The Sleepwalkers, a novel by Scarlett Thomas is very difficult to describe. Suspense, unreliable narrator, epistolary, mystery, domestic suspense, and also wholly weird. It's compared to Patricia Highsmith, who I have regrettably never read (need to fix that) so I cannot speak to that, but it did remind me a bit of House of Leaves in the various methods of delivery (and weirdness) - letters, screenplays (sort of), poor transcriptions, and descriptions of photos, not to mention some interesting formatting. Granted, this could have been due to the ARC I was reading, but it also fit into the story, at times.

I didn't pick up some of the hints until the end, so I was pretty surprised by the resolution and despite being not everyone's cup of tea, I thoroughly enjoyed this weird novel (just check the reviews for yourself, but also, decide for yourself).

Overall, I would recommend to adventurous readers, but I don't know anyone personally that I think would enjoy this book, although this reader did.

This is one of those books where I'm not entirely sure what I just read, but I couldn't put it down (similar to Mona Awad!!) This one kept me invested, especially, but it does start off slow at first before quickly spiraling into chaos!

THanks so much for the copy of this one!

This book was batshit crazy. I don’t even know how to rate it. It started out so mysterious and I was GENUINELY hooked and then it went off the rails. I’m not sure if I could recommend it given all the CW. Maybe in a different time of life…

I was intrigued by the reference of White Lotus in the synopsis of Scarlett Thomas' The Sleepwalkers. It drew me in to the book, though some of the plot twists are predictable. I will look forward to checking out other books from this writer.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

I'm not entirely sure what I just read, to be honest. Premise was interesting and there was enough intrigue to keep me invested, especially once I got past the 30-35% mark, I would say -- it starts off slow, drops a couple hints and prods you along here and there, and then all of the sudden it spirals into total chaos pretty quickly.

But I for one got fairly lost throughout. The format is (purposefully) a bit confusing, on top of which the stream of consciousness style leads to fever-dream type ramblings and threads that lead nowhere in particular. Even the "reveals" felt a bit muted, as you were trying to figure out what was implied by garbled audio recording transcripts and conflicting written accounts. Listen -- I think this was probably an intentional choice to get the reader just as confused as the characters are in real time, but it was a lot to follow. Also, to be fair, I do think part of the issue was the digital format on this ARC specifically -- it was pretty tough to tell when one type of correspondence/content ended and another began, which I'm sure is clearer in the final copy and print version.

Ultimately, it kept my interest for pieces, but the style just wasn't really for me and the farther the plot spiraled, the less I was invested in the outcome.

I really wanted to love this one. The description sounded amazing. There were quite a few plot holes, like the "ruined documents" that never came to full fruition. The ending was a letdown. When all is said and done, I liked the characters, just thought it was not written super well.

A sort of White Lotus meets Promising Young Woman glamorous thriller written in the format of mostly letters and transcripts. I liked the format; it didn't feel distracting. The story had plenty of twists and reveals to keep you turning the page, but at a certain point, it almost felt like too many to keep track of. Still, I couldn't put it down and continue to be a huge Scarlett Thomas fan.

Thank you to the publisher for my ARC and I apologize for not getting around to reviewing this one prior to the publication date!

Evelyn and Richard are away on their honeymoon on a beautiful Greek island, a tripped planned and paid for by his mother. They are two of very few guests there during the off season and Evelyn begins people watching all of the “beautiful people” who are coming and going and imagines what their lives must be like. The hotel they are staying at, Villa Rosa, is run by a woman named Isabella who wants nothing to do with Evelyn, but everything to do with Richard. While everyone has their secrets, some of what these characters are hiding is truly shocking. Told by a series of letters and recordings, the reader gets multiple points of view throughout this book.

What did I just read? The way that it ended just gave me no closure, sadly. I was really into this book for the first ~40% that was all from Evelyn’s POV in the form of a letter written to Richard. I was getting similar vibes to when I read The Fury, and I was really enjoying it. But once we switched to Richard’s POV, I stopped enjoying it as much. I understand that the author was writing from a male POV, but it was just too overly sexual even in the way it was written. I really don’t think it was necessary to refer to the rain and wind blowing Evelyn’s hair as a “kind of extreme bukkake.” It felt to me that the author was using that phrase for shock value and it just really didn’t work for me. There is hinting of something shocking happened that ruined Evelyn and Richard’s wedding, but I never in a million years could have imagined what it actually was. The twists in this book are truly shocking and stomach churning. There are a lot of trigger warnings throughout this book and I was definitely uncomfortable multiple times while reading. Regardless, it was a really quick read and I did enjoy the first half of the book.

This story is about two people with a lot of trauma, on their honeymoon in Greece. They don't like each other very much, and you see their relationship devolving among suspicious people who run the hotel and a mystery of a pervious couple called the sleepwalkers who died. The book is full of unlikeable people and their bad choices. It is told through letters. I got angry at characters from time to time, but mostly the book was a bit depressing .

