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Awakened
From debut author Laura Elliot comes a tense horror novel emboldened by the surreal, perfect for fans of 28 Days Later and The Quiet Place.
Science has stolen sleep and awakened a world of horror.
“I’ve been an insomniac all of my life, but I’m not Sleepless and I won’t become Sleepless, just as long as the chips that were put into their heads never get put into mine. There’s little chance of that, since I won’t put the machinery into my brain and neither will Edgar and neither will the Professor, and we’re the only three left who could. I don’t want to be Sleepless…”
Civilisation has ended. In a bid to make us more productive, to give us more time, science took sleep from humanity. But sleeplessness turned people into feral monsters and now a small group of scientists are trapped in the Tower of London, consumed by guilt at what they have done and desperately searching for a cure. And then one day, as the last ravens circle, two miraculous survivors walk into the Tower.
Are they the answer or a terrible question?
Science has stolen sleep and awakened a world of horror.
“I’ve been an insomniac all of my life, but I’m not Sleepless and I won’t become Sleepless, just as long as the chips that were put into their heads never get put into mine. There’s little chance of that, since I won’t put the machinery into my brain and neither will Edgar and neither will the Professor, and we’re the only three left who could. I don’t want to be Sleepless…”
Civilisation has ended. In a bid to make us more productive, to give us more time, science took sleep from humanity. But sleeplessness turned people into feral monsters and now a small group of scientists are trapped in the Tower of London, consumed by guilt at what they have done and desperately searching for a cure. And then one day, as the last ravens circle, two miraculous survivors walk into the Tower.
Are they the answer or a terrible question?
402 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 10, 2025
71 people are currently reading
6928 people want to read
About the author
Laura Elliott
1 book47 followersLaura Elliott is a disabled writer and journalist, originally from Scunthorpe. Her work has been published by The Guardian, ByLine Times, Boudicca Press, Monstrous Regiment, Hachette Kids, and others. She lives in Sheffield with her partner, James, and their two feline overseers, Catticus Finch and Hercule Purrot. Her debut horror novel, Awakened, was published by Angry Robot Books in June 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 205 reviews
May 31, 2025
4.0 Stars
This feels like such a sleeper hit of the year. The plot is arguably not particularly revolutionary, but yet it was so well executed. I was immediately invested from the first paragraph and that continued through the whole book. This is a tightly written narrative that is emotional and memorable.
I am not always a fan of apocalyptic fiction but I would highly recommend this one to a wide audience since this is a such a well written story about the human experience.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
This feels like such a sleeper hit of the year. The plot is arguably not particularly revolutionary, but yet it was so well executed. I was immediately invested from the first paragraph and that continued through the whole book. This is a tightly written narrative that is emotional and memorable.
I am not always a fan of apocalyptic fiction but I would highly recommend this one to a wide audience since this is a such a well written story about the human experience.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
March 17, 2025
Awakened by Laura Elliot
Sleep; many revel in its spatial awareness of another plane of existence, while others fear the unknown and haunting reminders of how minuscule and tragic human life can be. Laura Elliot creates a world that attempts to solve this conundrum. Thea Chares and her scientific colleagues have an idea. Computer chip implementation placed within the recipient's brain attempts to seize control of their sleep habits under the guise of increasing human productivity. Surely, more uptime means more productivity. Why waste time sleeping? However, humanity starts to fade into a post-apocalyptic nightmare when these chips start to "malfunction." Humans turn into despondent beasts whose only purpose is to feed on scraps of rotten flesh within trash piles in the London area. Or is there more to the story? What can a survivor named Vladimir teach us?
I have visited the Tower of London, which rises majestically above the Thames River. I was amazed at its architecture and immenseness, providing shelter within its barriers. Of course, this was its intent—to be a self-sufficient community in case of warfare. A siege, from whom you may ask? Why the vast majority of London residents whose lives succumbed to research gone wrong in this tale, of course. Within these walls, readers are provided a glimpse within the location that provides a haven for the scientists. They are safe, or so it seems. What can’t protect them are their “brilliant” ideas. The need to provide solutions for the betterment of humanity becomes yet another instance of one that also provides an avenue of control. The moral dilemma begins as Vladimir, the rare victim who has managed to survive this "outbreak,” takes Thea through an arduous journey of human enlightenment. His ideas serve as a reminder to those who will listen that the creatures outside the gates were and remain human regardless of outward appearance and behavior. Thus posing a question to the reader: What is wrong with who we are now?
At times, I must admit, some conversations may have lingered a little too long. This caused moments of distraction and was far from a seamless experience. That said, I felt like the message was important. I wondered if employees of the technological community have these same ethical battles internally. Do they question their research or simply rely upon a ready-made corporate answer that justifies the decision-making? We must already be aware that some only flourish in an environment of totalitarianism, seeking to subjugate humanity at all costs. Using clever marketing and offering the threat of fear circling around us like buzzards targeting a new corpse. We are programmed to seek change. In a society constantly enamored with progression, we, the citizens, only seem to regress in our way of life. A very interesting dichotomy exists. I digress.
I found the plot interesting, and Thea's character in particular likeable, but let's not kid ourselves; this was a grim read. Fear not, fellow readers; all is not lost. Sleep is the place that allows true freedom and escape. A sacred moment that is ours and ours alone. Perhaps this is why I read. Wonderous landscapes created by talented authors are awaiting my eyes. Soaking up knowledge like a ray of sun on a hot summer day, and in those moments I am truly free from constraint and judgement. These types of books are important to remind me I am human, in my simpleton caveman-like form, and that is ok. I am giving this 3.5 stars and rounding up to 4 stars. Recommended!
Many thanks to Angry Robot for the ARC through Netgalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion.
Sleep; many revel in its spatial awareness of another plane of existence, while others fear the unknown and haunting reminders of how minuscule and tragic human life can be. Laura Elliot creates a world that attempts to solve this conundrum. Thea Chares and her scientific colleagues have an idea. Computer chip implementation placed within the recipient's brain attempts to seize control of their sleep habits under the guise of increasing human productivity. Surely, more uptime means more productivity. Why waste time sleeping? However, humanity starts to fade into a post-apocalyptic nightmare when these chips start to "malfunction." Humans turn into despondent beasts whose only purpose is to feed on scraps of rotten flesh within trash piles in the London area. Or is there more to the story? What can a survivor named Vladimir teach us?
I have visited the Tower of London, which rises majestically above the Thames River. I was amazed at its architecture and immenseness, providing shelter within its barriers. Of course, this was its intent—to be a self-sufficient community in case of warfare. A siege, from whom you may ask? Why the vast majority of London residents whose lives succumbed to research gone wrong in this tale, of course. Within these walls, readers are provided a glimpse within the location that provides a haven for the scientists. They are safe, or so it seems. What can’t protect them are their “brilliant” ideas. The need to provide solutions for the betterment of humanity becomes yet another instance of one that also provides an avenue of control. The moral dilemma begins as Vladimir, the rare victim who has managed to survive this "outbreak,” takes Thea through an arduous journey of human enlightenment. His ideas serve as a reminder to those who will listen that the creatures outside the gates were and remain human regardless of outward appearance and behavior. Thus posing a question to the reader: What is wrong with who we are now?
At times, I must admit, some conversations may have lingered a little too long. This caused moments of distraction and was far from a seamless experience. That said, I felt like the message was important. I wondered if employees of the technological community have these same ethical battles internally. Do they question their research or simply rely upon a ready-made corporate answer that justifies the decision-making? We must already be aware that some only flourish in an environment of totalitarianism, seeking to subjugate humanity at all costs. Using clever marketing and offering the threat of fear circling around us like buzzards targeting a new corpse. We are programmed to seek change. In a society constantly enamored with progression, we, the citizens, only seem to regress in our way of life. A very interesting dichotomy exists. I digress.
I found the plot interesting, and Thea's character in particular likeable, but let's not kid ourselves; this was a grim read. Fear not, fellow readers; all is not lost. Sleep is the place that allows true freedom and escape. A sacred moment that is ours and ours alone. Perhaps this is why I read. Wonderous landscapes created by talented authors are awaiting my eyes. Soaking up knowledge like a ray of sun on a hot summer day, and in those moments I am truly free from constraint and judgement. These types of books are important to remind me I am human, in my simpleton caveman-like form, and that is ok. I am giving this 3.5 stars and rounding up to 4 stars. Recommended!
Many thanks to Angry Robot for the ARC through Netgalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion.
April 8, 2025
WOW. I AM BLOWN AWAY.
This was psychological, existential, tense, emotional, probing.
If you liked Bird Box, Annihilation, Black Mirror - try this!
It is 2055. There’s an apocalypse. Civilisation has ended following an outbreak of the Sleepless - humans turned into feral monsters. To keep up with modern life, science designed a way to go without sleep. The small group of scientists responsible are trapped in the Tower of London, dealing with guilt, doubt, and desperately searching for a cure.
This is told from Thea’s perspective in dusty-like entries. Her path has been paved by her need to help her mother who has suffered from chronic fatigue.
When doctors don’t believe you, who else can you turn to for help?
We all live with the awareness that we’re housed inside a perishable flesh sack that will one day rot away from us, leaving us with nowhere to go.
The writing was incredible: switching from introspection, records, memories, stream of consciousness….
The writing is intimate and emotional. The characters are panicked, flawed, scared, resilient.
There wasn’t a great sense of place. Similarly, the going-ins outside of the Tower was absent which could have been scary and fascinating. This did create claustrophobia and immediacy, yet made it more a character story than a true end of the world horror or thriller.
I also was not a fan of the last 20%. This was close to being a five stars before this.
“Not just sleep, but rest. Sleep. Rest. Freedom. They are the same things. Those who would steal your rest would steal the very soul from within you. The means by which you exist as an autonomous creature. The means by which you become more than a machine, more than a mere organism, but an individual capable of life.”
Physical arc gifted by Angry Robot.
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This was psychological, existential, tense, emotional, probing.
If you liked Bird Box, Annihilation, Black Mirror - try this!
It is 2055. There’s an apocalypse. Civilisation has ended following an outbreak of the Sleepless - humans turned into feral monsters. To keep up with modern life, science designed a way to go without sleep. The small group of scientists responsible are trapped in the Tower of London, dealing with guilt, doubt, and desperately searching for a cure.
This is told from Thea’s perspective in dusty-like entries. Her path has been paved by her need to help her mother who has suffered from chronic fatigue.
When doctors don’t believe you, who else can you turn to for help?
We all live with the awareness that we’re housed inside a perishable flesh sack that will one day rot away from us, leaving us with nowhere to go.
The writing was incredible: switching from introspection, records, memories, stream of consciousness….
The writing is intimate and emotional. The characters are panicked, flawed, scared, resilient.
There wasn’t a great sense of place. Similarly, the going-ins outside of the Tower was absent which could have been scary and fascinating. This did create claustrophobia and immediacy, yet made it more a character story than a true end of the world horror or thriller.
I also was not a fan of the last 20%. This was close to being a five stars before this.
“Not just sleep, but rest. Sleep. Rest. Freedom. They are the same things. Those who would steal your rest would steal the very soul from within you. The means by which you exist as an autonomous creature. The means by which you become more than a machine, more than a mere organism, but an individual capable of life.”
Physical arc gifted by Angry Robot.
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Tiktok
August 29, 2025
Elliott traps us inside the Tower of London in the late twenty-first century, where a failed dream of progress has birthed a plague of Sleepless.
Orex Corporation’s neuralchip, grown from Henrietta Lacks’s immortal cells, erased the need for sleep; its subjects lost language, reason, and restraint. Thea Chares, a scientist who helped design the chip, now works with Professor Galen and Edgar in makeshift labs, documenting grotesque mutations: double rows of teeth, hypertrophic muscles, light-sensitive predator eyes, wounds that heal within hours.
A captured male – Subject 001 – fixes Thea with an intelligent gaze after a dropped pen, an encounter that shifts her from clinical observer to wary counterpart.
Beyond the walls, London lies in ruin, its streets emptied except for feral Sleepless. Inside, survivors form a tense micro-society: Maryam with her wheelchair and gardens, soldier-figure Thane, wary Alison, volatile nurse Dolly, damaged Miles.
A pair of strangers breach the gates, a gaunt man with heterochrome eyes, one the ice blue of the Sleepless, and a woman fiercely protective of him. The courtyard fills with guns and arguments over whether to execute or shelter them.
In the Raven’s Nest pub, Thea hands Dolly a weapon, telling her to take responsibility if she wants them dead; Dolly refuses. The newcomers stay, their presence stirring conflict and fragile hopes of understanding the Sleepless condition.
Through lab records, memories of Thea’s mother’s illness, and stark exchanges in fog-choked courtyards, the book tracks an attempt to reverse Orex’s damage. It shows experiments, failed sedations, dangerous examinations, and negotiations about survival ethics.
Thea’s narration moves between scientific detail and moments of raw recognition, as in her thought that the Sleepless embody “true freedom, the wild freedom… an absence of the ground beneath your feet.”
The Tower holds more questions than cures, and the living watch each other with the same measuring gaze they turn on the creatures outside. When a society treats rest as wasted time, it may wake to find itself hunted by what it has made.
I would place this among the most arresting speculative works of recent years. Its quiet assertion that survival may be as morally corrosive as the disaster itself is sublimely crafted.
Orex Corporation’s neuralchip, grown from Henrietta Lacks’s immortal cells, erased the need for sleep; its subjects lost language, reason, and restraint. Thea Chares, a scientist who helped design the chip, now works with Professor Galen and Edgar in makeshift labs, documenting grotesque mutations: double rows of teeth, hypertrophic muscles, light-sensitive predator eyes, wounds that heal within hours.
A captured male – Subject 001 – fixes Thea with an intelligent gaze after a dropped pen, an encounter that shifts her from clinical observer to wary counterpart.
Beyond the walls, London lies in ruin, its streets emptied except for feral Sleepless. Inside, survivors form a tense micro-society: Maryam with her wheelchair and gardens, soldier-figure Thane, wary Alison, volatile nurse Dolly, damaged Miles.
A pair of strangers breach the gates, a gaunt man with heterochrome eyes, one the ice blue of the Sleepless, and a woman fiercely protective of him. The courtyard fills with guns and arguments over whether to execute or shelter them.
In the Raven’s Nest pub, Thea hands Dolly a weapon, telling her to take responsibility if she wants them dead; Dolly refuses. The newcomers stay, their presence stirring conflict and fragile hopes of understanding the Sleepless condition.
Through lab records, memories of Thea’s mother’s illness, and stark exchanges in fog-choked courtyards, the book tracks an attempt to reverse Orex’s damage. It shows experiments, failed sedations, dangerous examinations, and negotiations about survival ethics.
Thea’s narration moves between scientific detail and moments of raw recognition, as in her thought that the Sleepless embody “true freedom, the wild freedom… an absence of the ground beneath your feet.”
The Tower holds more questions than cures, and the living watch each other with the same measuring gaze they turn on the creatures outside. When a society treats rest as wasted time, it may wake to find itself hunted by what it has made.
I would place this among the most arresting speculative works of recent years. Its quiet assertion that survival may be as morally corrosive as the disaster itself is sublimely crafted.
March 2, 2025
I would like to thank Angry Robot and Laura Elliott for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. What drew me to this book was the whole idea that humans can exist without sleep but of course there are consequences. It’s told from the viewpoint of one of the scientists and their philosophical and moral code/order we all follow and our need to explore and exist is all called into play.
The plot sets its own pace which I liked as there was a lot to describe and a lot of the characters to write about. I loved the science aspect it was specific but not overwhelming. There’s a sense of foreboding and horror which gradually creeps in throughout the story which I thoroughly enjoyed this is helped along by the author’s ability to create a very believable post apocalyptic world in vivid detail. Her writing style flows easily and is very engaging. I was surprised to know this is her debut novel as her writing feels like she’s been doing it for years.
