I read this ARC via Netgalley Shelf.

Years ago, Gianna's parents were attacked by a murderer known only as the Axman. Luckily, they survived, but Gianna witnessed the event and still keeps a coin she found left by the killer, who was never caught. This summer she's looking forward to going to jazz clubs with her best friend Enzo, until the axe murders begin again. Only now Gianna is having visions similar to the nightmares she had after her parents were attacked - and it seems these visions give her a window into the killer's mind. Can she stop him before he kills again?

As in [book:The Perfect Place to Die|50490836], Bryce Moore takes a real life serial killer from history and weaves a story around it. I'm not sure I liked the paranormal aspect of this story, as there was so much else going on: between the Axman murders and the Spanish Influenza and the discrimination toward Italian immigrants, the other historical aspects which could have been just as intriguing, such as World War I and the jazz scene, were shoved to the background. I wasn't really aware that there was a large group of Italian-Americans in New Orleans, so that was interesting, but the more well-known aspects of New Orleans (the Creole culture, voodoo culture, etc) were absent. I think the paranormal aspect was exciting and fun but also made this feel less like factually-based historical fiction. I did enjoy learning about this killer I'd never heard about, and the story was a thrilling, fast read.

After the show "American Horror Story-Coven" introduced me to the topic of the Axe Killer of New Orleans, I was obsessed.. So, this book automatically won brownie points with me based on the topic alone. Then there is a element of surprise as to why there is a link between Gia and our killer...beyond the fact that he took everything from her and left her with a world full of horror. The Axeman created a bond that will never break between Gia and Enzo. There were times that their relationship had me worried but the ending left me satisfied and hopeful for their future.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Great story based on true events. Not a page turner in my opinion, but a good read regardless.

I read almost 100 pages of this book, but I just couldn't get into it. Something wasn't clicking for me. There was some merit, but I wasn't connected enough to press on to find out the big mystery about the serial killer.

Thoughts

Ultimately, this book was kind of "bleh." It's not very exciting, which is a shame in, you know, a crime thriller. The main character doesn't have much agency, which is a problem. It's supposed to be about her taking charge, taking down the famed Axeman. At least this book left me interested in the actual true crime story, though.

Pros
Witchy NOLA: Of course, because this book is rooted in true crime, there wasn't a choice of where to set it, but the sort of paranormal twists Moore employs here are perfectly suited to the New Orleans vibe nonetheless. Gia has insights into this axe murderer through visions and dreams. She consults a good friend--who doubles as a fortuneteller and medium--for a reading and is only given ominous warnings in return. These elements, combined with some of the other paranormal bits and bobs, might feel over-the-top in another setting, but in
New Orleans, they don't. Because it's New Orleans.
Intriguing: Similar to The Silent Unseen, this book uncovered an often overlooked bit of history. Not only is this set in the World War 1 era, which is often neglected in favor of its younger brother, but it's also rooted din the domestic side of things. The true crime, too, was not entirely familiar to me, and it definitely peaked my interest in this anti-Italian killer. And that's great.

Pandemic Relevant: This book is embroiled in an epidemic, too. In fact, this bout of influenza is the very one that everyone at the start of our current pandemic brought up as a somewhat contemporary reference. The slow acceptance of masks, the paranoia around other people, the rising infection rate despite precautions: all of it is abundantly familiar, even more so for any essential worker out there. Because Gia and her grocery-store-running parents can't just shut down the shop and hole up until it all subsides. They, like many others, have no choice but to keep working through it, no matter the risk.


Cons
Time Troubles: The very first thing I noticed when I started reading this book was that the voice felt... off. It felt very contemporary. It didn't make a nod, even, toward its period aspect. Of course, authors want to have an engaging voice that their contemporary readers won't struggle with, but that has to be a balancing act for historical fiction. Because the character isn't contemporary, even if the voice is. On top of this, some of the "historical" trappings of this book were under-researched--like the presence of neon lights in New Orleans. Sure, neon lights were a thing... but no in the U.S. Not yet. It just felt not-quite-right, and that was majorly disappointing.

Progressive Historic: You know something that really peeves me in historical fiction? When the book itself or the characters within it "look forward" to some contemporary state of thinking. This was a problem I had with Heart of the Impaler, and it was more of a problem here (because unlike Heart of the Impaler, this book was meant to be more than a romance fluff piece). If historical characters have contemporary morals and social goals, they need a very good reason for thinking and feeling this way. The majority did not, because times were different. Gia was also not consistent herself in her leanings. She looks forward to more advanced vinyl records and CDs of the future, but she's very anti-telephone. One of these is more period-consistent than the other...

Aimless: The biggest problem here was that Gia lacked agency. She had next to no influence on her actual plot. She never had a solid plan--or a plan at all. What role was she ultimately playing? Bait. She was bait in somebody else's plan. She herself, for all her big claims, was entirely useless and utterly pointless. And that's a major problem, especially because this book purports otherwise.


Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐
4/10

Fans of Kendall Kulper's Murder for the Modern Girl will appreciate this new supernatural twist on history. Those who enjoyed Laura Amy Schlitz's A Drowned Maiden's Hair will appreciate the crime-mixed-with-paranormal aspect to this historical piece.

