THE EDGE OF SLEEP
Jake Emanuel, Willie Block, and Jason Gurley

This book reads like a nightmare.

THE EDGE OF SLEEP stars Dave. Dave is a night watchman with sleeping issues who often goes days without sleeping. He has night terrors and nightmares and that’s just the beginning of where his trouble with sleep starts.

He has recurrent dreams of monsters who star in them like actors. He is well aquatinted with fear.

This book might not be for you. At times it is difficult to understand and the chapters move in and out of vignettes without a pattern or real direction. It’s disorienting.

A little like a bad dream.

I lost count of the characters. I lost track of names. The storyline is somewhat easy to follow once you let go of any structure you had in mind prior to reading.

The delight in the reading experience was living in that liminal space between the nightmares of our reality and the reality of our nightmares. It felt like experiencing a stream of unconsciousness. Are you ready?

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copies!

THE EDGE OF SLEEP…⭐️⭐️⭐️

While I'm not familiar with the podcast this book is based on, the story maintains a unique plot, and I really enjoyed the narrative voice. If you're thinking about reading this, I would definitely recommend the audiobook. I could see how this story would have made a great, immersive podcast, but I feel that if I wasn't listening to it as an audiobook I probably wouldn't have stuck through reading the whole story. I'm definitely interested in checking out the podcast show though!

3.5/5

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

Read/Listen if you like:
💤 Trying to Not Fall Sleep
🌎 Dystopian Plots
🪐 Sci-Fi
💨 Fast Paced Story Telling

This book sounded so interesting and while I don’t usually read a lot of sci-fi I just had to give this one a shot!

The narration was great and kept me engaged and made the story move so well for me personally.

This one follows for people trying to stay awake and find safety and to ensure they don’t fall asleep and die and with that there were lots of twists and turns to keep the plot moving and my interest.

This one leaves you with an ending that will leave you questioning so if you love buttoned up endings this one may not be for you.

Thank you so much to MacMillan for my ALC!

Thank you @stmartinspress, @netgalley and @macmillanaudio, for the complimentary ARC and ALC.

I was so excited by the premise of this book. The Edge of Sleep had a strong start and reeled me in straight away. However, by about 50% I was only still reading it because it was a buddy read, and the audiobook narrator Franz Drameh was excellent, so I didn’t mind continuing to listen. The dream scenes, or flashbacks I’m not even sure, were so weird and I kept trying to make sense of them but couldn’t. There were also some chapters detailing what was happening to various unknown characters as they fell asleep. While it was helpful, it also became too much… I just didn’t need that many scenarios and I felt like it took away from what was happening with our MC's. As for the ending… I had a feeling it would go in that direction, I hoped and crossed fingers that it wouldn’t…. but it did. It was just totally bizarre to me, and I can’t even say I fully understood it.

If you’re interested in this one, I highly recommend the audio.

The Edge of Sleep is a novel about Dave Torres, a night watchman who has been plagued since he was a child by dark, disturbing dreams that often spill over into real life, making Dave a danger to himself and others. One night morning Dave and a group of his friends discover that overnight, a plague has spread throughout the world causing everyone who falls asleep to die within minutes. Dave soon wonders whether his own problems with sleep and dreams might be connected, and whether he might be able to stop the plague from wiping out the entire human race. But Dave and his friends are only safe as long as they stay awake – and the death count increases every minute as the people around them fall asleep and never wake up.

I definitely think that the pacing on this book was one of its strong points. I’ve been dealing with insomnia for years so I’m well aware of how quickly you can feel desperate in the face of sleep issues. The authors do an excellent job of keeping the stakes raised without overfocusing on the main characters because each stretch of plot is broken up by small narratives of other characters around the globe falling asleep and dying. By giving the reader little glimpses into other lives of people who fail to stay awake, usually without even knowing the consequences, it makes the main characters’ struggles feel that much more urgent.

