This is not the book to pick up for a quick read before going to bed. You won’t want to turn off the light and go to sleep like you’re supposed to. Instead, like a gawker transfixed by a train wreck, you will find yourself reading far past your bedtime as Don’t Close Your Eyes becomes more than just a title and instead turns into an admonishment you can’t ignore.

She never leaves home. Having gone from international jetsetter to extreme shut-in, Robin Marshall is content to live life vicariously, engrossed in watching her neighbors through the dirty windows of her suburban home. That and the punishing workouts she puts herself through help keep the past at bay. But not completely. She still finds herself sleeping under the bed more than she slumbers in it. She has not spoken to anyone in her family in years. She plans to keep it that way.

That old saying about the best laid plans is about to catch up with her. Sarah Marshall, Robin’s twin, was recently marched out of her home and advised to never return or face the police. The blood. The lies. They will work against her should she go to the law. Determined to regain custody of her beloved daughter, she resolves to get her sister’s help in taking back all that was taken from her.

As Katherine Anne Porter said, “The past is never where you think you left it.” In the case of Robin and Sarah the past is not behind them as they had hoped, but all around them. It influences all they do, think, and feel. For in the past there was a boy, Callum. Close as a brother and once deeply loved by both. A boy whose family was deeply entwined with theirs. That entanglement brought no end of pain to all three children - a pain which should have been laid to rest but never has been.

This is a story of secrets, lies, misunderstandings and big mistakes. Peopled with characters whom you may never love, but whom you will certainly find addictive, it puts its hook in you and doesn’t let you go.  Its power lies in two compelling aspects: the first is that the twists and turns give the story an edge of your seat excitement. It’s a complete disaster but it’s one you won’t want to look away from. The second aspect is that each dollop of truth comes just after you’ve bought the lie. The combination makes for a very intense read.

The personalities in the book provide the momentum for this tale. Since childhood, Robin has had the nasty habit of blurting out dangerous truths and stepping where angels fear to tread. Her meddling moves things forward, backward and into places where they weren’t planning to go. Sarah’s good girl façade hides an ability to manipulate people into alarming acts, and her machinations often backfire, leaving great damage in their wake. Callum’s gentle nature makes him the most vulnerable member of the trio and the one most likely to suffer from the repercussions of the problems the girls have caused. Together, they are an explosive combination - and they spend all of their early years together.

Don’t Close Your Eyes is the kind of book that thrusts ordinary people into macabre situations. In this case, simple acts of selfishness set several lives on a disintegrating spiral into some truly dark places. While the book had a slow, if fascinating, start and Robin’s sudden blurting out of the truth often serves as a bit of deus ex machina, these flaws will be forgotten as you become engrossed in a story that twists, turns and plummets to a shocking conclusion.

Buy Now: A/BN/iB/K

This story of twins with very different personalities and different mental illnesses was very interesting. Musician Robin, petite with dark hair, suffers from OCD and possibly a paranoia that keeps her locked inside her home. Her entertainment is watching the neighbors through their windows, a la Hitchcock’s “Rear Window”. Her tall, fair sister Sarah is struggling with losing her daughter. 

The story goes between the two sisters and between their childhood and the present time. Although this might be a method not appreciated by some, I thought it was an effective way to tell the story. 

I enjoyed this book and will recommend it to others.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1825264851

 

 "...should have said 'which lies' because there were so many. They'd spilled out of me like blood." 

"Don't Close" took me completely by surprise, only because it was so very different from "Try Not to Breathe." Two estranged sisters, twins no less, who suffer through a very strange childhood along with a neighbor friend, come back to each other in the end, one of desperation and the other because she really has no choice. Took some time to get into but once I did, I was hooked. Nice surprise at the end, that I did not see coming, and that's always a pleasant occurrence.

I loved Holly Seddon's first novel but I actually think this one is even better. As in her debut novel Try Not to Breathe, Holly Seddon is not afraid to explore the dark and sinister side of family life in her new book Don’t Close Your Eyes. Whilst the beginning seems innocuous enough, don’t be fooled – this is an author who knows how to skillfully sow seeds of unease which soon bloom into dread as her increasingly dysfunctional characters start on their path of self-destruction. Life is good, until it isn’t. One wrong step has blown the fuse, and no one will ever be the same again.