REVIEW TO BE PUBLISHED AUGUST 5, 2022.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!

The suspence in this just keeps building until it crashes like a wave. So, yeah... I thought this was brilliant.

Based on true events, this story follows jazz loving Gia around her hometown of New Orleans in the time of WWl and the influenza hitting America. This is an incredibly interesting time period full of drama already, but with the addition of an axe murderer set on destroying Italian-American lives, this story had me quickly turning the pages.

I cannot recommend this enough to fans of thrillers. Gia's character, along with Enzo, being young and in love with life and yet haunted by their pasts and these new murders, really made this story so unique.

Out August 2, 2022!

The premise sounded interesting, but this was a struggle for me. It felt like there was too much going on (end of a war, an influenza epidemic, supernatural angles, and an axe murderer). It seems to be based on history, though not something I'm familiar with. I couldn't connect with the characters, and it was difficult for me to truly engage in the story.

Don't Go to Sleep is a unique spin on real life events. This is the second book by Bryce Moore I've read, and I love how Moore takes macabre historical events and adds supernatural elements to them in a way that's appealing to YA audiences. This novel particularly hits in a relevant way because the Influenza Pandemic mirrors the recent COVID pandemic all too well, and for readers who are looking to connect modern events to the past, they will definitely be able to do so here.

The cover art for this novel is gorgeous, and the supernatural elements are cool, but I had difficulty connecting with Gia, which was probably more of a me issue than anything else. Overall, though, I recommend this to YA readers who love a fun twist on macabre history!

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I DNF at about 20%. I couldnt connect to the characters and it is very slow paced. Maybe true crime isn’t my genre lol. Well written, just not for me

Thank you Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire, Sourcebooks Fire for providing me a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All the opinions in this book are purely my own and not affiliated with any brand.

I will admit I didn't fully finish this book. But not because it wasn't good, I'm just a weeny. This book has some graphic images which were a bit frightening for me. Especially since I read before bed and that's not helpful when you are a weenie.

Bryce Moore's writing was good. The story was easy to follow and the characters were interesting. I enjoyed the parts that didn't make me squirm. Overall, if you like horror or thriller books you will probably like this one. If you are like me and a weenie, this is not the best book for you.

Don't Go To Sleep by Bryce Moore is based on true crimes in the early 1900s. I'm not sure how I feel about this book. It was not page-turning as I had hoped, and it was slow in parts. There was no identification of the killer, which matches the true crime, but still, it was disappointing. I wasn't able to connect with any of the characters. The story was a slow build-up to the ending with no actual resolution. I didn't really care for the supernatural part as it seemed too much for me personally. I liked each chapter's introduction describing the events of the murders and the influenza outbreak and how people reacted during the 1900s. The book was more psychological than a thriller.

#NetGalley @SourcebooksFire

This was one that I was really excited to read. The plot sounded really good and oh my gosh the cover is so pretty. But I hate to say it, this one just really did not click for me. I found the plot very hard and confusing to get into. and I just did not like the over all story that much. But I was really thankful to get an ARC of this one.

Bryce Moore does it again with his historical fiction expertly woven together. I had listened to this murder case on a true crime podcast, so I knew more about it going in than someone who wasn’t familiar with the case. I think that gave me a deeper experience and sent more chills down my spine while reading it because I knew the original mystery surrounding the Axeman of New Orleans. A great novel that hits those fascinations for middle grade and above and keeps them reading into the dark of night.

A girl who is plagued by nightmares of the horrific incident that haunts her family in which the famous Axeman nearly murdered her family. She survived, but her every waking hour and night is consumed by the event. Giana is a seventeen year old girl living in 1918 New Orleans. A mysterious illness is about to take hold of the city and a mad man seems to be on the loose... and soon these attacks escalate to murders. She enlist the help of her best friend Enzo who’s family was also attacked by the Axe Murderer to help her investigate who is behind the new burglaries and murder. The story features historical aspects of the Axe Murders and the Influeza/Spanish Flu. There however is also a supernatural aspect to the story with Gianna having a connection to the killer. The story ends a bit vague and this connection isn’t ever really explained. I am familiar with the Axe Murders and so I was excited to read this one. i did enjoy how it had some historical aspects to it but the mystery was a bit vague and the supernatural element was unexpected. Though this one didn’t end up being for me, definitely give it a go if you enjoy historical retellings with paranormal twist.

*Thanks Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire, Sourcebooks Fire for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Unfortunately, I decided to DNF at about 15%. Although this book is well written and the plot is intriguing, it did not pull me in or keep my attention. I struggled for almost 3 weeks to get into it and I just can’t force myself any longer.

The beginning of the book is well written and the whole axeman murders is interesting. I like how the author utilized real life events, but the characters were underwhelming and the story didn’t pull me in like I am used to in suspense/thrillers. Also, it should be noted that the descriptions of the murders were very vivid- maybe a bit too vivid for some YA readers.

