Member Reviews
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of "The Night of the Sleepover" in exchange for my honest review.
Leah wakes up on 19 December 1999 to 3 empty sleeping bags next to her. The night before 4 friends went to sleep and this morning only one girl is there. Where are Jasmine, Vicky and Harriet? The story then switches to the present day - 25 years after the sleepover. Leah is 39 years old and a Community Support Worker. People are still questioning what happened to the other 3 girls and how did Leah sleep through whatever it was that happened to them. The story is then told from the perspective of days after the sleepover, days before the sleepover and the present day.
Jasmine's younger brother Owen is now a documentary film maker and is interviewing people for the 25th anniversary. Someone starts sending Leah emails telling her to "stop" Owen from making the documentary. This person seems to know a lot about what happened and a lot about Leah. This person thinks that Leah did something. Items from the sleepover start to reappear and Leah hasn't seen them since that night. Harriet's mother Deborah became a surrogate mother to Leah and her son Zac.
There was pizza and vodka at this sleepover - where did the glasses go? Who cleaned up? Were drinks swapped? So many questions that are partially answered with the shocking conclusion of this book. The most important question for the next book is - will anyone find out the real truth about what happened at the sleepover.
As always Mr. Wilkinson wrote a brilliant stories with interesting characters and amazing plot twists that you just don't see coming. Looking forward to the next book!!
The Night of the Sleepover is the first in a two part series by Wilkinson. I think we can all remember having a sleepover or two as a teen with movies, popcorn and a sneaky drink from the parents cupboard.
I found the book to quite a slow burner throughout, don't get me wrong I'm not complaining, it just gave me more of a chance to invest myself fully into the plot and the characters stories leading up to the sleepover.
Having read several of Wilkinson's books via Bookouture, he's now one of those authors I have on 'auto read' as I can guarantee a compelling read, full of suspense, twists and an explosive ending.
Anonymous emails, secrets and lies, The Night of the Sleepover has them all!
I really enjoyed the book and can't wait to start reading book two.
Sleepovers are fun times to bond with friends. But for Leah, it changed their lives forever. Four girls, one night.
Only one girl wakes up.
This is a windy rollercoaster of a thriller book. There were twists and turns on every page that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very last page.
Leah thought this was a normal sleepover so she could have fun with her friends, but something awful happens that night.and only one of them are able to wake up. Who was the one that woke up??
The next book, After the Sleepover, comes out in December and I'm so excited!
First, I want to thank Kerry Wilkinson, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.
OMG!!! Kerry Wilkinson will make you rethink letting your child attend a sleepover ever again! The Night Of The Sleepover will literally leave you completely and utterly speechless!! It is a story that seems like it would be ripped from the headlines and turned into a Lifetime Movie.
The Night Of The Sleepover is one of Kerry Wilkinson’s best written books ever! It is insanely fast paced where once you pick it up you can’t put it down! It is an intense, suspenseful, nail biting, jaw dropping and heartbreaking storyline! If you love psychological thrillers that read like true crime books this is the one for you!
WOW!! My heart just broke in two for Leah! I can’t fathom the idea of waking up after a sleepover and finding your friends gone! Personally, I am a light sleeper so how in the world could someone sleep through something like that?! I had so many questions and needed answers to what really happened that night! Needless to say I cleared my schedule for this book!
Oh there were so many twists and turns but nothing could prepare me for the earth shattering climax to this story! Kerry threw a curveball into the storyline that left me shell shocked!! You think you know your friends but you have no idea!
Leah, you know, that girl who was at the sleepover when her friends went missing, she's twenty years older now and still claims not to know what happened. But someone thinks she does. As the brother of one of the missing girls builds a documentary about THAT night, the story will switch timelines until the reader is pretty sure they know where the girls went. BUT don't be so sure. Kerry Wilkinson is very well known for keeping the reveal to himself until the last minute, building the tension and suspense until it POPS and all is revealed. If you've never read any of Wilkinson's titles, CONGRATULATIONS. You just added another great author to your followed list and a lot of great reading to your TBR list.
Four girls have a sleepover, all the usual things happen, pizza, having a sly drink of vodka. They have a great time and all go to sleep. The next morning, three girls have gone missing, leaving Leah alone.
Twenty years later and everything is being brought up again, but there is someone out there who wants it stopping. Secrets may be about to be uncovered, and Leah is receiving texts... but who is sending them?
Kerry Wilkinson always knocks it out of the park whenever I read his books. The Night of The Sleepover is a very well-crafted psychological thriller. One in which Kerry Wilkinson successfully kept me guessing. As much as I thought I knew what to expect, I really had no clue. I think this is the best part of this author's writing, just the fact that I'm always shocked by the endings.
