▪️There is a sentence near the end of this book that encapsulates my feelings about it perfectly: “They felt it was too experimental and too dark.”

▪️ The novel unfolds through a unique format—an unrealistically long letter from the wife to her husband, another from the husband to the wife, transcripts of audio recordings, entries in a hotel guest register, and more. While I admired the attempt to tell a story in this manner, it didn’t quite achieve the desired impact. The format felt awkward and occasionally confusing, with timelines all over the place.

▪️ However, the book did exude a captivating gothic atmosphere—the storm, the old hotel, and the enigmatic characters all contributed to a vibe I adored. Despite my reservations about the format, I remained engaged just to see what was going to happen. However, as the story delved into darker territory, it deviated greatly from my expectations. The narrative introduced too many topics by the end of the story, leaving it somewhat lost and jumbled. And that big twist on page 210? Not much of a twist—didn’t everyone see that coming?

▪️ So, while I appreciated the attempt at a unique format and I loved the gothic feel, the book was only so-so for me overall.

Thank you @simonbooks for a copy of this book, which I have read and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

wow! What an intriguing book. An interesting way to tell a story from a letter perspective. I highly recommend.

The Sleepwalkers by Scarlett Thomas #thirtiethbookof2024 #arc

CW: murder, death, rape, human trafficking

This book starts off as a letter from Evelyn to her husband Richard, explaining why she’s leaving him during their honeymoon. At first the descriptions of the honeymoon seem normal, if not a little fraught—there are allusions to information learned at the wedding that is traumatic. The innkeeper clearly has something against Evelyn and stories about previous guests who died run rampant. Then the book goes off the rails and turns into something different.

The format of the book is interesting and I enjoyed that. But once I finished, I can’t say that I completely understood the entire thing. The reveal wasn’t completely earned. I feel like it came out of nowhere. I also didn’t care enough about any of the characters to be bothered by their fate. No one was likable or enjoyable enough for me to worry about them, and there was too much going on at the end for me.

Thank you to @simonandschuster and @netgalley for the advance copy. (Available now, pub date was 4/9/24)

#thesleepwalkers

AACK I loved this book so much.
I felt like cackling with glee when I finished, like I do when the lights come up after a completely deranged independent film. The Sleepwalkers out-Highsmithed Patricia Highsmith.

It may not be for everyone, it's an out-of-the box novel written creatively with a back and forth timeline and a dark, morbid main storyteller. The cover is confusing to me as the story felt VERY gothic and dark, and took place for the most part during a large storm.

I don't want to say too much about what happens. The story should be enjoyed in as few sittings as possible while just savoring the crazy.

This book would be for those who love gothic storytelling and unsettling mysteries, who are fine with differently structured narration, and likely those who loved House of Leaves. But if you didn't love House of Leaves, don't let that scare you away!

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book earns 5 stars for ALL the reasons above, for some great writing, for being unafraid to do something different, and for getting me to cackle with glee. Loved it.

I am in love with this book. The found documents structure of it is so intriguing and kept me flipping the pages. I will be getting a physical copy of this book and re reading it often. The characters are so perfectly constructed and there is so much to unpack with each one. The unreliable narrator aspect of it is so perfectly written. This is a book of character studies wrapped up in a mystery. I recommend this book to all. I read a NetGalley copy.

Would recommend for fans of…
🏝️ The White Lotus
🏝️ The Talented Mr. Ripley
🏝️ The Fury

The Sleepwalkers was pitched as ‘Patricia Highsmith meets The White Lotus’ which immediately caught my eye. I was very ready to be swept away by a suspenseful story on a Greek island.

Instead, what I got was a very middling literary thriller, though thriller might be a bit of a generous description for this very slow book. While I enjoyed the premise and thought the story had potential, it was not a hit for me.

My biggest issue was that the book felt very disjointed. There were a lot of POV changes that were hard to pick up on. I think they were included to make the story feel twisty and shocking, but in practice they were just confusing. There were also so many weird plot points that I often found myself asking how they were contributing to the larger story. Many of these elements felt like an overdeveloped side plot that wasn’t important enough to resolve.

Long story short, I think Thomas was trying to say something important about marriage and economic disparity, but the novel was so unfocused that those messages weren’t very clear. But if you’re a fan of super literary mysteries, or stories about rich people behaving badly, you might enjoy this one.

The Sleepwalkers is out now! Again, thanks to SimonBooks #SimonBooksBuddy for the free books!

