3 Stars

“Humans could have spent their whole existence in a hammock, eating fresh peaches but no, we had to invent mortgages and health insurance….and icebreakers. At some point in human history, someone invented the lowest of lows, the workplace icebreaker.”

I almost didn't finish this one but at about the 40% point of the Audiobook, I had to know what would happen to this looong list of characters. This is partly my fault as I didn't realize the level of science fiction/fantasy and those are not my go-to genres.

What I liked: This book is imaginative and the narrator was fantastic. It is classified as a horror but I found it quite funny.

What I am still digesting: So many characters were created to show the global size of the situation but their stories weren't all resolved. This also led to some choppy chapters. There were chaotic dream elephants? A whale? Was someone in the witness protection program maybe? Characters posted to Instagram in Outer Space?

Not bad writing, just not the story for me. Despite my late review, I thank Netgalley and the St.Martin's Press Publishing team for an audio version of this story.

Santa Mira, the morning after the Fourth of July is quiet; in fact, it's almost too quiet. The roads are empty, stores remain closed, and there is no one to be seen walking around town. Dave, a night watchman and insomnia sufferer, can’t even begin to comprehend what is going on, especially when the few people Dave can find all seem to have one thing in common: they are all dead right where they fell asleep. Dave, with the help of his ex-girlfriend, his best friend, and an overworked nurse, is desperate to uncover the mystery surrounding the sleeping dead before he, or anyone else, falls asleep.

I really like the general plot of The Edge of Sleep, but at times I struggled with this novel. There were some sections that were slow and dragged, but others that were edge-of-my-seat good. I think my favorite thing about this whole novel was the little mini-stories focusing on random people that were spread throughout the narrative; some of these sections were almost more powerful than the novel itself. I enjoyed the characters, especially Matteo, but the ending fell a little flat for me, almost seeming rushed.

The audiobook didn’t really add to or take away from my enjoyment of the novel. It was a little slow paced (a common criticism I have of audiobooks as a whole) but I loved the various voices given to the different characters, and I can say that the way in which Matteo is presented probably added to the entertainment I received from his character. The narrator created suspense with their inflection and tone, as well as the changes in pace.

I really couldn't get into this book and stopped listening around 33 percent in. The characters and plot were just not for me.

"The Edge of Sleep" by Jake Emanuel is a suspenseful and imaginative thriller that takes readers on a thrilling journey through a nightmarish world of sleeplessness. Emanuel's storytelling is gripping, and the concept of a world where sleep becomes a deadly game is both intriguing and unsettling.

The novel's premise, centered around the mysterious phenomenon of sleeplessness and its deadly consequences, sets the stage for a high-stakes narrative. The tension builds steadily as the characters grapple with the challenges of staying awake and uncovering the truth behind the nightmarish events.

3.5 Rounded Up.

Thanks NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

To preface, I did not realize this book was based on a podcast of the same name, which explains the book's setup. There are many short chapters following the main characters and vignettes of various people experiencing the same strange phenomenon - death upon sleeping. It is a fascinating concept that pushed me forward to listen to the whole book in one day; however, I felt like there were many loose ends and answers not given. I am sure that is purposeful, but I would have liked more exploration of the reason behind the phenomenon, Another individual stated that it felt like watching "Lost" - lots of interesting plot lines that have little payoff, and I would agree.

That being said, I did enjoy myself while listening to this book!

I love horror, I love sci-fi, I love weirdness, I love podcasts (based on one), and I love when all of those things come together to form a novel that feels like it was written with my specific interests in mind!

THE EDGE OF SLEEP was super interesting, balancing a bit more towards the sci-fi/weird than the horror, and reminded me of 90s horror lore. If you sleep, you die. The narration added the perfect amount of intrigue, but I will say that having finished this about a month and a half ago, it's not a book that has stuck with me. A bit forgettable.

This would make one HELL of a hulu miniseries.

This book has a great premise, but I struggled to connect. The story felt slow and confusing at times and I just didn't care about the characters. I struggled to stay engaged and as a result found myself tuning out of the storyline (which could be a large reason I didn't love this one).
While not for me, this book is great for someone who enjoys a slow burn.

In "The Edge of Sleep" by Jake Emanuel, Willie Block, and Jason Gurley, an unsettling premise draws readers into a world where sleep takes a chilling twist. While intrigued by the concept, this book landed as a three-star read for me – it was decent, but not a standout favourite.

Dave Torres, a night watchman battling personal sleep troubles, finds himself in a waking nightmare when he wakes up to a world where everyone else is asleep and doesn't awaken. As Santa Mira, California, becomes deserted, Dave and his companions, including his ex-girlfriend Katie, best friend Matteo, and a new acquaintance named Linda, race against time to untangle the mystery and avoid sharing the same fate.