This book has some of the best character development I’ve ever read, and that’s remarkable considering how swift the pacing was on this book. At the beginning, there aren’t really any likeable characters – Dave seems defeatest and is caught up in a recent, difficult breakup, Matteo has his priorities entirely wrong and comes across as rather shallow and unreliable, and even the more peripheral characters that that point, a nurse named Linda and Dave’s ex-girlfriend Katie, are entirely caught up in their own world without being terribly aware of each other. However, the high-stakes conflict of an actual apocalypse puts stress on all of the main characters, and we are able to watch each of them rise to the occasion in their own maner. I loved seeing how the four of them bond together to back each other up, keep each other awake, and push each other out of their comfort zones in the name of saving the world. I almost quit this book at the beginning because I couldn’t relate to any of the characters, but by the end that didn’t matter – I could root them on because I saw them working so hard against seemingly impossible odds.

In all, I’ll give The Edge of Sleep a 9 out of 10. This is a solid sci-fi with a compelling mystery, dynamic characters, and a steady pacing that propelled me to the end.

Thank you Netgalley for this audio edition of The Edge of Sleep by Jake Emanuel and WIllie Block.

Dave struggles with sleep, a lot. He has his whole life. Not only is sleep difficult to come by, but when it does come by, it brings terrible nighmares that sometimes affect his sleeping behavior.

But his difficulty with sleep might actually come in handy as he and his best friend Matteo quickly realize. Everyone around them are dying, and the common factor is that they are dying in their sleep. Now, Dave, Matteo, Dave's ex-girlfriend Katie, and a nurse Linda, are desperate to figure out what is going on before they become the next victim. But how long can they stay awake?

I have SO many mixed feelings about this book. I'm not much for science fiction, but this was way more than science fiction. It was part thriller, part mystery, part fantasy, part romance, and a whole lot of fever dreaming. I think the only part that started to lose me was the end. It felt a bit messy and unpolished, like the author ran out of time. Otherwise, I was gripped and interested the entire story, it was very different, fresh, and worth the read.

I love the premise of this one — overnight the world has changed, and anyone who goes to sleep doesn't wake up again. Our main character is plagued by trippy nightmares since childhood, and he bands together with a coworker, a feisty nurse, and his ex-girlfriend to try and figure out what's going on before it's too late for them all.

Now, the execution of the plot — meh? I just didn't feel wowed by anything happening in this story. The narration is excellent, but I didn't find myself caring about the fates of any of the characters, whom I mostly found annoying and not in an endearing way. The end is just sheer madness, and I didn't really enjoy how things wrapped up.

Thank you to Jake Emanuel, Willie Block, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for my advance audio copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher as I got the advanced audio book. In this book Dave is plagued with nightmares but he also doesn't know what is happening in reality while he is in these nightmares. So when the world falls asleep and stays asleep, he has to find out if the answer is within these bad dreams. I was excited for this book as it seemed I got my hands on a new dystopian novel, and as I listened even sci fi. I love both of those....right? This just went to far in the last 10%. Though it felt rushed.... I was glad it was over. This wasn't for me.

5/5 Dystopian horror at it's best.

Whoever falls asleep this night, doesn't wake up. In the span of a few hours a majority of the population is dead. We're following a rag-tag crew of leftovers who share sleep disorders and overnight shifts as they scramble to figure out what's happening and how to stop it.

I don't want to give too much away because the book moves at a break-neck pace (in the best way possible). You can tell the two writers are screenwriters because this plays out like a movie in your mind. What elevates this from your run-of-the-mill dystopian story to an instant classic is the characters. They are well developed, smart, sympathetic while still flawed. Additionally our characters, especially Matteo, have an absurdist comedic timing to them which keeps the story from being drowned under the weight of the enormity of this disaster.

Tip for all readers/listeners. Listen to the end. And by the end I mean follow the epilogue to the VERY END. I was **gasping**, mouth open. texting my brother immediately.

Let's also take a moment to celebrate the amazing narration done by, Franz Drameh, who plays Matteo Leon in the upcoming TV series of the same name. He flawlessly switches between narration and multiple characters of different genders, ages and accents so convincingly I had to double check that there was only one narrator. I honestly thought there were at least two if not more. As far as I can tell this is the only narration work Franz has done, but I'd listen to him read a menu.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced listener copy. We can only hope the TV show is just as good as the book.

