Are You Sleeping is about a woman named Josie who has tried to escape her past. Her father was murdered 13 years ago, her mother joined a cult, and her twin sister Lanie betrayed her. After graduating from high school, Josie began traveling where she met her boyfriend Caleb who knows nothing about her past and together they moved to New York. However, following her mother’s death and the podcast started by the investigative reporter Poppy Parnell that re-opens the case of Josie’s father’s murder, Josie must return to her hometown to confront her family and face her past. The story is told from the viewpoint of Josie, and it also includes transcripts of Poppy’s podcast as well as newspaper articles, Facebook posts, reddit discussions, and tweets. I found that including the social media aspect with the story unique and it highlights how people on social media today will do anything to find out the truth. There are not too many characters to keep track of, and the minor characters are often reintroduced with how they are related to the main characters, which is helpful. Josie is a likable character, but at times she can be a bit frustrating. The other main characters have their own personalities which makes them either likable or unlikable. While I was reading the book, I did not want to put it down, but there were a few slow parts. I also did not figure out the truth until the end when it was revealed. After the story ends, Poppy’s last episode of her podcast neatly wraps up everything and does not leave any questions unanswered. I would definitely recommend this book if you like mysteries and family dramas.

This book was so crazy. Imagine you are riding on a train and you suddenly hear strangers discussing a murder case, a cold case, about your father's murder. One that you have tried to put behind you by changing your name and moving far, far away. That's what Josie tried to do, but Poppy Parnell has opened up that closed door and might have ruined Josie's new life.

I never thought I would like a book like this as much as I did. I thought this was such a good read. Kept me really guessing and wondering what was going to happen.

I finished reading Are You Sleeping last night after a buddy read on it. This thriller was a joy to read. The story follow Josie, a twin daughter of a man who was shot in his own home many years prior while she and her sister were home. The neighbor’s teenage son has been in prison for the crime ever since. A new Serial-esq podcast enters the scene, forcing Josie and her family to relive their past and maybe even uncover the truth. I really enjoyed the mixed media format of inserting the Podcast, Reddit, Twitter, etc. throughout the book. It was interesting to learn the story in the same order that Josie was. I think this format led me to find this book more fun and truly enjoy the act of reading, much more than normal (which is really saying something since I love reading). I saw the ending coming for awhile (as did my buddy), but it was still enjoyable for me to see the characters arrive there. I recommend this book to any fan of Serial and any fan of thrillers. I look forward to seeing what’s next from Kathleen Barber.

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery books for an advanced reader’s copy of this book. ALSO, thank you to Goodreads, Gallery books, and Kathleen Barber for the hardback version of this book. All views are my own.

While the premise sounded very intriguing, it didn't grab me enough to keep going so I ended up putting it down.

RATING: 4 STARS
(I received an ARC from the NETGALLEY)
(Review Not on Blog)

The synopsis of this book had me intrigued! I was one of those people obsessively listening to Serial and watching Making a Murder, etc and felt passionate about the cases. I did think about the victim and their families, but I never thought about what they went through as these shows aired.

Josie Buhrman's father was murdered boy his lover's son, and her mother has joined a cult. Her twin sister and best friend has betrayed her. Now she is living in New York trying to keep her past a secret. Even her fiancé doesn't know her secrets or the truth of who she is. Now a reporter is digging into her father's murder and who really killed him. The podcast is getting popular and it will be a matter of time when she is exposed and her fiancé will know the truth. Then when her mother dies, she is dragged home to face the truth

I liked this book not so much for the suspense but the psychological drama. It was an interesting portrait of a family trying to move on from tragedy and infamy. Barber wrote realistic and flawed characters that are caught up in their self-interest. In the day and age of social media, you cannot hide your secrets, and people feel more entitled to comment and insert their views. This book is still in my mind churning...which makes for a great writing.

I have an embarrassing affinity for reality television programing.

The more salacious the better.