The story's foundation in a podcast adds perspective, clarifying some elements of its structure. Despite the intriguing premise, the book's characters felt underdeveloped, emphasizing plot over their own growth. The narrative seemed driven by events rather than character dynamics, which was a notable drawback for me.

While I appreciated the creative premise, "The Edge of Sleep" didn't fully captivate me. It was an okay read, but not one that became a favourite due to the somewhat underwhelming character portrayal. The plot carried the story, and while it didn't quite hit the mark for me, it still offers an interesting exploration of the eerie and unpredictable nature of dreams.

I DNFd after just a short time due to the vulgar language in the story. I do not like to read or listen to profanity.

I think it's important to start off by saying I was not aware this novel was an adaptation of the QCODE podcast of the same name. I am not at all familiar with said podcast, so my review is specifically of the novel as its own work.

I was initially sold on the book's premise of a mysterious illness that kills all who fall asleep. It's a great hook that can be taken in so many different ways! Is it a biological attack? Some sort of magical curse? ALIENS?? Ultimately, I felt like the book didn't really end up going anywhere with the concept. At least not anywhere that made sense.

While I found the writing to be engaging, the characters well-defined, and the concept fascinating enough to speed through the audiobook, so many elements were just not brought to a close. I don't always need stories to be tied up nicely with a bow, but some sort of satisfying ending would have been nice. Instead, I feel like there is more to learn without really caring enough to learn it.

That said, this book is incredibly quick and the audiobook narration was enjoyable. (Although maybe reading a physical copy may help make sense of things.) So, if you're looking for an easy read and interested in stories that are a mix of sci-fi, dystopia, and horror, this may be work checking out.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the audiobook ARC!

This was quite a fun little thriller with a unique premise. Though the ending was not as fleshed out as I would have liked, it fit with the character of the rest of the book. Overall, if you're a fan of apocalyptic fiction or medical thrillers, this should be right up your alley.

What a wild and crazy ride!! The first half I was wondering wth am I reading, and in the second it started coming together and making a little more sense. The audio is the way to go as the narrators brought the story to life, and many times I was laughing out loud. (Although I was glad I had the book to follow along and clarify a few things.)

This is a dystopian / apocalyptic read, with some horror elements, it will definitely not be for everyone, I’m still not sure it was for me lol, but I was entertained and have been thinking about it long after I finished.

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martins Press, and Macmillan Audio for the copies to review.

Interesting enough to keep me reading, but in the end not particularly satisfying, this novel based on The Edge of Sleep podcast (and soon to be a television show) is probably best for established fans of the podcast and those not looking for anything too deep.

I received an ARC of the Audiobook for an honest review, which I chose based on the premise, so thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley! Unfortunately, while there are hints of Stephen King throughout, the characters were a bit to one note and I wasn’t particularly invested in them. The writing here is also merely serviceable, but Franz Drameh’s performance of the material was excellent enough to keep me going. The mini vignettes that describe the beginning of the weird apocalypse were in my opinion the best parts, but the bonkers ending left me wondering why I bothered. I guess this is meant to set up a longer story; possibly akin the aforementioned Stephen King’s The Stand, but unfortunately this didn’t make me care enough to continue on. I personally have not listened to the podcast, but you can probably skip this and just listen to that or watch the upcoming show.

The book gets extra points though for mentioning in passing the band Generación Suicida, who are excellent and deserve any widespread attention they get!!

Thank you to the publisher for the ALC. Did I have insomnia after this one yes I did. It was truly keeping me up all night.

This is just the post-apocalyptic book I needed, when I needed it.
We have all been exhausted and unable to sleep- but how about if we are exhausted- and sleeping will kill us?
The fear in this book is so tangible. There was definitely a Stephen King vibe and I just loved it.
Do yourself a favor, and listen to the audiobook. The narrator, Franz Drameh was phenomenal.
Subscribing to the podcast IMMEDIATELY! Can’t wait to find out what happens next!

*3.5 Stars On My Instagram Account*

"As a species we are most vulnerable in our dreams."

A wild bizarre dystopian thriller, The Edge Of Sleep by innovative authors Jake Emanuel and Willie Block, with contributor Jason Gurley will probably leave you with more questions than answers but what a ride.

Dave suffers with insomnia but that's okay because when he sleeps the night terrors and nightmares are non stop. Self medication helps but still the dreams sneak in.

The day after July 4th, Dave becomes aware of the silence in his sleepy (pun intended) coastal town. No cars driving by, no music, no kids yelling, no one talking, no noise. It's eerie, creepy and a great start to a dystopian story.

Finding his ex girlfriend Katie, best friend Matteo, and fortunately nurse Linda, Dave realizes his dreams may be the key to the dead bodies lying where their souls fell to sleep. The problem is staying awake until they figure it out.