I think this book would be good for readers who enjoy a slow build up to suspense, a murder mystery that takes its time to develop and story lines based in real world past events. Also- it involves a pandemic so triggers for those who were affected by the current global pandemic.

I thank the publishers and Netgalley for the eARC copy and my honest review. I appreciate the chance to read and I’m sorry that the story was just not for me.

4/5 Stars!

This review is Spoiler Free.

Set in a super atmospheric backdrop of New Orleans at the onset of the Spanish Flu, Don't Go To Sleep was such a fun read! Gia has what seems to be a psychic connection to the axman - a murderer who killed her parents and is resurfacing- continuing his murderous ways of killing Italian families.

This book had wonderful pacing and an engaging writing style, and I would absolutely recommend it - especially to anyone who loves spooky books set in New Orleans (which is basically a whole genre, lets be real. Gimme all the New Orleans books!)

*I received an ARC from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and views in this review are my own.

As crazy as I thought this story was about a serial killer with an axe attacking Italian Americans in New Orleans during the influenza pandemic, I was even more shocked to learn that it was all based on a true story. Why have I never heard of this before? In this fictionalized retelling of these events our main character Gianna has what seems to be a connection with an axe murderer who once attacked her family and who has now come back to terrorize the city again. I thought that the descriptions of what was going on at the beginning of the influenza pandemic during that time rang scarily true with what we have dealt with with Covid for the last two years, and that made the story even more interesting. I also always find the discussion and analysis around how different ethnic groups were treated when they came to America really interesting, and as an Italian American hearing the stories about the prejudice and xenophobic behavior of people and how that has changed for certain groups and not for others is always enlightening. This was an interesting and ultimately informative read.

“Don’t Go To Sleep” by Bryce Moore is a historical, YA horror that follows two Italian teens at the try to track down in infamous New Orleans Axeman murderer in the early 1900’s.

As someone who has heard of the Axeman murders but not really looked into them, I found this book interesting. It is a blend of facts and the author using the source material to make a coherent story. The names of the families and the dates are true as well as the ever looming threat of Spanish Flu which was rampant in New Orleans at the same time.

The Spanish Flu will remind you of the way the first few months of Covid were without it being too over the top. I feel like this is balanced in the story due to the main character being more involved in the mystery with the flu being in the background for the majority of the book.

I feel like the two main characters felt like teenagers in that they were kind of dumb and a little annoying but they felt authentic to me. If you are expecting teen characters to act like adults, this is not the book for you.

There is a touch of supernatural elements in this book which I enjoyed because it fit well to the setting of New Orleans but overall kind of felt jarring in the actual story.

I think reading this, you can really tell that the author did his research into what was going on during the time this book takes place.

I think that while this book was entertaining and a fast read, it just isn’t my general style because it felt more like historical fiction with a dash of murder. I think if you are a fan of true crime and historical fiction, you will enjoy this book. Know going into it that it is YA, so it is not over the top graphic in its violence.

A historical mystery set against a deadly pandemic. Maybe a bit too close to home for some people, but an infrequently used setting and time period make this book a good one for readers looking to stretch their horizons.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an e-arc!

I really enjoyed The Perfect Place to Die by the same author so the moment I saw the arc for this, I jumped at the opportunity. Again, I think this book gives the same vibes as Stalking Jack the Ripper (which I love so much). In this case, we follow a historical fiction that is based of an actual murder mystery but with a bit of a supernatural aspect.

The setting is 1918 New Orleans. An axeman murder appears (or reappears) in the neighborhood of 17 year-old Gianna. Afraid for her family and wondering if this is the same person who attacked them years ago, she starts to investigate with the help of her friend, Enzo. While all this is happening, the city is also struck with the influenza pandemic.

I loved that in this case, I had never heard of the real event (unlike in The Perfect Place to Die where I was familiar with the story) and so for me, it was genuinely a mystery. I loved that the author tried to stick to the actual story as much as possible because I felt like I learned so much. Seeing snippets of actual newspaper articles before each chapter really made the story feel more real or immersive and gives us a perspective of the general population at the time that both murders and an epidemic were occurring.

Keeping the influenza epidemic in the story added another layer of tension and worry. It’s something that I think a lot of readers will be able to relate to. (but if it’s still a triggering topic for you especially topics of death, then I suggest picking this book up with caution.) The supernatural aspect threw me off a bit and for some reason I couldn’t get the explanation as to why this aspect occurred.

I loved that Gianna was such a strong character who reminded me very much of Audrey Rose. She has no responsibility to go investigate and risk her life to solve these murders but out of her genuine care for the city, she did. I think that her relationship with Enzo could have been developed a bit more, especially with the way the story ended but I still enjoyed the parts where they worked together. Seeing Zuretta again in this story was comforting. You know how when a story ends, you wonder how the character is doing after? Well, here I got a bit of closure seeing Zuretta as a part of the Pinkerton Detectives.

Readers who enjoy murder mysteries, historical fiction, a bit of the supernatural, and more will surely enjoy this story. “Don’t Go To Sleep” by Bryce Moore hits the shelves on August 2, 2022! Thank you to the publisher for sending me an e-arc and congratulations in advance to the author for writing this captivating and dark book.