Well this book was totally amazing and different it definitely took a different turn of events to what I thought was going to happen kept me wanting to keep reading I will definitely recommend this book to other readers 👍

It was an ok read. It was an ok build in tension with you reading on to find out what was to happen next. I didn't like the ending though it just seemed rushed at the end. Also felt like a let down with how it ended. Having read the whole book I wouldn't read it again that's why I gave it a 3 star rating.

Loved this book, great descriptions and a new type of book. It was a book which I didn't want to put down. Was she seeing things or was it just from exhaustion??

This is marketed as 'the book that will keep you awake'. Unfortunately, for me, I didn't find it that gripping. It's a decent read about a college student who suffers with insomnia and who feels she is being stalked, or, is it her imagination?
I liked the premise and quite enjoyed the overall read. I found the first few chapters extremely frustrating as she consistently told the reader she couldn't sleep, but, also couldn't bear to tell you why? This wore a bit thin after a while.

There are some good characters and an element of 'whodunnit' so, overall, an easy 3* Good Read as it is surprising in parts and maintained my interest to find out the 'what'? and the 'why'?

Thanks to NetGalley and Goodreads for the opportunity to preview in exchange for this honest review.

Great book! I love my sleep and can't imagine not getting enough so the premise of the storyline appealed to me. Becky goes through a lot and I veered from sympathy to distrust of her throughout. Great ending that I won't spoil.

As an insomniac, I was drawn to this book and fascinated to read the treatment of this issue which can have such an impact on a person’s quality of life. This book genuinely kept me guessing. While it was fast paced throughout, I think it was wrapped up a little bit too quickly at the end. A really gripping read - highly recommend for people who love psychological thrillers.

The plot: 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?

The review: Becky is an insomniac who has just started college. She suspects that someone is stalking her/ playing games with her but can she trust her brain when she isn’t sleeping?

I felt like the book had promise but fell a little short. It just wasn’t a page-turner for me. The ending was also rushed.

3.5 stars

This book is a gripping psychological thriller,which will take away the readers into a completely different world.
When a tragedy strikes Rebecca Braithwet ,it changes her life forever.She confronts a paranoical situation and starts becoming a victim of insomnia.She feels some one is following her,someone is trying to harm her.How she tries to come out of this problems forms the basis of this story.
Narration is brilliant and simple.Readers are taken along with all the sufferings that Becky goes through,her sleepless nights,her mental sufferings,her internal conflicts and her fears.
Ending part is the most interesting one.The plot develops into a beautiful suspense thriller,with a completely unexpecting twist .
I loved the whole concept and the cover page is intriguing .

A well written fast paced psychological thriller. Told from Becky’s perspective. Becky is a young woman who suffers from insomnia following the death of her brother. The story see how this impacts on Becky’s daily life. What is interesting is that from only reading the book from Becky’s point of view, you don’t understand until the end of the book how little information you are receiving about why she is is the way she is. The ending of the book was nice surprise as I hadn’t expected it but, I would have liked a little more of an expansion on the ending to allow for complete closure from the story as I had a couple of questions unanswered at the end. But all in all a fantastic read.

J E Rowney is a new author for me and I truly enjoyed her work so much I read it in two sessions.
I found that I just wanted to keep reading to discover the mystery of the past, the excitement of what would happen next and the thrilling finale at the end.
Most enjoyable and I look forward to reading more of her work.

I absolutely love psychological thrillers and a lot of authors just use the same theme over and over. But J.E. Romney found something new and refreshing and this book is a winner. We all know that insomnia is real and can affect your life and mood and relationships. This book details what happens when you go too long without being able to sleep and how your mind starts playing tricks on you and can make you paranoid. It’s a great read and I definitely recommend it

𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Psychological Thriller/Mystery⁣
𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: swipe 👉🏻 to read book description ⁣
𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡: 272 pages⁣
𝗖𝗪: death of a loved one, abuse, murder, paranoia. ⁣
⁣
I have mixed feelings about this books. I enjoyed the plot and what the author was trying to attempt with this book. The problem was more the writing style. It felt “choppy” and slow. I understand the book revolves heavily around Becky’s inability to sleep... the author drove it home a little too much. I understood that aspect. I did not need reminding so often. Additionally, I felt it took far too long to explain what “had happened” with her brother. I don’t think it would have bothered me so much if the author had not said “before... you know” or “back before it happened”... things of that nature. Overall it all very redundant! ⁣
⁣
The last 1/4 of the book was very good. It left me thinking “WTF?!” Very “Sometimes I Lie (Alice Feeney)” vibes with me thinking how crazy it was, but also “Verity (Colleen Hoover)” vibes with me wondering what to believe! It felt abrupt and rushed, but definitely had my interest!⁣
⁣
If you don’t mind a slow burner with big ending- this is for you!!⁣
⁣
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐞: 3/5⁣ ★⁣

This wasn’t a bad read but a really slow burn up until the last chapter.
Wasn’t quite The thriller as I had suspected.

Rebecca (Becky) used to have no trouble sleeping. However, she has had insomnia since June 16, 2018! Yet, Becky passed her A levels and went on to Wessex University. This, to prove that what had caused the insomnia would not stop Becky from living her life. (Also that what did happen was not for naught.)