My attachment is so profound that an episode of the cringe-worth Botched was actually playing, on mute, as I gave birth to my second son (Mainly because he was born quite quickly… not because I selected that high-quality program as an appropriate birth-time viewing option).

Though the siren’s call of reality TV is just too tempting for me to resist, I, like many viewers would like to assume, have taken some time to consider the societal ramifications of this type of programing.

What do these programs ultimately do to the people featured on them?

And, perhaps more importantly, what impact do they have to those in the periphery?

Those whose stories are being told – or rehashed – despite the fact that they personally have not agreed to participate in the retelling.

This question is central to Are You Sleeping the stellar debut from Kathleen Barber.

Josie, the protagonist of this novel, has spent the majority of her life trying to escape her troubled past.

She dedicated a meaningful period of time to backpacking around Europe (which is probably the most glamorous and enjoyable way to forget, TBH)

She even traded her tarnished family moniker of Burhman for a brand-spanking-new last name.

Josie had been surprisingly successful in leaving her past behind. That is until a podcast pops up that draws new attention to what is pretty much the most significant incident from her past that she was trying to escape – the murder of her father.

It seemed to Josie that she should be able to put this incident behind her. After all, the crime was solved and a killer convicted.

But though the once-emo-teen neighbor, Warren Cave, still remains behind bars, serving time for this murder, podcast runner Poppy Parnell (a former investigative journalist who I basically pictured as Nancy Grace but younger and ever so slightly less crazy) asserts that Warren is actually innocent and that justice has most certainly not been served.

Unfortunately for Josie, this podcast, catapults to Making a Murderer levels of popularity pretty much overnight.

This leaves her bathed in limelight and forces her to face her complicated past.

You see, unfortunately for Josie, her father’s murder isn’t the only skeleton in her closet.

As you would expect, things weren’t exactly roses and sunshine after his death either.

Following his murder her mother, who always had a precarious grip on her sanity, lost it completely and ran away to join a cult. Meanwhile, her twin sister, Lanie, floated through her teen years in a cloud of drug usage and promiscuity.

Making matters even more complicated (as if it’s not already fucking complicated enough), Josie’s current live-in boyfriend knows absolutely nothing of this past, as she has always told him that both of her parents died in a decidedly benign manner.

So she just needs to prevent him from hearing the podcast, right?

That can’t be that hard.

Well, not quite.

Before Josie can even craft a simple plan like this something-fucking-else happens, literally forcing her to go home and actually face the demons she has, despite her best efforts, failed to outrun.

Complexed and layered, this plot grabs you from the start and – like Josie’s past – hangs on tight.

From chapter one, readers are immersed in Josie’s life and invested in her as a flawed-but-real character.

To my delight, the prose in this novel was beautifully lyrical. This is one of those books that it just feels wonderful to read (which is seriously like the unicorn factor I am always seeking in a book, so thanks for that, Kathleen Barber)

When it comes to faults, I can identify only two.

One is, admittedly, miniscule.

Josie – who works very part time at a bookstore and her boyfriend – who does something Peace-corps-ish – live in New York City in an apartment that, at least it would seem, isn’t super shitty.

I mean, okay… I guess… there was just a part of me (probably the part that was always fearful of becoming a starving artist and literally subsisting on a diet of stale bread and toilet wine) that really questioned whether this level of living would be possible with the level of salaries our protagonist and her gentleman love would be bringing in.

But really, my NYC experience begins and ends with Real Housewives of New York City, so my perception might be a little warped.

My other issue is a bit more significant.

The ending.

Listen, I’ve had the worst luck with endings lately.

And, admittedly, this one wasn’t horrible.

But it also wasn’t amazing.

I felt like the climax just wasn’t quite climactic enough.

As readers, we were going up-up-up on that roller coaster (which felt really good) but then we never went down that big hill.

We just sorta… coasted.

It fizzled.

Which sucked.