With fundamentally flawed characters, who not only destroy their own lives through the poor choices they make, but also the lives of those close to them, the sisters’ life story reads like a tragic tale of how childhood trauma and dysfunctional family dynamics can shape our lives. I was stunned and shocked about some of the terrible decisions the parents in Seddon’s latest book make on a regular basis, and the fallout was terribly sad in every way. Constantly vacillating between disbelief, anger and sadness, this was an emotionally exhausting read for me, and one that hovered in sepias and greys in my mind as I watched it unfold with cold dread clutching at my heart.

Each time you think you have a twist figured out in this novel you will need to think again! Love the time period, the images and the story itself. I can't really say too much more without giving away some of the story, but what an amazing book this is. Don't Close Your Eyes is filled with so much drama that it makes Eastenders look like an episode of Songs of Praise. Holly Seddon really knows how to get under your skin, creating characters that are as multi-faceted as the rarest diamond. It's not only a book that I will continually recommended, but a book that I will definitely read again.

3.75 Stars* (rounded up)
A Dysfunctional Family & Psychological Drama

This is a story about a dysfunctional family, relationships and siblings: specifically twin sisters Robin and Sarah, and their step brother Callum, and their parents - whose intertwining relationship fractures the family to its core.   The siblings’ relationship has never been an easy one.  Though they love each other desperately, there have been rivalries, a myriad of secrets and a ton of animosity brewing between the lot of them.  It’s no surprise that this causes the siblings to grow apart.

As time passes, Robin becomes reclusive, never leaving her home, even after previously having had a successful career as a musician. Sarah, gets into serious trouble and realizes that she needs her sister Robin’s help, but she has no idea how to find her.  Once Sarah finds Robin, everything changes.

The flow of the book is easy and was completely enjoyable and then I hit the 90% mark and BAM! everything I thought I knew about the storyline was false and it completely threw me for a loop.  It grabbed my attention and changed THE WHOLE SHEBANG.  Alternating between the past and the present and switching from Sarah to Robin’s POV, Holly Seddon, did a great job of telling a nice well rounded story.  Unfortunately, I didn’t connect with any of the characters, thus I didn’t really care what happened to them.  That said, the ending was phenomenal and it completely punched up the story for me and that is what made me give this 3.75 stars v. 3 stars (which will be rounded up).

“Don’t Close Your Eyes” is a well written, easy to read novel that flows well.   I definitely enjoyed reading it and the ending made it well worth it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random house Publishing Group - Ballantine and Holly Seddon for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 5.10.17.

**Will be Published on Amazon on 7.4.17.

Here's the thing about his book: it was a slow, slow burn for the first 90%, then the last 10% slapped me in the face and had me questioning everything I thought was true. I did NOT see that twist coming!

While this book read like a coming of age story, I felt it was lacking in the suspense that I crave with my psychological thrillers. It felt slow and drawn out in parts, but it all came together like a bulldozer in the end. 

There are many serious topics addressed here, this story is chock full of drama, all of which is handled very well by the author. 

I can't wait to get my hands on Holly Seddon's previous book after finishing this one. Well done!

Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

OH. MY. GOSH.

Okay, so you guys all know I loved Try Not to Breathe, but Don't Close Your Eyes is 4,000X better.
Holly Seddon creates another thrilling twist of fate between twin sisters Robin and Sarah. They had been together their whole life when their mother has an affair and tears their family apart. Sarah moves to the States and Robin gains a new brother.
Don't Close Your Eyes is not only told through alternating viewpoints between Robin and Sarah, but it is also told through alternating time frames that start in the '90s and working its way up to 2017. 
But how could this be a thriller?
Well Robin becomes a hermit. Never leaving her house, spying on neighbors, and paralyzed by virtually everything.
Then there's Sarah.... Sarah lost a child, maybe even two. She needs to find her sister to help her execute a plan to get her little girl back.
So, which sister is it?
Which sister do we know nothing about?
Which sister is telling lie after lie and deceving the ones she loves?
Find out July 4th when Don't Close Your Eyes hits shelves!
Check out my review of Try Not to Breathe and exclusive author interview with Holly Seddon!!
Big thank you to NetGalley for providing me an advanced copy of Don't Close Your Eyes!

In 1989, twins Sarah and Robin are the much-loved daughters of Angela and Jack Marshall, living in an ordinary household in Essex, hanging out with their friends and going to school. On weekends, the Marshalls spend time with their neighbours, Hilary and Derek Granger, who have a son the same age as the twins. There are family barbeques and game nights and weekends away, and everyone gets on famously. Life is good.
Fast forward to 2017, and Robin is a virtual prisoner in her own home, whilst Sarah has been kicked out of her house and denied access her toddler Violet. What has happened in the years between to derail the two sisters’ lives so completely? What terrible family secret has severed their strong childhood bond and is still standing between them after more than 20 years?