I was so eager to discover what happened and how everything was going to work out that the pages just flew by. Before I knew it I had reached the end and let me tell you, I am looking forward to the next book!
Thanks to bookouture and NG
A wonderfully twisty mystery about three girls who go missing in the night, while one remained. Lots to digest here but handled expertly by the author. Very well done!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!
Exactly the type of psychological thriller I’ve been needing to cure my book hangover. I really enjoyed the plot, the main character, and the back and forth timeline in this book. It kept me guessing the entire time and the ending was a great twist! I was also happy to see a follow up book will be coming! I haven’t read this author before, so I will definitely be looking up some more books from this author.
Check this one out especially if you’re needing a quick read that can pull you out of a reading slump!
Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for my ARC copy of The Night of the Sleepover. This book started out strong and intrigued me from the beginning, but ended up feeling slow and repetitive at times. Regardless of that, I knew I had to finish and find out what happened the night of the sleepover! The ending I did enjoy and I was surprised by the twists. I am happy I finished the book.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #Bookouture for the ARC #TheNightOfTheSleepover by #KerryWilkinson. This book took me back to my sleepover days minus the disappearing girls. I loved the story line, the mystery, and the surprising plot twist at the end. I am super excited for the sequel to this book!
"The facts were simple: four girls had gone to sleep in that house; only one was there the next morning."
The Night of the Sleepover is very captivating right from the start! Leah starts receiving emails saying the documentary about the sleepover needs to stop, but who is sending those emails!? Why did Leah live through the night and what happened to her friends?
The end had a great twist I wasn't expecting! 100% would recommend this book!
Thanks NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC! This was definitely one of the best ARC's I have read thus far!
" 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑘𝑒𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑟 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑏 𝑖𝑛 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑡ℎ.."
An absolutely riveting psychological thriller..!!
Kerry Wilkinson's " The Night of The Sleepover " is an intriguing and addictive thriller that'll keep you on the edge. Captivating and gripping, the story sucks you into the mysterious and interesting plotline from the very first page.
As my first experience with Kerry Wilkinson thriller, the author's writing style and interesting plotline kept me hooked since the beginning itself. The story revolves around Leah, the only survivor of the night of the sleepover when her three friends disappeared. The plot discusses about the hardships Leah encountered for 24 years after the incident, how the town changed and the arrival of a documentary crew lead by the brother of one of the missing girls. The documentary stirs up the emotions, stories and dangerous secrets hidden for decades..!!
Every character is flawlessly crafted with their own secrets, fears and ambitions. Impeccable pace and alternating dual timeline weaved into the plotline seamlessly didn't cause any confusion to the reader. Twists and turns along the story will keep our heart racing and jaw dropping.
And the conclusion will leave you more than shocked. The story delves deeper into the complexities of the human psyche, as well as the damages caused by domestic abuse on people's lives. In conclusion, This is a must read for all the psychological thriller fans out there..!!
Numerous people…one remains. A popular theme. This talented author has written a cannot put down novel. Intrigue and mystery. Secrets and red herrings. Curl up in a cozy chair, pull the curtains, become lost in this story. What really happened? What is true? That being said, I had some issues with some themes. Thanks Netgalley.
A seemingly innocent sleepover 4 friends over 20 years ago. A group as close as family but full of sexrets and sibblong rivalry. Only 1 woke up the other 3 vanished and havenever been foubd. With the 20 year anniversary a family member desperate for answers starts a documentary. Leah was tge only one left and she is fighting her iwn demobs from that night but someone knows what gappened. What gappened tgat nifht?
I found this interesting. The chatacter development and scene setting through alternative chapters of now days before sleepover and days after really hooked ne in
There were lots ofvred gerting and tge finsl reveal had me blown away. But desperate for more. So look forward to oart 2.
Thank you netgallery author and publusher hir a 5 star read. I was hooked from page one and sad when it ended. The collection of side characters gave it more depth
Firstly, as per previous warnings, this publisher is infamous for backstuffing books with bumpf. Advertising and the like. My suggestion is that you, carefully, have a look where the story actually ends before you start. Mine was around the 90% mark... It might save you some angst!
You'd think by now, after reading many, many books by this author, series & standalone, that I'd be better at second guessing... Especially if you also factor in the sheer number of this genre books I devour. But yeah, all the way through this book I had absolutely NO IDEA where we were going. I had inklings about certain characters and their truthfulness / part in the proceedings... but yeah... not a clue. Talk about a jaw dropping moment.
