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Insomnia
(The Night Walkers #1)
by
Her eyes saved his life.
Her dreams released his darkness.
After four years of sleeplessness, high school junior Parker Chipp can't take much more. Every night, instead of sleeping, he enters the dreams of the last person he's made eye contact with. If he doesn't sleep soon, Parker will die.
Then he meets Mia. Her dreams, calm and beautifully uncomplicated, allow him blissf ...more
Her dreams released his darkness.
After four years of sleeplessness, high school junior Parker Chipp can't take much more. Every night, instead of sleeping, he enters the dreams of the last person he's made eye contact with. If he doesn't sleep soon, Parker will die.
Then he meets Mia. Her dreams, calm and beautifully uncomplicated, allow him blissf ...more
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Paperback, 351 pages
Published
June 8th 2013
by Flux
(first published June 1st 2013)
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Start your review of Insomnia (The Night Walkers, #1)


1.5 Stars
The story is about Parker, who hasn't actually slept in 4 years, and is an invisible bystander to the dreams of the last person he made eye contact with. As things get progressively worse he can only trust his best friend, and his friend's sister, to help him uncover what is wrong with him, and help the girl that he found out he can sleep with (har har).
For such a wholly original idea (to me anyway), this book sure wasn't anything special. I mean, watching the dreams of the las ...more

Jun 17, 2013
Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies
rated it
it was ok
Shelves:
jericho-fucking-barrons,
mystery,
horror,
beta-male,
high-school,
mental-illness,
siblings,
ya,
paranormal
Wow, I don't quite know what to say. I'm not sure what I think of this one, actually. Surreal, scary, unreal; it's like looking at a René Magritte painting. This book just wreaks havoc with my head. It features an unreliable narrator, and that's what took me for a spin. It was well-written, but there were problems with the plot that could have been solved by a few easy steps. I liked it, but I'm not sure if I loved it.
The concept is interesting and original, the execution is somewhat flawed. It ...more
The concept is interesting and original, the execution is somewhat flawed. It ...more

Initial reaction: I wasn't that impressed with "Insomnia," despite some pretty awesome aspects that were peppered into the story. My primary problem was the protagonist Parker - usually I don't mind unreliable narrators if I can sympathize/empathize with them, but Parker irritated me more times than not. The writing in this didn't really support the storyline that well either, having one too many holes and some expansions that were difficult to buy for me. And I couldn't get the Al Pacino/Robin
...more

Jul 04, 2012
Steph Sinclair
marked it as to-read
OMG! I love this cover. Super creepy. I approve! I can't wait to read this!
...more

Feb 14, 2013
Faye, la Patata
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
2013,
drama,
finding-oneself,
mystery,
1st-in-series,
young-adult,
good-hero,
male-pov,
tragedy,
to-review
Thank you Flux and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review. This generous act did not influence my review in any way.
As a person who oftentimes finds herself still awake in the wee hours of the morning, and as someone truly fascinated in the subject of sleep deprivation (having experienced it in my university life once or twice, ahem), it comes as a no wonder that the moment I saw Insomnia by J.R. Johansson on NetGalley, I felt that I just had to have it. Entering the dreams o ...more
As a person who oftentimes finds herself still awake in the wee hours of the morning, and as someone truly fascinated in the subject of sleep deprivation (having experienced it in my university life once or twice, ahem), it comes as a no wonder that the moment I saw Insomnia by J.R. Johansson on NetGalley, I felt that I just had to have it. Entering the dreams o ...more

Actual rating 4.5 star.
In the barren wasteland of YA (I seriously cannot stand this new wave of New Adult books), this was truly awesome, guys. If only the ending is not so anti-climatic...
As usual, with amazing books, I don't really have much to say but I'll try anyway since I need to convince you to read this!
The book opens up strong, I was quickly thrown into the harsh reality of Parker's world. He couldn't sleep for four years, instead, at night he is forced to watch the dreams of the last p ...more
In the barren wasteland of YA (I seriously cannot stand this new wave of New Adult books), this was truly awesome, guys. If only the ending is not so anti-climatic...
As usual, with amazing books, I don't really have much to say but I'll try anyway since I need to convince you to read this!
The book opens up strong, I was quickly thrown into the harsh reality of Parker's world. He couldn't sleep for four years, instead, at night he is forced to watch the dreams of the last p ...more

