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Are You Awake?
From the bestselling author of What You Did comes a chilling story about a missing girl and two potential witnesses. They both think they saw her. But can they trust their own eyes?
Mary hasn’t slept in what feels like years. Her two young children never let her rest, and so one exhausting night, in the middle of a London heatwave, she escapes to a nearby park for some air.
Tim can’t sleep. It doesn’t feel safe after the terrible thing that happened to him. Seeking solace outside, he encounters a sleepless Mary in the park. There, the two strangers witness what looks like a violent attack in the window of a neighbouring house.
Shocked at what they’ve seen, Tim and Mary form an unlikely bond, desperate to find clues. When they see news reports of a missing woman, who was last seen walking alone not far from them, the pair are convinced it’s her they saw being attacked. The police don’t believe them, but when they hear of a potential link to an old murder and a string of disappearances from the area, pressure mounts to find her before it’s too late.
But with her marriage under strain and the police on their tail, Mary begins to doubt her own mind…and Tim’s. How reliable is a man who doesn’t sleep?
As the pair are drawn into a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse, the culprit appears to be even closer to home than they thought. Have they got it all wrong, or is something even more sinister going on?
Mary hasn’t slept in what feels like years. Her two young children never let her rest, and so one exhausting night, in the middle of a London heatwave, she escapes to a nearby park for some air.
Tim can’t sleep. It doesn’t feel safe after the terrible thing that happened to him. Seeking solace outside, he encounters a sleepless Mary in the park. There, the two strangers witness what looks like a violent attack in the window of a neighbouring house.
Shocked at what they’ve seen, Tim and Mary form an unlikely bond, desperate to find clues. When they see news reports of a missing woman, who was last seen walking alone not far from them, the pair are convinced it’s her they saw being attacked. The police don’t believe them, but when they hear of a potential link to an old murder and a string of disappearances from the area, pressure mounts to find her before it’s too late.
But with her marriage under strain and the police on their tail, Mary begins to doubt her own mind…and Tim’s. How reliable is a man who doesn’t sleep?
As the pair are drawn into a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse, the culprit appears to be even closer to home than they thought. Have they got it all wrong, or is something even more sinister going on?
347 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 8, 2022
3900 people are currently reading
18201 people want to read
About the author
Claire McGowan
39 books2,076 followersClaire McGowan grew up in a small village in Northern Ireland. After a degree in English and French from Oxford University she moved to London and worked in the charity sector. THE FALL is her first novel, which is followed by a series starring forensic psychologist Paula Maguire. She also writes as Eva Woods.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 681 reviews
June 20, 2022
Thank you Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. IYKYK, my reviews are always honest.
Writing: 2/5 | Plot: nah/5 | Ending: thank god/5
THE PLOT
Mary is a mom-of-two who is TIRED AF. Tim is a former war journalist with crippling PTSD. Together they team up to solve "who the fuck is that lady in the dilapidated house across the street".
THIS BOOK IS LIKE...
...taking a bite of the juiciest, cheesiest, creamiest mac n cheese but the aftertaste is kraft dinner dry ass powder.
MY OPINION
AFOJFOJFOJ WHYYY!! ??? I absolutely loved Claire McGowan's writing in I Know You and What You Did, so naturally I was pumped af to grab her latest off NetGalley. The start was promising with Mary's raw af account of being a mom of two young kids with a bum ass husband. Her daughter, Audrey, was the uncontested star of this book—which is why I gave this two stars instead of one.
Ok so this could've been a guilty pleasure read but McGowan punched above the belt by making Mary a lawyer who didn't know the law from her left foot. If she had just been a SAHM or like a cupcake baker on maternity leave, that would've been fine. ANYTHING but a lawyer.
How can you make the MC a lawyer who asks questions like: "Wasn't it a crime to hide evidence too? But how did they even know that's what it was?" GURL??? ARE YOU ACTUALLY SERIOUS. THE BAG BELONGS TO A MISSING GIRL. OFC IT'S EVIDENCE. AND YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT'S A CRIME. HAVE YOU NEVER WATCHED CRIMINAL MINDS?? EVEN A LIL NCIS??? CMON!!!
Then you have Timmy boy who tells Mary he'll let the police know about the evidence they're obstructing "when they call him back." Pardon? Is he expecting someone to ring him like "hey is this Tim? Yeah this is 911. Did you happen to find a missing girl's duffle? Yes? Parfait. Could you bring it round let's say 7? Thanks so much."
This was very formulaic like many thrillers from well-known authors this year, which was disappointing. Thankfully Audrey made the first part of the book slightly enjoyable.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: Audrey
Cons: Mary is the worst lawyer on the planet, didn't really care for the other characters, another dud ass husband, very formulaic, writing wasn't up to par with her other books
Writing: 2/5 | Plot: nah/5 | Ending: thank god/5
THE PLOT
Mary is a mom-of-two who is TIRED AF. Tim is a former war journalist with crippling PTSD. Together they team up to solve "who the fuck is that lady in the dilapidated house across the street".
THIS BOOK IS LIKE...
...taking a bite of the juiciest, cheesiest, creamiest mac n cheese but the aftertaste is kraft dinner dry ass powder.
MY OPINION
AFOJFOJFOJ WHYYY!! ??? I absolutely loved Claire McGowan's writing in I Know You and What You Did, so naturally I was pumped af to grab her latest off NetGalley. The start was promising with Mary's raw af account of being a mom of two young kids with a bum ass husband. Her daughter, Audrey, was the uncontested star of this book—which is why I gave this two stars instead of one.
Ok so this could've been a guilty pleasure read but McGowan punched above the belt by making Mary a lawyer who didn't know the law from her left foot. If she had just been a SAHM or like a cupcake baker on maternity leave, that would've been fine. ANYTHING but a lawyer.
How can you make the MC a lawyer who asks questions like: "Wasn't it a crime to hide evidence too? But how did they even know that's what it was?" GURL??? ARE YOU ACTUALLY SERIOUS. THE BAG BELONGS TO A MISSING GIRL. OFC IT'S EVIDENCE. AND YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT'S A CRIME. HAVE YOU NEVER WATCHED CRIMINAL MINDS?? EVEN A LIL NCIS??? CMON!!!
Then you have Timmy boy who tells Mary he'll let the police know about the evidence they're obstructing "when they call him back." Pardon? Is he expecting someone to ring him like "hey is this Tim? Yeah this is 911. Did you happen to find a missing girl's duffle? Yes? Parfait. Could you bring it round let's say 7? Thanks so much."
This was very formulaic like many thrillers from well-known authors this year, which was disappointing. Thankfully Audrey made the first part of the book slightly enjoyable.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: Audrey
Cons: Mary is the worst lawyer on the planet, didn't really care for the other characters, another dud ass husband, very formulaic, writing wasn't up to par with her other books
November 13, 2022
Are You Awake? Well, if I’m not, I’m going to chalk this up as a pretty ridiculous dream!
Mary Collins is a mom of two under two on maternity leave from her job as a family lawyer. By her own account, she hasn’t really slept for two years, and she thinks of her husband, Jack, as little more than deadweight at the moment.
Tim Darbandi, is a senior foreign correspondent who’s on long-term leave from his paper while he recovers psychologically and physically from a Syrian bomb attack. He’s also really not slept in years.
One thing to know about these two, because it will be repeated incessantly for the first quarter of the book: They’re tired. Really, really, reeeally tired. It’s amazing that they can function at all, they’re so tired. Despite their unending tiredness, these neighbors both end up in a park near their homes at 4 AM peering up at a lit window of a home where they both believe they’ve seen a young woman, Samantha Ellis, recently reported missing in the news.
After getting skepticism and no help whatsoever from the police, these two barely functioning adults decide the best course of action is to amateur sleuth this thing in the most ill-advised ways possible that get them in trouble over and over again, because that's what intelligent adults do. 🤦♀️
In ‘Mum of the Year’ fashion, Mary occasionally brings her nursing three-month old son and her continually screaming two-year-old daughter who either speaks Caveman “HOT, MUMMY!” or beyond her years sentences “WHO IS THIS MAN, MUMMY?” along on her potentially dangerous snooping. When they aren’t with her, she’s shuffled them off to her friends to continue investigating the disappearance of a girl she doesn’t know with her neighbor she’s just met, while continually whining about her mom guilt.
Tim, on the other hand, seems like a fairly stand-up kind of guy when he’s not spying on his ex-wife, Alice. He means no harm. I guess he’s just checking up on her between his Sherlock Holmes adventures with Mary. It’s never really explained.
I’ve run out of energy to delve further into this. I’ll spare you my entire rant about the ending which has the collective logic of storing ice cream in a heated oven. Despite my complaints, I did want to see how things wrapped up rather than DNF’ing it, so there was enough intrigue to keep me turning pages.
As for the characters? I liked Tim. That’s it. Unfortunately, he wasn’t enough to save this.
★★ ½
Thanks to Amazon Publishing UK, Thomas & Mercer, NetGalley and author Claire McGowan for the opportunity to review this honestly. It's now available.
Mary Collins is a mom of two under two on maternity leave from her job as a family lawyer. By her own account, she hasn’t really slept for two years, and she thinks of her husband, Jack, as little more than deadweight at the moment.
Tim Darbandi, is a senior foreign correspondent who’s on long-term leave from his paper while he recovers psychologically and physically from a Syrian bomb attack. He’s also really not slept in years.
