This was a hell of a read, in the best kind of way. We zoom in on an investigative reporter in a post pandemic world (only this time the pandemic has eliminated the need for sleep for the infected population), and his boss’ suspicious death, which slowly spirals out into his being caught in a larger conspiracy. The world building can feel a bit info dumpy at times, but honestly, it’s incredibly thorough and thought out, especially out to the environmental scale of changes as a result of a good chunk of the populace no longer being able to sleep and the resulting resource consumption. It also focuses on mental health and trauma, which is not something you normally see in sci fi mysteries like this. There’s also lots of ethics questions involved and biohackers, which always makes things fun. Our main is also a bisexual mess, which, big mood. The end gets a bit “tell don’t show” for me personally, but Manibo makes sure that you understand what’s going on as everything wraps. I’ll definitely have my eyes out for his next book.

The atmosphere of this book is the main thing going for it -- it's surreal, captivating, holding the reader suspended in its promise of something lurking beneath the surface, but ultimately it doesn't feel like there is much there (and not in a self-aware way). The characters and plot didn't hold much water despite the premise, which is good for starting a conversation but not necessarily for exploring it deeper.

Really interesting concept of a book that touches on a futuristic world ravaged by a virus that makes people unable to sleep. The story follows Jamie Vega, a journalist working at a popular tv station, who walks in on his bosses corpse one morning. Jamie, a sleepless person himself, dons his journalistic cap and starts to believe that this "suicide" isn't as simple as it appears. In addition, Jamie is battling gaps in his own memory about his interaction with his boss the night prior to his death and is sure that those memories could hold the key to the whole story.

The story really combines lots of genres, from sci-fi, mystery and thriller. The author also touches on a lot of different themes from the pandemic, equality, grief, suicide and queerness. I particularly connected well with Jamie's journey and some of the twists kept me invested throughout. Definitely recommend this book for those who enjoy a good genre-bending story.

This was a suspenseful, thought provoking thriller placed not too far into the future where some people have become Sleepless. I loved the detailed world building and social commentary woven into the paranoid plotting of this story. You don’t need to know much more than the synopsis, the less you know the better, but fans of Blake Crouch and Rob Hart will love this one for its contemplation of the role of tech in our lives and the action packed sci-fi flair.

Not sure exactly how to categorize this book: near future pandemic of sleeplessness, mystery, thriller? The best part of this book is the premise of a pandemic of sleeplessness with no obvious other side effects and what this means for people, society, and the future of a resource-strained planet. Off of this premise we have the story of Jamie, a sleepless journalist, a murder he may or may not be involved in, a cast of supporting characters he may or may not be able to rely on, and an obligatory evil corporation. I didn't feel particularly connected to the characters, but the plot moved along well enough and the premise is interesting enough that I will be recommending this to patrons who I know will enjoy this mix of genres.

The Sleepless is a speculative sci-fi, half dystopian story about a sub community called The Sleepless (pretty self explanatory). Sleeplessness is many things but among them an illness, or a defect, or a blessing to some if may argue; but the book deals with the question of how Sleepless came to be and the ploy behind it, through the narrator's voice, Jamie Vega, a sleepless investigative journalist.

At first chops, I feel a little confused at following the timeline and the writing seems a little too descriptive. But as it went on, it's exactly what the book needed.

Let's talk twist: nothing mind blowing, plot twist lovers probably see it miles away (I don't), but I don't think Manibo intend for it either. But a note for those who care a lot about plot revelations.

The world building was above decent, it keeps me intrigued by the new, post-Sleepless pandemic society that is the setting of the story. The characters introduced contribute to the story just right, I just feel like overall the book was done right. Nothing too much & excessive or lacking & less than needed.

As Jamie struggle through his entrapping puzzled situations, he also learn to proceed his lost, his (arguably poor) choices, the people he trusted and their relationship and of course, moral dilemma of why he do what he felt he should do and making peace with it.


Speculative fiction isn't my most go-to genre, but I enjoyed this one, I believe others will find it a nice introduction & gateway to the genre too. Great read, worth the time & money you'd spend for it (luckily saved by Erewhon Books providing me with an eARC in exchange for this honest review!)

An interesting and unique take on the cyberpunk genre, complete of course with a damning indictment of late-stage capitalism that really marks the sci-fi genre. Filled with compelling characters, especially the protagonist, whose strong voice booms through with conviction and determination. The mystery aspect also kept me guessing until the very end. The Sleepless truly made for excellent reading!

I thought the idea behind this book was really interesting., and somehow not that difficult to imagine. I wish I had liked the central character a bit more, I found him to be a bit dull. Also the pace of the book wasn't snappy enough for me. Not a bad book, and I wouldn't want to put anyone off reading it, but not outstanding for me either.

Everything in the central plot of the book held me in a surreal way: the mystery, the main character investigating, the technology of this future, and the pandemic and its consequences. The book develops the protagonist so well without being a hero without flaws but how he himself with flaws does his best to be able to live and overcome everything he went through that still affect his mental health. A true psychological dive into a surprising and interesting story.

Somewhere between noir and cyberpunk, Manibo has written an intriguing story of mystery and betrayal. The book spends a good amount of time exploring a world where a significant percentage of the population no longer needs to sleep, and Manibo's done a great job really thinking through the consequences of such a phenomenon. The central story, though, is more focused on the protagonist and his interpersonal relations -- or so it seems, at first. He becomes entangled in something much larger than himself, and Manibo balances the personal and the political stories quite well. Would recommend for fans of Mike Chen, PJ Manney, and other writers who've explored near-future stories with a strong focus on personal experience.