May 05, 2013
Melanie
rated it
it was ok
Shelves:
could-have-been-so-much-better,
paranormal,
bleh,
romance,
horror,
young-adult,
books-i-own,
e-arc,
f-a-i-l,
fantasy
See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads
DNF Mini review.
There are people who genuinely enjoyed this book. Then there are the few that disliked this to a large extent- one of them being me. The only shining point in this novel was the idea. But look no further as the execution was illogical and far-fetched, also, in no way, shape or form I could relate to the main character. Calling Insomnia a disappointment does not even begin to cover my emotions right now.
Insomnia opens to a illustrative beginni ...more
DNF Mini review.
There are people who genuinely enjoyed this book. Then there are the few that disliked this to a large extent- one of them being me. The only shining point in this novel was the idea. But look no further as the execution was illogical and far-fetched, also, in no way, shape or form I could relate to the main character. Calling Insomnia a disappointment does not even begin to cover my emotions right now.
Insomnia opens to a illustrative beginni ...more

Nov 19, 2012
Wendy Darling
rated it
liked it
Shelves:
2013-publication,
june,
read-2013,
paranormal-general,
thriller-suspense,
young-adult,
flux
Hm. I'm not sure about this rating yet; the book started out pretty strong, but after awhile, there were too many logic gaps and convoluted scenarios. It's disappointing to find that what was an interesting psychological thriller (which I thought would have an extremely unusual answer to its mystery) turned out to be a pretty typical, and predictable, thriller after all.
Review to come. ...more
Review to come. ...more

May 09, 2012
hayden
marked it as to-read
This sounds very interesting, like something Lisa McMann would write. Hopefully, it's just as good!
...more

Interesting plot.
But nope.
No!
But nope.
No!

Insomnia by J.R. Johansson
First in The Night Walkers series
4.25 stars
First in The Night Walkers series
4.25 stars
Parker hasn’t slept in four years and after a trip a doctor he starts to suspect that he’ll die soon from lack of it. Instead of sleeping, Parker enters the dreams of the last person he’s had eye contact with. Parker’s tired. Exhausted to the point of death and dealing with other people’s haunting dreams and nightmares, Parker just wants sleep. If he doesn’t sleep he could face psychosis or even death. Then he meets Mia. A stra
...more
So. . .
I wasn't too keen on opening this book. There wasn't a big muscular half naked guy mounting a captivating woman so from the very start I was a bit bored, before I even opened the book.
So I read the first line:
It'd been over four years since I'd really slept, and I suspected it was killing me.
ummmm okay. I'm interested. I'm overjoyed. I decide to read more.
Meet Parker. He hasn't slept in a long time, dude. Why? Because he has a special power that deals with dreams. I don't want to give t ...more
I wasn't too keen on opening this book. There wasn't a big muscular half naked guy mounting a captivating woman so from the very start I was a bit bored, before I even opened the book.
So I read the first line:
It'd been over four years since I'd really slept, and I suspected it was killing me.
ummmm okay. I'm interested. I'm overjoyed. I decide to read more.
Meet Parker. He hasn't slept in a long time, dude. Why? Because he has a special power that deals with dreams. I don't want to give t ...more

A tip for readers of Insomnia: Clear your schedules before beginning this book. DO NOT start reading just before bed if you have to get up early the next morning. And use caution when reading during class or at work.
Guys, this book will grab you and not let go.
J.R. Johansson weaves a story that gets right into your head. It's smart, creepy, chilling, vivid, and exciting. I was truly kept guessing until the end. In fact, I can't wait to read it again and see what I missed! ...more
Guys, this book will grab you and not let go.
J.R. Johansson weaves a story that gets right into your head. It's smart, creepy, chilling, vivid, and exciting. I was truly kept guessing until the end. In fact, I can't wait to read it again and see what I missed! ...more

Creepy dreams, stalkers, and a great hero with lots of problems. Poor guy! I was on the edge of my seat and feeling a bit crazy like I hadn't slept in a week either. The sweet painting/landscape dreams were as relaxing for me as they were for him. Love the love interest in this book too. She's awesome.
...more

May 01, 2012
Carmen
marked it as to-read
This sounds like Wake by Lisa McMann... hmm, interesting.