This may have been a case of just not for me, but unfortunately I did not enjoy this book. I was interested at the beginning but the epistolary format didn't work for me continually over the whole book. It made it feel like one very long run on sentence. There were also some breaks in the writing and that were rather jarring. I don't know if that was intentional or a kindle version problem, so maybe this would have read better via a physical copy. There were also some big plot points that just left me very confused. I did like the secluded island setting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me a digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This is the first book in a long time that I have read and am just not sure how I feel about it… Was there some incredibly interesting themes and plot points? Absolutely! Was the writing captivating? Once I got past the writing style, for sure!! Were any of the characters likable? Could I find one single redeeming quality for any of them? That’s a big fat no.

I love an unlikable character. Hell, I have loved books with an entire cast of characters I didn’t like, but there has to be something that is keeping me immersed in the story otherwise. This had that something extra, but still, I’m unsure.

I didn’t like the newlyweds we follow in this book. I didn’t like the stupid things they did and the way they spoke to each other. I didn’t enjoy the gaslighting and the manipulation between the two (mostly from the husband). And then we go on to learn even more about the history of both the couple and both of them individually…

The resort they stay in, and the storm that hits while the couple is there just didn’t seem to get enough on page and that was what I wanted more of.

I both enjoyed and hated this book. And I kind of love that. The author definitely created this unsettling, darkly humorous situation and it was a wild ride.

Well, that was depressing. Two people go on their honeymoon just after their wedding and I'm wondering why they ever bothered. These two don't seem to like a single thing about each other. The place is pretty horrible and the two wait for the storm, literal and figurative, to hit them. Almost the entire first half of the book is the wife, Evie, writing to her husband about why she is leaving him. Then he gets his chance to write a letter. Each are retelling in great detail things they both experienced. Most of the rest is a collection of other exhibits in the trial of what happened with between and to Evelyn and Richard. Everything that is revealed is terrible, including the most horrific of "coincidences" a person can experience.

I did enjoy the story itself. Unfortunately, it didn't matter who was writing each part. Every voice was exactly the same. I don't think there is a single character in the entire thing who was likable.

Scarlett Thomas is a new author for me, but I chose to read this book because it is set on a Greek island (and I've always secretly wanted to go to Greece) and because the description says the book is "very funny" and I like humor in a book.

Description:
Still reeling from the chaos of their wedding, Evelyn and Richard arrive on a tiny Greek island for their honeymoon. It’s the end of the season and a storm is imminent. Determined to make the best of it, they check into the sun-soaked doors of the Villa Rosa. Already feeling insecure after seeing the “beautiful people,” the seemingly endless number of young models and musicians lounging along the Mediterranean, Evelyn is wary of the hotel’s owner, Isabella, who seems to only have eyes for Richard.

Isabella ostensibly disapproves of every request Evelyn makes, seemingly annoyed at the fact that they are there at all. Isabella is also preoccupied with her chance to enthrall the only other guests—an American producer named Marcus and his partner Debbie—with the story of “the sleepwalkers,” a couple who had stayed at the hotel recently and drowned.

Everyone seems to want to talk about the sleepwalkers, save for Hamza, a young Turkish man Evelyn had seen with some “beautiful people,” as well as the “dapper little man”—the strange yet fashionable owner of the island’s lone antiques and gift shop she sees everywhere.

But what at first seemed eccentric, decorative, or simply ridiculous, becomes a living nightmare. Evelyn and Richard are separated the night of the storm and forced to face dark truths, but it’s their confessions around the origins of their relationship and the years leading up to their marriage that might save them.

Exhilarating, suspenseful, and also very funny, The Sleepwalkers asks urgent questions about relationships, sexuality, and the darkest elements of contemporary society—where our most terrible secrets are hidden in plain sight.

My Thoughts:
The book is atmospheric and gave me a sense of being outside looking in. Evelyn seems to have some issues and some of that is revealed later on. I had some trouble with the prose stopping midsentence and the next paragraphs being seemingly unrelated, like some of the text was missing. This occurred at various times during the book. I failed to find any humor here. Maybe I'm dense, but even at the end I wasn't sure what I'd read and what really happened and what was imaginary. The writing was easy to read, but this book was just not for me. I do see some people really loved it though. I'm on the fence about whether I would recommend it to my friends. Some might find it interesting, it just seems too unfinished to me.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster through Netgalley for an advance copy.

I liked the sleepwalkers. This was an interesting story with interesting characters. I liked the way the Author delved into the characters true identity. This was an early review copy and very rough around the edges. I don't think the ending was fully developed and hated missing out on the twist. I will have to check the new release version, but it was a good read.

#TheSleepwalkers #Netgalley

I did not love this book, but this could have been very specific to me! The plot mainly hinges upon the legend of the sleepwalking lovers-a woman who followed her sleepwalking husband into the ocean where they both drowned. However, it is not clear if their deaths were accidental or intentional and that is what frames the rest of the narrative. The new couple on vacation in this resort where the incident happened try to tease out this legend but find darkness and a sense of dread everywhere they look.

