Hi bookish friends!
I started reading something a little different to my usual books last night, and finished it this morning. I was drawn to it by the title - I Can't Sleep - and by the fact that it was listed as an LGBTQ+ psychological thriller.
I Can't Sleep is due to be published on Friday 16th October 2020, so this review will be free from spoilers! I received a copy of the ebook in exchange for honest feedback on Netgalley.
Book Details
Title: I Can't Sleep (goodreads)
Author: J.E. Rowney (website)
Genre: Psychological thriller; New Adult
Pages: 272
Format: ebook (£0.99 on Kindle, or free with Kindle Unlimited)
Blurb: “I can’t sleep. Not since June 16th, 2018. Not since what happened…”
Traumatised by the events of her past, exhausted by insomnia, Becky Braithwaite believes that a new start will help her to recover. She leaves home to fulfil her brother’s dreams, and honour the life he never had but she soon finds that escaping from the past is not as easy as she imagined.
Is her fatigued mind playing tricks on her, or is danger really lurking in the shadows?
Content warnings: homophobia, suicide, character death
#ownvoices representation? No
My Review: ★★★★☆ (3.5/5 stars)
I don't often read thrillers, but when browsing through Netgalley this one stood out to me. I'm sure if you've read any of my previous posts or follow me on social media, you know already that I'm always looking for new books with LGBT+ representation, so seeing this tagged as such got my attention!
I Can't Sleep is told from the first person perspective of Becky Braithwaite as she begins her first year at university. Becky has had a severe form of insomnia for the last two years, initially triggered by a traumatic event which she is still struggling to come to terms with. She is determined to succeed in her degree despite this, and she definitely felt deserving of sympathy.
I felt hooked in by the plot, wanting to know what had happened in Becky's past since it was such a driving force in her narrative but also wanting to know the truth behind the strange things happening to her in the present. As it says in the blurb, there are questions about whether she is in danger or whether she is experiencing side effects as a result of her insomnia and medication - even Becky isn't sure, since the combination of trauma and minimal sleep can have profound effects on memory.
I don't want to say much more for risk of spoiling the story, but as a queer reviewer here are some quick notes on the LGBT+ representation so that my fellow LGBT+ readers know what to expect:
None of the characters' sexualities are labelled in the book, but through descriptions it is clear that one character is definitely sapphic and at least two other characters are questioning/sapphic.
Lesbophobic slurs are used towards one of the characters.
This book is not focused on romance, and there is no romantic subplot.
If you prefer books where all LGBT chracters have happy endings, this might not be the book for you.
I have mixed feelings about the ending, but overall I did enjoy I Can't Sleep.
If you feel like a short, fast paced thriller I would recommend keeping an eye out for it in the Kindle store when it is released this coming October! And if you read it, please do get in touch and tell me what you thought.
Happy reading!
Maisie Rose x
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