I especially loved the main character and how she explains the science, the project and her own life experiences which have led her to this point and what she is doing in the present. All the characters are compelling but she is one of the most outstanding as it’s through her we discover what is happening.
Overall I found it a very addictive and thoroughly absorbing read. If you enjoy post apocalyptic settings, believable, rich characters and a plot that is nothing short of outstanding look no further than this book it won’t disappoint. I look forward to further books by this author as I was blown away by this one..
The plot sets its own pace which I liked as there was a lot to describe and a lot of the characters to write about. I loved the science aspect it was specific but not overwhelming. There’s a sense of foreboding and horror which gradually creeps in throughout the story which I thoroughly enjoyed this is helped along by the author’s ability to create a very believable post apocalyptic world in vivid detail. Her writing style flows easily and is very engaging. I was surprised to know this is her debut novel as her writing feels like she’s been doing it for years.
I especially loved the main character and how she explains the science, the project and her own life experiences which have led her to this point and what she is doing in the present. All the characters are compelling but she is one of the most outstanding as it’s through her we discover what is happening.
Overall I found it a very addictive and thoroughly absorbing read. If you enjoy post apocalyptic settings, believable, rich characters and a plot that is nothing short of outstanding look no further than this book it won’t disappoint. I look forward to further books by this author as I was blown away by this one..
May 26, 2025
When the zombie apocalypse comes, we will have caused it, and we’ll be holed up in the Tower of London. Not that they’re zombies - more like feral monsters. And it’s a collapse of civilisation rather than an apocalypse. But we did cause it, and we are holed up in the Tower of London.
The story is set in a near-future world where there has been mass adoption of an implanted neural chip that was designed to minimise the need for sleep, but also bestows a variety of other physical advantages. The spontaneous and simultaneous malfunction of all of these chips, turning their hosts into the aforementioned feral monsters, has resulted in the collapse of civilisation.
A rag-tag and diverse group of scientists (whose fault it is) and other survivors are bastioned inside the Tower of London contemplating their situation. The story is presented in short, dated chapters - like diary entries - from the perspective of one of the scientists, Thea. The writing style verges on the literary, and with the diary-like presentation it has somewhat of the feel of gothic horror.
This is not a fast-paced plot driven story. What plot there is involves the remaining scientists trying to find a remedy for the situation, while the arrival of two strangers - a man and a woman, apparently also survivors - creates additional tension. The storytelling is contemplative and introspective, and the diary-like narrative gives it a sense of detachment, while also being a vehicle for Thea’s rumination on her situation, her past, and her priorities.
The enigmatic male stranger acts as a foil for Thea, forcing her to question her motivations, and highlights her conflicting emotions and senses of loyalty, guilt and duty. It is in this that the story has its power - exploring questions about the advancement of science for the greater good versus the potential abuse or unintended consequences of the results, both at a personal and societal level.
The concept is engaging and the storytelling is compelling, but I did have a couple of important niggles: there is a lot of vagueness around how and why the neural chips have had such a devastating effect on their hosts; and I found the male stranger somewhat too mysterious and all-knowing. And while neither of these niggles really got in the way of the narrative, they are nonetheless niggles with two of the more important aspects of the story and I found both of them quite distracting.
A solid 3.5 stars, rounded up rather than down because this is a debut work, and the niggles are as much my foibles as anything.
Thank you #NetGalley and Angry Robot for the free review copy of #Awakened without obligation. All opinions are my own.
The story is set in a near-future world where there has been mass adoption of an implanted neural chip that was designed to minimise the need for sleep, but also bestows a variety of other physical advantages. The spontaneous and simultaneous malfunction of all of these chips, turning their hosts into the aforementioned feral monsters, has resulted in the collapse of civilisation.
A rag-tag and diverse group of scientists (whose fault it is) and other survivors are bastioned inside the Tower of London contemplating their situation. The story is presented in short, dated chapters - like diary entries - from the perspective of one of the scientists, Thea. The writing style verges on the literary, and with the diary-like presentation it has somewhat of the feel of gothic horror.
This is not a fast-paced plot driven story. What plot there is involves the remaining scientists trying to find a remedy for the situation, while the arrival of two strangers - a man and a woman, apparently also survivors - creates additional tension. The storytelling is contemplative and introspective, and the diary-like narrative gives it a sense of detachment, while also being a vehicle for Thea’s rumination on her situation, her past, and her priorities.
The enigmatic male stranger acts as a foil for Thea, forcing her to question her motivations, and highlights her conflicting emotions and senses of loyalty, guilt and duty. It is in this that the story has its power - exploring questions about the advancement of science for the greater good versus the potential abuse or unintended consequences of the results, both at a personal and societal level.
The concept is engaging and the storytelling is compelling, but I did have a couple of important niggles: there is a lot of vagueness around how and why the neural chips have had such a devastating effect on their hosts; and I found the male stranger somewhat too mysterious and all-knowing. And while neither of these niggles really got in the way of the narrative, they are nonetheless niggles with two of the more important aspects of the story and I found both of them quite distracting.
A solid 3.5 stars, rounded up rather than down because this is a debut work, and the niggles are as much my foibles as anything.
Thank you #NetGalley and Angry Robot for the free review copy of #Awakened without obligation. All opinions are my own.
August 16, 2025
Just barely a 3 star for me. This should definitely be classified under literary fantasy/sci-fi. The writing was excellent, kind of dreamy and very philosophical. The problem was that, that was all there was. A very mediocre vampire retelling where Elliott tried to create a romantic involvement between Vladimir and Thea but it just wasn't much. Also nothing happened, ok, a little happened but really it was like reading generic non-fiction where the words were far more important than any story.
Thank you to LibroFM for the ALC
Thank you to LibroFM for the ALC
July 20, 2025
Buckle up because this review is going to be a little back and forth lol
I probably wasn't the ideal person to review this book but at the same time I'm SO glad I got to!
So, for basically my entire existence, I have been an anti sci-fi girlie. It just has never been my cup of tea. If I had to pinpoint reasons, probably because I always found them intimidating & the general topic not being interesting enough to even try.
But when I read the synopsis of this book I couldn't help becoming completely captivated!
This might have been a five star read for me if I was more in tune with the ins and outs of sci-fi. For ME some parts (especially in the beginning) seemed muddied & sort of hard to follow. But I want to stress that again, this could have VERY much been a me issue.
However, as the read went on I found that problem falling away & I was really starting to love it here! This author's writing is absolutely beautiful!! Extremely poetic. This oozed creativity & originality.
If you feel as if you've been reading the same thing over and over again, this right here is just what you need!
I can honestly say I've never read a book like this in my LIFE & over all, I did love it here
I probably wasn't the ideal person to review this book but at the same time I'm SO glad I got to!
So, for basically my entire existence, I have been an anti sci-fi girlie. It just has never been my cup of tea. If I had to pinpoint reasons, probably because I always found them intimidating & the general topic not being interesting enough to even try.
But when I read the synopsis of this book I couldn't help becoming completely captivated!
This might have been a five star read for me if I was more in tune with the ins and outs of sci-fi. For ME some parts (especially in the beginning) seemed muddied & sort of hard to follow. But I want to stress that again, this could have VERY much been a me issue.
However, as the read went on I found that problem falling away & I was really starting to love it here! This author's writing is absolutely beautiful!! Extremely poetic. This oozed creativity & originality.
If you feel as if you've been reading the same thing over and over again, this right here is just what you need!
I can honestly say I've never read a book like this in my LIFE & over all, I did love it here
May 18, 2025
⭑⭑⭑⭑✩
~
This was a really interesting read! I really enjoyed this one and was impressed for a debut novel! I found myself not wanting to put this down, I was constantly wanting to know more and Laura did a really good job of keeping me hooked. The character development was great and the dynamic between Vald and Thea was really well written I enjoyed this, was a solid read for me. I’m intrigued to read others opinions of this when release it’s an interesting one for sure!
~
Release date: 20th June 2025
~
Thanks to Angry Robot Books and Laura Elliott for the ARC copy 🫶🏼
~
This was a really interesting read! I really enjoyed this one and was impressed for a debut novel! I found myself not wanting to put this down, I was constantly wanting to know more and Laura did a really good job of keeping me hooked. The character development was great and the dynamic between Vald and Thea was really well written I enjoyed this, was a solid read for me. I’m intrigued to read others opinions of this when release it’s an interesting one for sure!
~
Release date: 20th June 2025
~
Thanks to Angry Robot Books and Laura Elliott for the ARC copy 🫶🏼
July 21, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley and Angry Robot for providing me with this eARC! All opinions are my own.
____________________
If you asked me to pick my favourite quote from this book then I would have an extremely tough time of it. I loved the writing style and just the words used to convey every emotion and plot point that was going on. There was some great commentary on everything from medical mistreatment to what it means to be human what can be justified in the name of ‘saving the world.’ Not only was it written excellently but it was super easy to read, which is not always the case with dense or even just thoughtful prose.
The struggles of our main character to see herself and the world as they really are was effective as well. Her arc develops naturally through the book and you can just see where it’s going and how everything is going to change by the end. The ending is a lot of reading between the lines and looking for what the imagery is telling you, so I didn’t find it the most compelling and it was a little abrupt but the buildup was absolutely there.
The cast of characters were not particularly focused on or developed outside of our main character but they definitely served their purposes in the story. I didn’t care for any of the romantic elements or storylines. There was less of them at the beginning than in the last third so I find myself having enjoyed that a little more.
Again, the commentary and horror elements that feel like they could happen in the real world was where I found my enjoyment in this read.
____________________
If you asked me to pick my favourite quote from this book then I would have an extremely tough time of it. I loved the writing style and just the words used to convey every emotion and plot point that was going on. There was some great commentary on everything from medical mistreatment to what it means to be human what can be justified in the name of ‘saving the world.’ Not only was it written excellently but it was super easy to read, which is not always the case with dense or even just thoughtful prose.
The struggles of our main character to see herself and the world as they really are was effective as well. Her arc develops naturally through the book and you can just see where it’s going and how everything is going to change by the end. The ending is a lot of reading between the lines and looking for what the imagery is telling you, so I didn’t find it the most compelling and it was a little abrupt but the buildup was absolutely there.
The cast of characters were not particularly focused on or developed outside of our main character but they definitely served their purposes in the story. I didn’t care for any of the romantic elements or storylines. There was less of them at the beginning than in the last third so I find myself having enjoyed that a little more.
Again, the commentary and horror elements that feel like they could happen in the real world was where I found my enjoyment in this read.
June 7, 2025
This is definitely a case of misrepresentation. Awakened is being compared to 28 Days Later and The Girl With All The Gifts, but is a purely cerebral exploration of humanity. There are no edge of your seat, page turning thrills. I would classify it as literary fiction with a lens of speculative fiction.
Awakened has no action and no driving force. It is a story of a doctor who has helped the world install a chip to eradicate the need for sleep and her interviews with the other survivors and a subject. It explores humanity, ethics, and individuality. I thought those subjects were interesting but I do think this book was trying to be something it isn’t.
A great concept and could have still been a lot of fun but the execution just didn’t live up to the summary.
⭐⭐
Available June 10, 2025
Thank you to Angry Robot Books or a free advance review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Awakened has no action and no driving force. It is a story of a doctor who has helped the world install a chip to eradicate the need for sleep and her interviews with the other survivors and a subject. It explores humanity, ethics, and individuality. I thought those subjects were interesting but I do think this book was trying to be something it isn’t.
A great concept and could have still been a lot of fun but the execution just didn’t live up to the summary.
⭐⭐
Available June 10, 2025
Thank you to Angry Robot Books or a free advance review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
June 5, 2025
4.5 ⭐ rounded up.
I was attracted to this book by the description and the cover, but I think the description doesn’t manage to convey how profound this book is and how atmospheric and intense.
As soon as I started reading this story I knew I’d love it based only on the writing. It transported me to Romanticism, that period in literature where there’s so much introspection and self analysis and people started seeing humanity not just in itself but compared to nature as well.
This is what I found and loved in this book, the introspection and the philosophical exploration of humanity in the face of loss of humanity due to hubris and greed.
More than the plot, this book is centered around dialogues and inner dialogues as the main character is also the narrator, talking us through the downfall of humanity due to a medical discovery that eliminated the need to sleep to increase productivity. But as always, it’s when something is taken from us that we understand its purpose and importance.
I must say that I was confused by the plot at times, although I see it as the author’s intention to empathise with Thea and her internal contradictions between her aseptic scientific drive and her more human side, wanting to redeem herself and reverse the monstrosity she helped create.
In this sense it is also reminiscent of Frankenstein, albeit very different.
What compelled me to read this story was also the little twists dotted around, until the last big one that changed my perspective and helped me understand more! The way that twist was delivered was so clever, that I knew it was there but I fully realised its consequences later.
Although I don’t believe the ending was on par with the rest of the book, this is a beautifully written, atmospheric story, with intimate dialogues and gothic vibes that will entrance you. All of this with a disturbing plot that has such a profound warning message for humanity.
Thanks to the author and Angry Robot Books for a copy and this is my honest opinion.
I was attracted to this book by the description and the cover, but I think the description doesn’t manage to convey how profound this book is and how atmospheric and intense.
As soon as I started reading this story I knew I’d love it based only on the writing. It transported me to Romanticism, that period in literature where there’s so much introspection and self analysis and people started seeing humanity not just in itself but compared to nature as well.
This is what I found and loved in this book, the introspection and the philosophical exploration of humanity in the face of loss of humanity due to hubris and greed.
More than the plot, this book is centered around dialogues and inner dialogues as the main character is also the narrator, talking us through the downfall of humanity due to a medical discovery that eliminated the need to sleep to increase productivity. But as always, it’s when something is taken from us that we understand its purpose and importance.
I must say that I was confused by the plot at times, although I see it as the author’s intention to empathise with Thea and her internal contradictions between her aseptic scientific drive and her more human side, wanting to redeem herself and reverse the monstrosity she helped create.
In this sense it is also reminiscent of Frankenstein, albeit very different.
What compelled me to read this story was also the little twists dotted around, until the last big one that changed my perspective and helped me understand more! The way that twist was delivered was so clever, that I knew it was there but I fully realised its consequences later.
Although I don’t believe the ending was on par with the rest of the book, this is a beautifully written, atmospheric story, with intimate dialogues and gothic vibes that will entrance you. All of this with a disturbing plot that has such a profound warning message for humanity.
Thanks to the author and Angry Robot Books for a copy and this is my honest opinion.
March 19, 2025
The premise of this really intrigued me. However it was very rambly and at times felt like I was reading a textbook. DNFed at 20%, really disappointed since it sounded so interesting but the pace was way too slow.
June 11, 2025
Dark, mysterious… and zombies? Well not zombies, but close enough!
Awakened was thought provoking and creepy… but in the best way possible.
Awakened was thought provoking and creepy… but in the best way possible.
August 5, 2025
I love books that take their time and focus on detail, and Awaken fits that perfectly. It’s definitely slow-paced, so it might be a hit or miss for some readers, but for me, it was the first NetGalley title I’ve genuinely enjoyed. While it may seem uneventful on the surface, the exquisite dialogue carries the narrative beautifully. I also appreciated the subtle but powerful commentary on how the pursuit of progress or scientific prestige can strip away basic humanity.
August 8, 2025
A group of scientists are invited by a billionaire to develop a revolutionary technology. This involved creating a chip, which, when implanted in a brain removed the need for sleep. Sounds great, right? Increased productivity, more time to do things ones loves, etc……But it didn't work like that. Instead, it affected people's ability to remember, made them angry, and eventually, turned them into bitey monsters.
Civilization fell, and now a small group of scientists, living in the Tower of London, research and try to find a cure.
Main character Thea got involved with the initial chip creation project because she was trying to find a cure for her mother's fibromyalgia. She now spends her time feeling guilty, and assisting with examinations or autopsies, if a feral subject is procured. And having ethical arguments with some of her fellow scientists.
Then, one of the ferals (i.e., zombies) walks in, with a pregnant feral woman, and he's still got his wits about him. His name is Vladimir, and over several conversations, Thea gets to know him and is captivated, and really begins to question all that she and the others have done.
Though there is a plot, this is more of piece questioning some of the premises that underpin society: is it right to only look toward progress? What are the ethics of developing technology? What is the greater good?
The writing is good, with author Laura Elliott evoking such a tense and frightening atmosphere, all while creating an introspective novel. Much as I appreciated this book, I sometimes got a little lost in Thea's reminiscences and questioning, and never really felt like the author fully answered a few of the questions I had about Vladimir.
Otherwise, this is a terrific debut.
The audio is good, with voice actor Antonia Beamish inhabiting Thea and Vladimir beautifully, as well as the fussy, lead scientist.
Thank you to Netgalley, Angry Robot and to Dreamscape Media for these ARCs in exchange for my review.
Civilization fell, and now a small group of scientists, living in the Tower of London, research and try to find a cure.
Main character Thea got involved with the initial chip creation project because she was trying to find a cure for her mother's fibromyalgia. She now spends her time feeling guilty, and assisting with examinations or autopsies, if a feral subject is procured. And having ethical arguments with some of her fellow scientists.
Then, one of the ferals (i.e., zombies) walks in, with a pregnant feral woman, and he's still got his wits about him. His name is Vladimir, and over several conversations, Thea gets to know him and is captivated, and really begins to question all that she and the others have done.
Though there is a plot, this is more of piece questioning some of the premises that underpin society: is it right to only look toward progress? What are the ethics of developing technology? What is the greater good?
The writing is good, with author Laura Elliott evoking such a tense and frightening atmosphere, all while creating an introspective novel. Much as I appreciated this book, I sometimes got a little lost in Thea's reminiscences and questioning, and never really felt like the author fully answered a few of the questions I had about Vladimir.
Otherwise, this is a terrific debut.
The audio is good, with voice actor Antonia Beamish inhabiting Thea and Vladimir beautifully, as well as the fussy, lead scientist.
Thank you to Netgalley, Angry Robot and to Dreamscape Media for these ARCs in exchange for my review.
September 16, 2025
If you have a philosophical mind and enjoy thinking about and discussing ethical dilemmas and the value of life, you will most likely enjoy this book. It’s very well written. The author has clearly researched the topic of sleep in depth. Parts of this novel read like a medical textbook. Parts reminded me of Camus’ The Plague.
There’s definitely an audience for this book and I know a lot of people will love it. Unfortunately, the way it is currently being marketed, I don’t think it’s reaching that audience. It is definitely not like The Girl With All the Gifts, nor is it like 28 Days Later. That is mis-marketing.
Some horrifying things happen, but this is not a horror novel. There is a lot of body horror in it, but there’s also the history of Henrietta Lax, and a summary of Oliver Sach’s book Awakenings, which I’m assuming this books’s title is a nod to. The author has CFS/ME, which has strongly influenced the novel. She teaches us readers about the illness in almost every chapter.
Really not much happens in this book, but there is a lot of navel gazing, which isn’t necessarily bad. A lot of the navel gazing was interesting, especially the conversations between Thea and Vladimir.
I liked Thane’s story a lot, and it stood alone as a short story.
I kept waiting for the author to tell us some more about the soldiers who went crazy, but that plot line was dropped and never returned to.
Parts of this read like poetry, especially the opium induced nightmare hallucination at the end. Nothing was really resolved at the end and I’m not exactly sure what even happened. It just ended.
Netgalley gave me a free audio ARC of this book for review consideration. Thank you. The narrator was excellent. I’m rating this book 3 1/2 stars and I always round up.
There’s definitely an audience for this book and I know a lot of people will love it. Unfortunately, the way it is currently being marketed, I don’t think it’s reaching that audience. It is definitely not like The Girl With All the Gifts, nor is it like 28 Days Later. That is mis-marketing.
Some horrifying things happen, but this is not a horror novel. There is a lot of body horror in it, but there’s also the history of Henrietta Lax, and a summary of Oliver Sach’s book Awakenings, which I’m assuming this books’s title is a nod to. The author has CFS/ME, which has strongly influenced the novel. She teaches us readers about the illness in almost every chapter.
Really not much happens in this book, but there is a lot of navel gazing, which isn’t necessarily bad. A lot of the navel gazing was interesting, especially the conversations between Thea and Vladimir.
I liked Thane’s story a lot, and it stood alone as a short story.
I kept waiting for the author to tell us some more about the soldiers who went crazy, but that plot line was dropped and never returned to.
Parts of this read like poetry, especially the opium induced nightmare hallucination at the end. Nothing was really resolved at the end and I’m not exactly sure what even happened. It just ended.
Netgalley gave me a free audio ARC of this book for review consideration. Thank you. The narrator was excellent. I’m rating this book 3 1/2 stars and I always round up.
April 1, 2025
A bunch of scientists hole up in a tower after playing too much God and inventing vampires. Main character Thea feels super guilty about this because all she was trying to do was cure her chronically ill mother. When a couple of vampires who are still kind of human turn up on their doorstep in search of shelter, the scientists let them in and interview the only verbal one within an inch of his life. They call him Vladimir, and he goes along with it because he can take a joke. This is not a romance novel, but Vladimir is very alluring and could easily carry his own Twilight series. He’s the only polite one in the whole book. Thea is a hot mess, but so would I be if I was living in I Am Legend with no cute dog to make up for it. Alex is the kind of person who secretly thinks Andrew Tate has a point. The writing is poetic and stunning.
good for fans of: dystopian existential dread, body horror, the prison season of The Walking Dead, vampires with excellent table manners, goats
good for fans of: dystopian existential dread, body horror, the prison season of The Walking Dead, vampires with excellent table manners, goats
July 30, 2025
Whew this fever dream where a billionaire funds a group of scientists to “cure” sleeplessness that has taken over the world and caused people to become “awakened” -never sleeping and becoming more monstrous.. was WOW. One of the scientists is Thea and she starts to have some guilt over their experiments on what they call the awakened aka people who cannot sleep. Yes this is such a horrific example of what white people have always done to Black people/marginalized groups in general. And it is graphic, so please take care of yourself. She starts to question why she is even doing what she is doing whenever two Awakened people show up to the Tower.
This book is not fast, but not slow. It covers many different topics, but esp medical practices that are extremely harmful and how people will “justify” it in their minds. There was a scene where one character looks at another character and essentially says that wouldn’t your life be better if you could walk? Whew yall, I wanted to FIGHT THEM. But how many have/continue to he these thoughts/beliefs?
Thea was such a morally grey character and I never found myself cheering for her. She has caused so much harm and once she realizes that.. is she changing to make herself feel less guilty or because she knows it’s the right/moral thing to do?
Thank you NetGalley and dreamscape media for the ALC!
This book is not fast, but not slow. It covers many different topics, but esp medical practices that are extremely harmful and how people will “justify” it in their minds. There was a scene where one character looks at another character and essentially says that wouldn’t your life be better if you could walk? Whew yall, I wanted to FIGHT THEM. But how many have/continue to he these thoughts/beliefs?
Thea was such a morally grey character and I never found myself cheering for her. She has caused so much harm and once she realizes that.. is she changing to make herself feel less guilty or because she knows it’s the right/moral thing to do?
Thank you NetGalley and dreamscape media for the ALC!
April 22, 2025
Continuing my lucky streak on ARC Netgalley copies - Awakened in another banger.
Admittedly I'm a little biased because this book addressing a topic I find myself thinking about often... What if we could turn off sleep?
In an interesting quirk Elliott's story leans a little into cheesy horror elements (I don't want to spoil anything but lets just say technology eliminating sleep does monstrously) but then leans BACK into philosophical and psychological takes, which creates an interesting feeling book. There is a lot of tension and violence bubbling under the surface, including one very interesting foreboding but also poetic reference, much of the tale is nuanced and a battle of wills/values rather than physical danger.
