Thirdly: I still absorb the revelations about the mystery about those numbers and the reason of Patricia’s madness!

Insomnia: A Novel by Sarah Pinborough, Paperback | Barnes Insomnia: A Novel by Sarah Pinborough, Paperback | Barnes

I want to make clear that had I not had such high expectations for this author, this would surely have probably been more impressive to me. I think a reader who has not read this author's previous work will most likely enjoy this one more than I did. The writing was on par with her previous efforts, and I was undoubtedly intrigued throughout, I just needed my reveal to hurry up and happen! WHAT I ALSO LIKED: The subject matter. As a fellow insomniac, I could definitely relate to the horrible feeling of being unable to sleep and going slightly mad about it. I also know that some people are getting tired of the “is the main character going crazy or being gaslit?” narrative, but I most certainly am still a fan of this trope. I am here for the alternate reality plot lines, and the feelings of claustrophobia and terror, and the creepy dread about one’s one mental health. (Haven’t we all worried at times if we were going a little crazy?) Emma Averell loves her life—her high-powered legal career, her two beautiful children, and her wonderful stay-at-home husband—but it wasn’t always so perfect. When she was just five years old, Emma and her older sister went into foster care because of a deeply disturbing incident with their mother. Her sister can remember a time when their mother was loving and “normal,” but Emma can only remember her as one thing—a monster.Emma Averall is a successful divorce attorney with a loving husband who manages the day-to-day lives of their family as the stay-at-home parent of their two wonderful children. Granted, her husband has been a bit standoff-ish lately as his resentments about not being the money earner have festered. And sure, her teenage daughter has become a closed-off shell of the bright, bubbly girl she used to know and her endearing five year old son has become worryingly withdrawn. But surely with a little time everything will sort itself out. In this twisty, mind-bending thriller from the bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes, Emma Averell worries that her crippling insomnia is a sign that she’s slowly going insane—like the mother she’s worked so hard to leave in her past. Even though two of her books are problematic AF towards the gay community, I still was interested in reading Sarah Pinborough's upcoming psychological thriller, Insomnia. As usual, Pinborough takes her mystery/thrillers to the next level with nods to the supernatural, but this time it's really more of a dash and it works perfectly. And the repetition. It’s been said that the pace is a little slow, I didn’t notice that as I read this mostly (or should I say, listened to it mostly) on audio. I play the speed a bit faster as I like listening to my books like this so maybe that’s why I can’t comment on the slowness. It’s twelve days until Emma Averell’s fortieth birthday which is much more significant to her than most people as it links to her childhood and what happens as her mother approaches forty. Emma is still carrying the trauma of it as it haunts and overhangs her life. We’re on a countdown to her birthday and that’s a rollercoaster ride as we hurtle towards it with a number of serious incidents accumulating and careening Emma to the edge of a mentally destructive precipice. A cruel bout of insomnia exacerbates her state, is she going mad, losing her mind …. Or???

Insomnia: A gripping new crime thriller for 2023 from the No Insomnia: A gripping new crime thriller for 2023 from the No

At 40, her mother went mad and ended up in a psychiatric facility. Emma is just like her mother because she is also the second child. Is she doomed to the same terrible fate? But as Emma’s fortieth birthday approaches, her world begins to shift. Because thirty-five years ago her mother quite literally lost her mind on the cusp of her own fortieth birthday. Even worse, she had spent the first five years of Emma’s life warning her that she would lose hers as well. Now with the date looming, she finds herself unable to sleep and is plagued by terror drenched memories of her childhood. Is her greatest fear of following in her mother’s footsteps actually coming true?I became completely immersed in this story and felt as if I were going crazy along with Emma. I had no idea how this one was going to play out and for once I didn't even try to guess or figure it out. If you pay attention, there is even a nod to Behind Her Eyes at the end of Insomnia. Overall, if you liked Behind Her Eyes then this one will appeal too. It’s well written, a bit different, fast paced with numerous plot twists and turns. Emma’s mother has been a resident of the Hartwell Secure Unit for over thirty years, following a complete mental breakdown on the date of her own 40th birthday. Her symptoms started around the same time, and are eerily similar to Emma’s. Is history repeating itself? Or, is there something far more sinister going on? Ultimately, this story was filled with too many rehashed, overdone stereotypes. Also, characters would appear to be diabolical or ruthless, only to appear lamb-like or "not so very bad" at the end. So exhausting and annoying! And yet, the first part of this book was a riveting read - very reminiscent of the author's earlier efforts. Fourthly: the reason I rounded my 3.5 stars to 4 is THAT AMAZING AND SMART ENDING! If you read “Behind Her Eyes”, you’re gonna adore this part! But you should read the book or watch the brilliant Netflix adaptation at first ( or do both for comparing the differences )

Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough | Goodreads

The conclusion devolved into chaos and it took me a little while to acclimatise to what was revealed. Once I had done so, I could only applaud Pinborough for her repeated ingenuity and the different elements she brings to the genres she pens in. She’s tried so hard to bury the past, to protect her family. But witching hour loves a secret – and Emma’s is the stuff of nightmares . . . When she is accused of murdering her mother, a chain of events is set into motion that threaten to upend Emma’s perfect life.

Publication Order of Tales from the Kingdoms Books

This book was a mixed bag for me because there was a lot to like here, but one or two big things I didn’t like. I’ll approach each in turn. The cover definitely gave off a far more sinister vibe than was ever experienced underneath it, but there was a subtle eerie undertone that dogged all that occurred. This never became a truly horrifying novel but remained an entirely thrilling and intriguing one, throughout. I’ve finally read my first Sarah Pinborough thriller, and it absolutely won’t be my last. INSOMNIA—available today in the US—is one of the most genuinely unsettling and utterly gripping psychological thrillers I’ve read in ages, and it’s sure to be one of my favorite books of 2022. In this twisty, paranoia-inducing tale, a woman anxiously awaits her 40th birthday—but not for the reason you might think. When Emma’s mother turned 40, she lost her mind…and now, as Emma’s own 40th birthday approaches, she begins to fear the very same thing might be happening to her. INSOMNIA is an “unreliable narrator” thriller done right—Pinborough expertly draws readers into Emma’s increasingly terrifying world, where no one and nothing can be trusted, not even Emma’s own mind. This book will keep you on your toes, never quite sure who to trust, and who might be hiding dark secrets. INSOMNIA is a story about what we inherit from our family, and the pieces of those inheritances that we wish we could escape. It’s also one of the most downright entertaining thrillers I’ve read in ages. Clear your schedule and—cheesy as it may be to say, it’s true—prepare to lose sleep over INSOMNIA.