This book is best read early in the morning, to make you so grateful to see another sunrise.

Daithe in Matayo are best friends in both work as security guards but when Mateo convinces Dave to leave work early and attend the party Dave’s ex-girlfriend Kate is also supposed to be attending it begins the first clue not everything is OK in their little town. When they show up Kate isn’t there and what they do find all their friends dead in their beds and on the sofa. Dave doesn’t know what else to do so he decides to bring them to the local hospital and this is where they meet Susan. It is also where they realize falling asleep can be deadly. Across the country Millie is on her computer because she works from home she is also someone who suffers from narcolepsy and ironically enough insomnia. She has no clue things are going haywire outside of her little apartment but when she sees a message from the local blogger who also has a sleep disorder and needs her or anyone’s help desperately she decides to help him out. after million Elliott come to the realization something really is F up in the world they rob a pharmacy and decide just to drive this is when they pick up the hitchhiker who tells them about a place in California that has medicine that can help them stay awake for days and even though the hitchhiker may not make it all the way Millie and Elliot are going to give it the old college try. there is so much I didn’t put in the summary but let me just say if this show is half is good as this audiobook was definitely count me in. I love a good podcast and I’m definitely going to start listening to this one I also thought the narrator should win an award he was so freaking good and I apologize for not knowing how to spell his name but he plays Mateo on the podcast and I cannot wait to listen to more from him and hear the rest of the story I felt so sorry for Dave at the end but think Mateo Elliot Millie and Susan are great characters in ones I cannot wait to hear more from. This was an awesome awesome audiobook a definite five star listen… I mean lol a nightmare if you cannot go to sleep even those who suffer from insomnia eventually fall asleep but what if you caught it? I will definitely buy this book so I can listen to it again in the future just because of the awesome narrator an awesome story. It was just brilliant! I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

It’s a DNF for me. I couldn’t stand the narrator or how the characters talk, maybe because I’m just not used to that vibe. What I listened to was just messy, chaotic, and boring. Wasn’t a fan of the writing style or narration. I definitely don’t think I can listen to these characters talk for the entirety of the book, especially Mateo. Not for me.

3.5⭐️ rounded up.

Every night before I go to bed for the past 8+ years, I have rested my hand on my daughter’s chest to make sure she is still breathing. It started when she was a newborn and has just become a habit ever since. After reading The Edge of Sleep by Jake Emanuel and Willie Block with Jason Gurley, I think I might start making a habit of doing it when I wake up as well.

When Dave and Matteo finish their overnight shift, they find that everyone who went to sleep the night before has died. Alongside a nurse named Linda and Dave’s ex-girlfriend Katie, the group do whatever they can to stay awake, get the word out to keep other people from going to sleep, and try to uncover what’s behind the worldwide pandemic.

When I first read the description for this story, it sounded terrifying. And honestly, it’s even scarier than I thought it would be. This book takes “going peacefully in your sleep” to a whole different level and I’m not sure if I want to get more sleep or never sleep again.

I found out after reading the book that it is based on a podcast by the same name, which actually made the book make a little more sense. There are different titled sections of the book and each has its own chapters, which was confusing when I read it but makes sense as a podcast format. It does not, however, make the jumps from different characters and locations any easier to navigate. While the main group consisting of Dave, Matteo, Linda, and Katie feels like the focus of the story, there are other groups that pop up in different sections and it just makes it harder to follow.

That being said, the writing itself is excellent. I was easily able to picture everything as it was happening which is a sign of great writing for me. However, the writing style in this case lends itself more to film than it does to written word in my opinion. I could easily see this story as a television show where each titled section was a new episode, but it didn’t work for me as a book.

There were a lot of loose ends that didn’t get wrapped up by the end of the book, which can work for some people but not me. I don’t need everything tied up in a neat and tidy bow, but this definitely felt like there was more to be told. I know that there is a second season of the podcast forthcoming so I suspect that there will be a sequel to the book as well. Which would be great because that ending confused the daylights out of me.

In addition to an eARC, I was also approved for the audiobook ARC, read by Franz Drameh who (if you’re anything like me) you might know from his role as Jefferson Jackson aka Firestorm in The CW’s Arrowverse. One of the best narrators I have encountered (and I listen to a lot of audiobooks)! Franz was able to create a different voice for each character that made them stand out and I was never confused about who was talking at any given point. Truly, if the whole acting thing doesn’t work out, he could definitely make a living as a full-time audiobook narrator.

If you value sleep at all, maybe don’t read this book. But if you enjoy a well-written (albeit slightly confusing to follow) dystopian speculative horror thriller kind of story, this might be the book for you. As for me, I’m going to go mentally prepare for putting my kid to bed so I don’t have an anxiety attack and keep us both up all night for fear of never waking again.

This book was good on audio. It reminded me of Stephen King's books. You know, weird stuff, and unique characters? It was pretty good!

Review:
💤💤💤 (3/5)
The Edge of Sleep
Pub Date: 6/20/2023

What if the whole world fell asleep...and didn’t wake up again?

✨The apocalypse meets Inception meets Bill & Ted’s Excellent adventure ✨

The premise was a solid one for me, as I’m a fan of apocalyptic conundrums. And I’m a fan of sleep. This however wasn’t the book for me. I will admit that it had to be quite the challenge for 3 individuals to join together as one sound mind and write this book. 1 story line with 3 authors. It’s reflective given that the flow of the storyline is somewhat all over the place.
I kept going back to the premise hopeful that it would all make sense in the end. It did not. For me, anyway. I listened to this one and all though the narration was good, it was a struggle. Honestly, I’m not quite sure what I listened to. But again, I had high hopes. The beauty in a book is that no two persons reads it the same way. ♥️

🎶 my biggest takeaway was the mention of a cashmere Kurt Cobain sweater that I immediately googled because I was here for it 🎶

✨The Edge of Sleep by Jake Emanuel, Willie Block & Jason Gurly

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for providing me with this arc audio copy.

I enjoyed this podcast previously, and the audiobook did not disappoint! I greatly enjoyed the narrator, which kept me hooked. Would gladly listen to a follow up!

Many thanks for the opportunity to listen and review.

I loved the characters, which are all brilliantly voice acted by a talented cast and feel like real people. It helped make the story come together. This is a crazy, dystopian, sci-fi mix that really makes you think. It was a little deeper than I was expecting, but definitely well written.

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

The narration of this book was fantastic! I honestly couldn’t believe it was all read by the same person! The voices and characters were all completely different and really helped bring the story to life! I would definitely recommend this book to almost anyone, as the story was enthralling and held my attention from the first moment to the very last! I would love a follow up and am very excited to hear that it’s getting made into a show! I will be watching it for sure and would love more by these authors!

Really interesting premise. Some bizarre dreams that were intriguing but it was sometimes hard to follow. Every time he goes to sleep someone is dead. This story is a bit out there and i think those that enjoy sci fi types will love this.

The narrator does great with different accents which was fun but sometimes hard to understand

Even after reading the premise of this book, I listened to the first two hours about a man suffering from nightmares who takes too many pills to offset his exhaustion only to wake up as people all around him are dying because they fell asleep. The book is just too out there for me. Perhaps because listened to this story and perhaps a hard copy would have been a better fit.

Thank you to Jake Emmanuel, Willie Block, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the ability to listen to this book due out in June of 2023.

I think this was just not the book for me. I loved the idea of the book, all these people going to sleep and not waking up and the ones that survived have to force themselves to stay awake. It started off decent but I feel like it just went down from there. It was pretty hard to follow and confusing and I just don't get it. I didn't really feel anything for the characters so it didn't make the situation scary enough for me. Also there are SO many side characters that you just get a little snippet of and I just wasn't feeling it. I get that it was supposed to show how the situation was playing out for random other people but I didn't like it. Also the epilogue was confusing for me? Like what actually was that? I don't know, like I said I think this just wasn't the right book for me. I will say the narrator was really good and that's the only thing that saved this from a 1 star for me.