A review by onemorepagecrew
Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough

dark mysterious tense fast-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

3.5

I love psychological thrillers and the premise in Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough was intriguing.  The protagonist, Emma, is experiencing insomnia in the weeks leading up to her 40th birthday and it’s causing a multitude of issues in her work and personal lives.  The situation is further complicated by the fact that her mother experienced similar issues at her 40th birthday which led to a traumatic situation for Emma and her sister, leaving them in foster care and their mother in long-term psychiatric care.  Emma spends the duration of the book trying to figure out if she is following in her mother’s path or if someone is intentionally harming her.  
 
As far as psychological tension goes, this book did a good job creating the mental puzzle that keeps a reader searching for clues.  The pace is fast and there are thrilling points, though it is not scary (in my opinion).  As far as a satisfying ending, I felt resolution with a realistic plot twist and a touch of supernatural.  It wasn’t shocking and there were a few loose ends I thought needed to be addressed, but overall if you like a fast-paced mystery that you can crunch through in a day or two, this will do it. 
 
I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least mention that the language around mental health is… outdated and cringey.  Primarily using words like insane and crazy to describe a person experiencing mental distress and a few therapy scenes that felt off.  I read the acknowledgements and didn’t see any reference to a mental health professional who consulted on the book and perhaps it’s just not listed, but it also wouldn’t surprise me if it was a miss. 
 
Content warnings:  Mental illness, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Stalking, Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Car accident 
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