Actor Franz Dramen, who plays Matteo in the TV series, is a wonder of unique voices and comedic inflections; which are needed in this intense and, often, sorrowful tale.

There are short chapters about those effected by this death sleep, what they were doing before a nap, going to sleep thinking they had tomorrow. Sometimes I wanted more about them, other times I was annoyed they took away from the main plot.

This book was born from a popular podcast. I can definitely see the various character vignettes as podcasts segments. If you're a fan of the TV show Lost, where not everything has an answer, I still don't know about that polar bear on the island, than this one might work for you.

In the end, well let's hope for a sequel, there's a whale, an elephant and, if I'm honest, and ending that left me confused and ready for bed on the edge of sleep.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from MacMillan Audio via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

**This Review Is For The Audiobook**

"The Edge of Sleep" gives us an interesting premise: what would the world be like if only the sleepless could survive? The morning after Independence Day, many Americans come to a shocking realization — the world is eerily quiet, because just about everyone has died in their sleep. Everyone, that is, aside from the night shift workers and the insomniacs who never slept. Dave, a night watchman who has long battled insomnia and nightmares, soon teams up with others who were unaffected, so that together they can fight off the lure of sleep and solve the mystery of what exactly is happening and who is behind it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this as a refreshing and unique plot line ... at least at the start. The character development was strong, even if there were a few more than I preferred. The ending, though, veered straight into bizarre and felt like a hard careen off-course — too far off course for me to feel like it fit with the rest of the story. Up until then, I was feeling pretty committed, but the ending leaves me a little leery to recommend it. Still, if you like sci fi/dystopian novels and aren't afraid to go too far out there, this might be a good fit for you.

3.5 ⭐️

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩
𝐁𝐲 𝐉𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐄𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐥, 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤, 𝐉𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐆𝐮𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐲
𝒪𝓊𝓉 𝒩𝑜𝓌!

Don’t go to sleep! If you do you will die. If you enjoy podcasts and an edgy, fast-paced thriller, this one is for you, but you may have some crazy dreams! It definitely felt like a fever dream to me!

Thank you @stmartinspress for the gifted book and thank you @macmillan.audio for the complimentary audiobook.

When I finished listening to The Edge of Sleep I found myself in a bit of a quandary. How do I review this book? I was hooked from the moment I first started listening. The book has a very Stephen King’s The Stand vibe to it. But instead of the Captain Trips virus we saw in The Stand something even more deadly seems to be happening. The concept of people falling asleep and then dying was scary, twisted, and utterly fascinating. The occasional short sections throughout the book describing how the end came to people all over the world, again fascinating and at the same time brutal and in some cases heart breaking. The main core story of Dave, Matteo, Katie, and Linda struggling to stay awake, to stay alive, to try and figure out what was happening and how to survive was completely gripping. (As was the struggle of another two survivors unrelated to the core four.) And I loved it for the first 90-95% of the book…but as we neared the ending I just kept thinking, this can’t be right. I can’t be near the end, there must be more. And I assume with how things ended there must be more coming….please let there be more coming. Without spoiling things, while there is an end, the story seems far from over. I was left with so so so many more questions, especially given the events of the last few chapters. I will say before I started listening I didn’t know this was adapted from a podcast, but I intend to check that out very soon. The audio narration is excellent. Franz Drameh does such a wonderful job. I especially loved the life he breathed into Matteo, who was my favorite character. Perhaps because I know someone sort of like him, though my friend doesn’t screw up his references/word choices nearly as bad, lol. And I will say I never thought I’d come across a book that would reference the Emilio Estevez/ Demi Moore film Wisdom. (A movie that for some reason I actually quite enjoy and yet also a movie almost none of my friends have ever heard of never mind actually seen, lol) I can’t lie, I enjoyed the heck out of the story and have no doubt I will revisit it again future, and if there isn’t more coming I will likely forever be haunted by the question ‘what happened next?’ 4.5 stars. I’d like to thank Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen and review an advanced copy of the audio version of The Edge of Sleep.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R2BDAMH2CUQVVV/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Happy Pub Week to The Edge of Sleep 🥳📚

This book is a somewhat enjoyable strange hybrid of scifi/horror. People are mysteriously dying in their sleep and 4 people; Dave - his friend Matteo, Nurse Linda & his ex girlfriend Katie are trying to stay awake long enough to find out why. They figure out that the key somehow lies in Dave's troubled dreams that he has had since a child.

I will say I really enjoyed a couple of the characters personalities and dialogue, Nurse Linda a no nonsense former neuro scientists & Matteo, Dave's wisecracking best friend. Beyond them however, Dave the book's protagonists is a bit bland.
The narration is phenomenal by actor Franz Drameh.

There has to be a book 2 because it can't end like this...

Thank you @stmartinspress for my finished copy & @macmillan.audio for my ALC