I was not impressed with this book. It was boring and the characters were unlikable. The story started to pick up (I was ready to give this 3 stars) near the end. Yes the ending was a shock but it was just bizarre and unbelievable that I dropped it back to 2 stars. Can't really recommend this one.

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Holly Seddon for a copy of "Don't Close Your Eyes" in exchange of an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. It has many twists and turns which is something I love in a book. I had read Try not to Breathe, and was glad to see this one is as good.

This book started off very good, as though it was preparing you for something just around the corner, but that something just never seemed to happen until you finally get to the end and while it was a good rwist, for me it came too late and was not utilized as intensely as it could have been.

This was a solid psychological suspense book about a dysfunctional family and the outcomes of choices that were made. There was a pretty good twist towards the end that I didn't see coming.

I loved this story of two families whose lives get entangled and the psychological fallout of the relationships formed. Excellent from start to finish!

This book kept my attention throughout and though I was able to guess some of what was coming, there were plenty of surprise twists as well. The writing is good, the characters well-defined, and the story intriguing. A great summer read.

Twin sisters, Robin and Sarah, with sordid pasts have a falling out and don't speak for years. Circumstances put them back in each other's lives and as their pasts catch up with them, they learn things about each other they never expected. Their past experiences turn Robin into a recluse.. not having left her home in years, she spends her time working out and spying on her neighbors. Sarah, the older twin, is ostracized from her husband and has her daughter, Violet, taken from her. Her only hope is to find her sister for some support to get her family back.


The book propels us in alternating chapters through each of their perspectives from past to present. A story of how the effects from their childhoods propel them into their future selves. How every layer of their lives build into a world so deceptive, they're not even sure what's happening. Parents, pay attention and understand your actions always affect your children. Children, do as they say (sometimes) and not as they do!


Definitely a character driven novel, I felt more for Callum than I did for any of the other characters. Psychologically, just about every character has issues. Touching on broken and blended families, physical and mental abuse, twin love and how all actions are felt by everyone around you, the author takes you right into the psyche of child to adult. I wasn't sure where the novel was heading toward for most of the book, but I couldn't stop reading as I needed to know how Holly was going to bring everything together. That ending certainly took me by surprise and the last 15-20% really brought everything two fold.

Thank you Netgalley and Randomhouse-Ballintine for the ARC of Don’t Close your Eyes in exchange for my honest review

Don’t Close Your Eyes is a chilling tale about the fractured relationship between twin sisters Robin and Sarah. Living in their own turmoil, Robin and Sarah as adults are leading completely disparate lives and have been estranged for decades. Robin is a severely introverted, leading her life inside her house and outside vicariously through the windows of her neighbors. Sarah is extremely mild mannered and attractive but has been forced out of her house by her husband leaving a daughter behind. As adults, they find their way back to each other. Can the twins put their lives back together? As we weave through their story dark secrets and dysfunctional relationships are told shedding light on the twins adult personas.

Over the course of the short chapters, the narrative alternates between past and present, between Robin and Sarah. It jumps from first to third person, past and present which was a little difficult to read at first but as I began to understand the structure of the book it flowed seamlessly. I particularly enjoyed Robin’s character and the “Rear Window”-like stories being told from her self-induced captivity. Overall a compelling read with an ending has a twist that you will not see coming. Many details and layers to this book. Highly recommend the book.

3.25-3.5 STARS

While “Don’t Close Your Eyes” is a strangely addictive read, it’s a far cry from the gripping psychological suspense story that it is touted to be. Switching between past and present, it is the story of estranged twin sisters, Robin and Sarah, and the highly dysfunctional upbringing that led to these sisters’ damaged psyche.

As adults, Robin lives her days as a nosy recluse, while Sarah is desperate to hold on to the husband and child she fears she’s lost. After years of separation, Sarah reaches out to Robin for help. But their happy reunion is short lived, when past and present suddenly collide, and secrets finally come to light.

