Sleep is the 6th psychological thriller CL Taylor has written. It is a stand alone. And it is awesome. Definitely a 5 star read! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Expected publication date of 21st March 2019- (just in time for my birthday…Yes please!) <—- EDIT this is now out 4th April – after my birthday!!!!
Cally put on Instagram that this was on NetGalley back in October 2018 and I got super excited and high tailed it on over there. Only to find it had already gone to wish. Gutted! So I wished. And I was extra happy that I got approved for it the next day! 😊 Wahoo!
Sleep is about Anna, a young woman who is involved in a fatal car accident involving her and three colleagues. Two of her colleagues died in the crash and one is now paralysed from the waste down. Anna miraculously escapes with ‘minor’ injuries compared to the others. But the psychological effects are impacting her really badly.
“No it doesn’t hurt there. It hurts here, in here, inside my head.”
She’s feeling guilty and she can’t sleep. When she does manage a couple of minutes, she wakes up screaming and thrashing.
After a receiving a couple of disturbing messages, she decides to split up with her boyfriend, Alex, and move to the Isle of Rum to get away from it all. Unbeknown to her, her stalker is closer than she thinks and she may not be safe all the way up on the Scottish Isles….
I thought this book was absolutely fantastic. The usual standard from CL Taylor. All her books have been great. The suspense and tension is so thrilling to read and it’s one you can read all in one go – I didn’t want to put it down!
We meet a small group of travellers at the hotel Anna has come to work at. They are all there for a hiking/walking holiday and all have their own little quirks. Melanie and Malcolm are there with their niece Katie. Joe, Trevor, Christine and Fiona are there solo. Each have their own secrets and reasons for being on Rum. Are one of these people Anna’s tormentor?
CL Taylor sets the scene of the dark, mysterious, creepy hotel – cut off by a raging storm – well, and the story feels claustrophobic and frustrating. Anna feels so much guilt, which is the main reason she can’t sleep. We explore the relationship between mental illness and sleep. We explore the different meaning sleep has to different people.
Although we know early on that someone is there and trying to harm Anna in some way, I didn’t guess who it was until it was revealed, I guessed the reason and the motivation of the ‘stalker’, but I couldn’t work out who it was.
As a character I really liked Anna. She felt the guilt that you would imagine she would, but you also knew it wasn’t her fault and felt sympathy for what she was going through. Taking that leap and moving to a different country, was brave. Even if it could be seen as running away, I think she was more like trying to survive, and did what she had to do.
I really enjoyed this one, thank you NetGalley and Avon for letting me have a copy to read and review! And thanks CL Taylor for writing such a thrilling book! 😊
(Also, I LOVED seeing a character called Becca in there – it’s a great name! 😊 )
Becca x
The Beautiful Book Break 