This and other reviews can be found on The Psychotic Nerd
MY THOUGHTS
Every night Parker has other people's dreams and it's slowly killing him. It has been years since he's gotten any rest, until he meets Mia. That night, Parker is able to rest for the first time. After that, Parker becomes obsessive and tries to makes sure that Mia is the last person he locks eyes with in the day. Instead, Mia becomes fearful of Parker and thinks he's a creepy stalker. Things get even worse when she begins to ...more
MY THOUGHTS
Every night Parker has other people's dreams and it's slowly killing him. It has been years since he's gotten any rest, until he meets Mia. That night, Parker is able to rest for the first time. After that, Parker becomes obsessive and tries to makes sure that Mia is the last person he locks eyes with in the day. Instead, Mia becomes fearful of Parker and thinks he's a creepy stalker. Things get even worse when she begins to ...more

Feb 18, 2013
Debbie
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
netgalley-edelweiss,
arc,
adventure,
2013,
covers-i-love,
own,
reviewed,
funny,
male-pov,
good
Insomnia is a creative story that most people wished were true. Hell, I wish I could be a Night Walker and know what some people dream about! That sounds pretty cool, right? Right? Anyway, the story follows Parker, who has been dealing with this gift/curse for four years now without sleeping a wink until he meets Mia who changes his life forever. The story starts out with a little too much information before most of the characters or past events are introduced. And speaking of the characters, on
...more

Insomnia was a compelling read in such a manner that I couldn't put down the book. It was gripping and interesting, and I just wanted to read the book as fast as I could because I just had to know what is happening.
This book is memorable for me because this is one of my first mystery books aside from Nancy Drew and others from my childhood. Though I'm not really open to any other genres aside from Contemporary Romance, this book caught my attention and I am really happy that I decided to read i ...more
This book is memorable for me because this is one of my first mystery books aside from Nancy Drew and others from my childhood. Though I'm not really open to any other genres aside from Contemporary Romance, this book caught my attention and I am really happy that I decided to read i ...more

4.5Stars
Oh this book was so so close to 5 stars for me. It's in so many parts so brilliant. But somehow I felt a bit let down by the solutions at the end. And when I started thinking about this, somehow several issues kept creeping up... hence I rounded it down. Still a really great book.
The idea behind it all? Absolutely brilliant! I might be a wee bit biased though, because I have problems sleeping. Which is actually one of the reasons the book drew my interest. In on of my insomnia spouts I s ...more
Oh this book was so so close to 5 stars for me. It's in so many parts so brilliant. But somehow I felt a bit let down by the solutions at the end. And when I started thinking about this, somehow several issues kept creeping up... hence I rounded it down. Still a really great book.
The idea behind it all? Absolutely brilliant! I might be a wee bit biased though, because I have problems sleeping. Which is actually one of the reasons the book drew my interest. In on of my insomnia spouts I s ...more

Parker Chipp hasn't slept in four years - at least, his mind hasn't. When he was 12, instead of falling asleep and dreaming his own dreams, his mind started entering the dreams of the last person he made eye contact with. He hasn't gotten any rest since then: His mind is fully conscious while "Watching" others' dreams, even if his body isn't. And after four years of this, being a Watcher is taking its toll on Parker. It's just a matter of time before his body succumbs to his extreme exhaustion -
...more