Told in alternating points of view, “Don’t Close Your Eyes” is a story punctuated by loads of family drama. And as such, I found Robin and Sarah’s past to be much more interesting than I did their present—regardless of just how crazy messed up their pasts seemed to be. Despite one revelation that I didn’t see coming, “Don’t Close Your Eyes” was enjoyable but offered few real thrills along the way. That being said, it was a good, overall read, but just not a great one.

I lived and breathed this book for the couple of days it took me to read it. It pulled me in from the very first page and kept me guessing with every page I turned. It was fast paced and twisty turny and the twists were absolutely as good as twists get. It was a fabulous read.

Unraveling the mystery that is Robin and Sarah was what I read this genre for. I loved the surprises, and figuring out why these people have done the things they've done, and just when I think I have it all straight in my mind, well then I discover I really didn't have any clue at all. And I adored that.

I loved these characters, and I detested them, and the ones I thought I loved I discovered I didn't really. It's all such good fun. The characters were so well written and I felt like I truly understood them by the end of the book. Or did I?

I highly recommend this book to everyone who loves fabulously written psychological suspense. If you love a book that messes with your head, this one is for you!

This is not the book to pick up for a quick read before going to bed. You won’t want to turn off the light and go to sleep like you’re supposed to. Instead, like a gawker transfixed by a train wreck, you will find yourself reading far past your bedtime as Don’t Close Your Eyes becomes more than just a title and instead turns into an admonishment you can’t ignore.

She never leaves home. Having gone from international jetsetter to extreme shut-in, Robin Marshall is content to live life vicariously, engrossed in watching her neighbors through the dirty windows of her suburban home. That and the punishing workouts she puts herself through help keep the past at bay. But not completely. She still finds herself sleeping under the bed more than she slumbers in it. She has not spoken to anyone in her family in years. She plans to keep it that way.

That old saying about the best laid plans is about to catch up with her. Sarah Marshall, Robin’s twin, was recently marched out of her home and advised to never return or face the police. The blood. The lies. They will work against her should she go to the law. Determined to regain custody of her beloved daughter, she resolves to get her sister’s help in taking back all that was taken from her.

As Katherine Anne Porter said, “The past is never where you think you left it.” In the case of Robin and Sarah the past is not behind them as they had hoped, but all around them. It influences all they do, think, and feel. For in the past there was a boy, Callum. Close as a brother and once deeply loved by both. A boy whose family was deeply entwined with theirs. That entanglement brought no end of pain to all three children – a pain which should have been laid to rest but never has been.

This is a story of secrets, lies, misunderstandings and big mistakes. Peopled with characters whom you may never love, but whom you will certainly find addictive, it puts its hook in you and doesn’t let you go. Its power lies in two compelling aspects: the first is that the twists and turns give the story an edge of your seat excitement. It’s a complete disaster but it’s one you won’t want to look away from. The second aspect is that each dollop of truth comes just after you’ve bought the lie. The combination makes for a very intense read.

The personalities in the book provide the momentum for this tale. Since childhood, Robin has had the nasty habit of blurting out dangerous truths and stepping where angels fear to tread. Her meddling moves things forward, backward and into places where they weren’t planning to go. Sarah’s good girl façade hides an ability to manipulate people into alarming acts, and her machinations often backfire, leaving great damage in their wake. Callum’s gentle nature makes him the most vulnerable member of the trio and the one most likely to suffer from the repercussions of the problems the girls have caused. Together, they are an explosive combination – and they spend all of their early years together.

Don’t Close Your Eyes is the kind of book that thrusts ordinary people into macabre situations. In this case, simple acts of selfishness set several lives on a disintegrating spiral into some truly dark places. While the book had a slow, if fascinating, start and Robin’s sudden blurting out of the truth often serves as a bit of deus ex machina, these flaws will be forgotten as you become engrossed in a story that twists, turns and plummets to a shocking conclusion.

July is another month full of upcoming psychological thrillers! DONT CLOSE YOUR EYES by Holly Seddon is one of the more anticipated ones. We follow twin sisters, Robin and Sarah, they haven't spoken in years, but when Sarah turns up on Robin's doorstep, all their secrets from their past begin to catch up with them.