At uni, Becky makes friends with Cally - who also lives in her dorm house. This is difficult because Becky does not want to be "watched" - she wants to blend in...Having just given up on therapy (now 300 miles away from home) Becky still needs her meds. She goes to the uni physician who recommends counselling for the insomnia, but does write Becky a prescription.

To be truthful, Becky never has told anyone the whole true story of what really happened with Jordan. .
Also, she has flashbacks having to do with Jordan, who is now dead. An Overall OK read. Great character depictions.
..
The reader is kept in suspense as to what really happened to Becky and Jordan...


Many Thanks to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for a chance to read and review

I liked the book until I got to the final chapter preceding the Epilogue, and then, I felt cheated and terribly disappointed by the ending. The author had a good thing going but, unfortunately, blew it with the ending. We meet Becky, suffering from insomnia since the tragic event that killed her brother. Becky’s insomnia leaves her questioning what is real and what is her imagination. Does she have a stalker? Is someone entering her room lighting candles, or did she light them herself? We move along in the book, getting to know Becky bit by bit, as we listen to Becky’s internal dialog. I loved the way the author tackled the internal dialog because I could imagine the mundane thoughts and the back and forth conversation Becky was having with herself. But then the ending came. One question was answered, but I’m sad to say the the ending left more unanswered than answered. The ending felt rushed, to the point I went back to make sure I hadn’t accidentally skipped over a portion of the book before reaching the Epilogue. Super disappointing for a book that was enjoyable up to that point.

Also, this was not an LGBTQIA book! Having a character or two who are possibly LGBTQIA, or curious, or questioning, does not make a book fall into the LGBTQIA genre.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. It is set to be published in October 2020.

"I Can't Sleep" by J.E. Rowney made for a very disappointing read.
It's neither a thriller, nor a mystery and definitely not a suspense novel. It's exactly what it says on the cover and - sadly - nothing more: the self-pitying inner monologue of a whiny, completely passive teenager who complains non-stop about her insomnia and does pretty much nothing else. For the WHOLE book.
She also has very poor vocabulary (has the author ever heard of something called a thesaurus?) and no logic thinking at all. "I realised that I was sitting in silence, and that I probably looked like an idiot. I think a lot about what other people think. Apart from when I don't. Sometimes I don't think about that at all." This paragraph is one of many examples of both flaws.
The narration drags on and on and on about the tiniest, most insignificant details of the protagonist's boring days, and nothing much happens.
Basically, the protagonist is the walking and talking caricature of the sulking, moody teenager, she "can't be bothered" to do just about anything. She repeats it again and again.
Yes, there are A LOT of repetitions in this novel. And typos. And grammar slipups.
And let's not even go into how many times the word "f#@k" is used. I counted it three times in one paragraph, six times in one page... I understand there can be swearing in a novel, but ANY word that gets repeated that often is going to annoy me, not just the word "f#@k".
As for the supposed thrill, or mystery, it's a pure travesty, and the "big reveal" in the end is anything but that.
And please, don't tell me this is an LGBT novel, because it's not! Just because a couple of characters obscurely imply in passing that they might - or might not - be attracted to people of the same sex? That's not enough to make a story an LGBT novel!

Thank you netgalley for the chance to read an ARC of this gem.
"I can't sleep" is so relatable, i've battled insomnia most of my life and your brain isn't set up to deal with not having time to rest. It plays games with you.
This book beautifully captured those moments and thoughts. Its clear the author must have struggled at some point to know how to write so clearly about it.
The beginning half of the book I was just nodding along like "Girl, same" and then little things kept happening that made her question everything. Although we don't find out until the end of the book the details to just why, she can't sleep, its pretty obvious... Which doesn't take away from the story at all. Just when you think you know the end... You don't.
Keep this one on your radar for Halloween 🎃

TW: suicide, mental health, death, stalking, drinking.

This lightweight telling of a serious tale had me confused. It is definitely YA rather than general fiction and although beautifully written with well defined and likeable characters failed to engross me for the first half. I knew what the end of the story was going to be and I was angry with the author for leading me slowly down the garden path.

Then slowly I was drip fed information and it dawned on me that the final reveal was going to be something more than I had anticipated. The second half was much more engaging and the final twist was worth the wait.

I would suggest that readers should persevere. What initially was a frustrating read turned out to be nice little tale.

#ICantSleep #NetGalley
Thanks NetGalley, BooksGoSocail and J.E. Rowney for an early copy to review.
A short fast intense gripping thriller that will keep you up till you know what's going on. The ending is sudden and you will keep questioning yourself along with Becky regarding all the events. Did that really happen or her sleep deprived mind created all this?
I loved it and do recommend it.

First, a thank you to NetGalley for sharing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a strangely difficult read for which to write a review. I very rarely read novellas and I have to say that for such a short books it packs rather unusual punch. Minimal action occurs externally, however, an awful lots happens internally. A few reviewers have indicated that they didn't find the protagonist particularly empathetic - this was not the case for me. Perhaps it's because I've been there done that and I can say with authority that severe insomnia and it's true, a prolonged deprivation of sleep does result in physical and mental lethargy - imagine your brain encased in an enormous cotton ball - and does ultimately lead to a questionable reality. Unfortunately, this particular brand of familiarity did make it difficult to enjoy. However, this is not to say that it's a good book and in this age of mammoth books, it's brevity is a delight!