Are You Sleeping by Kathleen Barber---3 star

I finished the book, which means it was a decent book, as most I cannot get further than 10% when the adolescent writing skills of the author completely derail me. This is not the case here; on the other hand it is not a memorable book. For some reason, checking through my notes, I’m hard pressed to remember many details of the plot, although the few notes that I made were complementary. They were:

Good use of 1st person narrative writing

Very inventive to use a chat room and Twitter to convey information and advance the plot.

I did note that characterizations in general were superb, especially of Josie.

If you haven't listened to Serial or any of the other popular crime podcasts that delve into different crimes you are about to get a first hand look into what they can do. Josie and her twin sister don't speak anymore but after a podcast starts delving into her fathers murder her life gets turned upside down.

This is an interesting mystery with passages from the podcast thrown in here and there. Poppy Parnell's podcast is a bit more tabloid than the real crime podcasts I've listened to but it worked for the book. As the issues between Josie and her twin Lanie unfold you start to wonder what happened to Lanie that she took such a different turn. All of the characters are really well developed with the exception of Poppy who seemed more of a caricature than an actual person. Every horrible tabloid reporter was rolled into her character leaving her too unrealistic. I found that I wanted to know more about Josie and Lanies mother who seemed crazy even before all this madness went down. So I'm sure there would be a good backstory there.

This is Kathleen Barber's first book and it is a hit. The premise is refreshing and the writing simple and fast paced but the characters well developed. Overall a very well done read. I can't wait to see what else comes from this author.

Twelve years ago, a teenager was convicted of murdering his neighbor, based almost solely on the testimony of one of the victim's young daughters. In the present, a blogger has reopened the case through a popular podcast, stirring up all kinds of trouble.

The premise will be familiar to anyone who's seen the resurgence of true crime podcasts and TV shows, such as Serial and Making a Murderer. This familiarity makes the book compelling and addicting, but by the end, it unfortunately didn't live up to my expectations. The ending felt a bit rushed, and some of the plot points were a bit predictable. However, it was an entertaining read that I think fans of true crime podcasts and TV shows will enjoy for the different take/perspective.

A takeoff on "Dead Letters", with crumbs of "The Girl I Used to Be".

But despite the familiar story — and obvious whodunit — I kept reading! The narrative voice is that strong.

Everything including the kitchen sink is packed into the family drama, yet it works.

Readers of "Six Stories", "The Life We Bury", and/or "The Lost Girls" should enjoy it.

. . . I wonder if there'll be a followup book featuring Rita Skeeter, er, I mean, Poppy Parnell? If so, I'm in!

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the advance reader copy.

I've recently really gotten into true crime podcasts, so when I read the description of Are You Sleeping, I was really interested in reading it. And Barber did not disappoint. I loved the way it was set up, with excerpts of the podcast, tweet screenshots & Reddit posts. The story read just like many podcasts I've listened to, which was amazing. I loved how Barber kept me on edge throughout the whole book & how everything tied together in the end. Great writing & a great story... Loved it!

Barber is ready to take you on a psychological ride as she tells Josie Burhman's story, bringing the past and the present together, as the daughter of the man murdered by a neighbor must face it all over again. Josie built a new life with partner Caleb who doesn't even know who she really is, But lies will catch you and she must now face the past, her estranged sister, and go back to her family upon the death of her mother. That is the mother who run off to join a cult 13 years before after the death of her husband. The question is, as the popular podcast upon which the story is told, who really did kill Chuck Burhman. A great mix of past and present to bring you to the twisted conclusion.

This book kept me up, I couldn't put it down till I finished the entire thing. It was a very suspenseful whodunit thrill ride.

Are You Sleeping by Kathleen Barber starts a little slow, it took me a little while to become invested in the story and caring about the characters. Some twists and surprises. I received an early copy to review.

This was a good thriller. It was an interesting plot and kept me interested. The characters really made this a good story. I wasn't in love with the ending, but I also didn't hate it. Overall, if you like thrillers, this one should be on your list!

Great read; easy & fast - very enjoyable! I appreciate the opportunity!

You can't escape your past forever, it always will come back to haunt you, as Josie found out. I cannot wait for more from this author! If you are a fan of thrillers, this is a must-read for you!

A great book that got me more interested and sparked my curiosity more as the story line goes on. I really found the relationship between Josie and Lanie to be very interesting and complicated. I liked that the author was authentic with the years of history between them and didn't try to wrap everything up in a nice neat bow. The storyline was intriguing and I would recommend as a great mystery read.

Really enjoyed this thriller. Author was great at building suspense and keeping the plot moving at a good pace. I was hooked immediately. The ending was somewhat predictable but the book for me was more about the journey getting there. Quite suspenseful and great character development! Thank you to publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this story in exchange for an honest review.

This is an OK read, it is a fast read and a good psychological thriller about a mega-hit podcast that reopens a murder case and the people involved 13 years ago.

The past is never in the past. For this book, it has come back, as it always does. The interest of this book is that two sisters are the main characters. It's current, podcasts and tweets and all kinds of social media are involved. It opens up old wounds and starts the past moving into current time. It's fast paced enough to keep you reading, and has a satisfying enough ending.

My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is left of my own free volition.

Well paced, character driven psychological thriller. A podcast by an investigative journalist raises questions about a 13 year old murder. The victim's estranged twin daughters are thrown back together as their testimony convicting a neighbor of the crime is challenged. Strongly recommended.

I have really enjoyed listening to serial podcasts the last couple years, so I thought it was a great idea to write a book surrounding a podcast. This book quickly grabs the reader and the story told with a combination of narrative, tweets, reddit threads with comments, and excerpts from the podcast works really well to move the story along. And move along for me it did, until the end, where lots of years ago events and memories had to come together to lead to a conclusion that I had pretty much suspected for the last 30% of the book. I think a lot of readers will enjoy the book, and if would recommend this to podcast and social media users looking for a quick and overall enjoyable summer read.

A real roller coaster ride,couldn't put it down.characters are well developed and the plot moves along nicely

Good read. It is interesting to see what the internet and todays tech can do to involve everyone in someone else's life.

This was a great read. I couldn't put it down. I love the way the author worked the blog and twitter format into the book. I would highly recommend this book !