Robin and Sarah are twin sisters that lead very different lives. Sarah's husband has kicked her out and won't allow her to see her child. Her past is catching up to her and so are her dark secrets - but she will not lose her daughter - so Sarah goes looking for her sister. Robin is a complete shut in, but her new hobby is spying on her neighbors and meddling with their lives in subtle ways. Her world is flipped upside down when someone from her past comes back into her life.

The story is told in the alternating perspectives of Robin and Sarah - it also jumps from childhood flashbacks to present day. Back in their childhood, the girls made a new friend at school, Callum. The two families get along great until deception tears them apart. The girls are separated - one off to England with their father and the other to the United States with their mother.

Holly Seddon did an incredible job weaving such an intricate story. The short chapters and switching perspectives helps keep the pace throughout the book. Robin and Sarah's childhood is full of secrets, lies, and they are constantly enduring misfortunes. How does Callum fit into all of this? Well, you better start reading to find out!

This was a great domestic and psychological thriller. Seddon perfectly captures family dysfunction and how the effects carry on into adulthood. These characters are so well developed and complex - you love them, you want to know more about them. She laid out the story in a way that made you keep turning the pages, and with the short chapters I found myself constantly saying, "Just one more!".

If you want a good psychological and domestic thriller with one hell of a twist, then I'd highly recommend this one!

I give this 4/5 stars!

A big thanks to Ballantine Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

My rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

This book tells the story of twin sisters Sarah and Robin and also of their dysfunctional family. It is told from the alternating points of view of the twins and the timeline is divided between the present and the past.

The novel is interesting and easy to read, and as you progress it reveals the events that have shaped the characters. The more you read the more you want to know. Callum, the step-brother is completely lovable and became the character I was looking forward to get to know more. Everything was going great until I hit the 91% mark and BOOM: what has just happened? Well, let me tell you I could not stop reading until I finished the book. You'll know what I mean as soon as you read it and get to that part.

This book is very different to other books I've read about twins, in the sense that the twins in the other stories have a hard time being apart from each other for long-periods of time. In this case the twins had been apart for a while.

Overall I really liked this book! I recommend it to all those who love a good story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random house Publishing Group - Ballantine and Holly Seddon for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVED this!!
5+++++ stars!

Tightly woven, character driven, edge of your seat, page turner that is a MUST READ for anyone who loves a good psychological thriller.

Family drama is center stage, told from 2 POV, twins Robin and Sarah. The chapters are short but powerful, bouncing from past to present and covering the same time period, but of course being told from each twin's perspective. This way of unfolding the past and building up the tension to present day was BRILLIANT! So much was revealed each time period, yet there was still so much left untold that kept me riveted.

This is a complex story about families and the relationships within. Love, hate, jealousy, abuse-it's all here. Adults making decisions that forever change the lives of those they care for, even with the best of intentions. These characters are at times weak, pathetic, conniving and self absorbed. Some have scars that won't heal, and emotional damage that oozes out of their pores. Yet even with all of this, the reader can't help but feel the pull of the love that still binds, and the hope they still long for.

This book grabbed a hold of me from the get go and didn't let go until I devoured the last words. This was one emotional journey....one that I recommend everyone needs to experience.

I wouldn't be surprised to see someone buying the rights to this and making it into a movie. I know I'd spend money to go see it!

ARC provided by NetGalley

Sarah & Robin are twins. As a result of their parent's divorce, the two become estranged. But when Sarah is kicked out of her home and denied access to Violet, the only person she feels she can turn to is Robin. For her part, Robin, a former famous musician, has become a paranoid recluse who hasn't left her house in several years and lives vicariously through her neighbors "Rear Window" style. The story is told through two timelines: the twins childhood and the present and in two narratives: Sarah in the first person and Robin in the third person. Ms. Seddon's writing style seductive. For the most part of the book the reader is lulled into a sense of comfort, forgetting that there is a reason Robin is a recluse and Sarah is having problems. Most of the drama is contained in the final 20% of the book and once the reader gets there the story provides a solid startling ending.

Thank you to netgalley for providing me a free copy of DON;T CLOSE YOUR EYES in exchange for an honest review.

