Sarah Pinborough’s Insomnia reads like a fever dream … except no one is sleeping in this unsettling, chaotic thriller. A mash-up of horror, suspense, and mystery, Insomnia is the stuff of nightmares. When a woman is unable to sleep in the days leading up to her fortieth birthday, her life spirals downward into a dark, hallucinogenic web spun around family scandal and secrets.

Second child Emma Averell has heard all of her life that she was going to go mad on her fortieth birthday. After all, her mother, a second child herself, went crazy the night of hers, nearly killing Emma’s older sister Phoebe, and thus finding herself committed to a mental institution for the rest of her life. Going mad is their family’s second child curse, and according to Emma’s mother, it is most certainly her destiny.

As the days draw nearer to Emma’s fortieth birthday, she finds her life falling apart. Suffering from night insomnia, Emma finds her days becoming more erratic as she nods off her and there due to staying up all night. Pretty soon, her family is accusing her of things she swore she never did, and her boss and clients are calling her out on her subpar performance. But Emma certainly could not have done the things of which she is being accused! Could she?

With her birthday bearing down on her, Emma tries to uncover the secrets of her mother’s past and her own upbringing in an attempt to bring sense and order to her life. Is she truly destined to lose her mind, or is something more sinister at play?

Insomnia is my first Sarah Pinborough book, and I found her writing style to be totally compelling and readable! Pinborough is deft at spinning this story so that the reader feels just as disoriented and off kilter as protagonist Emma - I couldn’t look away from this wild ride as I held on for dear life!

I’ll admit that I was hoping for something a bit more unconventional for the conclusion’s big twist. While many parts of the ending were clever and it wasn’t entirely unsatisfying, I felt like some characters slipped too easily into their appointed roles.

Sarah Pinborough's novels are known for their originality and willingness to take narrative risks, and while this book is no exception, it presents a mixed reading experience. On the positive side, Pinborough's writing remains addictive and unique, with a disjointed style that effectively immerses readers in the mind of an insomniac protagonist. The subject matter of insomnia and the exploration of themes surrounding mental health add depth to the narrative, offering a relatable and compelling journey for readers.

However, despite these strengths, the execution falls short in some aspects. The pacing in the first half of the book feels unusually slow, lacking the breakneck twists and suspense typically associated with Pinborough's work. Additionally, while the plot twists are present, they may feel predictable to seasoned readers of the author's work. Despite these shortcomings, Pinborough's writing skill and inventive ideas shine through, making this novel a worthwhile read for fans, even if it doesn't reach the heights of some of her previous works.

This book has a great twisted ending! I love psychological thrillers and this author continues to deliver!

Insomnia had me curious for most of the story. I wasn't afraid of what was coming, but I wanted to know what was making the lead character go crazy. Even after the book ended, I still don't feel that the source of her insanity was completely cleared up. There were a few twists and turns, but most were easy to predict. I wouldn't label this as a typical thriller. It definitely didn't have enough suspense for me.

I have been reluctant to pick up another Sarah Pinborough book after the fantastic Behind Her Eyes because I loved that one so much I was afraid I wouldn’t like another book of hers as much. While Insomnia isn’t quite as shocking as Behind Her Eyes it is still an excellent, suspenseful read that I did not guess the ending of ahead of time. I could not put it down, I had to know how it all ended before going to bed.

Is she crazy like her Mother? Is turning 40 going to make her go crazy? Read the book to find out!

**Thsnks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc I received in exchange for honest review.**

Insomnia was heavier than expected. I ended up not finishing this book for various reasons. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Firm 3.5 on this one.
I, at first, thought I was gonna be scared because this effects her sleep and since I suffer from insomnia, I didn’t need any help in staying awake. Then I thought it was gonna be about sleep walking and that really terrifies me. I was wrong on both parts…

LIKES:
1) fast paced
2) closure, not left with that what if feeling
3) some magical realism
4) it felt like The Good Sister
5) unreliable narrators are fun

DISLIKES:
1) I hate when the characters make or try to make the main character feel like they are crazy. It’s triggering for me because I feel like intuition is real and when people constantly tell you you’re wrong or over reacting it’s upsetting.