The story ends ambiguously, I THINK I get it but will have to wait for wider release to have spoiler discussions!! and my only real beef with this story is it felt like the secondary characters were a little undercooked, despite the setting being an isolated and relatively small settlement it felt like minor characters just appeared when needed and never anytime else :)
Admittedly I'm a little biased because this book addressing a topic I find myself thinking about often... What if we could turn off sleep?
In an interesting quirk Elliott's story leans a little into cheesy horror elements (I don't want to spoil anything but lets just say technology eliminating sleep does monstrously) but then leans BACK into philosophical and psychological takes, which creates an interesting feeling book. There is a lot of tension and violence bubbling under the surface, including one very interesting foreboding but also poetic reference, much of the tale is nuanced and a battle of wills/values rather than physical danger.
The story ends ambiguously, I THINK I get it but will have to wait for wider release to have spoiler discussions!! and my only real beef with this story is it felt like the secondary characters were a little undercooked, despite the setting being an isolated and relatively small settlement it felt like minor characters just appeared when needed and never anytime else :)
August 5, 2025
‘What, then, is the body but a vessel for the mind? Is it right that we should be limited by it? Is it not monstrous to constrain ourselves when there might be another way?’In this surreal and grotesque, conflict-driven literary debut (my mind is boggled by that – how can this be a debut?!), the epistolary novel meets dystopian vampire Body Horror.
Swinging between points on a timeline (with the principal events 40-odd years from now), Laura Elliott brings civilisation to its knees, asking ‘[where] does the difference between nature and science lie?’ Elliott’s trope is rest: a character battling doctors’ misconceptions of M. E. (the protagonist’s mother) is the premise whereby Elliott investigates the impact of mutations of natural rest cycles and the consequences of alchemising such.
‘Awakened’ is a deeply personal account from an author with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis of how the medical industry turns people into monsters when clinicians sever themselves from patient experience:
‘There was little dignity in suffering, but even less in suffering that was doubted. My mother suffered, and she suffered more so because there was a question mark hanging like the sword of Damocles over the legitimacy of her plight. The doubt of doctors was a poison to her efforts to survive. Every appointment became a battleground when it should have been a relief. The effort to become well again was blocked by the very people who were meant to help her. When doctors don’t believe you, who else can you turn to for help?’The author situates Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as provocation for her vivid and discomfiting exploration of sleep as poison; of tiredness, exhaustion, fatigue, as corruptions of the ideal state of being (‘Sleep, those little slices of death, carving out ever-greater chunks of life’), and of how science, in its attempt to resolve this disproportion in the near future, destroys humanity.
Quite brilliantly, Elliott detonates this premise and propels readers into a horrific dystopia where the antithesis – sleeplessness – science’s misguided remedy to the ‘astonishing force’ of sleep and rest, has become the paradigm of monstrosity:
“Is what is natural the same as what is good? Is divergence from a norm unnatural […]?”As readers, we are used to the concept of vampires sleeping during the day and being ‘awakened’ at night, inverting the natural rhythms of our human bodies (one of the reasons we can assign them their place in Horror – they are ‘other’ than the ‘norm’, as Vlad puts it, above). Yet, Elliott’s vampire-aberrations, the Sleepless, enact a further ‘divergence from a norm’, being mutations of human bodies that have been – through the neural chip our protagonist Thea has designed – denied any portion of sleep at all.
[…]
“Tell me, Doctor Chares, where do you draw the line between unnatural science and nature’s monstrosity? How far would you step over it to survive?”
So, Thea – scientist – and Vladimir – aberration – pull us into what is a very insular novel; with dramatic staging (moonlit battlements), and all taking place in a single setting (the Tower of London), ‘Awakened’ is intimate and immediate and theatric in the best way. Incredible characterisation plays its part in carrying the staging; I was quite happy for the supporting characters to stay foggy and watered-down in the background because it serves to cast Thea and Vladimir into the spotlight.
Vlad’s provocative yet insightful character takes readers deep into moral rationalisations. He is Thea’s cross-examiner; it is Vlad who prompts us to consider whether Thea can be classified as a sympathetic protagonist. Her motivation is benevolent (combatting her mother’s M.E./C.F.S.): ‘If mother couldn’t be the moon anymore then I would be the tide that brought her home.’ Yet ‘Awakened’ is certainly, if anything, a hubris|nemesis novel. The retribution visited upon Thea in the climax is inevitably vivid and grisly. Thea is – as are readers – conflicted over whether she should pay, or, indeed, has already paid, her dues. Vlad questions her:
“Do you think that if you sacrifice enough you will find absolution? […] If you hurt yourself enough, deny yourself enough, you might be redeemed for the choices you’ve made?”And if the names Thea (‘goddess’ in Greek) and Vladimir (‘ruler of the world’ in Slavic translation) seem conspicuous, you’d be right in suspecting that the naming of names is a strong theme in the novel: “names have power, even if they aren’t intended to control”, Vladimir says. This cannot help but conjure Genesis, where Adam was given the power to name/control ‘every living thing’ in the Garden of Eden. The nameless aberration we come to know as Vlad is nicknamed by those inside the battlements variously, The Count, Vlad the Impaler, Vladimir, Dracula, Dantès, Drac, “and I believe sometimes Adam”, Thea says. Vlad replies:
“And Adam is Biblical, perhaps? The first of my kind, like the first man?”Symbolic in the most exemplary way, Eden as the backdrop to the birth of humankind is also the setting of ‘the Fall’ of humanity. Thus, Elliott likes to lay her parallels directly, and revels in signifying Garden of Eden imagery with her use of the motifs of incursion and expulsion, and thresholds, in what is essentially a classical siege narrative.
Thea immediately proceeds to invoke another textual touchpoint as she corrects Vladimir’s assumption:
“Yes and no. Adam was Edgar’s suggestion, and I think it was more to do with the Adam of Victor’s labours.”Elliott grabs Shelley’s image of the macabre laboratory and flips it so that her hubristic protagonist is working on post-mortems and tissue or fluid extraction, and the disassembly of her ghastly humanoid mutations, rather than assembly and vivification as per Frankenstein. The ‘Frankenstein’ plot is also back-to-front because Vladimir independently appears and then presents himself for study, surrendering to the examination table himself.
“The child of Frankenstein? Charming.”
“Are you offended?”
[…] “Why should I be offended? It isn’t the child who’s the monster in the story.”
Before he does so, however, Elliott takes the opportunity to overturn Mary Shelley’s deliberate choice not to assign a name to Victor Frankenstein’s ‘spectre’, Victor’s ‘creature’ in Shelley’s original text. Instead, Elliott dwells upon the deliberate act of naming Thea’s ‘fiend’. Vlad muses, “the absence of my name has begun to bother me more than it did before”, and he turns to the scientist, Thea, asking her to name him. She reacts:
‘[The] act of naming is intimate. It suggests a deep level of care for the one being named, and perhaps a certain level of ownership by the one doing the naming. Parents name their children. Owners name their pets. Scientists occasionally get to name our discoveries. I didn’t want the responsibility of claiming either ownership or care of him, but he’d offered it to me anyway.’His choice of Vladimir signifies him as extremely powerful (‘ruler of the world’), and through inference, extremely cruel (Vlad the Impaler, known for his bloodthirstiness), as well as calling upon associations with imprisonment (Vlad Dracula was held in captivity for over a decade).
And here we are back at the Garden of Eden, and the gravity of separation from the rest of the world. The setting in ‘Awakened’ – what I would describe as a perverted Eden – is both a fortress and a prison, the Tower of London standing for protection and execution simultaneously. The Tower is a powerful emblem of some of Elliott’s most significant themes, and setting her narrative there is a type of shorthand for the kind of conflict and struggle for supremacy that will take place within its battlements over the course of the novel.
The Tower of London signifies English history, and here we have Elliott drawing that very history to a close in a novel of apocalypse. The Tower symbolises oppression, fear, the awe-full power (and wealth – Crown Jewels!) of the monarchy and yet – as a gateway into Medieval London – is an iconic symbol for the idea of a threshold. As with Eden, the threshold in any siege narrative carries the double threat of both eviction and infiltration.
Furthermore, illustrated on that glorious cover, Elliott plays with the trope of abandonment of the fortification defences, embodied by the Tower of London ravens, figures of lore and superstition: doom harbingers; power-holders; prophetic. Elliott’s choice of setting could not be more appropriately tied to her plot – the given associations of the Tower ravens portending the fall of the realm, summons precisely the right ominous tone. It’s also fun to analogise Vladimir to the Tower ravens: fiercely intelligent as are corvids; a game-player like them; a problem-solver (for Thea); a convincing mimic (of a human); he effectively has his wings clipped within the walls of the Tower, as the ravens do; and he is – above all – a blood-eater. The laboratory scene with the plate of raw meat is a spectacular canvas painting Vladimir as carrion guzzler. In fact, the science in ‘Awakened’ is nightmarishly real, until it slides into a kind of philosophical existentialism, which is yet perfectly paced. I feel like smaller plot points in ‘Awakened’ need to be digested in order to savour the finale fully – Elliott doesn’t so much foreshadow as she does leave a trail of breadcrumbs to prepare your stomach for the hard-to-swallow conclusion. If she hadn’t tempted me all the way along with very gradual pacing, I fear I might have felt betrayed by the author for Thea’s final reckoning.
The climax lurches into the paranormal from the sci-fi:
‘I’ve always thought of sleep as a form of possession and dreams as a symptom of haunting. Waves of hormones roll through our bodies demanding obedience and unconsciousness, and as we sink beneath their weight our minds replay images and sounds that are beyond our conscious control. In sleep, we might see people long dead, hold conversations with absent friends, walk across landscapes both real and fictional, and wake to find that we never left our beds. Can there be anything more paranormal than that?’The ending leaves you horrifically perplexed, but it has to! The scientists have to be driven mad by what they’ve done – look back to Vladimir’s earlier speech to Thea about redemption; she has to be damned because she has become the embodiment of the medical profession that ignored the suffering of her mother. She has ignored the suffering of the Sleepless. That is, until she can’t ignore it any longer. But that’s all I can say about it without spoilers!
Elliott fleshes-out much more than I ever could have anticipated in the development of her principal concept. The plot is so well executed that I was invested immediately. That’s not to mention that her writing style is thick and gooey and delectable (‘the wet mist swallowing sound like a librarian’). From meticulous attention-to-detail at the start, dealing with the scientific and the medical, she moves to an ending that is the exact opposite: suggestive and inference-laden. The tension in this novel is awe-inspiring.
‘Sleep is the thread that binds us to memory, and with it, secures us to ourselves.’Thank you to Angry Robot and NetGalley for the thrill of reading this astonishing debut. It is unlike anything I have read, but if I had to draw comparisons, I would say Private Rites by Julia Armfield and The Memory of Animals by Claire Fuller, and as a Pandemic Novel, the flavour is somewhere in the same variety as Eat the Ones You Love by Sarah Maria Griffin.
Read
June 14, 2025Alas, DNFed at about 51%. I'll not be giving it a star rating because I didn't complete it, but it would be at about a 3 star if I did. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
I agree with the reviewers that describe this as more of a literary fiction type of book, and that's all fine and dandy, but really not what I'm looking for at the moment. I didn't really latch on to the characters (beyond finding the contradictions in Dolly's character interesting), and I found the switching around in time a little confusing. The prose was also a bit purple in a way that I didn't particularly enjoy. It really became a slog to get through, to the point where I stopped reading it all together.
However, the explicit comparison of zombies/vampires/whatever to chronic illness was really cool! That framing was thought-provoking, and I liked the way the text struggled with the implications of that. Unfortunately, the execution of this was just so not for me. The very philosophical conversations that Thea and Vladimir have were at first interesting, then just a bit needlessly pretentious. I have never been one for this kind of philosophizing, so it makes total sense to me why I wouldn't care for it.
I totally understand why a lot of people loved this book, and there are many people in my life that I would recommend it to. However, it was not for me.
I agree with the reviewers that describe this as more of a literary fiction type of book, and that's all fine and dandy, but really not what I'm looking for at the moment. I didn't really latch on to the characters (beyond finding the contradictions in Dolly's character interesting), and I found the switching around in time a little confusing. The prose was also a bit purple in a way that I didn't particularly enjoy. It really became a slog to get through, to the point where I stopped reading it all together.
However, the explicit comparison of zombies/vampires/whatever to chronic illness was really cool! That framing was thought-provoking, and I liked the way the text struggled with the implications of that. Unfortunately, the execution of this was just so not for me. The very philosophical conversations that Thea and Vladimir have were at first interesting, then just a bit needlessly pretentious. I have never been one for this kind of philosophizing, so it makes total sense to me why I wouldn't care for it.
I totally understand why a lot of people loved this book, and there are many people in my life that I would recommend it to. However, it was not for me.
June 13, 2025
3.5 stars
This is a quiet, atmospheric story with lyrical prose and a dream-like quality that lingers throughout. It’s less of a plot-driven sci-fi/horror tale and more of a philosophical exploration. Much of the novel is spent inside the protagonist’s head as she reflects on her mother’s illness and contemplates themes like sleep, memory, ethics, and human nature. It’s not a particularly dynamic story, so you should be prepared for something highly introspective going in.
One thing that threw me off a bit was the lack of development for the many characters living in the tower. The focus stays almost entirely on the protagonist—her thoughts, her guilt, and the realizations she comes to. That said, she does form an interesting relationship with one of the other survivors and their conversations were definitely the highlight of the book for me. Their bond felt unique and the survivor was something truly remarkable and difficult to define. There is a reveal towards the end and while the story doesn’t offer a clear resolution, we’re left with a sense of how things might unfold. Overall, this was a thought-provoking and unusual read, although at times it felt a bit too introspective for my taste.
This is a quiet, atmospheric story with lyrical prose and a dream-like quality that lingers throughout. It’s less of a plot-driven sci-fi/horror tale and more of a philosophical exploration. Much of the novel is spent inside the protagonist’s head as she reflects on her mother’s illness and contemplates themes like sleep, memory, ethics, and human nature. It’s not a particularly dynamic story, so you should be prepared for something highly introspective going in.
One thing that threw me off a bit was the lack of development for the many characters living in the tower. The focus stays almost entirely on the protagonist—her thoughts, her guilt, and the realizations she comes to. That said, she does form an interesting relationship with one of the other survivors and their conversations were definitely the highlight of the book for me. Their bond felt unique and the survivor was something truly remarkable and difficult to define. There is a reveal towards the end and while the story doesn’t offer a clear resolution, we’re left with a sense of how things might unfold. Overall, this was a thought-provoking and unusual read, although at times it felt a bit too introspective for my taste.
December 21, 2025
Awakened wasn't quite the book I thought I was picking up. The synopsis suggested something a bit more high-stakes and plot-driven, but what I got instead was a slower, more internal story-less about survival and more about introspection.
The pacing dragged in places, which made it hard to stay fully invested at times. But what kept me reading was the way it explored the human condition through the lens of a scientist trying to make sense of life after collapse. There were moments that felt genuinely thoughtful and grounded, especially in how isolation and purpose were handled.
That said, the ending fell flat for me. After all that buildup, I was hoping for something a little more impactful or resolved. Still, while it wasn't exactly what I was hoping for.
The pacing dragged in places, which made it hard to stay fully invested at times. But what kept me reading was the way it explored the human condition through the lens of a scientist trying to make sense of life after collapse. There were moments that felt genuinely thoughtful and grounded, especially in how isolation and purpose were handled.
That said, the ending fell flat for me. After all that buildup, I was hoping for something a little more impactful or resolved. Still, while it wasn't exactly what I was hoping for.
July 13, 2025
I loved the concept but I feel this book could have benefitted from some heavy editing. About 30% reads like a textbook and then the remainder was a slow burn and often times a little boring. Some great points were made about science and society but it didn't add much to moving the plot along. I got this as an audiobook, which I believe is the best way to go as it did help me stay engaged with the story until the end. 2.5 stars rounded up.
Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for this arc
Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for this arc
July 3, 2025
Awakened is set in the near future, when technology gone wrong causes many folks to be "sleepless", which is basically when their implants glitch, they never sleep, and they become basically zombies. We follow Thea and her cohorts who are still human, living in the Tower of London, trying to fix the problem they created (and also stay alive). Thea and some of the others are scientists who originally made the tech implants that caused this mess, but some of the others are survivors who have joined them in their quest and/or safe dwelling.
Then someone shows up who is neither "sleepless" nor human. He seems to be some sort of combination of the two, and of course the science-minded are fascinated by this. He brings with him a human woman who is unable to speak, so she can't shed any light on the situation. The rest of the novel explores how Thea and company got to the point they're at, and what they're willing to do to move forward.
The book is, as a whole, very introspective. Thea spends a lot of time mulling the intricacies of sleep, and its effect on the body, as well as what makes humans different than the sleepless. There's also a lot of commentary on the messiness of the current health system, as Thea's mom has been dealing with chronic illness without reprieve for quite some time. Because of the level of introspection, the pace can feel a bit slower, but the questions Thea poses are thought provoking and worthwhile. There's a lot of The 100 Season 4 morally gray questioning, and obviously I loved that.
I did not understand the ending though. Like, at all. I hope some of you read it so we can discuss it, because as much as I enjoyed the rest of the story, the end left me confused and as such, rather unfulfilled. My only negative to this otherwise engaging story, frankly!
Bottom Line: Thought provoking and relevant, I enjoyed this morally gray novel, but I really need someone to walk me through the end. (And then maybe change it if it ended the way I think it might have?)
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
Then someone shows up who is neither "sleepless" nor human. He seems to be some sort of combination of the two, and of course the science-minded are fascinated by this. He brings with him a human woman who is unable to speak, so she can't shed any light on the situation. The rest of the novel explores how Thea and company got to the point they're at, and what they're willing to do to move forward.
The book is, as a whole, very introspective. Thea spends a lot of time mulling the intricacies of sleep, and its effect on the body, as well as what makes humans different than the sleepless. There's also a lot of commentary on the messiness of the current health system, as Thea's mom has been dealing with chronic illness without reprieve for quite some time. Because of the level of introspection, the pace can feel a bit slower, but the questions Thea poses are thought provoking and worthwhile. There's a lot of The 100 Season 4 morally gray questioning, and obviously I loved that.
I did not understand the ending though. Like, at all. I hope some of you read it so we can discuss it, because as much as I enjoyed the rest of the story, the end left me confused and as such, rather unfulfilled. My only negative to this otherwise engaging story, frankly!
Bottom Line: Thought provoking and relevant, I enjoyed this morally gray novel, but I really need someone to walk me through the end. (And then maybe change it if it ended the way I think it might have?)
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
September 18, 2025
Unlike most people who have reviewed Laura Elliott's Awakened, I did not receive an ARC from the publisher, so take from that what you will. Also, again unlike most people, I absolutely LOVED this book.
Don't let the dogshit cover fool you. Also, don't be mislead by the comparisons to Girl with All the Gifts and 28 Days Later. It's not like either of those AT ALL. If I was going to compare it to anything, it would be to Hiron Ennes' Leech, so if you liked that one, definitely check Awakened out too.
This isn't an action-packed story. It's meditative, philosophical, and uses monstrosity to question individuality within the human experience and what happens when our efforts for the greater good go too far.
The horror here doesn't come from the monsters. It comes from the fact that man made them.
Our protagonist is Thea, a scientist who developed a brain chip to turn off human sleep. Unfortunately, either the chip or the brains they were implanted in malfunctioned and turned the majority of humanity into these vampire/zombie like monsters.
Thea is trapped in the Tower of London with her scientific peers when two strange and frightening survivors show up at the door. Can they use these creatures to fix their crimes against humanity? Or will those attempts make them more like the monsters they created?
The writing here is stunning. I re-read passages multiple times because they were juicy and delicious and dripping with mood and message.
So yeah, easy 5 out of 5 stars.
And I will be stalking Laura Elliott for news of her next book.
Don't let the dogshit cover fool you. Also, don't be mislead by the comparisons to Girl with All the Gifts and 28 Days Later. It's not like either of those AT ALL. If I was going to compare it to anything, it would be to Hiron Ennes' Leech, so if you liked that one, definitely check Awakened out too.
This isn't an action-packed story. It's meditative, philosophical, and uses monstrosity to question individuality within the human experience and what happens when our efforts for the greater good go too far.
The horror here doesn't come from the monsters. It comes from the fact that man made them.
Our protagonist is Thea, a scientist who developed a brain chip to turn off human sleep. Unfortunately, either the chip or the brains they were implanted in malfunctioned and turned the majority of humanity into these vampire/zombie like monsters.
Thea is trapped in the Tower of London with her scientific peers when two strange and frightening survivors show up at the door. Can they use these creatures to fix their crimes against humanity? Or will those attempts make them more like the monsters they created?
The writing here is stunning. I re-read passages multiple times because they were juicy and delicious and dripping with mood and message.
So yeah, easy 5 out of 5 stars.
And I will be stalking Laura Elliott for news of her next book.
June 26, 2025
"I looked at us and felt joy, and in that joy I was horrified."
I was (full transparency) sent this book by the pusblisher BUT I am always honest. And let me say when I started reading this I didn’t have much in the way of expectations as I hadn’t heard anyone talk about it. When I read the first few chapters I sat up at attention like a cartoon character because the writing is BEAUTIFUL.
"There is a yearning within me, to relinquish control and sink into oblivion. To cease."
We’re following a doctor in the wake (ha) of an apocalyptic event where science has taken away sleep to feed the corporate machine. In a devastating effect, those who become Awakened can no longer sleep and become monstrous, roaming the world. In a secure tower in London, two Awakened show up entirely coherent, and now they have to figure out if they are the world’s salvation or destruction.
"We are all of us victims of our own recollections and servants to what they make of us."
This book genuinely feels like it was made for me. It has so many of the things that I like, giving into your inner monster, commentary on economic class, autonomy, and medical ethics. This was messy and fever dreamy in all of the right ways.
Thank you to the pusblisher and Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
For Fans of:
June 10, 2025
Thank you to Angry Robot and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars.
I loved the premise. To counteract the natural process of sleep and increase human productivity, a chip has been invented and implanted in subjects' brains.
Unfortunately these chips have malfunctioned and very swiftly the subjects become ravenous zombie-type creatures. The scientists responsible for this are safely tucked away in The Tower of London looking for a cure.
At times my interest was piqued, but for parts of this book I felt it dragged. It was fairly philosophical, with a lot of dialogue, which I don't mind, it just struggled to keep my interest at times. I also got very confused as to what was happening at the end, which was probably by intent but it ultimately left me feeling a little dissatisfied.
3.5 stars.
I loved the premise. To counteract the natural process of sleep and increase human productivity, a chip has been invented and implanted in subjects' brains.
Unfortunately these chips have malfunctioned and very swiftly the subjects become ravenous zombie-type creatures. The scientists responsible for this are safely tucked away in The Tower of London looking for a cure.
At times my interest was piqued, but for parts of this book I felt it dragged. It was fairly philosophical, with a lot of dialogue, which I don't mind, it just struggled to keep my interest at times. I also got very confused as to what was happening at the end, which was probably by intent but it ultimately left me feeling a little dissatisfied.
February 20, 2025
This is a very well written book.
I was initially afraid it was going to be very zombie - and if you want very zombie, you might be disappointed.
Instead, it was a book that very much dealt with consequences, despair, and how we define humanity.
There are a lot of ethical and moral quandaries in this book and, while I didn't always agree with our characters and how they saw things, it was interesting to contemplate and there were very few easy answers.
A challenging and good read.
I was initially afraid it was going to be very zombie - and if you want very zombie, you might be disappointed.
Instead, it was a book that very much dealt with consequences, despair, and how we define humanity.
There are a lot of ethical and moral quandaries in this book and, while I didn't always agree with our characters and how they saw things, it was interesting to contemplate and there were very few easy answers.
A challenging and good read.
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