That said, however, the ending was logical and the answer to the driving question of “Who done it?” was pretty believable.

It was just that the way in which this key question was answered – and how quickly the book came to a close after – left me wanting more.

Were it not for the ending, this would have easily been a five cocktail read.

As it stands, however, I would still entirely recommend this book. (In fact, I probably will foist it upon friends and unsuspecting strangers for quite a while – especially now that I hear that it will be a movie starring the amazing Octavia Spencer).

All considered, I give it 4 out of 5 cocktails.

The premise of this book had me hooked immediately. I love a good psychological thriller and this was just that. There is murder and mystery and lies and family drama. Though I did enjoy this book, it was easy to predict the outcome due to some unreliable characters, including the main character. There were times when I was very frustrated with how she behaved but given the circumstances I was able to go along for the ride. As the story unravels it just gets more messed up but it is something I could totally see playing out in my minds eye. Overall, I rated this a three star on because I was able to predict the outcome and it did drag along after that. However, it is still a great story and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a little drama and mystery.

4.5 stars
A mystery? Sure. Fast-paced? Yep. Engaging? Absolutely. But more importantly a story about family. What holds us together and breaks us apart. Well done and I will be anxiously waiting for Kathleen Barber's next book.

There were so many things that made me need to pick up and read this book, including the fact that I really enjoyed Ruth Ware's In a Dark, Dark Wood, so having this book compared to that one really got me excited, I've been on the hunt for a truly "twisty, psychological thriller", and including a podcast and the media as key points within that thriller had me intrigued as to just how that would work. Are You Sleeping has such an interesting, unique concept for a thriller and, while I'll admit it wasn't quite as thrillingly paced as I was expecting or hoping, it was quite successful in building a mystery based on an unreliable witness to a murder and keeping me guessing until close to the end.

I have to admit that, in the beginning, I wasn't much of a fan of our main character, Josie Buhrman. What kind of person would start building a new life with someone they profess to love without even telling them their true name? Who would bald-face lie about their parents being dead and then say their aunt had died just so they could go to the funeral of the mother they said had been dead for years? Then I learned just how twisted and dysfunctional the Buhrman family actually was and it was kind of understandable why she, at least early on, didn't tell the truth. Having your father murdered and your mother disappearing to go live with a cult across the country is bad enough. Then having your twin sister - the person you loved more than anyone else and the only person to see what really happened to your father - not only completely shut you out of their life but actively do things to devastate you is almost too much to handle. But when Poppy Parnell (a truly odious character that will exploit anything and anyone for some fame) gets inside Josie's head and forces her to confront the facts of her past, the truth that unravels is even worse, leaving you to question whether it's better to know the truth or to just believe the lie.

Lanie, Josie's twin, is a deliciously unreliable character, which makes you question everything she says and does and therefore leaving you guessing as to what she really saw and what really happened to their father. I won't go into details as to the myriad of ways she betrayed Josie as well as their aunt, but believe me when I say it's pretty bad. She's violent, easily unhinged, and incredibly manipulative. So how can anyone believe anything she says? Therein lies the great mystery and I loved trying to figure out what happened and whether Lanie was actively lying to everyone, telling the truth, or somewhere in between.

I think my favorite aspect of the story was the attention given to Poppy's popular podcast questioning Lanie's statement that she saw the teenaged next door neighbor murder her father and the social media firestorm that results from it. There are snippets of Twitter feeds, Redditt comments, and transcripts of Poppy's podcasts interspersed within the narrative and these aspects ask questions that make the reader think about what the answers might be (which is what gets Josie questioning her sister's statements and actions as well) as well as show you just how vicious outsiders can be when safely commenting and analyzing something that has nothing to do with them. As horrid as Poppy is she is really the catalyst that keeps the story going and the reason they discover the final straw that reveals the truth of what happened that night. I've not read a novel that quite employs media in this way and I really enjoyed it.