This plot sounds fun but it didn’t work for me. While I usually like the epistolary form-it did not work well for me here. I felt very detached from the characters and plot. The characters could become hard to keep track of due to the format as well. However, I do give the author props for creativity and trying to introduce something new into the genre of domestic suspense.

Thanks to the publisher for providing the arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

“The Sleepwalkers” by Scarlett Thomas could not earn more than one star in my opinion. I should preface this review by saying that many renowned publications gave this book glowing reviews (including The New York Times and The Guardian), so maybe this is a case of me just not getting it.

The premise could have made for an interesting novel. Honeymooners Richard and Evelyn are vacationing in Greece, when they come across some suspicious people (including the mysterious hotel owner, Isabella). They hear several accounts about a couple who stayed at the hotel the previous year who drowned under strange circumstances (they’re the ones deemed ‘The Sleepwalkers.’) Richard and Evelyn are far from a match made in heaven – they bicker and snipe at each other. And both characters have some extremely unlikable qualities. When a huge storm hits, the couple must try to confess to each other about their own misdeeds and survive the night at a hotel that seems to be harboring some pretty serious secrets.

This novel’s downfall in my mind was the structure. It just made absolutely no sense to me. First, most sections are written in epistolary form, but this quickly loses its charm and effectiveness. There are so many instances when the characters are explaining events that the other person was present for. It might have been logical to start every chapter with a letter, and then move into regular prose. There were also sections thrown in from the perspectives of side characters, that only left me feeling even more confused. One whole section was a ‘transcript’ that detailed a recorded conversation between characters, but the recorder missed words or misunderstood what the speaker had said. It felt like torture to try to slog through what was actually intended (and I never need to feel challenged in that way just to read through an unnecessary chapter in a book).

The main emotion I had reading this book was either confusion or disgust. It tries to take on a light-hearted, humorous tone at times, and then other times it feels like it’s so dark that Thomas is purely going for shock value. I felt mild revulsion pretty much the whole book. I was hoping for an ending that at least would make sense of the previous plot points, but the resolution felt rushed (even though I was glad when the book was over).

I’ve seen this book compared to White Lotus, which is kind of insane to me. That show is smartly written, with effective character development (even when the characters have unlikable traits). And I never feel like I want to fast forward just to be finished with it.

I definitely don’t agree with the rave reviews of this one at all.

Oof this book was not my cup of tea. Extremely disjointed, horrible characters, and a confusing plot - I just didn't mesh with it at all.

It has a great premise of an awkward honeymoon after a mysterious event happens at the wedding. Most of the novel is structured as the newlyweds writing letters to each other, which is certainly a unique plot device, but gets a little tiresome after a while. The book is filled with unreliable narrators, but not the fun kind, and the promise of secrets and twists, though they are all pretty depressing.

It's a bold swing, but completely missed for me.

The way this story was told through different media such as letters and notes made it very interesting, but I had a hard time staying focused on the story. The long chapters also deterred me from being heavily invested in the story.

"The Sleepwalkers" by Scarlett Thomas gives off serious "White Lotus" vibes until it takes a turn I did not see coming. I loved the atmosphere the author creates; it is foreboding and claustrophobic. I also thought the unusual construction of the story, told through letters and audio transcripts, was perfect and added to the mystery. The interesting plot kept me turning the pages and I wavered between believing Evelyn's version of the events and thinking she was imagining everything-things did not become clear to me until almost the very end! This is a very well-written, multilayered, thriller that kept me guessing. The tension builds and threatens to explode, much as the impending storm in the novel did. The characters are difficult to like, but they are well crafted and complex. I didn't know who to trust, so I did not trust anyone, making for a very suspenseful read.

This was the perfect book to read straight through on a chilly, rainy day and I thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to do so.

I found this to be a very interesting read from the start. The first few pages make it clear that something very bad has happened. Written in letters between characters, the story doesn’t always move in a straight line. There are little snippets & recollections that seem like puzzle pieces. Pieces that need to be assembled so the reader can see the whole picture. Each introduction to a new character, who I assumed would prove important later, has a certain mysterious weirdness. I didn’t particularly like any of the characters as I read, but I was very curious about how things came to be. So many secrets, marital mismatches, & misunderstandings. Who to believe? What a wild ride!
The description of the island setting is richly detailed. Having visited a Greek island during the windy off-season, I could easily picture the locals closing shop & heading to the mainland as the tourists left. Thankfully, we were stranded by wind in a charming spot instead of an ominous place run by a creepy hotelier…
Thanks to the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy via NetGalley.

