This has been an incredibly difficult book for me to rate because, although I can tell the concept and writing is quite brilliant, it just wasn't my taste.

I was initially drawn to the stunning cover art, and then when I read that it was about insomnia I was instantly hooked as I have been medically diagnosed with that myself. But although I certainly relate to the nocturnal mind wandering, which does indeed take me to some weird places, mine is of such a different nature that I couldn't relate to this book. One passage describing the post mortem breaking down of her cousin's body after burial was a little too detailed for me. Perhaps I'm more squeamish than I thought!

I've gone for the middle road in my rating because, although this book isn't for me, I think it may be perfect for others.

This book paints a graphic picture of the enormous burden it is to have chronic sleep problems. The author's torment is detailed and it's hard not to feel the anxiety that she feels. For anyone who has had trouble sleeping, it is easy (and somewhat haunting) to relate to. She also expounds upon contemporary factors playing a role in her troubles. I would recommend this book to anyone who has struggled with anxiety in any form as the author's writing makes it easy to connect to her experiences.

Quirky and interesting. A sort of stream-of consciousness look at a life without sleep. If it had been a dry, well-organized presentation of the experience, it my have taken away from the premise, as strange as that may sound.

However, it seemed as if the author was able to function reasonably well, and this confused me. I would have liked to read of the daily, physical effects. Did she drag through the day? Did she find she could hardly keep her eyes open at odd times? Did she have a sleep study done? When I read that she had published five or so novels, it struck me that she wasn't suffering as much as one would think. It's my understanding that sleep deprivation leads to hallucinations and even psychosis, so it felt as if something were missing in this story.

Still, I wish the author sweet dreams! I hope the problem is now resolved.

What first caught my attention was the cover. Then the title. Then the description.
I have personally had many difficulties with sleep throughout the last couple of years. Some nights I will lie awake for hours before finally sleeping, other nights I will sleep relatively fast, but wake up many times throughout the night, and other nights (luckily these are rare) I will lie awake all night, staring into the darkness, feeling myself slowly going crazy from the lack of sleep.
I am frustrated, for sure, but I can't imagine what it would be like to not sleep at all many nights in a row.
Anyways, I felt like I could relate to the topic, and I'm glad I got to read this.
The writing was really good, beautiful at times, funny at other times, and I often found myself giggling while reading. I also ended up marking several parts that I really liked, and wanted to be able to find and read again. As I said, the writing is great, and the layout of the book was slightly chaotic, and stream-of-thought like, which makes sense, not only because it's a sort of "essay", but also because it chronicles the way your thoughts will jump and stray throughout nights of sleeplessness
Overall a super enjoyable read, although it managed the make me own anxiety about death and loss spike up (which I suppose can be both positive and negative)

I wish that someone would have told me that this is a stream of consciousness novel, in which full sentences are not used and punctuation is not perfect. For this reason, I was unable to feel pulled into the book. It is a very short read, but I was still unable to finish it. Thank you to the author for continuing to voice the effects of insomnia, but this book just was not for me.

With a creeping sense of existential dread, The Shapeless Unease is a collection of run-of-consciousness essays that touches on everything from life and insomnia, to the inevitable death of loved ones. Written in a semi-diary style, this novel is haunting and feels a little like we're seeing the author at her most vulnerable and fatalistically humorous. Raw and real, this short collection is brutally honest while still being full of hope for the future.

A special thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

You can certainly FEEL the sleeplessness that’s the author experienced, the madness that creeps in after days with no sleep. At one point it’s said that “writing replaced sleep” and you can completely feel that throughout the book.
How the mind circles, replays and twists things. How hard it can be for doctors, therapists, and friends to support someone who is really not sleeping. Sleep is something we tend to take advantage of!
I will say currently the format made it a little hard to follow but it is still an I corrected proof. Everything sort of blended together and was hard to follow through the kindle app on my phone. But I’m sure with the final version all of that, and capital letter, things like that will be sorted out.
As a child therapist I love reading books that really let you into the mind of other people with extraordinary circumstances.

A unique quirky raw open honest look at the authors year of not sleeping.a year of insomnia.Insomnia is something that effects almost everybody at different times .The authors was non relenting.She share with us in lyrical form her search for sleep our desperate need for these hours to restore. a diary of her search for this basic human need.A really fascinating entertaining read.#netgalley#groveatlantic