Sleep Like This

by Dayna Ingram

Regina Scott, a freshman at a small town college, has many problems, all of which begin (and end) with the dead girl lying in the bed ten feet away. To deal, Regina's psyche breaks into two people - the first being zombie-led through the fire-rings of local police trying to squeeze out a confession; the second traveling back through her memories to trace the incidents that have landed her with blood on her hands and cuffs on her wrists. Meanwhile, forensic pathologist Julia Breigan is called to assist Sheriff Davies in proving Regina's guilt. Breigan would be delighted to help out, except Davies happens to be her stepsister and the catalyst for her hasty departure thirteen years ago. Having abandoned hope for finding resolution in her own life, all Julia Breigan wants is to help Regina find the truth in hers. All Sheriff Davies wants is an open-shut case. And Regina Scott, well, she just wants to wake up.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery

278 pages, Paperback

First published October 20, 2010

About the author

Dayna Ingram is a queer genre fiction writer from Ohio. He earned his BA in Creative Writing from Antioch College, and his MFA from San Francisco State University. He is the author of EAT YOUR HEART OUT and ALL GOOD CHILDREN, both of which received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly. The latter was also chosen by both Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews Indie as one of the best Science Fiction titles of 2016. He lives in Kentucky with his spouse, their children, and an ungodly amount of pets. His epic fantasy trilogy, EMPIRE OF FLESH AND GOLD, is forthcoming from Lethe Press. Follow on Twitter and Instagram @thedingram

Reviews

[Angie Engles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Completely different from her other novel Eat Your Heart Out (also a great read, by the way!), Sleep Like This is haunting and, at times, quite upsetting. It's hard to detach yourself from this story, especially if you've ever found yourself in Regina's shoes and been party to the pangs of really liking someone who may or may not like you back.

Many of us have known a Charlotte in our lives, someone who toys with our affections in most painful yet indifferent ways. Charlotte, though, is not all she seems and may be hiding a lot of suffering behind her playfulness.

I had to put Sleep Like This down a few times because it was hard to carry on in a few spots. When a book can make you that uncomfortable with your own feelings, you know it's something special.

At times kind of David Lynch-ian (I love how the point of view dissociates at times and time skips around, throwing things out of order) and at others an aching reminder of just how much love hurts when you're young, Dayna Ingram's first novel is unforgettable. It's mysterious elements will suck you in, but its depiction of love and loss will be why you hunger to read more.

I know Sleep Like This will linger with me for quite a while. I finished it Saturday and I still can't stop thinking about it.

[Amy L. Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dayna Ingram is one of the first writers I've encountered to truly capture the emotion and difficulty of transitioning from teenager to young adult. Her first novel Sleep Like This follows the events surrounding the murder of Charlotte Chase at a small college in the Midwest. However, the highlight of Ingram's work can be found in the blossoming relationship between Chase and her room mate Regina Scott. The reader will inevitably fall in love with Scott, despite the sometimes childish anger and bitterness she displays regarding people's reaction to Chase's demise. These feelings contain a depth and an honesty not found in most works in the mystery genre and are all the more powerful for it.

Just when you start to get aggravated with Scott's moping and self-indulgent grieving, Ingram pulls you into the point of view of Julia Biergan, who truly sympathizes with Scott in a way that makes you recognize how much this 18 year-old child is really suffering. This is a singular work in the way that it covers not only transitioning through an already traumatic period in most people's lives, but in how grieving can affect the behavior and thoughts of young adults in this situation. This is not as strong a work as it can be, but there is so much worthwhile material contained within the pages that I have great hope for Ms. Ingram's future works as she matures as a writer and a wonderful person.

FULL DISCLOSURE: The reviewer is a personal friend of the author.

The reviewer is the author of the blog A Librarian's Life in Books.

[Dayna Ingram · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it is fair to say that this book is better than the Bible. It is less preachy but has approximately the same amount of plagues, and what it lacks in disciples it more than makes up for in girl-on-girl make-outs. It's shorter than the Bible so you can read it in a few hours and still make it to church before the first group prayer. Once there, you can tell the congregation how much time they are wasting on that ridiculously verbose tome of theirs, when there is a much thinner, superior version available on Amazon for only $12. Probably, you will not go to Hell for reading this book, but I can't make any guarantees because I would not like to be sued by your eternally suffering soul. I believe you will feel the Holy Spirit enter you about the same time Brena's tongue enters Regina's ear. By the time the crime is solved, you will be convulsing with joy and speaking in tongues, and only a few of you will experience the stigmata.

You know that part in the Bible when Jesus disappears for, like, twelve years? He was off in the corner of some quiet library reading Sleep Like This.

Disclaimer: Sleep Like This has nothing (or very little) to do with the Bible or any religion, but it does have sex and death, so it's still pretty rock n' roll.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good read

I was not surprised how much I enjoyed this book, as I have heard great things about Dayna Ingram's work. I was, however, surprised that it was her first novel. Very well written. I look forward to reading the rest of her stuff.

[Margaret · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a copy of Sleep Like This by Dayna Ingram for free as part of the Goodreads First Reads Program. I thought this book was hard to follow. I was confused by the shifting of one character to another, the mixing of people, and how they were suppose to relate to one another. I myself never found clarification. The conversations between characters left alot to be desired, everybody thought this or really meant that, which boiled down to a bunch of meaningless grunts. It's just not my kind of reading style.

[Schuyler Greene · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was lovely and moving and pleasantly imaginative. The writing can still use some work- seemed a bit desperate in some parts and elementary in others but still a lovely read. Her characters were believable, relatable, lovable and enchanting.

Sleep like this is well worth the read. It's not too often that I find really good and dark F/F fiction.

[Snarky · Rating 3 out of 5]

LOVED the character-driven beginning, but things kind of petered out from middle to end. Seems like she had to hurry up and finish this for her assignment (it was originally an assignment). Regardless, liked it and would recommend it

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome book. I loved it how it switched around from chapter to chapter. It kept my attention through the whole book. Dayna Ingram is a great writer.