One thing to know about these two, because it will be repeated incessantly for the first quarter of the book: They’re tired. Really, really, reeeally tired. It’s amazing that they can function at all, they’re so tired. Despite their unending tiredness, these neighbors both end up in a park near their homes at 4 AM peering up at a lit window of a home where they both believe they’ve seen a young woman, Samantha Ellis, recently reported missing in the news.
After getting skepticism and no help whatsoever from the police, these two barely functioning adults decide the best course of action is to amateur sleuth this thing in the most ill-advised ways possible that get them in trouble over and over again, because that's what intelligent adults do. 🤦♀️
In ‘Mum of the Year’ fashion, Mary occasionally brings her nursing three-month old son and her continually screaming two-year-old daughter who either speaks Caveman “HOT, MUMMY!” or beyond her years sentences “WHO IS THIS MAN, MUMMY?” along on her potentially dangerous snooping. When they aren’t with her, she’s shuffled them off to her friends to continue investigating the disappearance of a girl she doesn’t know with her neighbor she’s just met, while continually whining about her mom guilt.
Tim, on the other hand, seems like a fairly stand-up kind of guy when he’s not spying on his ex-wife, Alice. He means no harm. I guess he’s just checking up on her between his Sherlock Holmes adventures with Mary. It’s never really explained.
I’ve run out of energy to delve further into this. I’ll spare you my entire rant about the ending which has the collective logic of storing ice cream in a heated oven. Despite my complaints, I did want to see how things wrapped up rather than DNF’ing it, so there was enough intrigue to keep me turning pages.
As for the characters? I liked Tim. That’s it. Unfortunately, he wasn’t enough to save this.
★★ ½
Thanks to Amazon Publishing UK, Thomas & Mercer, NetGalley and author Claire McGowan for the opportunity to review this honestly. It's now available.
July 5, 2022
My first Claire McGowan book. I like her writing style. It flows easily from page to page and I really was intrigued by this premise. This is a book I THOUGHT I would love. I was intrigued right about up to 40% and the direction seemed to change.
Mary is a mother of two who is on maternity leave and is in desperate need of some sleep. Her children keep her up at night. Tim, her neighbour is a former journalist who suffers from PTSD and can't sleep at night. These two are separately looking out the window one night and think they see something sinister occurring in one of the (abandoned) homes across the street. There is also a girl missing from the neighbourhood. Mary and Tim later bond and try to piece together what they saw that night and begin to connect it to the missing girl.
I enjoyed the beginnings of this one as the two neighbours were acting as amateur sleuths. This was more of a mystery than a thriller IMO. I didn't really feel a strong connection of friendship between the two main characters. One thing that did bother me a little was that Mary was a lawyer but did not seem to understand the law. A lot was packed into the last half of the book. It seemed to try a little too hard but in saying that it still kept me second guessing and reading.
This one reads a lot like a made-for TV movie and I think it would make a good one. I know that the author does write for television in the UK.
I'd like to kindly thank NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for granting me access to this Advance Reader Copy.
Mary is a mother of two who is on maternity leave and is in desperate need of some sleep. Her children keep her up at night. Tim, her neighbour is a former journalist who suffers from PTSD and can't sleep at night. These two are separately looking out the window one night and think they see something sinister occurring in one of the (abandoned) homes across the street. There is also a girl missing from the neighbourhood. Mary and Tim later bond and try to piece together what they saw that night and begin to connect it to the missing girl.
I enjoyed the beginnings of this one as the two neighbours were acting as amateur sleuths. This was more of a mystery than a thriller IMO. I didn't really feel a strong connection of friendship between the two main characters. One thing that did bother me a little was that Mary was a lawyer but did not seem to understand the law. A lot was packed into the last half of the book. It seemed to try a little too hard but in saying that it still kept me second guessing and reading.
This one reads a lot like a made-for TV movie and I think it would make a good one. I know that the author does write for television in the UK.
I'd like to kindly thank NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for granting me access to this Advance Reader Copy.
November 8, 2022
An intriguing premise that didn’t quite deliver for me….Can the eye witness accounts of two sleep deprived witnesses be reliable?
Mary is a mother of two children under the age of two. She feels like she hasn’t slept at all since her second was born.
Tim is a journalist who suffers from PTSD and Insomnia, since getting injured in the field. His partner, Alice has left him and he is on administrative leave from the paper he works for.
The two meet when they venture outside of their respective houses in the middle of a sleepless night after “witnessing” what appears to be “violence” in the attic room of a boarded up house across the park.
Convinced the “missing woman” who has been all over the news is being held captive there, they team up to investigate after the local Police, don’t feel that the tip they call in is credible enough to even visit the property in question.
Although I liked Tim, and felt compassion for all he has endured-I struggled whenever the narrative switched to Mary!
Reading about breast feeding, crying children, food being thrown, and dirty nappys always bores me to tears as a woman who is childless by choice. And, the decisions she would make while her children were in tow would not win her any “mother of the year” awards.
So, I found myself wanting to skim through half of the book (her chapters) for that reason.
These two Amateur Detectives succeed where the Police have failed, finding lead after lead that the Detectives have apparently missed! 🤦🏻♀️
I have heard great things about this author’s work, so I will have to give her another try-but this one unfortunately, was a MISS for me.
NOW AVAILABLE
Thank You to Amazon Digital for the gifted ARC. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
Mary is a mother of two children under the age of two. She feels like she hasn’t slept at all since her second was born.
Tim is a journalist who suffers from PTSD and Insomnia, since getting injured in the field. His partner, Alice has left him and he is on administrative leave from the paper he works for.
The two meet when they venture outside of their respective houses in the middle of a sleepless night after “witnessing” what appears to be “violence” in the attic room of a boarded up house across the park.
Convinced the “missing woman” who has been all over the news is being held captive there, they team up to investigate after the local Police, don’t feel that the tip they call in is credible enough to even visit the property in question.
Although I liked Tim, and felt compassion for all he has endured-I struggled whenever the narrative switched to Mary!
Reading about breast feeding, crying children, food being thrown, and dirty nappys always bores me to tears as a woman who is childless by choice. And, the decisions she would make while her children were in tow would not win her any “mother of the year” awards.
So, I found myself wanting to skim through half of the book (her chapters) for that reason.
These two Amateur Detectives succeed where the Police have failed, finding lead after lead that the Detectives have apparently missed! 🤦🏻♀️
I have heard great things about this author’s work, so I will have to give her another try-but this one unfortunately, was a MISS for me.
NOW AVAILABLE
Thank You to Amazon Digital for the gifted ARC. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
October 1, 2022
Honestly, it started out pretty intriguing, but soon turns into just a chaotic day in the life of Mary. She is a mom who apparently hasn't read this book because she can't sleep! Tim, is her neighbor who was a former journalist and suffers from PTSD.
They end up being partners who are trying to find out what they saw one night in an abandoned home in their neighborhood. Window gazing..........
I wasn't invested in any of the characters and didn't care what happened in that house, I just wanted them to find out something! This dragged on far too long and Team Mary and Tim were as frustrating as the police team.
I've heard good things about some of her other titles, maybe I'll find a good fit!
Thanks to Netgalley for the arc. OUT November 8, 2022
They end up being partners who are trying to find out what they saw one night in an abandoned home in their neighborhood. Window gazing..........
I wasn't invested in any of the characters and didn't care what happened in that house, I just wanted them to find out something! This dragged on far too long and Team Mary and Tim were as frustrating as the police team.
I've heard good things about some of her other titles, maybe I'll find a good fit!
Thanks to Netgalley for the arc. OUT November 8, 2022
December 1, 2022
OUTLIER ALERT…I genuinely enjoyed this for the most part. PHEW!
Mary and Tim are neighbors who’ve never met. Neither of them sleep well, and they spend their days wishing to go to bed. Mary has 2 young children who are never quiet and keep her up all night (and an unsupportive jerk of a husband to boot). Tim can’t stop thinking about something tragic that happened in his past, and it keeps him up.
One night, they both see something suspicious…what looks like a violent attack in the window of one of the neighboring homes. Mary and Tim happen to meet in the park the next night, and confirm they both saw, or thought they saw, the same thing.
Coincidentally, there is a missing 19-year old woman from their town, and they can’t help but wonder if that’s who they saw in the window of the house. The police aren’t making time for Mary and Tim, so they decide to take matters into their own hands and try to solve a crime.
Some of my favorite reviewer friends didn’t enjoy this one. I was actually dreading it after seeing their reviews. Maybe it’s because my anticipation was low, but I found this highly entertaining. That’s not to say it doesn’t have any issues.
What Didn’t Work:
Mary is supposedly a brilliant lawyer, although on maternity leave. However, she makes terrible decision after terrible decision that someone that smart would unlikely make. She’s also irresponsible in putting her children in danger at times, although she does cop to it eventually. While I enjoyed some of the OTT moments, I feel like it would’ve worked better if the book was aiming to be a darkly comedic mystery. The ending was pretty ridiculous and implausible, but that’s nothing new.
What Worked:
As I mentioned above, there are some very amusing scenes in this book, and I think it would have benefited if it just embraced the humorous aspects of what silly things the characters were doing here and there. It didn’t deter my reading, but I wonder if other readers would’ve embraced the silliness a bit more if it was straightforward in the funny department. I love reading about amateur sleuths, and it was fun to picture Mary and Tim bopping around town, trying to get information…only to find themselves in more trouble. I also found the pacing perfect. I had a hard time putting it down (until the end, when I was ready for it to wrap up), and wanted to know how it ended.
Was it perfect? No. Was I entertained? Heck yes! And that was enough for me.
3.5 stars. I look forward to reading more from this author.
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Now available.
Mary and Tim are neighbors who’ve never met. Neither of them sleep well, and they spend their days wishing to go to bed. Mary has 2 young children who are never quiet and keep her up all night (and an unsupportive jerk of a husband to boot). Tim can’t stop thinking about something tragic that happened in his past, and it keeps him up.
One night, they both see something suspicious…what looks like a violent attack in the window of one of the neighboring homes. Mary and Tim happen to meet in the park the next night, and confirm they both saw, or thought they saw, the same thing.
Coincidentally, there is a missing 19-year old woman from their town, and they can’t help but wonder if that’s who they saw in the window of the house. The police aren’t making time for Mary and Tim, so they decide to take matters into their own hands and try to solve a crime.
Some of my favorite reviewer friends didn’t enjoy this one. I was actually dreading it after seeing their reviews. Maybe it’s because my anticipation was low, but I found this highly entertaining. That’s not to say it doesn’t have any issues.
What Didn’t Work:
Mary is supposedly a brilliant lawyer, although on maternity leave. However, she makes terrible decision after terrible decision that someone that smart would unlikely make. She’s also irresponsible in putting her children in danger at times, although she does cop to it eventually. While I enjoyed some of the OTT moments, I feel like it would’ve worked better if the book was aiming to be a darkly comedic mystery. The ending was pretty ridiculous and implausible, but that’s nothing new.
What Worked:
As I mentioned above, there are some very amusing scenes in this book, and I think it would have benefited if it just embraced the humorous aspects of what silly things the characters were doing here and there. It didn’t deter my reading, but I wonder if other readers would’ve embraced the silliness a bit more if it was straightforward in the funny department. I love reading about amateur sleuths, and it was fun to picture Mary and Tim bopping around town, trying to get information…only to find themselves in more trouble. I also found the pacing perfect. I had a hard time putting it down (until the end, when I was ready for it to wrap up), and wanted to know how it ended.
Was it perfect? No. Was I entertained? Heck yes! And that was enough for me.
3.5 stars. I look forward to reading more from this author.
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Now available.
November 10, 2022
2.5/2.75 stars
Ever been so tired you can’t see straight? That you being to question what you are seeing? Is it real or is your mind playing tricks on you? Tim and Mary both have sleeping issues. Mary is a mother of two who never gets any sleep. Readers are told how often she is up in the night with her two children. She is bleary eyed and dog tired. Tim, a former war journalist, has PTSD which keeps him awake. Both are up in the night and see something through a window - something that doesn't look quite right. They both believe they are seeing an attack or some form of violence taking place in an abandoned building.
They inform the police but don't get far. Both believe that a missing woman may have been the victim in the incident they both witnessed. They decide to do their own detective work when they get nowhere with the police.
This was a hard one to rate. It's a book that I didn't dislike but I didn't particularly like either. Although readers are meant to feel for the two main characters as one struggles with PTSD and the other is a sleep deprived Mother with a husband who is clueless. I mean seriously, how did he not see how tired his wife was? But do we care for them? I didn't really connect with either. I can relate to being a sleep deprived mother but that was it.
There is a twist/reveal but after not caring for most of the book, I really didn't care. The premise was so intriguing and promising, and I really wanted to enjoy this one. I'll still read books by Claire McGowan in the future. This one just wasn't a winner for me.
Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Ever been so tired you can’t see straight? That you being to question what you are seeing? Is it real or is your mind playing tricks on you? Tim and Mary both have sleeping issues. Mary is a mother of two who never gets any sleep. Readers are told how often she is up in the night with her two children. She is bleary eyed and dog tired. Tim, a former war journalist, has PTSD which keeps him awake. Both are up in the night and see something through a window - something that doesn't look quite right. They both believe they are seeing an attack or some form of violence taking place in an abandoned building.
They inform the police but don't get far. Both believe that a missing woman may have been the victim in the incident they both witnessed. They decide to do their own detective work when they get nowhere with the police.
This was a hard one to rate. It's a book that I didn't dislike but I didn't particularly like either. Although readers are meant to feel for the two main characters as one struggles with PTSD and the other is a sleep deprived Mother with a husband who is clueless. I mean seriously, how did he not see how tired his wife was? But do we care for them? I didn't really connect with either. I can relate to being a sleep deprived mother but that was it.
There is a twist/reveal but after not caring for most of the book, I really didn't care. The premise was so intriguing and promising, and I really wanted to enjoy this one. I'll still read books by Claire McGowan in the future. This one just wasn't a winner for me.
Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 6, 2024
A sleep-deprived mother of two Mary and an insomniac former journalist Tim, see some violent actions in a house across the street and go there at 4 a.m. to investigate.
They think they saw a missing girl's face in the window and reported it to the police. As no actions followed, they began their private investigation.
The book is a gripping story from the first page and keeps readers intense till the end of the book. It is easy to read and has some captivating moments. I didn't agree with some developments in the book as they seem a bit artificial to me, but in general, this book is worth reading and I recommend it to everybody who loves a nice investigative detective.
They think they saw a missing girl's face in the window and reported it to the police. As no actions followed, they began their private investigation.
The book is a gripping story from the first page and keeps readers intense till the end of the book. It is easy to read and has some captivating moments. I didn't agree with some developments in the book as they seem a bit artificial to me, but in general, this book is worth reading and I recommend it to everybody who loves a nice investigative detective.
November 3, 2022
Mary hasn't slept in what seems like years. Her two young children never let her rest, so one exhausting night, in the middle of a London heatwave, she escapes to a nearby park for some air. Tim can't sleep. It doesn't feel safe after the terrible thing that happened to him. Seeking solace outside, he encounters a sleepless Mary in the park. There, the two strangers witness what looks like a violent attack in the window of a neighbouring house. Shocked at what they'd seen, Tim and Mary form an unlikely bond, desperate to find clues.
Mary is a lawyer on maternity leave. Tim is a disgraced reporter. They both suffer from sleep deprivation. They met in a park in the middle of the night where they both witness a violent attack through a window of a neighbouring house. But neither of them is completely sure of what they actually saw. The pace is slow throughout. The characters weren't interesting, and I felt there was something lacking that I couldn't quite put my finger on. The story is told from Tim and Mary's perspectives with the occasional point of view from missing girl, Samantha. There's plenty if twists and red herrings. The plotline is a bit unrealistic, but it has some funny moments.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #AmazonPublishing #ThomasMercer and the author #ClaireMcGowan for my ARC of #AreYouAwake in exchange for an honest review.
Mary is a lawyer on maternity leave. Tim is a disgraced reporter. They both suffer from sleep deprivation. They met in a park in the middle of the night where they both witness a violent attack through a window of a neighbouring house. But neither of them is completely sure of what they actually saw. The pace is slow throughout. The characters weren't interesting, and I felt there was something lacking that I couldn't quite put my finger on. The story is told from Tim and Mary's perspectives with the occasional point of view from missing girl, Samantha. There's plenty if twists and red herrings. The plotline is a bit unrealistic, but it has some funny moments.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #AmazonPublishing #ThomasMercer and the author #ClaireMcGowan for my ARC of #AreYouAwake in exchange for an honest review.
September 16, 2023
This book starts as a slow burn, though it is just enough intrigue to hold your interest. It starts getting a faster pace at around the 50% mark. I liked how it changed from multiple points of view. I also liked Mary and Tim along with all of their weaknesses. You could easily criticize Mary for neglecting her children, but I thought it just added to character development. Besides the slow beginning, there was not a great reveal. It was too easy. But, overall, it was an okay book!
June 30, 2023
Mary an exhausted lawyer on maternity leave teams up with Tim a journalist suffering from the effects of working in a war zone to try and investigate the missing case of Sam a local teenager. Their investigation into Sam’s life and disappearance takes many a convoluted and winding road. Leading them both to the brink of despair in their own lives. I enjoyed this novel and the many aspects it involved of the personal affects of life. The ending was nail biting and unexpected. It wavered a little in the middle trying to find ground and bring the many aspects together. Still a good read and would encourage me to try another book from this author.
June 19, 2022
Mary has two young children and is awake through the night, not remembering the last time she fully slept. Tim is a journalist suffering from guilt and horrific memories of an accident - leaving him unable to sleep, suffering from insomnia. One night, both Mary and Tim look out to a house across from them, and witness violence through the window. A house that already has a past history of a brutal murder. Working together to try and find out what they saw, they'll head further and further into danger. A danger that might not allow them both out alive.
Another fantastic book by Claire! I haven't read a book that I've been disappointed with yet by Claire, she's just that good!
A chilling story of two sleep deprived strangers coming together to find a missing person, not knowing whether they can trust their minds. It's brilliant and tense, the tension building right up to the spectacular ending.
Another fantastic book by Claire! I haven't read a book that I've been disappointed with yet by Claire, she's just that good!
A chilling story of two sleep deprived strangers coming together to find a missing person, not knowing whether they can trust their minds. It's brilliant and tense, the tension building right up to the spectacular ending.
December 28, 2022
I loved the plot: Mary and Tim are neighbors. Neither one can sleep. Mary has two rowdy kids and jackass for a husband. Tim is grappling with a tragedy from his past. One sleepless night they both witness what appears to be an attack in one of their neighbor's windows. A woman turns up missing and the two take the detective work into their own hands.
I was so intrigued and absolutely sure this would be a five-star read. Somehow though this was slow and very little happened. No big reveals, uncovered secrets, or shocking twists. The characters themselves were humdrum and two dimensional. Nothing about them was relatable or made me care about them. They didn't make for good detectives either. I could smack them each with their own revealst my cup of tea.
I was so intrigued and absolutely sure this would be a five-star read. Somehow though this was slow and very little happened. No big reveals, uncovered secrets, or shocking twists. The characters themselves were humdrum and two dimensional. Nothing about them was relatable or made me care about them. They didn't make for good detectives either. I could smack them each with their own revealst my cup of tea.
Read
June 14, 2022Okay, so this one wasn’t for me.
It’s like, I started thinking that the title, ‘Are you awake?’, was actually just a question being asked to the reader because…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. I probably stepped away from this book a dozen times because nothing was happening.
The thing is that I actually liked the characters. The mom, Mary is just so freaking exhausted and I just felt her. Tim seemed like a really good guy and I was so sorry for all he went through. The husband, whose name I can’t recall, was kind of oblivious, but in general an okay guy. But my character like was not enough to sustain me.
The reason behind everything isn’t even all that interesting.
This one is a skip from me.
*ARC via Net Galley
It’s like, I started thinking that the title, ‘Are you awake?’, was actually just a question being asked to the reader because…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. I probably stepped away from this book a dozen times because nothing was happening.
The thing is that I actually liked the characters. The mom, Mary is just so freaking exhausted and I just felt her. Tim seemed like a really good guy and I was so sorry for all he went through. The husband, whose name I can’t recall, was kind of oblivious, but in general an okay guy. But my character like was not enough to sustain me.
The reason behind everything isn’t even all that interesting.
This one is a skip from me.
*ARC via Net Galley
November 9, 2022
I was very disappointed in this book. It was a very slow burner. When I had read 50% of this book I was ready to give up, but then it did start to get interesting and I was fully immersed in the story that was unfolding but lo and behold the book had finished. Just like that, no fanfare, where were the great revelations? It just ended. What an anticlimax to a very mediocre read!!!!!
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.
June 10, 2023
Are You Awake? Well no - I’m certainly not after reading that. This book put me to sleep.
I honestly don’t even know what to say. This was just a shit book. Did not grip me in any way. Did not interest me. Was so boring and so hard to get through - but I don’t DNF so I had to finish it. The plot was meh, the characters were meh, the way it was written was meh. Very very boring.
Would not recommend
I honestly don’t even know what to say. This was just a shit book. Did not grip me in any way. Did not interest me. Was so boring and so hard to get through - but I don’t DNF so I had to finish it. The plot was meh, the characters were meh, the way it was written was meh. Very very boring.
Would not recommend
October 7, 2022
After the past two unprecedented heat-wave summers here in the Pacific Northwest, I understand Mary’s predicament. Trying to escape the heat became an obsession, to the point where I wasn’t thinking rationally. Although I don't suffer from PTSD, I’m a worrier and often have difficulty getting to sleep because my mind wants to revisit every single negative situation I can imagine. Mixing this with having been prepped as a witness for a trial, I understand the controversy over eye-witness reliance. All of these allowed me to become part of the story while still maintaining some objectivity.
I eagerly followed the amateur sleuths and became invested in the mystery. There were times that Mary’s questioning left me unsettled because her thoughts weren’t indicative of her career mindset. Although the characters were irksome, they were representative of what law enforcement deals with on a regular basis…people (witnesses) who think they know more than they really do!
This story hinges upon the three Ss: secrets, surprises and suspense. It is a well-written multi-POV and well-paced story that had me questioning who I could trust and what was reliable enough to believe.
I’ve wanted to read a Claire McGowan book for a while now and appreciated the introduction to her writing. I’ll search out her backlist.
I was gifted this copy by Amazon Publishing UK, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
I eagerly followed the amateur sleuths and became invested in the mystery. There were times that Mary’s questioning left me unsettled because her thoughts weren’t indicative of her career mindset. Although the characters were irksome, they were representative of what law enforcement deals with on a regular basis…people (witnesses) who think they know more than they really do!
This story hinges upon the three Ss: secrets, surprises and suspense. It is a well-written multi-POV and well-paced story that had me questioning who I could trust and what was reliable enough to believe.
I’ve wanted to read a Claire McGowan book for a while now and appreciated the introduction to her writing. I’ll search out her backlist.
I was gifted this copy by Amazon Publishing UK, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
February 4, 2023
The premise for this tense slow burn psychological thriller is almost chilling. Imagine being awake in the dead of night, sleep deprived and with insomnia that you see something...think you see something...are almost sure you DID see something that could shed some light into the disappearance of a young woman? Can you be sure of what you saw? After all, you've not slept - really slept - for two years so your mind could be playing tricks on you...couldn't it? But you are almost certain...aren't you? It was her, wasn't it? Definitely...maybe...I don't know... Maybe you just dreamt it up. But then your neighbour says he saw her too. So you can't both be wrong...can you?