My only issue with the story is that it wasn't quite as thrilling as I was expecting. When I think of a twisting, psychological thriller I tend to think of chapters ending in cliffhangers and huge, anxiety-inducing moments that have you on the edge of your seat. This story is more of a slow release mystery that keeps you wondering and guessing, but not a story that makes you race to the finish line.

Are You Sleeping is an inventive mystery that keeps you wondering where the line is between the lies and truths being told. All of the characters are complicated and most are trying to hide something, even if it has nothing directly to do with the murder at the center of it all. I really enjoyed the layout of the story and I'm interested to see if the author uses this same format in future novels. I definitely recommend for those that enjoy mysteries with unreliable characters.

2.5 stars

Here we go again...
I swear, I'll never learn my lesson about reading thriller/suspense books. None of them seem to ever do it for me anymore. After having read so many, all of them now just kinda fall flat.
And Are You Sleeping is no exception to this.

I read this one once the hype had ended, long after everyone else on GR had finished it. These days, I think I'm placing too much importance on hyped-up reviews and doing more than a little wishful reading when it comes to these books. When will I end the self-torture??

I don't have much in the way of good things to say about this one, so I'll cut to the chase.

Are You Sleeping was not creepy, it was not creative, and it was NOT original. While I did not predict the true killer (I RARELY do), it also wasn't much of a shock when it finally was revealed. If you put the pieces together, it's pretty clear from the beginning.

In a nutshell: disappointing.
My advice? Skip this one.



*A copy of this book was provided to me by the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

I loved the format of this book! Starting out with a transcript from a podcast that is looking in to a murder of a well liked college professor from 2002. For fans of the acclaimed podcast Serial, it kept me on my toes until the last page. The true crime vibe hooked me and I could not put this one down!

What would you do if your life is all of a sudden splashed all over a podcast . The life you tried to keep quiet from your boyfriend . That is what has happened to Josie Buhrman . After trying to hide her past and all the craziness that happened after her father was murdered . When a podcaster starts to investigate the murder of her father . This opens a flood gate of emotions and Josie's world starts to fall apart as she heads back to her home town to get to the bottom of lies and misgivings
This book was a really interesting read . Most of the story is told in Josie's point of view and it is her coming to terms with what is happening and has happened . The author also has the point of view from Poppy and the podcasts . It was cool that the author posted them as facebook, twitter and other social media comments . It added a more realistic edge to the book .
The characters were well written but i did have a little bit of trouble connecting with Josie and Lanie . Josie at the beginning felt just a little wimpy . She hid and didn't want to deal but she did redeem herself and grew a back bone . She did have a lot of trauma to work through . She became a stronger person as she worked through everything and everything started to come together . The tension between Lanie and Josie is so deep seated . Josie has so much hatred for Lanie . Lanie is the character you want to shake and say wake up and smell the coffee you are hurting everyone around you . You want to feel sorry for her and hug her but you can't because of all the crap she pulled on everyone when she was younger . Now Poppy you really just want to slap her and tell her to get a life . She is pushy and smug . There are things that she does that are well not really popular with Josie and the family .
The author takes us on an emotional roller coaster ride that will get you thinking about what the media can do . I enjoyed reading this book and the twists and turns were really good . The red herrings thrown in to lead us to other characters where good . But there were a couple of time that i felt it was dragging just a little but not enough for me to put the book down . Over all this is a good book that will take you on the ride of your life . I bet you won't figure it out until the last chapters . So add this book to your Christmas list . It is a really good first novel for this author can't wait to read more from her

I liked Are You Sleeping but I didn't love it. There were some story inconsistencies or circumstances that I had a hard time believing. Overall it was ok but I doubt I'll ever reread it.

The basics: When Reconsidered, a podcast examining the murder of Charles Buhrman, becomes a huge hit, it sends many lives into chaos, including his daughter, Josie, who has done all she can to distance herself from the family after his murder.

My thoughts: Although I didn't love it as much as some people, I was caught up in the podcast Serial several years ago. That podcast inspired the fictional podcast in this novel. Josie narrates this novel, but her narration is intermixed with podcast transcripts, Reddit forums, and Tweets. As a narrator, Josie is frustrating at times. She's not necessarily unreliable, but she doesn't share all she knows (and to do so would ruin much of the suspense.) As a reader, I know I see situations differently when I'm reading a book and looking for clues than I would if it were my life, but it can still be a frustrating experience.

I knew very little about this novel going into it, and I think that's best. As we learn more about Josie and her past, it puts a very human face on pop cultural true crime obsession. In that sense, this novel is partially social commentary and partially an engaging mystery.

Favorite passage: "The truth is never complicated. It’s just the truth. Circumstances may be complicated, but the truth is always black and white."

The verdict: I enjoyed the mixed media elements of this novel the most. The mystery itself was underwhelming at times, but the premise as clever enough to elevate this novel. It's a fun, fast-paced reading experience, but the payoff wasn't as big as I hoped.

Are you sleeping, is novel for this day and age, when reality tv and podcasts are filling the air ways promising to solve cold murders.
I am part of the people that love to listen to them and analyse them. But now reading couple of chapters of this book, I felt embarrassed, these are people life and we enjoying it as entertainment.
The story is written from Josie point of view , Josie need to come back to her hometown after tragedy of her mother suicide. Poppy Parnell investigative reporter starts podcast about the murder of Josie's father, It show us the amount of pressure on the family and how it leads to a lot of revelation about that night and disaster aftermath for the family and for josie and her twin sister Lanie.

Josie Buhrman has a terrific partner to whom she has told rather a lot of lies to. Caleb, with all his Kiwi charm, has been a solid and loving anchor for Josie, separating her from the mess of her family past which included the scandalous murder of her father, and the exit of her mother to a cult like order. Josie has travelled a long way from the mid-western town where she grew up and has set up a good life for herself away from all of the skeletons still festering in her family closet. It has been blissful and soul affirming for Josie to be so far in recent years from her manipulative twin sister Lanie. It is only the death of their mother that draws Josie back to her home town once again to face her twin and the extended family that were called upon many years to care for Josie and Lanie.

The recent publication of a hit podcast blows Josie’s past back into her face with unexpected force and vitriol. The re-examining of the murder of Charles Buhrman brings Josie and her family to the fresh attention of a voracious new content hungry generation who are keen for the thrill and less interested in the damage that was done to the two young children in the house at the time of the murder. The creepy next-door neighbour, convicted all those years ago largely on the evidence of Lanie, is touted to have been wrongly convicted by Poppy Parnell, investigative journalist and podcaster extraordinaire. Josie’s heart slowly begins to break as she is forced to question all she thought she knew about the murder of her father.

Crime fiction readers (and in particular, true crime or audio book enthusiasts) are generally mad podcast listeners also, so as a hook to make us pick up a novel by a new author, this absolutely worked!

Don’t be too fatigued about seeing once again that old trope of good twin/bad twin as it is put to good use in ARE YOU SLEEPING. Its likely readers will get the odd uncomfortable twinge about the twin stereotypes utilized also. One example of this is both twins having, at different times, the same romantic partner, the ability of the ‘good twin’ to forgive all ills for the sake of the blood tie etc. The reader will need to swallow those in order to move on and follow where it is all going. (Any twins out there, don’t groan too much!).

Readers will absolutely want to know the truth and also will absolutely feel empathy for Josie as she does her best to come through the mess without entirely destroying her new life with the (rather darling) Caleb. The toxicity of Josie’s twin Lanie makes her someone you wish the erstwhile Josie would run far, far away from and yet it is in this we are shown once again it is always that family ties which will continue to bind.

ARE YOU SLEEPING is a debut work for author Kathleen Barber. Insidiously adding weight to the past layer by layer, this is an enjoyable thriller with some clever dialogue that will satisfy those readers who not identify with the complexity of family dramas, but appreciate the recent wave of modern thrillers that include them.
Kudos to the book’s graphic designer for the 1970’s pulp fiction cover/s too – love it!

Lately, I’ve fallen into the habit of picking up books, putting them down, and then returning to them days later only to rediscover that the book isn’t as interesting as I’d hoped. The truth is, there is nothing better than having a good book to look forward to reading every day and distract you from your daily mundane activities
In exchange for nothing but an honest review, Gallery Books sent me an E-reader edition of Are You Sleeping by Kathleen Barber. From the very first page, I was hooked. Finally, I had stumbled across a book that I could hardly put down.
Image result for kathleen barberJosie Buhrman has a haunting past. One that she has kept well hidden for the past thirteen years. Ten years prior, her father was murdered by the neighbor next door. Afterwards, her mother ran away to join a cult. Josie and her twin sister, Lanie, are then taken in by their Aunt Amelia.
Josie and Lanie were once the best of friends. But after their father’s’ death, they begin to separate from one another . And when Lanie severely betrays her sister, Josie makes the decision to cut all ties with her. As soon as she graduates high school, she changes her last name, moves to New York, and meets her boyfriend, Caleb.
Throughout their relationship, Josie has fed Caleb nothing but lies about herself, her family, and her past. She tells herself that one day, she will reveal the truth to him. But this day comes sooner than expected when the murder of Josie’s father, Chuck Buhrman, becomes the subject of a mega-hit podcast series called Reconsidered.
In Reconsidered , investigative journalist Poppy Parnell re-opens the Chuck Buhrman case, one that was ‘solved’ years ago. Is the man who was convicted for the murder actually innocent? If so, then who is responsible for the death of Josie’s father?
Highlighting just how quickly rumors can circulate and information can spread through online news and social media, Kathleen Barber puts an interesting spin on your average psychological thriller – incorporating podcasts, news articles, and tweets about the murder. Her novel takes readers on a fast-paced ride – and one that will always keep you guessing.
I will always enjoy a good thriller, but this book has stood out to me in more ways than one. More than an addicting mystery, the novel is also a family drama – as details from their family’s past resurface, Josie is forced to reunite with the sister that she left behind. It’s interesting to see how their relationship progresses through time and how their interactions feed the subplot of the novel. The author incorporates lots of flashbacks and strong characterization that make it possible to truly explore the minds of each character.
Barber has all the makings of a successful author. Are You Sleeping happens to be her debut novel – and I am utterly impressed and highly anticipating her next release. If you’re looking for a great book to read this season, I couldn’t recommend this one more.

Thank you for allowing me to read and review this book. I am just not interested in this book anymore. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Firstly the cover of this novel was one thing that really drew me to it. I thought it was just chilling enough to depict the novels plot.

As for the novel, I found myself a bit disappointed with how the novel turned out to be. I anticipated more intensity and thrill to the novel and I unfortunately didn't receive that. I wish that this novel had a couple more plot points that I didn't expect or brought me to the edge of my seat a bit more.

Gallery Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Are You Sleeping. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Josie Buhrman has tried to erase her past, but she is confronted with the death of her father and the betrayal by her sister because of an investigative reporter with a podcast. When an unexpected tragedy blows Josie's carefully crafted present apart, will she be able to put the pieces of her life back together and put her past to rest at the same time?

Between the podcasts and the posted messages about them, too many pages of Are You Sleeping were devoted to the part of the book that annoyed me. Not only was the "reporter" spouting out false truths without any evidence, but she somehow had the uncanny knack of knowing exactly where to pop up when she was least expected. This set the tone for the rest of the book and pulled the focus away from the central story. Without giving the plot away, I can say that I found there was too much deception on the part of too many individuals in this book. It took away from the realism and dragged the story down. In a genre full of books that have more likeable character and more cohesive plots, I would be hesitant to recommend Are You Sleeping to other readers.