Emma feels she is losing her mind.
She's losing track of time, she finds herself being accused of things she didn't do and her relationship with her family is falling apart.
A successful attorney, Emma is afraid she has inherited the same illness that drove her mother crazy and in a final, horrible act, caused her to be locked up in a mental institution. But no one believes her when she insists that someone else is doing these these things, not her. Not even her sister Phoebe, who of all people should understand.
As time is running out, Emma has to discover what is behind all these things that she is supposedly doing. When the author reveals the truth, it ends up being a little bizarre and a tad unbelievable. This doesn't take away from the plot or the rush to find out the truth, however. It would make a really good limited series on Netflix. I

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have only read Behind Her Eyes. I really, really liked it until that twist ending. Then I just rolled my eyes. I'm not sure how I feel about Insomnia. I did not like the first half, as I felt it dragged on too much. I did not like the ending and things felt rushed and impractical and unbelievable.

This was a miss for me. I don't find myself recommending her books or thinking back over what I read - it just was.

I am a huge fan of Behind Her Eyes, so I was looking forward to reading this twisty thriller and it definitely delivered. There were some confusing parts in the timeline, but the ending was great!

The anxiety in this book made me anxious! I love when a story can do that. It’s fast paced with lots of twists. Definitely enjoyed this one,

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough is WIILD guys, I loved how twisty it was and Emma has so much anxiety that it made ME anxious. I really liked the mystery of this story and trying to figure out what Emma's 40th birthday would bring, and I spent the entire time wondering if there were some mental health issues at play. Even though I listened to the audiobook, I did find this to be a bit on the slower side, but not so slow that it lost my attention. There was some suspense that felt like it could have a supernatural spin which in turn made this a fairly creepy read as well. I felt really bad for Emma as she slowly seems to lose her sanity due to her insomnia, and I can’t even imagine going through that! I need my sleep, and if I were not getting any I would turn into a complete mess which she kinda does. It starts to affect everything from her relationships to her job, and I wanted to make her take some sleeping pills.

There are some pretty unlikeable characters, not to mention Emma’s husband Robert. He may be “perfect”, but I spent the whole book having doubts about him, and Emma did make for a pretty unreliable narrator in general, so I didn’t really know who to trust either. The audio is narrated by
Sarah Durham and I really liked her for the voice of Emma. I thought her performance was great and I had no qualms with the audiobook at all. I think it also did a nice job of keeping the pace going for me, so I would recommend it if the pacing were a concern for you. I didn’t notice the repetition that other readers did which is saying something since that would normally drive me crazy. I didn’t know how it would end and loved that I didn’t figure out the who OR the why. Pinborough did such a wonderful job building the anxiety and sleeplessness through the book, and I would say you must pick it up if you enjoy feeling exactly what the characters are feeling.

I really enjoyed this one! I was intrigued and it kept me guessing. It was fast paced and the twists were good. A solid thriller! I definitely recommend!

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. Is Emma's insomnia causing her to lose her mind like her mother did on the eve of her 40th birthday? Is madness and insomnia inherited? Or is someone messing with her and her family to make her think that way? Emma wants to make sure she keeps her successful life and keep her past away from her new life, but can she with everything that is going on and since she can't sleep. This was a great thriller with a good twist at the end, as we've come to expect from Pinborough and she does not disappoint.

This is a new to me author and I have to say I am looking forward to reading more by this author! I loved this book

This book was alright. I kept waiting for the big twist and getting suspicious of different characters. The "big twist" when it came seemed kind of random. I also thought the added "supernatural" element to the situation made the story weaker.

A bit down-the-middle for me, and I quickly guessed the twist. I liked the concept of a woman who can't sleep slowing losing her mind, but not sure it ever landed for me. Also I didn't really understand the significance of the epilogue (guessing it ties back to another Pinborough thriller). Appreciate you approving the request.

Good plot about a woman who suffers from insomnia on the run-up to her 40th birthday. Her fear is that she will go crazy just like her mother did on her 40th birthday when she tried to suffocate the woman's older sister. The last part of the book is a little disappointing when the reasons for her mother's insomnia become apparent. A little far fetched for my liking.

I so get how insomnia can wreak havoc on your mind so I thought I would relate more to this book. I’m not sure if I am super observant but the group I buddy read this with kept mentioning all the twists were revealing themself but I didn’t really notice any twists. I pegged the who, but I am pretty good at that usually, and of course no one could guess the why. It was a good book but I had expected it to knock my socks off so, it was a little bit of a let down for me.

This one may be more me than the book.

I enjoyed this read. It was unrealistic, but for someone who is willing to suspend reality, this book can be fun. It definitly will not be for everyone, though. The characters were a bit unlikeable, so I wasn't as invested in their outcomes as I could have been. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes bizarre, otherworldly type reads.