leads her to be an unreliable narrator. She keeps reliving her bad dive, trying to piece together how the accident happened. As she recovers in her bedroom, she has a great view of her neighborhood including her longtime crush, Van’s home, as well as the abandoned house next door where she swears she sees evidence of people occupying the house. The concussion has made her an insomniac and she soon learns that Van also shares her affliction. Together, they begin not sleeping together each night.
This novel is beautifully written offering a pitch-perfect plot reveal. Iris feels like a wholly three-dimensional character who struggles with making connections with other people. I also appreciate how her single mother is a good mom who is trying her best instead of falling into the trope of bad parenting that’s portrayed in so much young adult fiction.
This novel is part Rear Window, part love story and all heart. I recommend it to anyone, teen or older, who enjoys a well-written novel about friendship, relationships, secrets and the drive and passion it takes to be involved in competitive sports and the anguish a teen can feel when they are unable to partake in the thing they love. Thank you to Flatiron Books and Netgalley for the advanced review copy.
If you want to learn more about this book, you can listen to episode #31 of my book recommendation podcast, Books Are My People.
This novel is beautifully written offering a pitch-perfect plot reveal. Iris feels like a wholly three-dimensional character who struggles with making connections with other people. I also appreciate how her single mother is a good mom who is trying her best instead of falling into the trope of bad parenting that’s portrayed in so much young adult fiction.
This novel is part Rear Window, part love story and all heart. I recommend it to anyone, teen or older, who enjoys a well-written novel about friendship, relationships, secrets and the drive and passion it takes to be involved in competitive sports and the anguish a teen can feel when they are unable to partake in the thing they love. Thank you to Flatiron Books and Netgalley for the advanced review copy.
If you want to learn more about this book, you can listen to episode #31 of my book recommendation podcast, Books Are My People.
Merged review:
While the Insomniacs is categorized as young adult, it felt like it would appeal to a much broader audience. Iris is seventeen, a senior in high school and a competitive diver. When the novel begins, we learn she has suffered a recent concussion while diving that leads her to be an unreliable narrator. She keeps reliving her bad dive, trying to piece together how the accident happened. As she recovers in her bedroom, she has a great view of her neighborhood including her longtime crush, Van’s home, as well as the abandoned house next door where she swears she sees evidence of people occupying the house. The concussion has made her an insomniac and she soon learns that Van also shares her affliction. Together, they begin not sleeping together each night.
This novel is beautifully written offering a pitch-perfect plot reveal. Iris feels like a wholly three-dimensional character who struggles with making connections with other people. I also appreciate how her single mother is a good mom who is trying her best instead of falling into the trope of bad parenting that’s portrayed in so much young adult fiction.
This novel is part Rear Window, part love story and all heart. I recommend it to anyone, teen or older, who enjoys a well-written novel about friendship, relationships, secrets and the drive and passion it takes to be involved in competitive sports and the anguish a teen can feel when they are unable to partake in the thing they love. Thank you to Flatiron Books and Netgalley for the advanced review copy.
If you want to learn more about this book, you can listen to episode #31 of my book recommendation podcast, Books Are My People.