Rating this a 4.5. This book took me by surprise. It had family drama, life lessons, suspense, and unexpected twists. I enjoyed every minute of this book, flipping the pages with intrigue and curiosity. Upon approaching the end of the story, I thought the story was winding down, and I was completely wrong. Just when you think you have the story figured out, she throws you for a couple more loops. Edge of the seat, page turning thrills. Do yourself a favor and read this one!

This is not the book to pick up for a quick read before going to bed. You won’t want to turn off the light and go to sleep like you’re supposed to. Instead, like a gawker transfixed by a train wreck, you will find yourself reading far past your bedtime as Don’t Close Your Eyes becomes more than just a title and instead turns into an admonishment you can’t ignore.

She never leaves home. Having gone from international jetsetter to extreme shut-in, Robin Marshall is content to live life vicariously, engrossed in watching her neighbors through the dirty windows of her suburban home. That and the punishing workouts she puts herself through help keep the past at bay. But not completely. She still finds herself sleeping under the bed more than she slumbers in it. She has not spoken to anyone in her family in years. She plans to keep it that way.

That old saying about the best laid plans is about to catch up with her. Sarah Marshall, Robin’s twin, was recently marched out of her home and advised to never return or face the police. The blood. The lies. They will work against her should she go to the law. Determined to regain custody of her beloved daughter, she resolves to get her sister’s help in taking back all that was taken from her.

As Katherine Anne Porter said, “The past is never where you think you left it.” In the case of Robin and Sarah the past is not behind them as they had hoped, but all around them. It influences all they do, think, and feel. For in the past there was a boy, Callum. Close as a brother and once deeply loved by both. A boy whose family was deeply entwined with theirs. That entanglement brought no end of pain to all three children - a pain which should have been laid to rest but never has been.

This is a story of secrets, lies, misunderstandings and big mistakes. Peopled with characters whom you may never love, but whom you will certainly find addictive, it puts its hook in you and doesn’t let you go. Its power lies in two compelling aspects: the first is that the twists and turns give the story an edge of your seat excitement. It’s a complete disaster but it’s one you won’t want to look away from. The second aspect is that each dollop of truth comes just after you’ve bought the lie. The combination makes for a very intense read.

The personalities in the book provide the momentum for this tale. Since childhood, Robin has had the nasty habit of blurting out dangerous truths and stepping where angels fear to tread. Her meddling moves things forward, backward and into places where they weren’t planning to go. Sarah’s good girl façade hides an ability to manipulate people into alarming acts, and her machinations often backfire, leaving great damage in their wake. Callum’s gentle nature makes him the most vulnerable member of the trio and the one most likely to suffer from the repercussions of the problems the girls have caused. Together, they are an explosive combination - and they spend all of their early years together.

Don’t Close Your Eyes is the kind of book that thrusts ordinary people into macabre situations. In this case, simple acts of selfishness set several lives on a disintegrating spiral into some truly dark places. While the book had a slow, if fascinating, start and Robin’s sudden blurting out of the truth often serves as a bit of deus ex machina, these flaws will be forgotten as you become engrossed in a story that twists, turns and plummets to a shocking conclusion.

Buy Now: A/BN/iB/K

This story of twins with very different personalities and different mental illnesses was very interesting. Musician Robin, petite with dark hair, suffers from OCD and possibly a paranoia that keeps her locked inside her home. Her entertainment is watching the neighbors through their windows, a la Hitchcock’s “Rear Window”. Her tall, fair sister Sarah is struggling with losing her daughter.

The story goes between the two sisters and between their childhood and the present time. Although this might be a method not appreciated by some, I thought it was an effective way to tell the story.

I enjoyed this book and will recommend it to others.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1825264851



"...should have said 'which lies' because there were so many. They'd spilled out of me like blood."

"Don't Close" took me completely by surprise, only because it was so very different from "Try Not to Breathe." Two estranged sisters, twins no less, who suffer through a very strange childhood along with a neighbor friend, come back to each other in the end, one of desperation and the other because she really has no choice. Took some time to get into but once I did, I was hooked. Nice surprise at the end, that I did not see coming, and that's always a pleasant occurrence.