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
Insomnia by J.R. Johansson
Book One of The Night Watchers series
Publisher: Flux
Publication Date: June 8, 2013
Rating: 5 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley
Summary (from Goodreads):
It’s been four years since I slept, and I suspect it is killing me.
Instead of sleeping, Parker Chipp enters the dream of the last person he’s had eye contact with. He spends his nights crushed by other people’s fear and pain, by their disturbing secrets—and Parker can never hav ...more
Insomnia by J.R. Johansson
Book One of The Night Watchers series
Publisher: Flux
Publication Date: June 8, 2013
Rating: 5 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley
Summary (from Goodreads):
It’s been four years since I slept, and I suspect it is killing me.
Instead of sleeping, Parker Chipp enters the dream of the last person he’s had eye contact with. He spends his nights crushed by other people’s fear and pain, by their disturbing secrets—and Parker can never hav ...more

This review and others are posted at Read, Rinse, Repeat.
The story of Insomnia is one of the more unique I've come across. Parker is haunted by other people's nightmares. Each night, he enters into the dream (or nightmare) of the last person he saw that day. He fears being viewed as crazy, so Parker keeps his ability hidden, even as his physical and mental well-beings deteriorate.
Everything changes the day he meets Mia. That night, for the first time in four years, Parker is able to fully sl ...more
The story of Insomnia is one of the more unique I've come across. Parker is haunted by other people's nightmares. Each night, he enters into the dream (or nightmare) of the last person he saw that day. He fears being viewed as crazy, so Parker keeps his ability hidden, even as his physical and mental well-beings deteriorate.
Everything changes the day he meets Mia. That night, for the first time in four years, Parker is able to fully sl ...more

This one is tough to review. It's twisted and scary and different from anything I've read lately.
On one hand, I loved it. I've had insomnia on and off for my whole life. I seem to go in spurts of sleeping normal and then sleeping horribly - so bad that each day can have a dream-like fuzziness about it that makes it seem almost 'not real.' It's awful and it sucks. On the flip side, I don't dream. And, on the extremely rare occasion that I do dream, it's always a bad dream.
So, I can understand Par ...more
On one hand, I loved it. I've had insomnia on and off for my whole life. I seem to go in spurts of sleeping normal and then sleeping horribly - so bad that each day can have a dream-like fuzziness about it that makes it seem almost 'not real.' It's awful and it sucks. On the flip side, I don't dream. And, on the extremely rare occasion that I do dream, it's always a bad dream.
So, I can understand Par ...more

Oh. My. God. That's the simplest way to summarize this book.
I have to admit, at the beginning I thought, this will another disappointment but as I read on, it became creepier, darker and more twisted, and I always asked myself: What's going on here?
The author played a really good mind game with me til the end of the book which was awesome! Okay, I felt like I'm gonna have a nervous breakdown but nevermind that part. It was totally worth it.
At the beginning I didn't really like Parker, mostly bec ...more
I have to admit, at the beginning I thought, this will another disappointment but as I read on, it became creepier, darker and more twisted, and I always asked myself: What's going on here?
The author played a really good mind game with me til the end of the book which was awesome! Okay, I felt like I'm gonna have a nervous breakdown but nevermind that part. It was totally worth it.
At the beginning I didn't really like Parker, mostly bec ...more

Feb 07, 2013
Rabbit {Paint me like one of your 19th century gothic heroines!}
rated it
liked it
Shelves:
relationships,
three-stars,
young-adult,
creepy,
romance,
dark,
horror,
ymmv,
fiction,
2015-outdo-yourself-reading-challen
At least the stalking wasn't romanticized? (At least I don't think so, but there was quite some blurred fine lines) It was straight up creepy at quite a few points.
The ending was really random tho.
It was a crazy wild ride that I am still freaked out over.
Also there is a lot of narration on rape culture, and I'm not sure if it was done consciously or unconsciously.
The male mc pov was not what I'm usually used to reading when it comes to YA and it seems to be a hit or miss. This was somewhat in th ...more
The ending was really random tho.
It was a crazy wild ride that I am still freaked out over.
Also there is a lot of narration on rape culture, and I'm not sure if it was done consciously or unconsciously.
The male mc pov was not what I'm usually used to reading when it comes to YA and it seems to be a hit or miss. This was somewhat in th ...more

