Sleepless by Louise Mumford #BookReview #HQ #NetGalley #4*

Don’t close your eyes. Don’t fall asleep. Don’t let them in.

Thea is an insomniac; she hasn’t slept more than three hours a night for years.

So when an ad for a sleep trial that promises to change her life pops up on her phone, Thea knows this is her last chance at finding any kind of normal life.

Soon Thea’s sleeping for longer than she has in a decade, and awakes feeling transformed. So much so that at first she’s willing to overlook the oddities of the trial – the lack of any phone signal; the way she can’t leave her bedroom without permission; the fact that all her personal possessions are locked away, even her shoes.

But it soon becomes clear that the trial doesn’t just want to help Thea sleep. It wants to control her sleep…

A Bit of a Spine-Chilling Read!

An unusual read for me, but no less interesting.

Thea doesn’t sleep; it’s not that she doesn’t need her sleep – it’s just that she can’t sleep for her full eight hours, or anything like it. So when she reads an ad on her phone promising to sort it all out, she realises that she has to pursue what may be her last chance as a decent night’s sleep. What Thea doesn’t realise is how high a price she’ll have to pay in return for the elusive zzzz’s. Separated from family and friends, kept isolated and having to seek permission even to leave her room . . .

Now, I normally pass on anything with the word ‘dystopian’ anywhere near it, but this one appealed to me and certainly didn’t disappoint. A gripping and enthralling read, I soon found myself totally immersed in the story and needing to find out where it was going. There is plenty happening and the creep factor figures large in this one – I shuddered, often! A good read which demonstrates how each of us can dig deep and find something in ourselves that we didn’t know was there, and the type of book where once started, it has to be finished! If you enjoy a bit of a spine-chilling read, then this is one for you. Four stars from me.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is – as always – my honest, original and unbiased review.

Tags: psychological thriller

• Format: ebook, paperback, audiobook
• Size: 384 pages
• Publisher: HQ Digital
• Publication Date: 19 December 2020
• Links: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55575269
  • https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Louise_Mumford_Sleepless?id=yWv9DwAAQBAJ
  • https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sleepless-louise-mumford/1137675209
  • https://uk.bookshop.org/books/sleepless-9780008412241/9780008412241
  • https://www.foyles.co.uk/witem/fiction-poetry/sleepless,louise-mumford-9780008412241
  • https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/sleepless-26
  • https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/sleepless/louise-mumford/paperback/9780008412241.html
  • https://www.waterstones.com/book/sleepless/louise-mumford/9780008412241
  • https://wordery.com/sleepless-louise-mumford-9780008412241
  • https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sleepless-unputdownable-dystopian-psychological-thriller/dp/0008412243

Author Bio

Louise was born and lives in South Wales. From a young age she loved books and dancing, but hated having to go to sleep, convinced that she might miss out on something interesting happening in the world whilst she dozed – much to her mother’s frustration! Insomnia has been a part of her life ever since.

She studied English Literature at university and graduated with first class honours. As a teacher she tried to pass on her love of reading to her students (and discovered that the secret to successful teaching is… stickers! She is aware that that is, essentially, bribery.)

In the summer of 2019 Louise experienced a once-in-a-lifetime moment: she was discovered as a new writer by her publisher at the Primadonna Festival. Everything has been a bit of a whirlwind since then.

Louise lives in Cardiff with her husband and spends her time trying to get down on paper all the marvellous and frightening things that happen in her head.

Her debut thriller, SLEEPLESS, will be published by HQ on 10th Dec 2020. 

Social Media

Website: https://www.louisemumfordauthor.com/

Twitter: @louise_mumford

Facebook: @LouiseMumfordAuthor

Instagram: @LouiseMumfordAuthor

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