Reviews

Sleeping with Friends by Emily Schultz

beingfacetious's review against another edition

3.0

I don't hate this like a lot of reviewers do but there were a lot of narrative mistakes imo. Hard to sell a whole group of people in love with one woman whose personality is missing from page 1 as part of the plot. Hard to care about the dissolution of a friend group made up of completely insufferable people. The movie thing could have worked but it got dropped way too often.

copusb's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

jen_sanford's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

chasjournal's review against another edition

Didn't pull me in. No emotion. Can't differentiate the characters enough.

katie_holder's review against another edition

5.0

WTF!!!

While reading Sleeping with Friends by Emily Schultz I felt like I was watching a Quentin Tarantino movie. Y'all THIS was so GOOD!

If you like character driven thrillers you absolutely have to read this.

These characters are insanely unreliable, weird af (some were endearing but still weird af), strangely intelligent, and extremely interesting.

I figured out who our "villain" was pretty early in this 206-page novel, but our author had me, second, third, and fourth guessing myself. I even shouted at the end "I knew it", and then quietly whispered to myself "you sure?".

I yelled, I laughed, I cringed, and I am so happy I read this.

P.S if you've read this book or after you do read this book - Please talk to me about those raccoons.

P.S.S I need more Emily Schultz books!

beccah1610's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

ashleywhitereads's review against another edition

3.0

There was some interesting exploration of friend group dynamics, but on the whole I felt pretty meh about this book. The plot felt pretty disjointed, and I never really understood why characters were making the choices they were making. The ”reveal” was definitely like… “okay?” … which is never a good thing. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either. 

the_bookworm_woman's review against another edition

mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

confuzzledreader's review against another edition

4.0

It is a captivating and darkly humorous novel that kept me engaged from start to finish. The protagonist, Mia Sinclair-Kroner, wakes from a coma with only memories of movies she loves, setting the stage for a thrilling exploration of her past and the people in her life. Schultz skillfully weaves a web of old tensions and new suspicions, immersing readers in a world of shared history and hidden agendas. The unique characters are well-developed, and their interactions add depth and intrigue to the story. As the plot unfolds, the author expertly blends elements of mystery and suspense with a touch of humor, making for an enjoyable and memorable read. I found myself rooting for Mia and eagerly turning the pages to uncover the truth behind her accident. Schultz's writing style is both realistic and captivating, drawing readers into the narrative and keeping them invested until the very end. This book is a highly recommended novel that will leave you wanting more.

apoppyinthewind's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

3.0

The plot of Sleeping with Friends is about a group of college friends who come together for their friend Mia after she loses her memory in a bizarre accident that, of course, wasn't an accident as the "friends" discover as they try to help Mia piece together her memories. I use the quotation marks because throughout the story it's quickly apparent this friend group has a lot of drama, jealousy, pent up feelings, and grudges. 

Honestly, Mia & Agnes' are the only two characters that I felt invested in, probably because they're 2 of the 3 POV characters and the 3rd POV character Zoey is clearly a terrible friend and person overall but not even in a fun way. 

It's no surprise she's the person who hurt Mia in the end. The only question I had was if it was just Zoey alone or did Ethan or Martin play a role and no, they were just red herrings. Awful, awful red herrings. 

I nearly stopped reading when they all collectively decided not to call the cops when the second body was found. It didn't make sense for the story, setting, or characters and what the hell was with the contrived catering suicide note?

Would I recommend it? Maybe to a film buff who has no trouble suspending their disbelief over some of the plot elements. If you are someone who gets annoyed by hard to believe scenarios in ordinary settings though, no I wouldn't recommend it. 

Did I enjoy it? Yes, I especially liked the way Mia used film references to piece together her memories and view her life. I also liked how Agnes worked through her own feelings regarding Mia and how they interacted with each other.