So... twenty years ago, Leah and her three best schoolfriends are at a sleepover. After the usual shenanigans and a bit of bickering, they all settle down to sleep. Some time during the night the host's father returns home. Fast forward to the next morning and Leah wakes up. Alone. Just three empty sleeping bags where once her friends slept.
Fast forward to the present day and the mystery of what happened has never been solved. With the 20th anniversary looming, one of the still missing girl's brother is after making a documentary. Leah has agreed to be interviewed. It can't hurt and may even help. But, soon after this gets going, she starts to get anonymous emails. At first they just ask that she try and pull the plug but soon, after not getting the right response, the emails escalate...
As already mentioned, this book well pulled the wool over my eyes. Although, with hindsight, there were clues I either missed or didn't pay much attention to. So, it wasn't out of left field at all. I just didn't see it all coming. The plotting was tight and, obviously, expertly executed. The flashbacks to the past were well placed, adding colour and backstory to the main story being played out in the present. Starring a cracking cast of characters all doing their jobs well. And with scant waffle or padding, it got on with itself very well.
And the best bit... it's a first. There's a followup. Not sure if it's the start of a series, a trilogy, or will just have the one sequel. But that's exciting enough and it's a book I am very much looking forward to reading.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
The story went back and forth in several time frames. You had to be aware of which time the story was being related because to Leah, twenty five years ago seemed like yesterday. Every year towards the anniversary of the girl’s disappearance conspiracy theories abound. Leah has never been exempt from them and most people are skeptical how one could sleep through an abduction of three teenage girls, sleeping next to you.
Things are never what they seem and though parents have resigned themselves to the disappearances, several siblings have not. Bringing out a documentary to bring some kind of closure to one, whilst hopefully winning an award from the film, may sound callous,but someone also does not want old stories and histories dug up. The survivor Leah is pivotal to the whole story and it slowly but surely gets tenser and tighter towards the end.
A mystery murder well told.
There's four of them when they go to sleep, but only one remains.
It started just like any other sleepover: Leah and her three best friends got in their pajamas, ate pizza, watched a movie, and stayed up way past their bedtime. When Leah woke, her friends were nowhere to be found. It's been twenty years, and a documentary is being made about that night. Rumors have resurfaced, and people are convinced Leah knows what really happened that night. Then, she receives an anonymous email telling her to stop them. Someone knows what happened that night and will do whatever it takes to stop the truth from coming out. Is Leah in danger? Will her friends be found? Or will this story stay unsolved forever?
I really enjoyed this story! There were some parts that moved a little slow, but it kept my interest. I was able to guess very little and was shocked by the truth of that night. The narrator, Olivia Darnley, did a great job narrating the story. I look forward to reading the sequel and other works of Kerry Wilkinson!
I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
4 girls at a sleepover, 3 disappear.
25 years later, Leah's friends are still missing, gone without a trace. But a documentary team reawaken old memories and slowly the clues start to come together. But what really happened that night?
This was a busy book. A lot happened in a very short amount of time. The timeline goes back and forth between the present day and the time surrounding the sleepover.
The storyline had plenty of suspense and a lot of twists and reveals. It was a fun read which kept me guessing right up until the end.
Gripping, shocking, and hard to put down, Kerry Wilkinson had done it again! Another thrilling book which I devoured! Sleepovers were so much fun and many of us have been to them or hosted them in our homes in our youth. Sleepovers are a great way to get together with friends, have fun, bond, stay up late (or all night), watch movies, and tell scary stories. But for Leah, a sleepover with her friends changed her life forever.
Leah and three of her friends were having a slumber party. They were snuggled in for the night in their pajamas and sleeping bags after a night of fun! The next morning when Leah woke up, she was alone, and her friends were gone!
Questions swirled about what happened to the girls and how could Leah not know that they were missing. Didn't she hear anything? What does she know? Twenty years have passed and now a documentary is being made about the disappearance. Will the truth finally come out? Who sent Leah the message saying, "stop them"?
What happened the night of the sleepover? I wanted to know! I found myself flipping through the pages, my interest and curiosity piqued, wanting answers, and trying to solve the mystery! I had both the book and audiobook which made for a completely enjoyable reading experience.
I found this book to be well written, well thought out, and shocking. I enjoyed the many twists and turns! Plus, The Night of the Sleepover is the first book with the second book, After the Sleepover coming out in December! I can't wait!
Firstly I love Kerry Wilkinsons books. Every book I have read I have loved and The Night of the Sleepover is no exception. It had me hooked from the description alone and once I started it I just could not stop reading and it kept me up well past my bedtime! It kept me guessing and I loved everything about it. I can't wait for the sequel!
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.