greatexpectations77's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I thought this story was quite good, and I was really REALLY upset when Emma was getting gaslit by everyone around her. I do wish the reveal was a bit more expertly unfolded; I didn't feel like everything was really wrapped up nicely. The end did hit me hard, but I think based on how into the story I was, the ending could have been just explosive. And the whole daughter side-plot seemed maybe too much? When describing the plot to my partner, he commented that there was quite a lot going on in here, and that's the truth.
Spoiler
I also feel like if an author is going to use the kind of supernatural aspect, then it needs to be established as a possibility throughout the book. Like, the reader is looking for a realistic answer until told otherwise, so I supernatural answer doesn't feel very satisfying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Abandonment, Gaslighting, and Mental illness
Moderate: Alcohol, Chronic illness, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Bullying, Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Drug use and Emotional abuse
alexabookish's review against another edition
2.0
okay, let’s see if i can attempt to explain why i went from really enjoying this book to being extremely annoyed by the end, which ultimately led to a 2 star rating.
a lot of reviews have pointed to it being really slow at the start, and i agree. however that was actually my favorite part of the book. i actually enjoyed the beginning and middle and all the build up. did i have some issues with the MC? yes, but ultimately, from a writers perspective, i thought the author was doing a lot of things that were outside of the typical thriller formula, and that intrigued me. but by the end i couldn’t make anymore excuses for the unconvincing plot and MC (i mean she literally shows up, bloody, to a person’s house, who she’s only had like 2-3 interactions with, and asks if she could use her shower and dryer because she can’t go home. this person is literally about to leave her house, but she LETS HER IN AND THEN LEAVES TO GO TO WORK. who on earth would do this????) i knew who the “bad guy” was almost from the beginning, but i had no idea how or why they were doing stuff. and when the motive is revealed, i HATED it. i was so annoyed, it made literally no sense. not a believable motive at all, and that really lost me. then there’s this whole other part of the ending that i hated, but i can’t even get into that without spoilers. let’s just say i was not into this random thing that just gets thrown into the story at the end. i also feel like there were still things that weren’t explained or wrapped up, and that really annoys me.
a lot of reviews have pointed to it being really slow at the start, and i agree. however that was actually my favorite part of the book. i actually enjoyed the beginning and middle and all the build up. did i have some issues with the MC? yes, but ultimately, from a writers perspective, i thought the author was doing a lot of things that were outside of the typical thriller formula, and that intrigued me. but by the end i couldn’t make anymore excuses for the unconvincing plot and MC (i mean she literally shows up, bloody, to a person’s house, who she’s only had like 2-3 interactions with, and asks if she could use her shower and dryer because she can’t go home. this person is literally about to leave her house, but she LETS HER IN AND THEN LEAVES TO GO TO WORK. who on earth would do this????) i knew who the “bad guy” was almost from the beginning, but i had no idea how or why they were doing stuff. and when the motive is revealed, i HATED it. i was so annoyed, it made literally no sense. not a believable motive at all, and that really lost me. then there’s this whole other part of the ending that i hated, but i can’t even get into that without spoilers. let’s just say i was not into this random thing that just gets thrown into the story at the end. i also feel like there were still things that weren’t explained or wrapped up, and that really annoys me.
nmertineit's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
dannycakez8808's review against another edition
2.0
Great idea but poorly executed. "Insomnia" was a literal snooze fest for me. Usually this author is one I adore but this one completely missed the mark for me.
fayeleax's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jesscerre's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75