I do love a gothic tale and this modern take had me gripped. For a couple in love it hardly gave off that lovey dovey honeymoon feel in idyllic Greece. The resentment and the familial trauma was thick. Do/did Evelyn and Richard even love each other and what secrets lie between them. I had so many questions and was waiting for the other shoe to drop the whole time. I was fully entertained!

If you love drama, soap operas, and eclectic stories, I recommend picking this up!

Usually I like to start these reviews with a persuasive first paragraph that summarizes the book. But to be honest, I really don’t know what I would even write if I tried to do that for The Sleepwalkers.

I was really looking forward to reading this book based off the premise, but I was sadly very disappointed. The first 42% of the book, which happens to be Evelyn’s first letter, felt like a never ending run-on sentence with no beginning, middle, or end. While the heart of the plot and present day storyline were promising, it was impossible to actually get into the story with Evelyn’s constant need to take the reader on random tangents down memory lane. One moment you’re reading about what’s going on in the present moment on Evelyn and Richard's honeymoon and the next you’re listening to Evelyn’s internal dialogue, reminiscing about birdwatching with her father-in-law. I found it nearly impossible to get into the story as a whole with Evelyn’s scattered brain telling almost the first half of the story. As soon as I thought something interesting was starting to happen, the momentum and excitement of the moment was killed by some seemingly inconsequential memory. I think this is honestly the whole point of the writing style, but if I am going to read a mystery/thriller, as this book is categorized, then I usually expect a plot that is much more cohesive and faster paced than this novel. At 25% into the book, I went back and reread the synopsis and was shocked to realize practically nothing had happened yet that related to what the summary of the book promised. So, I kept reading because I hoped eventually the plot would start to pick up. Unfortunately, Evelyn continued to write her letter in a way that had the story pin-balling all over the place. I just know the author was breaking the forth wall when Evelyn so appropriately wrote, “one should never write freestyle… you can end up lost in your own sentences, like pythons wrapping around you.” Later she she asked, “Am I boring you?” and the answer was yes Evelyn, you really are. And so I read, and I read, and I read, and I read, and yet I still felt like nothing was happening. One of the most frustrating aspects of the writing style was that when something important actually did happen or was revealed, I either almost missed it or didn’t care because I was so uninterested by the meandering flashbacks it was sandwiched between. When she said “I hope you’re following this, with all my jumps in time? Perhaps not,” I felt like she could read my mind regarding how I was feeling. I’m assuming that was the point and I have to give the author credit for at least being self aware. But still, I continued to hold out hope. Then Richard’s letter came along and it’s no wonder Evelyn and Richard had problems because together they are two of the worst communicators I’ve ever encountered. Granted, their problems go way, way, way beyond just poor communication. While the second half of the book had more plot, by that point I really didn’t care and just wanted to get to end. Now I fear Evelyn and Richard’s writing styles have rubbed off on me as I realize I’ve rambled on and on in this review. At least I had more fun writing this review than reading the book. My sincerest apologies to anyone who truly enjoyed this book and as I said before, it is possible that the entire point of the book went over my head. Clearly, I was not the target audience, but I still gave it 1.5 stars (rounded up to 2) because I did finish it and I weirdly enjoyed the experience of continuing to read, just waiting for something to actually happen, even though I saw no point in it at all. Lastly, if you do still decide to read this book, please check trigger warnings as there are certain themes that are discussed that could be upsetting.

"How do you convey a person's realization that they have been so wrong, and their whole life has pivoted as the result of a single mistake?"

"How you can open one story using a totally different one..."

First it was more than a single mistake, second the start of this story in no way prepared me for the WTF did I just read at the 70 percent mark. The genre defying can't stop thinking about psychological mystery thriller, The Sleepwalkers, by one of the most unique plotting writers, Scarlett Thomas, left me with brain freeze and in a bit of awe.

Evelyn and Richard are on a Greek island resort for their honeymoon. There's a sense of something being off. Just like the uneven cover, things are not lining up. Evelyn sees glimpses of "beautiful people" on boats, cliffs, the beach but then they're gone. The resort owner Isabella flirts with Richard, ignoring Evelyn, and Richard is more than fine with it. But Isabella is distracted by movie producers interested in the story of the sleepwalkers; a couple who died at the resort. It seems the husband sleepwalked into the sea and his wife tried to save him. They both drowned.

But here's the twist. None of it matters when explaining the reason for all the animosity immediately felt between Evelyn and Richard. From the start I kept asking why did these two get married? Were they ever in love? What happened between the wedding and the honeymoon? Nothing, and I mean nothing, prepared me for the truth about their relationship, the language used to explain it or the repercussions from it.

Using letters, transcribed secret recordings and creative photographs this writer tells a story in a way that leaves you a bit dumbfounded, impressed and gut punched with how it all ends...well sort of ends!

I received a free copy of this audiobook from Simon and Schuster via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.