This novel felt like an unsatisfying fever dream. I thought the plot was unrealistic and I didn’t really understand the character’s motivations. I did enjoy the structure of the novel and how it required the reader to piece the narrative together.

So this is a tough review for me to write. Parts of this book were a solid 5-star read. But parts were so difficult to get through I considered putting it down and walking away.

The story is told through a handful of incredibly lengthy letters written by the MC’s. The first goes on for 42% of the book. The next takes up 42-58%. The last is the final 27% of the book. There’s half-finished transcripts and guestbook entries in between…to further the mystery about what happened and who was involved. The transcript is nonsensical until you read it out loud and realize it’s just a terrible transcription.

If the story were simply told through a series of (MUCH SHORTER) letters, this would have been a complete hit for me. The story told in each of the letters was incredible. Mysterious, sinister, dangerous. But by adding the additional materials and leaving everything seemingly half-finished, there was a point in the book where the story veered so far off course it became unenjoyable, and as a reader, I wanted more detail about some things and less about others.

While I won’t be recommending this book, if you love ambiguity and making up part of the story for yourself, this might be a hit for you.

Great writing and overall storytelling. Lended it to a friend when I was done and they devoured it! Entertaining!

The writing was very stilted and odd. I couldn't get past 25%. I also found there were some weird social takes too.

Eerie and discombobulating, like a lucid dream of a noir, with just enough sharp travelogue description and psychologically astute interior tension to keep things grounded.

🕰️ Two Minute Book Reviews: The Sleepwalkers by Scarlett Thomas 🕰️

Why I read it: @simonandschuster was gracious enough to send me an early review copy!

What I got out of it: Reading The Sleepwalkers was a surreal experience. Why? The pacing of the story was both frantic and languid, pulling me along at a break neck pace at points while, a few pages later, would leave me feeling suspended in time. One of the aspects I enjoyed most about the book was its unreliable narrators. As the story unfolded, I found myself questioning the truth of their perspectives, and if I trusted them. Just when I thought I had a handle on where the story was headed, Thomas skillfully led me down a new path I couldn’t have anticipated just a few days ahead of time. When I heard this was positioned as a gothic story…I was curious about how that could be achieved on a Greek island. But, despite the atmosphere of the novel was carried a sense of dread and foreboding [which is exactly how classic gothic novels make me feel].

Read if you want to experience:…feeling like you’re eavesdropping on the juiciest couple fight ever.

Richard and Evelyn are honeymooning on a small Greek island, close to the Turkish coast, and it's immediately clear this union may not be happy. It's possible the couple's personalities don't fit. It's also likely a family member cursed them at their wedding. What unravels from the first page is a mystery that feels like holding your breath while running.

This had a dreamy setting and a compelling plot, but I felt a bit lost at times and the execution wasn't quite what I expected. It's told in various forms -- letters, a recording transcript, journal entries, and photography lists. Much of the book is told in the in-between sections of each mode of storytelling and there are many shocking twists. At times, I felt like I was chasing a story that wasn't quite fitting until the last page, which shook me. I enjoyed this, but I thought some of the storytelling, while uniquely crafted, was distracting at times.

If you appreciate a thought-provoking, complex, psychological mystery, this one is for you!

Oh, this premise drew me in. I love gothic style stories. But this...wasn't it for me. The characters were not very likable, and I have to like them, even just a little bit. The premise was thrilling, but also a bit confusing. I kept reading, hoping it would get better, but it did not for me. I am sorry. Thanks for the opportunity to read this in return for my honest review.

The whole time I was reading Scarlett Thomas’s “The Sleepwalkers”, I couldn’t help but think of my freshmen year creative writing class in college. Our TA was rather eclectic and constantly wanted us to push the boundaries on what was considered an essay. I feel she would have loved grading “The Sleepwalkers” as the novel challenges conventional storytelling, and whether it succeeds or falters largely depends on one’s tolerance for unconventional narrative structures.

Thomas pushes the boundaries of conventional storytelling as the narrative unfolds through a series of documents: Evelyn’s letters to Richard, entries in a hotel guest book, and a transcript of a recorded conversation. This fragmented style, while initially intriguing, becomes a double-edged sword. The sheer length of some letters and the abrupt transitions between documents can be disorienting.

In summary, this novel is a three-star read for me. It showcases Thomas’s talent for evocative writing and complex characters but is ultimately undermined by its fractured narrative structure and the reader’s need to navigate through its intentional obfuscations. Whether or not one enjoys this book may depend greatly on their patience with experimental storytelling and their ability to embrace the chaos of its construction.

The Sleepwalkers was a really interesting and engaging read. I appreciated the character exploration and I would read this author again.

"The Sleepwalkers” masterfully combines elements of romance, suspense, and psychological drama. It's a gripping tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat, revealing how love and honesty can be the most powerful tools against fear and deception.

This book is for anyone who loves a thrilling story set against a picturesque backdrop with complex characters and unexpected twists.