A review by miak2
None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 
"You don't try to tame the lightning, son. You just give it the respect it deserves." p. 204


This book brings me back to the time in my life when I was watching Criminal Minds obsessively, envisioning my own future in the FBI. Obviously that didn't pan out (lol), but it was a ton of fun to live vicariously through Emma and Travis.

I thought that Marney handled both of their traumas respectfully, and I could see clearly how it shaped both of them into the people they were in this book. I really liked how their friendship grew throughout the book - especially in the small things they noticed about each other and the little ways they comforted each other.

What I think I enjoyed most was that Marney didn't rely on nonsensical twists to give the reader shock value, something that I cannot stand in thriller books. There were a few low-hanging fruit twist options that I was expecting, but the strength of the book came from creating suspense in situations where the reader knew more than the characters.

I did find the hunt more interesting than the climax, however. I can't put my finger on why, but the stakes didn't feel particularly high once we got to the final confrontation. I wasn't particularly scared for any of the characters, despite the intense situation. And I couldn't believe how some of the events unfolded to let two teenagers be in the thick of the action like that. That said, this book was still very very much worth the read, both for the developing Emma/Travis relationship, and for the fascinating psychological component of the serial killer hunt. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings