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None Shall Sleep #1
None Shall Sleep
A psychological thriller about two teenagers teaming up with the FBI to track down juvenile serial killers.
In 1982, two teenagers—serial killer survivor Emma Lewis and US Marshal candidate Travis Bell—are recruited by the FBI to interview convicted juvenile killers and provide insight and advice on cold cases. From the start, Emma and Travis develop a quick friendship, gaining information from juvenile murderers that even the FBI can't crack. But when the team is called in to give advice on an active case—a serial killer who exclusively hunts teenagers—things begin to unravel. Working against the clock, they must turn to one of the country's most notorious incarcerated murderers for help: teenage sociopath Simon Gutmunsson. Despite Travis's objections, Emma becomes the conduit between Simon and the FBI team. But while Simon seems to be giving them the information they need to save lives, he's an expert manipulator playing a very long game...and he has his sights set on Emma.
In 1982, two teenagers—serial killer survivor Emma Lewis and US Marshal candidate Travis Bell—are recruited by the FBI to interview convicted juvenile killers and provide insight and advice on cold cases. From the start, Emma and Travis develop a quick friendship, gaining information from juvenile murderers that even the FBI can't crack. But when the team is called in to give advice on an active case—a serial killer who exclusively hunts teenagers—things begin to unravel. Working against the clock, they must turn to one of the country's most notorious incarcerated murderers for help: teenage sociopath Simon Gutmunsson. Despite Travis's objections, Emma becomes the conduit between Simon and the FBI team. But while Simon seems to be giving them the information they need to save lives, he's an expert manipulator playing a very long game...and he has his sights set on Emma.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2020
About the author
Ellie Marney
14 books775 followersEllie Marney is a NYT bestselling author of crime fiction. Her most recent book is The Killing Code, and her other titles include the Aurealis-winning None Shall Sleep, the Every series - starting with Every Breath - and the companion novel No Limits, White Night, and the Circus Hearts series, starting with Circus Hearts 1. Ellie's next book, Some Shall Break, the sequel to None Shall Sleep, will be released June 2023.
Ellie's books are published in eleven countries and have been optioned for television. She’s spent a lifetime researching in mortuaries, talking to autopsy specialists, and asking former spies how to make explosives from household items, and now she lives quite sedately in south-eastern Australia with her family.
Find Ellie's newsletter sign-ups at her website, and catch her @elliemarney on socials or @elliemarneyauthor on Tiktok.
Ellie's books are published in eleven countries and have been optioned for television. She’s spent a lifetime researching in mortuaries, talking to autopsy specialists, and asking former spies how to make explosives from household items, and now she lives quite sedately in south-eastern Australia with her family.
Find Ellie's newsletter sign-ups at her website, and catch her @elliemarney on socials or @elliemarneyauthor on Tiktok.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,916 reviews
September 20, 2022
You know that feeling when you just read the best book of the year, and you're not seeing it hyped anywhere, even though everyone should be reading it?
Yeah, me too.
Friends, picture it. It's a crisp fall day, the children have been driving me crazy as lovely Mr. Humphrey has been traveling for work for approximately 958,000 days. We decide to take a stroll to our local Barnes and Noble, because our favorite bookseller Ree is working, and she's really nice to my kids when I can't be nice anymore. I'm browsing the YA table, and notice this striking cover, realizing I've never even heard of this book. I quickly log onto Goodreads and see that my bud Laura has already read this and gave it 5 glowing stars, which is good enough for me after reading the synopsis. Ree checks me out and confirms that she too has bought this book, so we make a pact to not let this become another TBR sleeper casualty.
Fast forward to-actually I started this the same day I bought it I think LOL-and I'm loving it so much that I start gushing to Coffee Jenn and may have forced her to purchase this book as well. Later that night, I post on social media how much I'm loving this book, which surprises Ree because she 100% assumed we would indeed be letting this book die in our sleeper TBR pile. She gets a moderate to severe case of FOMO, and jumps in too. Long story short, Jenn is almost finished, but the general consensus is that all three of us are internally screaming because WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT THIS BOOK?!!
Ok, so I'm moving on to the actual review, but first, why did I include all of the above? Simply to remind my fellow readers of a few things. 1) I may have a comfortable amount of followers here, but I by no means only get book recommendations from other large accounts or the bestseller lists. I have close relationships with readers who have followings of all sizes, and I trust those readers more than the general hype train. 2) I know we like to think that big accounts pimping out the most popular 10 books of the month is the only way to promote a book, but I promise word of mouth is JUST as important. In the past 24 hours, just because I decided to take a chance on a book that I wasn't seeing plastered on every corner of the internet, around 30 people have messaged me to tell me they're buying this book. If those 30 people love it and gush as well, they might inspire 30 more people, and so on. Moving on...
I know the synopsis is pushing this as The Silence of the Lambs meets Sadie, but I honestly didn't catch the similarities to the latter at all. As my friend Laura stated in her review HERE, a much more accurate comparison would be SOTL meets the show Mindhunter. Just as a heads up, there are a few scenes that feel VERY similar to Clarice Starling's journey with Hannibal Lector, but I didn't feel it detracted from the story one bit; if anything it allowed a sense of nostalgia upon remembering my fond feelings of that story. Bonus, this one doesn't include heaps of misogynistic banter and homophobic/transphobic content.
The story is set in the early 1980's in Northern Virginia during Regan's presidency. Both Ree and I agreed that the accuracy and atmospheric consistency here is incredible, considering we both live in this area, and noting that the author is Australian yet managed to create a realistic backdrop is not lost on me. She even mentions an intersection close to my home, and one of the murder sites is located down the street from a house that my husband and I looked at purchasing. 😳 Our main characters, Emma and Travis, are both in their late teens, but the writing and content is so mature I almost forgot this novel is supposed to be YA. I don't want to dive too deep into the plot, but there is a complex weaving of the main characters' personal backstories, Emma's meetings with a serial killer named Simon (his character was one of my favorites), and the FBI's hunt for a serial killer on a spree named The Butcher.
The beauty of this story is that it isn't technically a mystery; I think the fact that the enjoyment of the novel wasn't dependent on the identity of the killer allowed me to appreciate the more thrilling aspects of the banter between Emma and Simon, the action scenes when the FBI is closing in on The Butcher, and the other little twists and turns that you don't expect because you are so sucked into the story and the characters. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to suspend my sense of disbelief that these teenagers are assisting FBI personnel with cold cases, which turns into active cases, but the depth of writing and emotions felt so on point with how these two teenagers, both being forced to grow up far too quickly, might really be drawn into something like this, in a fictional sense.
Ok, I've yammered on long enough, but I loved this book and if you enjoy serial killer thrillers, you should read this and love it too.
Yeah, me too.
Friends, picture it. It's a crisp fall day, the children have been driving me crazy as lovely Mr. Humphrey has been traveling for work for approximately 958,000 days. We decide to take a stroll to our local Barnes and Noble, because our favorite bookseller Ree is working, and she's really nice to my kids when I can't be nice anymore. I'm browsing the YA table, and notice this striking cover, realizing I've never even heard of this book. I quickly log onto Goodreads and see that my bud Laura has already read this and gave it 5 glowing stars, which is good enough for me after reading the synopsis. Ree checks me out and confirms that she too has bought this book, so we make a pact to not let this become another TBR sleeper casualty.
Fast forward to-actually I started this the same day I bought it I think LOL-and I'm loving it so much that I start gushing to Coffee Jenn and may have forced her to purchase this book as well. Later that night, I post on social media how much I'm loving this book, which surprises Ree because she 100% assumed we would indeed be letting this book die in our sleeper TBR pile. She gets a moderate to severe case of FOMO, and jumps in too. Long story short, Jenn is almost finished, but the general consensus is that all three of us are internally screaming because WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT THIS BOOK?!!
Ok, so I'm moving on to the actual review, but first, why did I include all of the above? Simply to remind my fellow readers of a few things. 1) I may have a comfortable amount of followers here, but I by no means only get book recommendations from other large accounts or the bestseller lists. I have close relationships with readers who have followings of all sizes, and I trust those readers more than the general hype train. 2) I know we like to think that big accounts pimping out the most popular 10 books of the month is the only way to promote a book, but I promise word of mouth is JUST as important. In the past 24 hours, just because I decided to take a chance on a book that I wasn't seeing plastered on every corner of the internet, around 30 people have messaged me to tell me they're buying this book. If those 30 people love it and gush as well, they might inspire 30 more people, and so on. Moving on...
I know the synopsis is pushing this as The Silence of the Lambs meets Sadie, but I honestly didn't catch the similarities to the latter at all. As my friend Laura stated in her review HERE, a much more accurate comparison would be SOTL meets the show Mindhunter. Just as a heads up, there are a few scenes that feel VERY similar to Clarice Starling's journey with Hannibal Lector, but I didn't feel it detracted from the story one bit; if anything it allowed a sense of nostalgia upon remembering my fond feelings of that story. Bonus, this one doesn't include heaps of misogynistic banter and homophobic/transphobic content.
The story is set in the early 1980's in Northern Virginia during Regan's presidency. Both Ree and I agreed that the accuracy and atmospheric consistency here is incredible, considering we both live in this area, and noting that the author is Australian yet managed to create a realistic backdrop is not lost on me. She even mentions an intersection close to my home, and one of the murder sites is located down the street from a house that my husband and I looked at purchasing. 😳 Our main characters, Emma and Travis, are both in their late teens, but the writing and content is so mature I almost forgot this novel is supposed to be YA. I don't want to dive too deep into the plot, but there is a complex weaving of the main characters' personal backstories, Emma's meetings with a serial killer named Simon (his character was one of my favorites), and the FBI's hunt for a serial killer on a spree named The Butcher.
The beauty of this story is that it isn't technically a mystery; I think the fact that the enjoyment of the novel wasn't dependent on the identity of the killer allowed me to appreciate the more thrilling aspects of the banter between Emma and Simon, the action scenes when the FBI is closing in on The Butcher, and the other little twists and turns that you don't expect because you are so sucked into the story and the characters. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to suspend my sense of disbelief that these teenagers are assisting FBI personnel with cold cases, which turns into active cases, but the depth of writing and emotions felt so on point with how these two teenagers, both being forced to grow up far too quickly, might really be drawn into something like this, in a fictional sense.
Ok, I've yammered on long enough, but I loved this book and if you enjoy serial killer thrillers, you should read this and love it too.
January 23, 2023
Emma Lewis is a real-life Final Girl; the rare survivor of a serial killer. She was actually held hostage by him for days prior to her escape.
Travis Bell is a U.S. Marshall candidate, whose father lost his life in the line of duty at the hands of a serial killer.
In addition to these odd circumstances, they are both extremely intelligent. It's because of all these things, the FBI decides to recruit Emma and Bell to interview juvenile killers and provide insight on cold cases.
The theory is that teen killers will be more willing to open up to other teens, as opposed to stiff old, fuddy-duddy FBI agents.
Both Bell and Emma agree to the assignment within the Behavioral Sciences Unit and move into the dorms at Quantico. They begin training with other recruits and start their teen killer interviews.
The first interview ends up going better than expected. The killer does seem to be more receptive to them and opens up about his crimes and motivations.
Concurrently, the BSU is working on an active, high-profile serial killer case where all of the victims are teenagers.
Trying to get to the bottom of this case, and catch the killer before another teen is killed, the BSU decides to turn to infamous teen killer, Simon Gutmunsson, for help.
Emma ends up interviewing Simon alone and this is where the strong The Silence of the Lambs vibes begin.
Emma and Simon's relationship is very Clarice and Hannibal. The more they talk, the more Simon is able to draw out of Emma. Details she should not be confessing to him under any circumstances.
Simon is a masterful manipulator, who could strike with zero provocation.
Simon is revealing a lot to Emma as well and it begins to seem that he has a connection to the current case, but how?
This story was super intriguing from the very first chapter. Emma and Bell were both great characters to get to know.
Because of their history of trauma, they were both working through the effects of that; deciding how they wanted their lives to go. Channeling their pain into potential good for others, instead of letting it hold them back.
They hit it off right away and bonded quickly. I thought that made sense. They were the only people in that position, going through the same things. They had no one else.
Watching their relationship evolve over the course of the book seemed so natural. I am attached to them now and genuinely hope this is not the last we see of their characters.
I also loved all the scenes with Simon. He was chilling, much like Hannibal Lecter before him. The audiobook had incredibly creepy narration for his portions, so highly recommend that.
The cat-and-mouse interactions between Simon and Emma were so well-written. Additionally, Simon has a family member who plays a role in this story and their relationship was equally disturbing.
Overall, I thought this was an exceptionally tense and well-plotted YA Thriller.
Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys shows like Criminal Minds, or Mindhunter, as well as The Silence of the Lambs!!
Travis Bell is a U.S. Marshall candidate, whose father lost his life in the line of duty at the hands of a serial killer.
In addition to these odd circumstances, they are both extremely intelligent. It's because of all these things, the FBI decides to recruit Emma and Bell to interview juvenile killers and provide insight on cold cases.
The theory is that teen killers will be more willing to open up to other teens, as opposed to stiff old, fuddy-duddy FBI agents.
Both Bell and Emma agree to the assignment within the Behavioral Sciences Unit and move into the dorms at Quantico. They begin training with other recruits and start their teen killer interviews.
The first interview ends up going better than expected. The killer does seem to be more receptive to them and opens up about his crimes and motivations.
Concurrently, the BSU is working on an active, high-profile serial killer case where all of the victims are teenagers.
Trying to get to the bottom of this case, and catch the killer before another teen is killed, the BSU decides to turn to infamous teen killer, Simon Gutmunsson, for help.
Emma ends up interviewing Simon alone and this is where the strong The Silence of the Lambs vibes begin.
Emma and Simon's relationship is very Clarice and Hannibal. The more they talk, the more Simon is able to draw out of Emma. Details she should not be confessing to him under any circumstances.
Simon is a masterful manipulator, who could strike with zero provocation.
Simon is revealing a lot to Emma as well and it begins to seem that he has a connection to the current case, but how?
This story was super intriguing from the very first chapter. Emma and Bell were both great characters to get to know.
Because of their history of trauma, they were both working through the effects of that; deciding how they wanted their lives to go. Channeling their pain into potential good for others, instead of letting it hold them back.
They hit it off right away and bonded quickly. I thought that made sense. They were the only people in that position, going through the same things. They had no one else.
Watching their relationship evolve over the course of the book seemed so natural. I am attached to them now and genuinely hope this is not the last we see of their characters.
I also loved all the scenes with Simon. He was chilling, much like Hannibal Lecter before him. The audiobook had incredibly creepy narration for his portions, so highly recommend that.
The cat-and-mouse interactions between Simon and Emma were so well-written. Additionally, Simon has a family member who plays a role in this story and their relationship was equally disturbing.
Overall, I thought this was an exceptionally tense and well-plotted YA Thriller.
Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys shows like Criminal Minds, or Mindhunter, as well as The Silence of the Lambs!!
July 16, 2022
Ahhh I really loved this book! 4.5 stars!! I loved the characters and getting to see how their backstories impacted how they reacted to things. Especially how Emma dealt with her past, having survived almost being killed by a serial killer. On top of that, the plot was so unique. Getting into the minds of juvenile serial killers was so interesting. I have truly never read a book quite like this one.
November 15, 2021
3.5 ⭐️
“Why are some guys so fucked up?’ ‘It’s a kind of sickness, I think. Or a defect of the soul.”
Emma Lewis is the only girl to have escaped the home of a serial killer. She is recruited by the FBI along with Travis Bell, a kid whose dad was murdered, to interview teenage killers.
There is currently a murderer on the rampage, targeting only teenagers. They are hoping these interviews will shed some light on the mindset of a teenage killer.
One of the most prominent interviewees is Simon Gutmunsson. A serial killer, imprisoned for life, and also the person who killed Travis’ dad. He develops a weird infatuation with Emma, she tries to use this to get information about the mysterious ‘butcher.’
There is a lot of procedural info in here which was lost on me. But I liked both the main characters (even though they were a little presumptuous and arrogant at times).
I liked the link to Silence of the Lambs, and the ending was very dramatic. Overall a good enough crime thriller.
***********************************
Ordered from Waterstones 😊
Looking forward to giving this a go!
“Why are some guys so fucked up?’ ‘It’s a kind of sickness, I think. Or a defect of the soul.”
Emma Lewis is the only girl to have escaped the home of a serial killer. She is recruited by the FBI along with Travis Bell, a kid whose dad was murdered, to interview teenage killers.
There is currently a murderer on the rampage, targeting only teenagers. They are hoping these interviews will shed some light on the mindset of a teenage killer.
One of the most prominent interviewees is Simon Gutmunsson. A serial killer, imprisoned for life, and also the person who killed Travis’ dad. He develops a weird infatuation with Emma, she tries to use this to get information about the mysterious ‘butcher.’
There is a lot of procedural info in here which was lost on me. But I liked both the main characters (even though they were a little presumptuous and arrogant at times).
I liked the link to Silence of the Lambs, and the ending was very dramatic. Overall a good enough crime thriller.
***********************************
Ordered from Waterstones 😊
Looking forward to giving this a go!
November 29, 2020
Upgrading to 4.5 after looking through the book again today and also adding to content warning based on an inquiry in the discussion thread below.
CW:
Well that was an excellently dark YA thriller!
The author drew me in with engaging main characters who were damaged yet determined to face down some incredibly sinister serial killers. Whilst there are some disturbingly gory scenes and the sick machinations of psychopaths drive the story forward, this is definitely a YA book. I thought the writing was really good as the author was skillful at building up tension throughout the story. I don't think anyone will ever be able to recreate the chilling character that is Hannibal Lecter, but I did appreciate Simon's ability to psychoanalyse in order to unsettle and gain an advantage over his prey. An anxiety inducing read that is verging on horror!
CW:
Well that was an excellently dark YA thriller!
The author drew me in with engaging main characters who were damaged yet determined to face down some incredibly sinister serial killers. Whilst there are some disturbingly gory scenes and the sick machinations of psychopaths drive the story forward, this is definitely a YA book. I thought the writing was really good as the author was skillful at building up tension throughout the story. I don't think anyone will ever be able to recreate the chilling character that is Hannibal Lecter, but I did appreciate Simon's ability to psychoanalyse in order to unsettle and gain an advantage over his prey. An anxiety inducing read that is verging on horror!
November 3, 2020
Very solid YA Silence of the Lambs remake. This wasn't necessarily about figuring out who dunnit, and was more so a procedural of how the FBI could or would work in the event of a teenage Hannibal Lecter type. Marney created fantastic characters in this novel, and really enjoyed the two main protagonists, Bell and Emma, although I wished that there had been a bit more insight into Emma's abduction and survival at the hands of another serial killer shortly prior to the beginning of this story. The omission of detail makes me see this continuing as a series, which I'd undoubtedly continue reading, despite disliking procedurals and series! I would recommend this to my fellow suspense/thriller fanatics, regardless of age. This is one of the better thrillers I have read this year and very much appreciated that this was not another domestic drama /domestic psychological thriller, which I've been reading way too many of this year! I am very impressed that this is a debut novel by Marney and could very much see she did an impressive amount of research prior to writing this novel, which came across on the pages. Definite thumbs up for this being most likely the best YA novel of 2020!!
November 17, 2020
DNF. Time of death. 53%. I think that's far enough in to give a rating. One star seems too harsh so I'm going with two, despite not finishing it.
The blurb claimed this book was a mix of The Silence of the Lambs and Sadie. For me it was both not enough and too much like, "Lambs," and not comparable to, "Sadie."
I am hooked on true crime and serial killers. Reading, watching, podcasting. I acknowledge it is a dark interest. But I also know I'm not alone. Otherwise there wouldn't be so much material on it! Fact: "Silence of the Lambs," was my gateway drug to all of this. That and my mom, in the late 80's, repeatedly pointing out to my sister and I on our way to school, the place where a girl named Tara Calico disappeared. Oh and her letting me read her Anne Rule true crime novels. Love you Mom!
All of this is to say that maybe I expected too much from this book. But as I crossed the 50% mark, I could not see myself hanging in there for any longer and these are my non spoiler reasons:
1) Simon is Hannibal lite and Emma is Clarice but annoying.
2) No one character grabbed me. Everyone felt painted in shades of gray and I couldn't connect to any of them.
3) It stretched my capacity to suspend disbelief. Yes this was the 80's. A different time. But I found it hard to believe that:
a)18 year old Emma's parents would let her work with the FBI to interview serial killers after she had been kidnapped by one previously.
b) The FBI would let 18 year old's interview serial killers.
c) Teenager's with no training or education beyond a few general education courses would somehow be better at solving crimes than FBI agents.
I could continue but I won't.
Thank you for listening to my rant.
The blurb claimed this book was a mix of The Silence of the Lambs and Sadie. For me it was both not enough and too much like, "Lambs," and not comparable to, "Sadie."
I am hooked on true crime and serial killers. Reading, watching, podcasting. I acknowledge it is a dark interest. But I also know I'm not alone. Otherwise there wouldn't be so much material on it! Fact: "Silence of the Lambs," was my gateway drug to all of this. That and my mom, in the late 80's, repeatedly pointing out to my sister and I on our way to school, the place where a girl named Tara Calico disappeared. Oh and her letting me read her Anne Rule true crime novels. Love you Mom!
All of this is to say that maybe I expected too much from this book. But as I crossed the 50% mark, I could not see myself hanging in there for any longer and these are my non spoiler reasons:
1) Simon is Hannibal lite and Emma is Clarice but annoying.
2) No one character grabbed me. Everyone felt painted in shades of gray and I couldn't connect to any of them.
3) It stretched my capacity to suspend disbelief. Yes this was the 80's. A different time. But I found it hard to believe that:
a)18 year old Emma's parents would let her work with the FBI to interview serial killers after she had been kidnapped by one previously.
b) The FBI would let 18 year old's interview serial killers.
c) Teenager's with no training or education beyond a few general education courses would somehow be better at solving crimes than FBI agents.
I could continue but I won't.
Thank you for listening to my rant.
April 10, 2021
I think I would've enjoyed this a lot more if the tone, or writing style, had been a little different. Because the way this thriller unfolded, the chase, the crimes and the why, the whole set-up of using teens to hunt those who hunt and kill teens, is all fascinating. The fact that the backstories of these these junior investigators (not highschool age, this is a bit more realistic than that) were so traumatic, in very different ways, and how they battled those demons to do this work.. it was great.
Equally great was sidestepping much of what the female protagonist had gone through. We get hints, terrible hints, but nothing is explicitly explained and instead Marney lets us use our imagination — the scariest thing she could've done. It also, in a way, feels protective. Conversely, though, the author also leans into that when it comes to another character and that tease, as opposed to hitting us with every terrible thing, carries so much more weight.. but for a different purpose.
However. I felt quite removed from.. a lot of this. Maybe that was purposeful because there are pretty gruesome, not to mention traumatic, moments but Marney didn't linger over them, didn't sensationalize them, as they were already impactful. And yet still.. there were maybe only two highly charged moments that I truly felt, was truly moved by, and that just wasn't quite enough.
I'm also left very curious as to how things wrapped. Is this the beginning of a series, maybe? Could there be more? I would absolutely read on. Maybe being familiar with the style would make a follow up book more enjoyable. I don't know. But these two characters have me so curious as to where they would go next. Plus I liked how effortless it was to be thrown into the eighties without a thousand blinking neon signs reminding us of that fact at every turn. It was nice to leave the current timeline and skate back to something different. Even if it wasn't sunshine and rainbows.
If you're looking for thrills and chills during this spooky season, I would totally give this a try!
** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
----
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
Equally great was sidestepping much of what the female protagonist had gone through. We get hints, terrible hints, but nothing is explicitly explained and instead Marney lets us use our imagination — the scariest thing she could've done. It also, in a way, feels protective. Conversely, though, the author also leans into that when it comes to another character and that tease, as opposed to hitting us with every terrible thing, carries so much more weight.. but for a different purpose.
However. I felt quite removed from.. a lot of this. Maybe that was purposeful because there are pretty gruesome, not to mention traumatic, moments but Marney didn't linger over them, didn't sensationalize them, as they were already impactful. And yet still.. there were maybe only two highly charged moments that I truly felt, was truly moved by, and that just wasn't quite enough.
I'm also left very curious as to how things wrapped. Is this the beginning of a series, maybe? Could there be more? I would absolutely read on. Maybe being familiar with the style would make a follow up book more enjoyable. I don't know. But these two characters have me so curious as to where they would go next. Plus I liked how effortless it was to be thrown into the eighties without a thousand blinking neon signs reminding us of that fact at every turn. It was nice to leave the current timeline and skate back to something different. Even if it wasn't sunshine and rainbows.
If you're looking for thrills and chills during this spooky season, I would totally give this a try!
** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
----
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
December 20, 2022
The Silence of the lambs, but make it YA.
September 25, 2020
This is basically a YA Silence of the Lambs and I ADORE IT.
It's about two teenagers who have been recruited by the FBI to interview young serial killers. It's a really fascinating concept: the idea that teenage criminals wouldn't trust older authority figures is very true to life, so bringing in fellow teenagers to speak to them instead seems understandable (but would probably never happen in real life lol). The concept's similar to the TV show Mindhunter: interviewing captured serial killers to help better understand them and assist with finding ones who are still at large.
The main character Emma is recruited by the FBI after having escaped a serial killer herself. She and her partner Travis think their work is only being used on cold cases, but soon enough it becomes clear that there's an active serial killer at large and their work could prove integral to finding him.
The biggest sources of tension and intrigue in the story were Emma's interviews with nineteen year old serial killer Simon Gutmunsson. He is highly intelligent and terrifyingly observant, and quickly develops a fascination with Emma. Their dynamic mirrors that of Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling in Silence of the Lambs, with Simon 'helping' Emma with the FBI investigation, all while being a highly clever sociopath with his own agenda. Their conversations really were the highlight of the book, and watching Simon charmingly manipulate every adult around him was terrifying but also super fascinating.
Emma is a great protagonist, fierce and clever, yet her trauma is never glossed over. Her friendship with Travis was really nice; it's rare to see a well-written platonic friendship between a male and female, especially in a YA book. Any romance would have been extremely out of place in this book anyway lol. Nobody has time for making out when you're interviewing sociopaths and overcoming trauma and trying to capture active serial killers.
As you can probably tell this book ain't for the faint of heart. So if you've got a crippling fear of serial killers I would probably steer clear of this one. But if you don't I would definitely give this one a read - it's fascinating and scary and thrilling.
It's about two teenagers who have been recruited by the FBI to interview young serial killers. It's a really fascinating concept: the idea that teenage criminals wouldn't trust older authority figures is very true to life, so bringing in fellow teenagers to speak to them instead seems understandable (but would probably never happen in real life lol). The concept's similar to the TV show Mindhunter: interviewing captured serial killers to help better understand them and assist with finding ones who are still at large.
The main character Emma is recruited by the FBI after having escaped a serial killer herself. She and her partner Travis think their work is only being used on cold cases, but soon enough it becomes clear that there's an active serial killer at large and their work could prove integral to finding him.
The biggest sources of tension and intrigue in the story were Emma's interviews with nineteen year old serial killer Simon Gutmunsson. He is highly intelligent and terrifyingly observant, and quickly develops a fascination with Emma. Their dynamic mirrors that of Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling in Silence of the Lambs, with Simon 'helping' Emma with the FBI investigation, all while being a highly clever sociopath with his own agenda. Their conversations really were the highlight of the book, and watching Simon charmingly manipulate every adult around him was terrifying but also super fascinating.
Emma is a great protagonist, fierce and clever, yet her trauma is never glossed over. Her friendship with Travis was really nice; it's rare to see a well-written platonic friendship between a male and female, especially in a YA book. Any romance would have been extremely out of place in this book anyway lol. Nobody has time for making out when you're interviewing sociopaths and overcoming trauma and trying to capture active serial killers.
As you can probably tell this book ain't for the faint of heart. So if you've got a crippling fear of serial killers I would probably steer clear of this one. But if you don't I would definitely give this one a read - it's fascinating and scary and thrilling.
October 27, 2021
Reading Vlog: https://youtu.be/JjxUgl4QAAc
This suffers from the same affliction Scythe did. The YA-ness of it all really irritated me. It's a particular brand of YA because I read YA a lot and usually don't have these problems. It is mainly the Not-Like-Other-Girls, Chosen-One, Nice-Guy tropes that brought this book down.
