Don't Close Your Eyes

I thoroughly enjoyed Holly Seddon’s debut novel Try Not to Breathe (review here) and when I saw on Twitter that her new book Don’t Close Your Eyes was being read by some bloggers obviously my FOMO kicked into action and being me, I messaged Holly and her lovely publishers sent me a copy via Netgalley to read. Don’t Close Your Eyes grabbed me by the throat from page one and kept me gripped until the very last page. With short chapters alternating from past to present and fascinating characters I didn’t just read this book I think I may have inhaled it as I read it so quickly. This is a fabulous twisted and dark story which will keep the readers guessing throughout and certainly will delight all fans of psychological thrillers.

Yet another five star winner from this author! Twisty and fast paced right from the very first page. One of the best books so far this year.

Extremely well written, this tightly crafted psychological thriller hooked me in instantly and was a really satisfying read. Using short, multiple voice chapters and spot on characterisation to create a wonderful sense of tension and building intrigue, this book is destined to be a huge success.

I really enjoyed Holly Seddon’s first novel Try Not to Breathe, so was delighted to have to chance to read her latest offering Don’t Close Your Eyes. Seddon does not disappoint in this gripping psychological thriller. Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for my copy of Don’t Close Your Eyes in exchange for an honest review.

The story revolves around two families, and in particular, twin girls Robin and Sarah Marshall. The twins couldn’t be more different, Sarah, blond and beautiful like her mother, always eager to please, and Robin, a dark haired, rebellious, outspoken child.

The narrative alternates between present day Manchester, England, and the mid-nineties when the Marshall family meets the Grangers. The Grangers have an only son, Callum, a sensitive boy who seems terrified of his father. Although they come from quite different income brackets, the families get along so well that soon they are spending weekends at each other’s houses.

In the present day, we find Robin and Sarah estranged, Robin who has not left her apartment for years, spends her days spying on the neighbours. Sarah appears to have been forced out of her home by her husband, leaving behind her young daughter.

As we go back and forth in time, the twisted family dynamics are slowly revealed, and the disturbing relationships between the growing children and the parents become more and more complex and entangled.

A LOT happens in the final chapters of this novel, so be prepared to stay up late! I loved the way Seddon keeps the reader guessing right up to the very end. Thanks, Holly Seddon for this great read!

My Review for Don't Close Your Eyes!

Robin and Sarah are Twins non identical twins, they are very different they have their own personality and their own journey, the story is told in the past & the present in the narrative of Robin and Sarah

Robin and Sarah are young girls growing up with there mum and dad in what they thought was a happy loving family home, the twins couldn't be more different from each other but there love and bond with each other at there young age shows, they become friends with young boy called Callum and his family and they hit it off and soon start to spend a lot of time together spending weekends at each others home but what starts as fun times with family's getting together and Robin,Sarah and Callum having fun turns in to something much different that will change all there lives forever for better or worse something that will tear the twins apart and and change there family's forever and there futures!

this story is about Robin and Sarah's journey but i also think its about Callum's too even though he doesn't have a narrative part he features in the heart of this story and is a crucial part of Robins journey and maybe to some point even Sarah's... i loved this book from the moment i Started reading it but i don't want to say to much about "Don't Close Your Eyes" because i don't want to give to much of the Story away.. this book deals with many hard topics mental health,pregnancy,homosexuality also Drug abuse! this book and story is very special to me because i can relate to Robin's journey in her adult years its something that ill not say in my review but when you read the book you will understand i felt i could understand Robin to the point i could feel her in my heart and brought a tear in my eyes because i could understand i could feel her fear something that's hard to talk about but Holly Seddon has clearly done her research on mental health issues and has told this sensitively along with other issues in this book and i thank you Holly Seddon for bringing this topic and other issues in this story!

"Don't Close Your Eyes" is a highly addictive compulsive unputdownable book that has so many Twists that you genuinely will not see coming and will have you shouting at the book re-reading it saying OMG did that just happen? it will shock you! Holly Seddon has this ability to have the reader hooked real you in and don't let go till you have read the very last word on the page! if i could rate this book more then 5 star's i would rate it 10 star's!
thank you to the publishers & Netgalley for my copy but thank you Holly Seddon for writing this story you have no idea how much this story and Robin mean to me thank you!

I loved this book! Thoroughly enjoyed the writing style, characters and time zones. A real page turner. Fabulous!

I enjoyed this book. I thought the book allowed all the different voices of the characters to shine through. I enjoyed the twist at the end and thought overall the book was well written.

A readable gripping dark tale which I had to continue reading. Suspense, complex twins in a life changing plot.

This is the story of fraternal twin sisters and how their family interacts with another family with consequences for all of them. It was told in chapters alternating between Sarah and Robin's points of view and from past to present. It builds up really well, making compulsive reading as events unfold slowly. The surprises at the end are multiple and all is revealed satisfactorily. The characters of feisty Robin and compliant Sarah are well-drawn, as is Callum, but the parents are all rather passive in the dramas that unfold. The climax is a little far-fetched, and the way that all of the facts are finally revealed, largely through phone calls, is a little too easy.
However, it kept me so engrossed that I had to force myself to put the book down and save it for later. Highly recommended.

I would like to thank Atlantic Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Don’t Close Your Eyes’ by Holly Seddon in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Robin and Sarah are twins although they aren’t similar in any way. When their parents separate and each take a daughter to live with them, the two girls miss each other despite Robin having her step-brother Callum to share the home with.
Robin plays in a band until she becomes agoraphobic and unable to leave her house where she paces the rooms day and night thinking someone is trying to break in. Sarah has everything she ever wanted – a loving husband and baby daughter Violet – but things aren’t what they seem.
‘Don’t Close Your Eyes’ is beautifully written novel of a family with secrets, it has intriguing characters, last minute twists and turns and an unbelievable ending. This is a novel not to be missed.

Awesome book! I loved the storytelling timeline device used and it kept me glued. TONS of twists and turns, and the last section was so fast paced my eyes were spinning. I recommend this one for sure!

I loved this book from start to finish. It was quite a slow burner but still very enjoyable to read. It was told from different narrators at different timelines but this was easy to follow and added to the story. Some parts were quite sad and upsetting but it was certainly full of twists. Would definitely recommend.

What a brilliant novel by Holly Seddon! This book is a sensitively but utterly gripping tale, following the lives of complicated, poignantly real characters, spanning two time-frames. I loved so much about this book: the clever little details in the parts set in the 1990s (references to Roseanne and video shops), the homage to Rear Window. Five stars!