As in her debut novel Try Not to Breathe, Holly Seddon is not afraid to explore the dark and sinister side of family life in her new book Don’t Close Your Eyes. Whilst the beginning seems innocuous enough, don’t be fooled – this is an author who knows how to skilfully sow seeds of unease which soon bloom into dread as her increasingly dysfunctional characters start on their path of self-destruction. Life is good – until it isn’t. One wrong step has blown the fuse, and no one will ever be the same again.

With fundamentally flawed characters, who not only destroy their own lives through the poor choices they make, but also the lives of those close to them, the sisters’ life story reads like a tragic tale of how childhood trauma and dysfunctional family dynamics can shape our lives. I was stunned and shocked about some of the terrible decisions the parents in Seddon’s latest book make on a regular basis, and the fallout was terribly sad in every way. Constantly vacillating between disbelief, anger and sadness, this was an emotionally exhausting read for me, and one that hovered in sepias and greys in my mind as I watched it unfold with cold dread clutching at my heart. 

Family dynamics lie very much at the centre of this character driven novel, which to me read more like a family drama than a psychological suspense story, although there are several surprises in store for the reader at the very end of the book. Whilst I did not love the story as much as Try Not to Breathe, which was one of my favourite reads for 2016, I thoroughly enjoyed Seddon’s writing style and her brutal honesty with which she exposes her characters’ darkest secrets. Perhaps I just never bonded with Robin or Sarah as I did with the alcoholic Alex, which made me feel more like a spectator than a participant in the story. Nonetheless, Don’t Close Your Eyes is a skilfully woven tale, which will appeal to lovers of domestic noir and those who appreciate the extra tension unreliable narrators manage to instill into the storyline.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I was interested in the dynamics of the family as told through the alternating viewpoints of the twin sisters. Obviously, there were unresolved problems faced by each daughter as they reached adulthood. But I never imagined the climax to be what it was. It felt rushed, and as though the author threw the final chapters together to come up with a mystery/ thriller and final resolution at the end. Somehow, for me, the story didn't ring true.

Seriously..........Do NOT close your eyes on this one. You might miss a strand of this tangled web entrenched in extremely strange family dynamics.

Ah, the neighbors. Our kids go to school with their kids. We have picnics together and fun sleepovers. Our values seem to mesh with theirs........until they don't anymore.

The Marshalls and the Grangers share so much in common. Hilary and Derek Granger have a young son, Callum. Jack and Angela have a lively set of twin girls, Robin and Sarah. Robin would do anything for the skittish Callum and she takes on the role of protector of his dark secrets. Sarah lives to please and she preens the nest by arranging secrets of her own on concealed shelves in secluded corners.

But time passes and Robin and Sarah have not spoken in years. Robin, once in a successful rock band, has taken to a reclusive lifestyle and has become a voyeur of the neighborhood glimpsing activity behind closed curtains. And all that will change when her sister Sarah shows up on her doorstep. And what of the sad, withdrawn Callum? Oh, keep turning pages.

Holly Seddon presents a very twisty, psychologically imbued read here. I can't believe that I have not read her first book, Try Not to Breathe. Will be reaching for that one soon. This one has all the bells and whistles that will keep you locked in. And your mind will be outpacing any boxer on a jump rope. Fast and furious until someone gets tripped up.........

I received a copy of Don't Close Your Eyes through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Random House (Ballantine Books) and to Holly Seddon for the opportunity.

At the heart of this new twisty novel is the story of family. In the late 80s early 90s there was a definitive feeling of frenzy and social climbing. In a world where everyone is looking for the next best thing there are pieces that fall apart and people that are hurt. The novel surrounds around twin sister Sara and Robin and the focus is the secrets and lies they have spent their lives escaping from due to the decisions made by the adults around them. I loved this novel. It was full of foreshadowing and symbols. Just when you think you know you are hit with another twist. This novel will make you think and have you wanting to figure things out and save these two girls
 Hitting shelves July 4 this novel must be in your beach bag! In the meantime check out @hollyseddonauthor first novel TRY NOT TO BREATHE





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Twin sisters with very different lives are drawn back together after years of estrangement because of the secrets they share. Sarah is desperate, her husband won't let her come home or have any contact with their child. Robin is housebound and spends her days watching her neighbors come and go, keeping track of everyone's business. How Robin came to be housebound and why Sarah has lost her family is slowly revealed in this tense and intricate thriller