The concept is fantastic. It is a direct rip off of Silence of the Lambs but I don't mind that at all. I went in hoping that would be the case. But I'm supposed to believe that these two teenagers are going to solve a crime the FBI has been working on for a year? The same teenagers who can't find the brain cells to not tell a convicted serial killer their full legal names? The same teenager who wore her university t-shirt to an interview at a maxim security detention facility with a young Hannibal Lector. Emma he knows where you live now bb! Not only is she dumb but every single person at every single check point she passed is also stupid for letting her do that. I'm confused.
And Travis. Let's talk about Travis. He could have and should have been great but when he wasn't boring, he was annoying. He is the son of a Marshall who was killed by a serial killer. If you think that backstory is going to be interesting, it's not. Don't wait around. He plays the Nice Guy card so much. He will be in the midst of a serious situation and look over at Emma and think "This is hard for me but I feel bad for Emma. She shouldn't be dealing with this. I hate seeing women cry." It has nothing to do with Emma as a person or her trauma. He just is always mentioning how he hates seeing women cry.
Something really dire will be happening and they'll look down to see their holding hands *eyeroll* Shit like that just irks me so much.
I wanted to love it and I will say the cover is absolutely STUNNING. But it's a miss for me.
This suffers from the same affliction Scythe did. The YA-ness of it all really irritated me. It's a particular brand of YA because I read YA a lot and usually don't have these problems. It is mainly the Not-Like-Other-Girls, Chosen-One, Nice-Guy tropes that brought this book down.
The concept is fantastic. It is a direct rip off of Silence of the Lambs but I don't mind that at all. I went in hoping that would be the case. But I'm supposed to believe that these two teenagers are going to solve a crime the FBI has been working on for a year? The same teenagers who can't find the brain cells to not tell a convicted serial killer their full legal names? The same teenager who wore her university t-shirt to an interview at a maxim security detention facility with a young Hannibal Lector. Emma he knows where you live now bb! Not only is she dumb but every single person at every single check point she passed is also stupid for letting her do that. I'm confused.
And Travis. Let's talk about Travis. He could have and should have been great but when he wasn't boring, he was annoying. He is the son of a Marshall who was killed by a serial killer. If you think that backstory is going to be interesting, it's not. Don't wait around. He plays the Nice Guy card so much. He will be in the midst of a serious situation and look over at Emma and think "This is hard for me but I feel bad for Emma. She shouldn't be dealing with this. I hate seeing women cry." It has nothing to do with Emma as a person or her trauma. He just is always mentioning how he hates seeing women cry.
Something really dire will be happening and they'll look down to see their holding hands *eyeroll* Shit like that just irks me so much.
I wanted to love it and I will say the cover is absolutely STUNNING. But it's a miss for me.
December 3, 2020
“There are no monsters. Only people.”
representation: Mexican-American MC, PTSD, Black minor characters, Sikh side character.
[trigger warnings are listed at the bottom of this review and may contain spoilers]
★★★★.5
HOOOOOLY MOLY this is how you write a thriller! The writing was SO GOOD. The suspense was SO GOOD. The action was SO GOOD. I absolutely HAVE to read more Ellie Marney now! I didn't give it a full 5 stars (have i ever given a thriller/mystery 5 stars?????) because I feel like they lack rereadability for me once I know who done it, and the ability and want to reread is a huge factor when I give out 5 star ratings!
trigger warnings: loss of loved ones (in the past), kidnapping (in the past), murder, brief mention of killing cows (they had a cow farm or something idk), sexism, racism, PTSD, serial killers, gore, needles and taking blood.
representation: Mexican-American MC, PTSD, Black minor characters, Sikh side character.
[trigger warnings are listed at the bottom of this review and may contain spoilers]
★★★★.5
HOOOOOLY MOLY this is how you write a thriller! The writing was SO GOOD. The suspense was SO GOOD. The action was SO GOOD. I absolutely HAVE to read more Ellie Marney now! I didn't give it a full 5 stars (have i ever given a thriller/mystery 5 stars?????) because I feel like they lack rereadability for me once I know who done it, and the ability and want to reread is a huge factor when I give out 5 star ratings!
trigger warnings: loss of loved ones (in the past), kidnapping (in the past), murder, brief mention of killing cows (they had a cow farm or something idk), sexism, racism, PTSD, serial killers, gore, needles and taking blood.
August 27, 2020
➸ Trigger warnings for .
▷ Representation: Emma (mc) has PTSD; Bell (mc) is Mexican-American.
Blog • Trigger Warning Database • Twitter • Instagram
March 14, 2022
2/5 stars
Welp this is sad. I really wanted to love this book as friends have rated it highly and it seems like something I would love: two teenagers hunt down a serial killer in the 80s using criminal profiling. But ultimately this book really let me down, for quite a few reasons.
But first, let’s start with the positives:
Travis Bell:
An under-utilised king. This poor boy is a side character in his own book! Bell’s father was police who was killed by teenaged serial killer Simon Gutmunsson. Now Bell feels a lot of pressure to make his dad proud and hunt down killers just like Simon. My boy has some TRAUMA. He needs several hugs (if he wants them of course) and deserves a lot better than being shoved aside to make room for the Super Special MC. GIVE BELL HIS OWN BOOK OR I WILL RIOT.
And then there’s ….
..
……
*cricket noises*
Uhhhh the pacing was good?? :D
AND NOW FOR MY CRITICISMS WHICH CANNOT BE FAULTED BECAUSE I AM PERFECT AND SO IS MY OPINION OBVIOUSLY
The MYTHOLOGIZATION of Serial Killers:
Lemme tell u something …. Most serial killers are FUCKIN STUPID!!! Ignore TV shows, except Criminal Minds because I believe in Emily Prentiss supremacy. Serial killers are DUMB AF! Most of the time they get caught for making stupid-ass mistakes or are only able to kill for a while because the police are inept or simply don’t have the technology to catch them. They are NOT “apex predators” as Marney likes to say and I will die on this hill!!!
Simon Gutmunsson is probably the worst attempt at a serial killer ever. He’s a teenaged Hannibal Lecter, who spouts shitty poetry, is imprisoned in some kind of cathedral lookin cage (???) instead of an actual prison, loves his cliche of a sister (creepily), is beautiful, has WHITE HAIR and has a fascination with the MC. Girl, is this some creepy Wattpad fic? THE YASSIFICATION OF HANNIBAL LECTER, IN MY YA BOOK? IT’S MORE LIKELY THAN YOU THINK!
Also, the Butcher is a weak villain, who is a fitness freak yet somehow lost to an emaciated 18 year old boy. Simon DOES NOT LIFT yet he’s stronger than this 40 year old weirdo? Ok.
EMMA SNOWFLAKE LEWIS:
Emma is our real-life final girl, who survived a serial killer when all the other girls died. How? She ran away from him. Okay cool, how did she do that? “Lol idk” - the author. -_- I feel like knowing how this played out would have made me more sympathetic to the character, like everybody praises her for her tenacity, yet I know nothing about the event that makes them say this!
Simon is immediately interested in Emma and seems to think she’s a super special gal because she survived a serial killer, yet Simon himself says two minutes later this serial killer was shitty and dumb. He says she has an ‘inner fire’ or some weird shit like that and all I cringed all over. Can we not use an intensely traumatic event as a way to show the MC is ‘not like other girls’? Because lemme tell you, Emma is not special in any other way. She is a fool! She also thinks she is the supreme know-it-all about serial killers because she was in one’s basement for 3 days. Listen to this hoot:
…………. girl that is so false ……… where r u getting this info ……….. Ellie Marney we needa talk love bc what is dis ……. to a lot of these people, exerting power IS SEX. They are the same thing!! Which is why they kill people!!!!! How can you claim to love Mindhunter yet not understand this, which John Douglas says over and over?
its simply unbelievable darling:
Okay. So. The FBI is making a unit to talk to teenage serial offenders. I am on board, this sounds legit. They fill this unit with fellow teenagers. Okay …. I can see where they’re coming from, maybe they’ll get young geniuses who know what they’re doing— nO. THEY FILL THE RANKS WITH TEENS WITH PTSD RELATING TO SERIAL KILLERS. wat ?????????????? The therapy costs alone wouldn’t be worth it! Let alone the fact that they HEADHUNTED these kids because they have “experience with killers” (despite Bell never even meeting Simon) and sending them straight into interviews with NO TRAINING OR PREPARATION!! And somehow it fucking works? These offenders suddenly open up because they see someone their own age, because serial killers are obviously known for loving their peers, right? GIRL WHAT IS THIS I DON’T BELIEVE A WORD OF IT!
And naturally these inexperience teens with PTSD are somehow smarter than adults who have been training for years, because they’re teens duhhh and obviously adults are idiots who know nothing about anything!
OVERALL:
Book dumb but fast read. Bell is a cutie who deserved more than being Emma’s emotional support dog. Butcher is bad. Simon is romanticised. Emma is boring. The FBI are dumb. I read this in 2 days. Book still dumb. Characters dumb. Grown man takes weird showers. Extra star for Travis Bell. Teenagers are mini Jesuses. Ellie disappointed (me, not the author). Goodbye
Welp this is sad. I really wanted to love this book as friends have rated it highly and it seems like something I would love: two teenagers hunt down a serial killer in the 80s using criminal profiling. But ultimately this book really let me down, for quite a few reasons.
But first, let’s start with the positives:
Travis Bell:
An under-utilised king. This poor boy is a side character in his own book! Bell’s father was police who was killed by teenaged serial killer Simon Gutmunsson. Now Bell feels a lot of pressure to make his dad proud and hunt down killers just like Simon. My boy has some TRAUMA. He needs several hugs (if he wants them of course) and deserves a lot better than being shoved aside to make room for the Super Special MC. GIVE BELL HIS OWN BOOK OR I WILL RIOT.
And then there’s ….
..
……
*cricket noises*
Uhhhh the pacing was good?? :D
AND NOW FOR MY CRITICISMS WHICH CANNOT BE FAULTED BECAUSE I AM PERFECT AND SO IS MY OPINION OBVIOUSLY
The MYTHOLOGIZATION of Serial Killers:
Lemme tell u something …. Most serial killers are FUCKIN STUPID!!! Ignore TV shows, except Criminal Minds because I believe in Emily Prentiss supremacy. Serial killers are DUMB AF! Most of the time they get caught for making stupid-ass mistakes or are only able to kill for a while because the police are inept or simply don’t have the technology to catch them. They are NOT “apex predators” as Marney likes to say and I will die on this hill!!!
Simon Gutmunsson is probably the worst attempt at a serial killer ever. He’s a teenaged Hannibal Lecter, who spouts shitty poetry, is imprisoned in some kind of cathedral lookin cage (???) instead of an actual prison, loves his cliche of a sister (creepily), is beautiful, has WHITE HAIR and has a fascination with the MC. Girl, is this some creepy Wattpad fic? THE YASSIFICATION OF HANNIBAL LECTER, IN MY YA BOOK? IT’S MORE LIKELY THAN YOU THINK!
Also, the Butcher is a weak villain, who is a fitness freak yet somehow lost to an emaciated 18 year old boy. Simon DOES NOT LIFT yet he’s stronger than this 40 year old weirdo? Ok.
EMMA SNOWFLAKE LEWIS:
Emma is our real-life final girl, who survived a serial killer when all the other girls died. How? She ran away from him. Okay cool, how did she do that? “Lol idk” - the author. -_- I feel like knowing how this played out would have made me more sympathetic to the character, like everybody praises her for her tenacity, yet I know nothing about the event that makes them say this!
Simon is immediately interested in Emma and seems to think she’s a super special gal because she survived a serial killer, yet Simon himself says two minutes later this serial killer was shitty and dumb. He says she has an ‘inner fire’ or some weird shit like that and all I cringed all over. Can we not use an intensely traumatic event as a way to show the MC is ‘not like other girls’? Because lemme tell you, Emma is not special in any other way. She is a fool! She also thinks she is the supreme know-it-all about serial killers because she was in one’s basement for 3 days. Listen to this hoot:
“Emma: These crimes are not about sex. The sex is just incidental … everything you’ve read is wrong, or out-of-date, or both. It’s not about sex. At all. It’s about exerting power.”
…………. girl that is so false ……… where r u getting this info ……….. Ellie Marney we needa talk love bc what is dis ……. to a lot of these people, exerting power IS SEX. They are the same thing!! Which is why they kill people!!!!! How can you claim to love Mindhunter yet not understand this, which John Douglas says over and over?
its simply unbelievable darling:
Okay. So. The FBI is making a unit to talk to teenage serial offenders. I am on board, this sounds legit. They fill this unit with fellow teenagers. Okay …. I can see where they’re coming from, maybe they’ll get young geniuses who know what they’re doing— nO. THEY FILL THE RANKS WITH TEENS WITH PTSD RELATING TO SERIAL KILLERS. wat ?????????????? The therapy costs alone wouldn’t be worth it! Let alone the fact that they HEADHUNTED these kids because they have “experience with killers” (despite Bell never even meeting Simon) and sending them straight into interviews with NO TRAINING OR PREPARATION!! And somehow it fucking works? These offenders suddenly open up because they see someone their own age, because serial killers are obviously known for loving their peers, right? GIRL WHAT IS THIS I DON’T BELIEVE A WORD OF IT!
And naturally these inexperience teens with PTSD are somehow smarter than adults who have been training for years, because they’re teens duhhh and obviously adults are idiots who know nothing about anything!
OVERALL:
Book dumb but fast read. Bell is a cutie who deserved more than being Emma’s emotional support dog. Butcher is bad. Simon is romanticised. Emma is boring. The FBI are dumb. I read this in 2 days. Book still dumb. Characters dumb. Grown man takes weird showers. Extra star for Travis Bell. Teenagers are mini Jesuses. Ellie disappointed (me, not the author). Goodbye
October 16, 2020
5 STARS.
WOW what an amazing YA thriller 🙌🏼 This book was completely unexpected in the best way possible + it’s definitely a new favorite of mine. For fans of The Silence of the Lambs + Mindhunter, this one’s for you 🔪
As soon as I started reading this book I knew it was going to be very special to me. This book has a strong focus on forensic psychology, which I am obsessed with + is a strong career interest of mine. I connected with this book so easily from the very beginning because it truly aligns with my interests so perfectly. I have never once read a book that felt like 100% me until I read this book, which is one of the reasons I loved it as much as I did.
Exploring the minds of serial killers is so beyond fascinating to me + that was easily my favorite part about this book. Not only that, but this book was also super dark + gory, which I love 😝 Another thing I really enjoyed about this book was that even though the plot is extremely fast-paced, I found myself really wanting to take my time with it to appreciate all that it was. There’s no better feeling than finding a book you love so much that you don’t want it to end + that’s exactly how this book was for me. I will forever recommend this to everyone + trust me when I say you guys NEED this book in your life!
CW: animal death, sexual assault, suicide, mentions of child abuse
WOW what an amazing YA thriller 🙌🏼 This book was completely unexpected in the best way possible + it’s definitely a new favorite of mine. For fans of The Silence of the Lambs + Mindhunter, this one’s for you 🔪
As soon as I started reading this book I knew it was going to be very special to me. This book has a strong focus on forensic psychology, which I am obsessed with + is a strong career interest of mine. I connected with this book so easily from the very beginning because it truly aligns with my interests so perfectly. I have never once read a book that felt like 100% me until I read this book, which is one of the reasons I loved it as much as I did.
Exploring the minds of serial killers is so beyond fascinating to me + that was easily my favorite part about this book. Not only that, but this book was also super dark + gory, which I love 😝 Another thing I really enjoyed about this book was that even though the plot is extremely fast-paced, I found myself really wanting to take my time with it to appreciate all that it was. There’s no better feeling than finding a book you love so much that you don’t want it to end + that’s exactly how this book was for me. I will forever recommend this to everyone + trust me when I say you guys NEED this book in your life!
CW: animal death, sexual assault, suicide, mentions of child abuse
September 14, 2020
Originally published on The Nerd Daily | Review by AB Endacott
The hint about just how engrossing a thriller can be is in the name of the genre. It literally thrills you with such intensity that you cannot put it down until you’ve found out exactly what lies at the heart of the mystery, who the killer is, what will happen to the protagonist, or a mix of all three.
Ellie Marney’s latest offering, None Shall Sleep, is everything a good thriller should be, drawing the reader in from the first chapter and refusing to release them for meals, conversation, or even sleep, until it’s finished. Perhaps Marney chose the title not from the Byron poem it references towards the novel’s conclusion, but because she knew that would be true for anyone reading it.
Read the FULL REVIEW on The Nerd Daily
The hint about just how engrossing a thriller can be is in the name of the genre. It literally thrills you with such intensity that you cannot put it down until you’ve found out exactly what lies at the heart of the mystery, who the killer is, what will happen to the protagonist, or a mix of all three.
Ellie Marney’s latest offering, None Shall Sleep, is everything a good thriller should be, drawing the reader in from the first chapter and refusing to release them for meals, conversation, or even sleep, until it’s finished. Perhaps Marney chose the title not from the Byron poem it references towards the novel’s conclusion, but because she knew that would be true for anyone reading it.
Read the FULL REVIEW on The Nerd Daily
September 7, 2022
Trigger warnings: murder, gore, blood, mentions of torture (in the past), death of a parent (in the past), stabbing, seriously there's lots and lots of blood.
7/9/2022
On reread, I listened to this on audiobook and it was extremely freaking creepy and I loved it just as much as the first time around. Although I will note that I found the American pronunciations of tarpaulin and tinnitus ridiculously grating.
23/8/2020
None Shall Sleep is right. This was HELLA creepy.
I've been excited about this from the moment that Ellie announced it, and in the interests of full disclosure, I won an ARC from Allen & Unwin by telling them that the villain I'd most like to interview is Sauron because I want to know how he went from having a body to being a flaming eyeball on top of a tower. That has nothing whatsoever to do with the story that Ellie's created but it seemed like pertinent information all the same.
Anywho. This was spectacular. The publicity has been very "Silence of the Lambs for teens", but I think I'd probably go with adding Mindhunter into the comparison. Silence of the Lambs, to me, has always felt sliiiiiiightly over the top in terms of Hannibal's behaviour whereas because Mindhunter features, like, actual serial killers it was much more frightening to me. So yeah, this definitely has the grittiness of Mindhunter for me.
I loved all of the characters and their backstories. I loved the 1980s setting. I loved the writing. I loved that there was a legitimate reason for these teenagers to be working with the FBI. I loved the crime they were investigating. I loved all the twists and turns. I loved that at one point a whole stack of puppies turned up because that's basically my dream (don't worry - the puppies are unharmed). I loved that it had kind of a Karin Slaughter vibe to it.
Basically, I loved every single second of this dark, creepy story. I had high expectations for this, and it lived up to every single one of them. And Ellie? If you want to make this a series? I am ONE THOUSAND PERCENT HERE FOR THAT.
7/9/2022
On reread, I listened to this on audiobook and it was extremely freaking creepy and I loved it just as much as the first time around. Although I will note that I found the American pronunciations of tarpaulin and tinnitus ridiculously grating.
23/8/2020
None Shall Sleep is right. This was HELLA creepy.
I've been excited about this from the moment that Ellie announced it, and in the interests of full disclosure, I won an ARC from Allen & Unwin by telling them that the villain I'd most like to interview is Sauron because I want to know how he went from having a body to being a flaming eyeball on top of a tower. That has nothing whatsoever to do with the story that Ellie's created but it seemed like pertinent information all the same.
Anywho. This was spectacular. The publicity has been very "Silence of the Lambs for teens", but I think I'd probably go with adding Mindhunter into the comparison. Silence of the Lambs, to me, has always felt sliiiiiiightly over the top in terms of Hannibal's behaviour whereas because Mindhunter features, like, actual serial killers it was much more frightening to me. So yeah, this definitely has the grittiness of Mindhunter for me.
I loved all of the characters and their backstories. I loved the 1980s setting. I loved the writing. I loved that there was a legitimate reason for these teenagers to be working with the FBI. I loved the crime they were investigating. I loved all the twists and turns. I loved that at one point a whole stack of puppies turned up because that's basically my dream (don't worry - the puppies are unharmed). I loved that it had kind of a Karin Slaughter vibe to it.
Basically, I loved every single second of this dark, creepy story. I had high expectations for this, and it lived up to every single one of them. And Ellie? If you want to make this a series? I am ONE THOUSAND PERCENT HERE FOR THAT.
September 7, 2020
I can’t believe people aren’t talking about this book! The description compares it to Silence of the Lambs & Sadie. I did not get the Sadie comparison at all. I found it to be a mix of Silence of the Lambs & Mindhunter by John Douglas - YA edition (although very mature YA). You’ve got teens interviewing teen serial killers in prison ala Mindhunter and an eerily similar dynamic of Clarice & Lecter between the MC & one of the serial killers they’re using for research. The research project quickly turns into an opportunity to catch a killer from an active case like it does in SOTL with Buffalo Bill. And that’s all I’m going to say. Sometimes the scenes felt a bit too similar to Lambs but that could just be me being picky. Overall, I found the idea brilliant and the last hour of the audiobook was scarier than any other YA thriller I’ve read to date. I’d love to see this turn into a series. You need to add this to your TBR friends! The audiobook brings the book to life with subtle sound effects like gunshots and there’s some bits that have duet narration which I normally abhor but found it really worked here when used.
October 7, 2020
Eighteen year old Emma Lewis continues to endure the psychological trauma of being held captive, the sole survivor of man who abducted young women as wives. Now studying forensic psychology at University, Emma is about to embark on a landmark venture with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, adolescents recruited to interview adolescent sociopaths to help understand the psychological motivation of their crimes. Emma is a determined and resolute young woman, intelligent, perceptive and resilient. She's reluctant to join the Federal Behavioural Science Unit, tempted by the prospect of accelerating her education.
Travis Bell is the son of a decorated police offer, killed in the line of duty by a sociopath killer, now pursuing a career in law enforcement. Travis has been recruited by the FBI and alongside Emma, plans to make the most of the opportunity he's given to forge a career and honour his father's memory. Travis and Emma are strangers, brought together by circumstance but form a tentative and platonic friendship over their shared experience, Emma's abduction and Travis' father killed by Simon Gutmunsson. They share moments of attraction but their working relationship and budding friendship was lovely, seeing them trust one another without the complications of a romantic relationship. Both Travis and Emma are healing and given the circumstances of the investigation, I'm thankful their connection remained purely platonic.
Simon Gutmunsson, he's charismatic and under any other circumstances, even endearing. Ellie Marney created a likeable sociopath and I'm equally parts delighted and horrified. Simon is known as The Artist, he doesn't consider himself in the same lowly league as a sociopathic killer, he artfully killed his victims as a calling card, proud of his extracurricular activities. Simon is highly intelligent and curious about Emma, alluding to the current murderous spree by the unknown assailant. The FBI hope by understanding juvenile killers like Simon, they'll be able to profile and catch the current serial killer, using Emma and Travis at bait to see what Simon knows.
The killings are brutal. We're given a glimpse into the mind of the killer as he strings up his victims and performs ritualistic killings. It's terrifying and creates an incredibly urgent storyline, using the cryptic innuendo provided by Simon and applying his insights to the current, open case before the killer strikes again. Holy shit. None Shall Sleep is creepy, downright terrifying but balanced with moments of tenderness and a gentle and tentative friendship.
This is next level Marney, a little bit batshit, pee yourself while reading and jumping at shadows for the next three months. Outstanding!
Travis Bell is the son of a decorated police offer, killed in the line of duty by a sociopath killer, now pursuing a career in law enforcement. Travis has been recruited by the FBI and alongside Emma, plans to make the most of the opportunity he's given to forge a career and honour his father's memory. Travis and Emma are strangers, brought together by circumstance but form a tentative and platonic friendship over their shared experience, Emma's abduction and Travis' father killed by Simon Gutmunsson. They share moments of attraction but their working relationship and budding friendship was lovely, seeing them trust one another without the complications of a romantic relationship. Both Travis and Emma are healing and given the circumstances of the investigation, I'm thankful their connection remained purely platonic.
Simon Gutmunsson, he's charismatic and under any other circumstances, even endearing. Ellie Marney created a likeable sociopath and I'm equally parts delighted and horrified. Simon is known as The Artist, he doesn't consider himself in the same lowly league as a sociopathic killer, he artfully killed his victims as a calling card, proud of his extracurricular activities. Simon is highly intelligent and curious about Emma, alluding to the current murderous spree by the unknown assailant. The FBI hope by understanding juvenile killers like Simon, they'll be able to profile and catch the current serial killer, using Emma and Travis at bait to see what Simon knows.
The killings are brutal. We're given a glimpse into the mind of the killer as he strings up his victims and performs ritualistic killings. It's terrifying and creates an incredibly urgent storyline, using the cryptic innuendo provided by Simon and applying his insights to the current, open case before the killer strikes again. Holy shit. None Shall Sleep is creepy, downright terrifying but balanced with moments of tenderness and a gentle and tentative friendship.
This is next level Marney, a little bit batshit, pee yourself while reading and jumping at shadows for the next three months. Outstanding!
August 7, 2022
4.5/5 :)
This book took me a while to get into (because of my reading slump😭), but once I really got into it, I finished it in one sitting.
The plot hooked me in, and there was a lot of action that kept me invested. I loved the characters, and I especially loved how they all had their flaws and the way that it was presented to the reader. For example, I honestly really liked Simon’s character by the end, and he’s just not portrayed as a villain who “kills people for fun” there’s emotion and depth to his character. Emma’s trauma and her thoughts were written very nicely. There was a lot of detail, yet not confusing at all.
The writing style was another point that I enjoyed, and it really delivered the plot on point. The concept of two teenagers hunting down a killer was also what grabbed my attention in the first place, and it did not disappoint. The suspense was exactly what I like to see in a mystery thriller book. It’s kind of hard to describe everything that I loved without spoiling anything, so read to find out!
One thing to note is that some scenes are gory, so for those who can’t handle that, I’d recommend you think twice before picking this one up. Overall, a very captivating YA mystery-thriller with an amazing plot and dynamic characters.
“None shall sleep, indeed. Certainly not tonight.”
07/26/22
“I think they’ve been playing a kind of game, and we’ve let ourselves get caught in the cat-and-mouse between two sociopaths.”
This book took me a while to get into (because of my reading slump😭), but once I really got into it, I finished it in one sitting.
The plot hooked me in, and there was a lot of action that kept me invested. I loved the characters, and I especially loved how they all had their flaws and the way that it was presented to the reader. For example, I honestly really liked Simon’s character by the end, and he’s just not portrayed as a villain who “kills people for fun” there’s emotion and depth to his character. Emma’s trauma and her thoughts were written very nicely. There was a lot of detail, yet not confusing at all.
The writing style was another point that I enjoyed, and it really delivered the plot on point. The concept of two teenagers hunting down a killer was also what grabbed my attention in the first place, and it did not disappoint. The suspense was exactly what I like to see in a mystery thriller book. It’s kind of hard to describe everything that I loved without spoiling anything, so read to find out!
One thing to note is that some scenes are gory, so for those who can’t handle that, I’d recommend you think twice before picking this one up. Overall, a very captivating YA mystery-thriller with an amazing plot and dynamic characters.
“None shall sleep, indeed. Certainly not tonight.”
07/26/22
Read
September 30, 2020DNF at 37%
There is something missing from this book. Despite the fact that it’s a crime thriller (which is absolutely right up my alley) there isn’t a sense of suspense. These kinds of books are 85% atmosphere and this fell short.
There is something missing from this book. Despite the fact that it’s a crime thriller (which is absolutely right up my alley) there isn’t a sense of suspense. These kinds of books are 85% atmosphere and this fell short.
October 8, 2020
"𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 -- 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭."
I've had this psychological thriller on my radar since January, and after including it in my Top Ten Tuesday post for my Fall TBR, my lovely friend Kal (@kal_ventures) demanded we buddy read this immediately. I will forever be thankful to Kal for putting her foot down on this book!
Why, you ask? Because I read this chilling mystery in one day. Yep, I super failed the "buddy reading" component, but I could not stop myself from turning the pages. This book is dark, inventive, and full of characters I simply need more of in my life.
𝐄𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲'𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐒𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩 is centered on two teenagers who are recruited by the FBI to interview incarcerated, teenaged serial killers in order to glean information for an active case. The two teenagers in question are selected because they both have a connection to serial killers: Emma is a final girl and Travis's father was killed by The Artist.
Diving into the action almost immediately, 𝐍𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐒𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩 provides a fast-paced narrative and audible, gasp-inducing shocks that will leave you mesmerized for days! The content is heavy, and pretty vivid in detail, but I promise you'll be able to sleep without the lights on...I think.😉
"𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫."
Inspired by 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘴, and several true-crime podcasts, 𝐍𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐒𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩 is a must read this spooky season! And if my word isn't enough, just ask Kal, Chelsea (@suspensethrill), or Laura (@laurassnaps6).
October 6, 2021
Deze Young adult thriller is echt een aanrader voor liefhebbers van Moordgids voor lieve meisjes! Het is erg spannend, soms wat voorspelbaar, maar echt waar om het te lezen!
Sommige scènes zijn echt beklijvend spannend. Echt een aanrader.
Sommige scènes zijn echt beklijvend spannend. Echt een aanrader.
June 7, 2022
I’d heard so many amazing things about NONE SHALL SLEEP by Ellie Marney and I have to say this book exceeded my expectations.
Set in 1982 (love!) two teenagers—serial killer survivor Emma Lewis and US Marshal candidate Travis Bell—are recruited by the FBI. They are supposed to interview convicted juvenile killers and provide insight and advice on cold cases. But when they have to turn to one of the country's most notorious incarcerated murderers for help: teenage sociopath Simon Gutmunsson, everything begins to unravel.
Manipulation. Murder. Classic cat-and-mouse. This book is bringing all THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS vibes. And don’t let the teenager vibes mislead you - this book is dark, bloody, chilling and hits both the thriller and the emotional buttons. I loved it!
Set in 1982 (love!) two teenagers—serial killer survivor Emma Lewis and US Marshal candidate Travis Bell—are recruited by the FBI. They are supposed to interview convicted juvenile killers and provide insight and advice on cold cases. But when they have to turn to one of the country's most notorious incarcerated murderers for help: teenage sociopath Simon Gutmunsson, everything begins to unravel.
Manipulation. Murder. Classic cat-and-mouse. This book is bringing all THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS vibes. And don’t let the teenager vibes mislead you - this book is dark, bloody, chilling and hits both the thriller and the emotional buttons. I loved it!
June 11, 2022
this book was so good ???
don't get me wrong, i've seen so many rave reviews about this book that i'm not entirely surprised that it was as good as it was. however, my track record with mystery/thriller books when i was reading this was,,, less than ideal.
at any rate, i was quite excited to get into reading this. the book had initially caught my interest when i saw the cover on display at a local bookstore. yes, in 2020. yes, it took me two years to get around to reading this.i'm not proud of it either so don't blame me.
travis and emma, the main characters, absolutely had me hooked from the very beginning, not just from their own individual backstories, but also the writing style. it's extremely straight to the matter, without much purple-prose-like embellishments to speak of, and it really works for both the story being told and the underlying suspense present throughout.
although it can be argued that emphasis was placed on the plot over the course of the book, as it no doubt was, i have to say that the characters, emma in particular, were really well crafted. it was easy to get in their heads and see things happening from their view, as a result of everything that they had experienced.
the plot was *chef's kiss*. clearly the selling point of this novel. it's very much a serial killer mystery-thriller novel, and it doesn't try to sugarcoat any of it. i especially enjoyed reading about everything that was going on the investigative side, because i feel like most novels that are based on this topic are centered around rouge investigations trying to figure out who the killer is in spite of official efforts, however effective they may be, while this book highlighted and focused on the official, fbi nature of things instead.
overall, this made for an excellently gripping read, and while that ending felt a bit ambiguous, i really think that it went with the story—you get exactly what you expect.
don't get me wrong, i've seen so many rave reviews about this book that i'm not entirely surprised that it was as good as it was. however, my track record with mystery/thriller books when i was reading this was,,, less than ideal.
at any rate, i was quite excited to get into reading this. the book had initially caught my interest when i saw the cover on display at a local bookstore. yes, in 2020. yes, it took me two years to get around to reading this.
travis and emma, the main characters, absolutely had me hooked from the very beginning, not just from their own individual backstories, but also the writing style. it's extremely straight to the matter, without much purple-prose-like embellishments to speak of, and it really works for both the story being told and the underlying suspense present throughout.
although it can be argued that emphasis was placed on the plot over the course of the book, as it no doubt was, i have to say that the characters, emma in particular, were really well crafted. it was easy to get in their heads and see things happening from their view, as a result of everything that they had experienced.
the plot was *chef's kiss*. clearly the selling point of this novel. it's very much a serial killer mystery-thriller novel, and it doesn't try to sugarcoat any of it. i especially enjoyed reading about everything that was going on the investigative side, because i feel like most novels that are based on this topic are centered around rouge investigations trying to figure out who the killer is in spite of official efforts, however effective they may be, while this book highlighted and focused on the official, fbi nature of things instead.
overall, this made for an excellently gripping read, and while that ending felt a bit ambiguous, i really think that it went with the story—you get exactly what you expect.
August 12, 2022
2.5 stars
Don't think I've ever read a more lukewarm thriller.
It was easy to read, but it left me feeling absolutely nothing.
The mystery is pretty much nonexistent—murderer's identity is revealed to the reader almost at the very beginning, so all the reader needs to do is wait for the characters to figure it out, too.
It didn't work for me.
Don't think I've ever read a more lukewarm thriller.
It was easy to read, but it left me feeling absolutely nothing.
The mystery is pretty much nonexistent—murderer's identity is revealed to the reader almost at the very beginning, so all the reader needs to do is wait for the characters to figure it out, too.
It didn't work for me.
May 17, 2021
This was a surreal reading experience. I was simultaneously glued to my Kindle while wanting to scream with every passing page.
Let me get the screaming out of the way first, because it interfered the most with what was otherwise a fantastically well-paced and gripping thriller.
This book is the epitome of what I hate about YA. The presumption that teenagers know more than adults, are more perceptive than adults, and are so much more competent than adults, and therefore adults should take a backseat is horrifying. I’m not going to say more about the topic, mostly because its implications are self-explanatory. What I am going to say is None Shall Sleep is in the weird middle ground of showing genuinely competent adults and smart, realistic teenagers, and then pretending like adults are blinkered by their age and these teenagers are the only ones who can save the world. I’ve had it.
The plot is that the FBI recruits two college students (one of whom was the sole surviving victim of a serial killer) to interview teenage serial killers and unpack further insights into homicidal psychology. First of all, if this was real life, this would be irresponsible AF. Not only do these two MCs not have much formal training, this is a HUGE burden to stick on them. No one should be signing off on this! The FBI boss who’s always threatening to shut this programme down is only reasonable person in this entire book!
However, I don’t read fiction for the realism (you know what I mean) and this is an intriguing premise. Also the title is really good and so is the cover. Now let me tell you how the genre contrives to ruin everything. The first major serial killer they interview (and the one who also killed the other MC’s dad) is Hannibal Lecter. Which makes our Final Girl MC, Clarice. However, since this Hannibal is seventeen years old and lives in a cell with a bedsheet-partition-privacy-screen, the result is less polite menace and more absurd pretentiousness.
Also, there is not enough potato chips you could bribe me with to buy into this idea. No professional law enforcement person has been able to crack Childibbal (Child Hannibal), but our MC Emma can? Because only teenagers can get other teenagers to open up to them? If this is the case, I think adult therapists (let alone the ones who work specifically in crime-related jobs) should just call it a day and go home.
My problem isn’t with this book. It’s with Emma. Specifically Emma. This girl lives under a rock (she doesn’t watch TV where the daily news is) to cope with her trauma. I respect this character choice. But when you live under a rock, and were too special to be broken by a serial killer (because she was in that place for three days while the other victims had been tortured for longer), you are not an authority on ALL serial killers. You are not automatically more qualified than actual trained professionals. You are not exempt from following rules and protocols (which are not just for your personal safety alone). You are not special BECAUSE OF YOUR AGE.
Please stop.
Immediately.
This is not me being bitter because I no longer am at constant risk of acne or not finding a date to the prom. (Neither has ever happened to me, but for very different reasons.) I could suspend disbelief if Emma was a child prodigy (or just an intelligent girl) who was very well-studied on theory. Or was naturally intuitive and quick-witted and can make connections easily.
(In fact, the other MC, Travis? His only qualification is that his father is a dead US Marshal and he himself wants to join up with the FBI. He takes the classes. He tries to follow the rules. He uses the brain that God gave him. He’s not immune to bias. He’s GREAT.)
Emma is none of these things. Emma is brash, reckless, arrogant, and justified for doing stupid things because this genre rewards children for doing dumb, unrealistic things that don’t work in the real world.
This book hinges on you believing that adults with degrees in criminology and psychology have an inherent disadvantage: the juvenile mind is an alien landscape to them. An eighteen-year-old, by virtue of being eighteen years old and having traumatic exposure to one criminal (canonically considered to be the Fred Flintstone of serial killers) is by default capable of doing the aforesaid adult’s job. And doing it better.
What is galling is that the serial killer clichés repeated in this book—childhood abuse of animals, inability to socialise well, taunting the police—are insights derived by adults. Trained adults with actual experience in the field. They’ve already done all this groundwork (the viability of which I’m not getting into) which is the foundation of what these children use, and yet youth is the magic grail that everyone is after?
Also serial killers aren’t even that common in real life, so there.
(Actually, that is exactly the kind of disbelief I want to suspend when reading crime fiction. Made-up serial killers are just the spice the genre needs.)
And now (as promised), what I liked about the book. When it’s good, None Shall Sleep is really fucking good. Emma and Travis have a deus ex machina insight, which the adults pick up and there’s a fantastic scene of pure competence porn where they all try to bridge the gap from hunch to proof. It’s great. For several glorious pages, it’s no longer an exasperated, condescending Gen Z Is Tired Of Holding Up Gen X manifesto.
The pacing (to repeat myself) is perfect. The biggest factor in why thrillers fail is that they drag in the wrong places. Not this one! If you charted the plot, it would be a continuous series of peaks and valleys but they occur so organically that it never feels formulaic. Information is doled out at exact the right beats, and the flow is smoother than Jon Hamm. It’s an actual pleasure to read if my eyes are firmly closed.
It also helps that it is held up by really strong characters, from the bureaucratic FBI boss to even Emma during all the times when she’s not being insufferable. Which is a lot, thankfully. She and Travis have the best relationship. It builds up in increments, and despite her mystifying insistence on always using his last name, there is genuine mutual support happening at all times. I absolutely love it. There’s so much scope to just devolve into an obligatory romance, but that doesn’t happen because this book respects its own characters’ characterisation.
A perfect example is that it sidesteps trauma porn. (Well, for the most part.) The defining thing about Emma is that she is the Sole Survivor of a brutal criminal, but we never once get the details. Because the details don’t matter. Some salient things come out through dialogue, but that’s all. Because her trauma is not a popcorn flick, and I genuinely appreciated that.
To wit, this book was not the generation gap hill that I thought I would die on, but it’s too late now. I already missed the bus for it when I read Matilda.
Let me get the screaming out of the way first, because it interfered the most with what was otherwise a fantastically well-paced and gripping thriller.
This book is the epitome of what I hate about YA. The presumption that teenagers know more than adults, are more perceptive than adults, and are so much more competent than adults, and therefore adults should take a backseat is horrifying. I’m not going to say more about the topic, mostly because its implications are self-explanatory. What I am going to say is None Shall Sleep is in the weird middle ground of showing genuinely competent adults and smart, realistic teenagers, and then pretending like adults are blinkered by their age and these teenagers are the only ones who can save the world. I’ve had it.
The plot is that the FBI recruits two college students (one of whom was the sole surviving victim of a serial killer) to interview teenage serial killers and unpack further insights into homicidal psychology. First of all, if this was real life, this would be irresponsible AF. Not only do these two MCs not have much formal training, this is a HUGE burden to stick on them. No one should be signing off on this! The FBI boss who’s always threatening to shut this programme down is only reasonable person in this entire book!
However, I don’t read fiction for the realism (you know what I mean) and this is an intriguing premise. Also the title is really good and so is the cover. Now let me tell you how the genre contrives to ruin everything. The first major serial killer they interview (and the one who also killed the other MC’s dad) is Hannibal Lecter. Which makes our Final Girl MC, Clarice. However, since this Hannibal is seventeen years old and lives in a cell with a bedsheet-partition-privacy-screen, the result is less polite menace and more absurd pretentiousness.
Also, there is not enough potato chips you could bribe me with to buy into this idea. No professional law enforcement person has been able to crack Childibbal (Child Hannibal), but our MC Emma can? Because only teenagers can get other teenagers to open up to them? If this is the case, I think adult therapists (let alone the ones who work specifically in crime-related jobs) should just call it a day and go home.
My problem isn’t with this book. It’s with Emma. Specifically Emma. This girl lives under a rock (she doesn’t watch TV where the daily news is) to cope with her trauma. I respect this character choice. But when you live under a rock, and were too special to be broken by a serial killer (because she was in that place for three days while the other victims had been tortured for longer), you are not an authority on ALL serial killers. You are not automatically more qualified than actual trained professionals. You are not exempt from following rules and protocols (which are not just for your personal safety alone). You are not special BECAUSE OF YOUR AGE.
Please stop.
Immediately.
This is not me being bitter because I no longer am at constant risk of acne or not finding a date to the prom. (Neither has ever happened to me, but for very different reasons.) I could suspend disbelief if Emma was a child prodigy (or just an intelligent girl) who was very well-studied on theory. Or was naturally intuitive and quick-witted and can make connections easily.
(In fact, the other MC, Travis? His only qualification is that his father is a dead US Marshal and he himself wants to join up with the FBI. He takes the classes. He tries to follow the rules. He uses the brain that God gave him. He’s not immune to bias. He’s GREAT.)
Emma is none of these things. Emma is brash, reckless, arrogant, and justified for doing stupid things because this genre rewards children for doing dumb, unrealistic things that don’t work in the real world.
This book hinges on you believing that adults with degrees in criminology and psychology have an inherent disadvantage: the juvenile mind is an alien landscape to them. An eighteen-year-old, by virtue of being eighteen years old and having traumatic exposure to one criminal (canonically considered to be the Fred Flintstone of serial killers) is by default capable of doing the aforesaid adult’s job. And doing it better.
What is galling is that the serial killer clichés repeated in this book—childhood abuse of animals, inability to socialise well, taunting the police—are insights derived by adults. Trained adults with actual experience in the field. They’ve already done all this groundwork (the viability of which I’m not getting into) which is the foundation of what these children use, and yet youth is the magic grail that everyone is after?
Also serial killers aren’t even that common in real life, so there.
(Actually, that is exactly the kind of disbelief I want to suspend when reading crime fiction. Made-up serial killers are just the spice the genre needs.)
And now (as promised), what I liked about the book. When it’s good, None Shall Sleep is really fucking good. Emma and Travis have a deus ex machina insight, which the adults pick up and there’s a fantastic scene of pure competence porn where they all try to bridge the gap from hunch to proof. It’s great. For several glorious pages, it’s no longer an exasperated, condescending Gen Z Is Tired Of Holding Up Gen X manifesto.
The pacing (to repeat myself) is perfect. The biggest factor in why thrillers fail is that they drag in the wrong places. Not this one! If you charted the plot, it would be a continuous series of peaks and valleys but they occur so organically that it never feels formulaic. Information is doled out at exact the right beats, and the flow is smoother than Jon Hamm. It’s an actual pleasure to read if my eyes are firmly closed.
It also helps that it is held up by really strong characters, from the bureaucratic FBI boss to even Emma during all the times when she’s not being insufferable. Which is a lot, thankfully. She and Travis have the best relationship. It builds up in increments, and despite her mystifying insistence on always using his last name, there is genuine mutual support happening at all times. I absolutely love it. There’s so much scope to just devolve into an obligatory romance, but that doesn’t happen because this book respects its own characters’ characterisation.
A perfect example is that it sidesteps trauma porn. (Well, for the most part.) The defining thing about Emma is that she is the Sole Survivor of a brutal criminal, but we never once get the details. Because the details don’t matter. Some salient things come out through dialogue, but that’s all. Because her trauma is not a popcorn flick, and I genuinely appreciated that.
To wit, this book was not the generation gap hill that I thought I would die on, but it’s too late now. I already missed the bus for it when I read Matilda.
November 4, 2020
There were parts that I liked, there were also a lot of parts that I really didn’t like or didn’t flow well with me. However, if there was a sequel I’d definitely try it out.
3.75/5
3.75/5
September 8, 2020
"Well, Clarice - have the lambs stopped screaming?"
When I saw that there was going to be a YA book that was compared to Silence of the Lambs, I grabbed my glass of Chianti and counted down the days until I could read this one. My hype for this one was a lot better than the book. It pains me to say that because we need more horror/thrillers in YA.
Where’s the fava beans? Where’s the nice Chianti? Where’s all the death? Just wake me when this is over...
It had an amazing start and I couldn't wait to read more but that was a very quick dream. It went downhill fast like I was riding a boxcar with zero brakes. And then it crashed and burned. Sadly, I could not get into this. I was bored. Bored as in watching paint dry while someone holds my eyelids open and forces me to watch it all the way through. It was painful. I wound up skimming the last half of it.
None Shall Sleep was not the book for me. I thought it was going to be full of mass chaos, death, and maybe someone having a friend for dinner but it was nothing like that. *sigh*
I wonder if the author is a fan of Twin Peaks? If you know, you know....
When I saw that there was going to be a YA book that was compared to Silence of the Lambs, I grabbed my glass of Chianti and counted down the days until I could read this one. My hype for this one was a lot better than the book. It pains me to say that because we need more horror/thrillers in YA.
Where’s the fava beans? Where’s the nice Chianti? Where’s all the death? Just wake me when this is over...
It had an amazing start and I couldn't wait to read more but that was a very quick dream. It went downhill fast like I was riding a boxcar with zero brakes. And then it crashed and burned. Sadly, I could not get into this. I was bored. Bored as in watching paint dry while someone holds my eyelids open and forces me to watch it all the way through. It was painful. I wound up skimming the last half of it.
None Shall Sleep was not the book for me. I thought it was going to be full of mass chaos, death, and maybe someone having a friend for dinner but it was nothing like that. *sigh*
I wonder if the author is a fan of Twin Peaks? If you know, you know....
November 6, 2020
Well, I see this is an unpopular opinion. But this book wasn't anything special. I couldn't connect with the main characters, and the mystery/criminal side of things kind of bored me. Honestly, there were times when I didn't care if they found the killer or not.
I was expecting something different, like One of Us Is Lying, but it felt more like a true crime documentary... a boring one, because I enjoy watching that kind of documentaries.
I was expecting something different, like One of Us Is Lying, but it felt more like a true crime documentary... a boring one, because I enjoy watching that kind of documentaries.
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