Loved it!!
The idea was quite original and the story flows. I got easily sucked into the story and was able to finish it in one sitting. The male POV reminded me of another YA novel, Anna Dressed in Blood. If you liked that one, you'd probably loved this one too. Pacing wise I actually prefer this one over that. There was never a dull moment, and nothing felt too drawn out.
There was just one thing I didn't like......who the villain was. It felt a little out of the blue. Hmmm really? Him?
Other ...more
The idea was quite original and the story flows. I got easily sucked into the story and was able to finish it in one sitting. The male POV reminded me of another YA novel, Anna Dressed in Blood. If you liked that one, you'd probably loved this one too. Pacing wise I actually prefer this one over that. There was never a dull moment, and nothing felt too drawn out.
There was just one thing I didn't like......who the villain was. It felt a little out of the blue. Hmmm really? Him?
Other ...more

I loved it! There were a lot of things about this book that could have gone in the direction of every other story out there, but never did. Everything about the plot was different. I did guess the ending, but my husband thinks that's my super power. However, despite knowing the end, I loved every second of this book. Jenn kept me guessing at many other things, and she did succeed at making me question my ending guess several times.
I could not put this book down. I read it in one sitting. Writers ...more
I could not put this book down. I read it in one sitting. Writers ...more

7/10/2020
Rereading finished! And i'm upgrading this to 5 stars because even after 5 years it's still one of my favorite books and one of the most original books I've ever read ❤
********
I'm impressed by how many people didn't like this book. I totally loved it. The author makes a really good work describing Parker's feelings and his lack of rest. The only thing I would complain about is that I think the author tried to reach to the end abruptly, in the sense that a really important character app ...more
Rereading finished! And i'm upgrading this to 5 stars because even after 5 years it's still one of my favorite books and one of the most original books I've ever read ❤
********
I'm impressed by how many people didn't like this book. I totally loved it. The author makes a really good work describing Parker's feelings and his lack of rest. The only thing I would complain about is that I think the author tried to reach to the end abruptly, in the sense that a really important character app ...more

[Based on ARC]
Parker not only CAN see people's dreams, he's cursed to witness the dream of the last person he met eyes with before going to sleep. Because of this, he doesn't actually sleep--and it's killing him. Until he meets Mia. What begins as a desire to stay alive turns into an obsession that holds Parker on the brink. What is real? What is in Parker's head? Readers tear through the pages to find out. Careful! Don't read this book before bed,or you might not sleep--until it's over. ...more
Parker not only CAN see people's dreams, he's cursed to witness the dream of the last person he met eyes with before going to sleep. Because of this, he doesn't actually sleep--and it's killing him. Until he meets Mia. What begins as a desire to stay alive turns into an obsession that holds Parker on the brink. What is real? What is in Parker's head? Readers tear through the pages to find out. Careful! Don't read this book before bed,or you might not sleep--until it's over. ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Insomnia J.R. Johansson | 1 | 1 | Mar 07, 2019 10:44AM | |
Book Report - Leslie Moreno | 1 | 1 | Mar 12, 2018 07:32PM | |
Cure insomnia with the help of zopiclone | 1 | 6 | Apr 08, 2015 05:19AM | |
FYA Book Club of ...: August 2013 Read- Insomnia Discussion | 1 | 12 | Aug 31, 2013 03:43PM |
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J.R. JOHANSSON is the author of the Night Walkers Series (INSOMNIA, PARANOIA and MANIA) as well as standalone novels, CUT ME FREE, THE ROW and TO THE BONE. Her books have been published in over a dozen languages and more than twenty countries worldwide. She has a B.S. degree in public relations and a background in marketing. She credits her abnormal psychology minor with inspiring many of her char
...more
Other books in the series
The Night Walkers
(3 books)
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