A unique and interesting premise! I have never read a book like this before and really enjoyed the exploration of a society where some people are sleepless and the implications of that on things like finance, global wellbeing and equity. Alongside this is the mystery of the protagonists dead boss.

Whilst I enjoyed my reading experience, I found that my interest decreased as the story went on. I preferred learning about the world rather than thee mystery itself.

Wow. This book was simply amazing and original. I don't think I've ever read a story/plot quite like this. Also, I didn't think I was a fan of speculative fiction, but this one totally changed my mind! It's hard to believe this a debut. Victor Manibo is a shining star. I will definitely read more from him in the near future. His writing style is so slick, emotive, and entertaining. I truly connected with the main protagonist, Jamie. You can really feel the anguish and frustration he feels when it comes to his past traumas, and current dilemmas. The whole sleepless storyline was unique. I can totally see why this book is receiving glowing reviews. My only gripe is the book feels a little long, but overall - I loved every second of this cat and mouse game.

This is a really fun mystery with a ton of interesting speculative fiction elements. This is a really strong debut, and I look forward to seeing what Victor Manibo does next. The setup is one rich with potential: a journalist investigating a murder in which he is the prime suspect, committed in the midst of a corporate takeover full of intrigue and betrayal. He is also Sleepless- and the author uses this concept to great effect. There are lots of twists and turns, and even while they were surprising they remained plausible and made for a tight, coherent narrative. What a fun read!

This novel blends genre in a way I love - a mystery in a speculative fiction wrapper. Set in a plausible version of our world where sleep isn't a thing for a portion of the population, The Sleepless offered an interesting exploration of what that could mean. I appreciated the greyness around the idea of a world where people don't need sleep and how society would react and adapt to that - good and bad and everything in between.

The central plot revolving around a corporate takeover of a media company was a bit dry at times - hard to make: "did they have enough votes on the board to shut down the purchase?" super engaging - but that quibble aside, this was a quick and enjoyable read for me and I look forward to more novels from Manibo!

This book was so cool. Sci fi is not my normal go to genre but this book surprised me in the best way. I loved the pacing of the book. It gave the reader just enough before they wanted more. There were a lot of characters to keep track of and at times it was a struggle. I loved it!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I am reeling! What a great book, loaded with suspense, sleeplessness, extremes of the society and a wonderfully crafted fictional world in the future.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read and review your titles. I really not the opportunity!


I do appreciate it and continue to review books that I get the chance to read.
Thanks again!

The strongest part of The Sleepless by Victor Manibo is the vibrant future world that he creates. The world where people can no longer sleep is a fresh idea for the genre but I hate to say that this is the standout of Manibo’s book.

The characters of the book are never fully fleshed out and I hate to say that Jamie is a very bland main character and even the struggles he encounters throughout the book never made me connect to him. The supporting cast as well never is fully fleshed out and feels just as weak as Jamie and they never stand out or feel real.

The Sleepless suffers from glaring character issues and a plot that in the middle nearly put me to sleep but it’s the world that save the book from feeling bad or a waste of time.

3.75*

Thank you to Netgalley and Erewhon Books for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Content Warnings: suicide, loss of a loved one, depression, drug abuse, violence, blood, self-harm, mental torture.

I went into this, I have to admit, with mixed expectations. On one side, this is a Sci Fi thriller/mystery noir story. I don't really like thrillers. The Sci Fi elements might make them more interesting but I'll still always be sceptical of them.
On the other hand, in the last few month, I fell deeply in love with near-future Sci Fi (such as Goliath, The City Inside, The Vanished Birds) and am eager to read as much of that sub-genre as I can - even in the form of a more plot-driven book.
Particularly if that book also happens to be queer and written by a BIPOC author.

Another thing this book has going for it is the fact that it isn't climate fiction. While the world building of course includes the consequences of the on-going climate crises Earth is facing, at its center is a different topic. After reading quite a few Cli Fi titles this year already, I welcomed this as a breath of fresh air.

I love how nuanced the author's exploration of the main theme of the book "what if peoply weren't sleeping anymore" is. It's not just a gimmick, but the main question that drives this book. By the time this book starts (2043), around 25% of the world population are hyper insomniac -and it effects everything. From religious extremists to climate activists worrying avout the impacts Sleeplessness has on the planet. Mental health issues, social expectations and imbalances, medical developments, political machinations and economical masterplans.
There is a lot of greyness to the issue of Sleeplessness, no absolute good or bad.
Manibo's exploration of the themes was definitely my favourite aspect of the book and has me excited for future books by the him.

I also liked our protagonist, Jamie Vega. He's your typical hardworking nice guy, a bit of a bisexual mess (very relatable). But there's much under the surface, some rather tragic things but also more grey mroality than I first expected.
Most of the side characters I would've liked to see more of. There were so many characters in this book, and while it made for some complex intigue, sometimes I forgot who exactly a person was and many of them were a little two dimensional.
Some of them also only popped up once and then were never mentioned again which sometimes left me wondering why the author included them at all.

I already mentioned that I'm usually not a fan of thrillers or mysteries, for the simple reason that those tend to fall on the more plot-driven side of fiction. I'm myself not a plot-driven reader and this is a great example of why. While reading, I have a good time and am invested (at least when the story is well-written, which in this case it was) but often plot-driven books don't evoce lsting emotions in me.

Here it felt like my brain was invested and fascinated, but my heart wasn't. I really liked the ideas and intigue and big reveals but there was always a little distance between me and the book that kepts me from fully getting into it.

I still think of this as a very solid debut that I expect many readers to enjoy.

i love anything that can be described as neon or dystopian and this book did not disappoint! the mystery at its core kept me turning the page and i loved reading about the world changed by sleeplessness! 100/10 would absolutely recommend!