Meet Mary Collins. Thirtysomething mum to toddler Audrey and baby Leo. Sleep deprived from the constant demands motherhood brings to her shining little cherubs. The children unfortunately share a room in their pokey little two bed flat on the outskirts of London, meaning when one wakes then the other does also. And life becomes a constant revolving door of meeting each childs' needs one after the other after the other after the other...all night. Meanwhile hubby Jack snores his way through slumber and oblivion as his exhausted wife sees to the children without an ounce of sleep.
One night whilst soothing the cries and demands of her children, she is looking out the window when she sees something...a face at a window, seemingly crying for help. But as quick as she saw it, it's gone again. She blinks. Was it real? Did she see it at all? Because there is clearly nothing there now. Then she looks down into the park across the street, which backs onto a row of houses...one of which she had seen the face. Or rather, thought she did. And there in the park at 4am is a man. What is he doing there at this hour? Without thinking, she deposits the children back to bed and barely stopping to grab a robe, Mary marches out the door and across the street to where the stranger is snooping.
And that is how Mary and Tim meet.
She soon learns that Tim saw the face she did at the window. So she didn't imagine it. It was real. Problem is, he is as sleep deprived as she is so who would believe them? But regardless, both are sure of what they saw. And both are convinced it is missing teenager Samantha Ellis, who vanished walking home one night after her shift at the care home where she worked. And so together they decide to investigate Samantha's disappearance.
But neither of them are prepared for the storm they unleash in the wake of their digging. Can they succeed where the police have failed? Will they find Samantha and uncover the truth before it's too late? For all of them?
ARE YOU AWAKE? is a slow burn thriller that does take a while to pick up pace but there is enough intrigue there to keep you turning the pages. While both characters' backstories provided sufficient insight into their insomnia and sleep deprivation, I did tire of Mary's two year old daughter Audrey's constant and incessant whining and complaints on just about everything. And her demands were uttered at one volume - LOUD!! Audrey was, simply put, exhausting. "MUMMY! HATE PORRIDGE! WANT COCO POPS!", "MUMMY! WANT PANCAKES!", "MUMMY GO HOME! GO HOME NOW!", "MUMMY! MORNING TIME! PLAY LEGO WITH ME!", "MUMMY! NOT SHOPS! IT'S PEPPA TIME!", "MUMMY! I WANT I WANT I WANT!!!" Every time she opened her mouth she uttered demands and was unbearably grouchy - all the time. Her demands were constant, tiring and really reaaaaallllly draining. And I'm not even her mother! I only read the words and I could hear those demands all day long...it was exhausting. No wonder Mary didn't know whether she was coming or going...I doubt I would either. Her narrative at the start was a bit much and seemed more like a chaotic day in the life of rather than the mystery of Samantha Ellis. Tim was a little more bearable though carried a ton of shameful guilt about his time in Syria and now suffers PTSD as a result. And of course insomnia is the result of that. Hence why he was peering out of his window at 4am also.
Unfolding through the alternating narratives of Mary and Tim, there is also the odd narrative from the missing Samantha, leaving you wondering what exactly has happened to her. I did find the story dragged a little bit but that could just been the incessant droning and whining of a demanding two year old I did not take a liking to one bit. It was a little bit much but then some of Mary's flippant remarks in her narrative made me chuckle.
I really did enjoy ARE YOU AWAKE? despite Audrey's constant rants, and she thankfully blended into the background and became more of hubby's problem to deal with once he decided to be a parent instead of sleeping in when Mary more than deserved one. The suspense began to build as more questions are raised and the further Mary and Tim delved. The first half was more about Mary's chaotic life while the second half really picked up the pace and got down to the nitty gritty. Finally, they were getting somewhere. But would they uncover the truth before it's too late?
There are a few red herrings, but equally so, they are also a paramount part of the mystery. Figure that one out. I did...and it seemed I had two answers instead of one. But which one what the truth?
Overall, a good solid mystery with the chilling psychological aspect where sleep deprivation can mess with your mind - tricking you into thinking you saw something when you didn't or you didn't see anything when you did. It will have you questioning your own credibility and leave you pondering the reliability of our two narrators.
I would like to thank #ClaireMcGowan, #Netgalley and #AmazonPub for an ARC of #AreYouAwake in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
Meet Mary Collins. Thirtysomething mum to toddler Audrey and baby Leo. Sleep deprived from the constant demands motherhood brings to her shining little cherubs. The children unfortunately share a room in their pokey little two bed flat on the outskirts of London, meaning when one wakes then the other does also. And life becomes a constant revolving door of meeting each childs' needs one after the other after the other after the other...all night. Meanwhile hubby Jack snores his way through slumber and oblivion as his exhausted wife sees to the children without an ounce of sleep.
One night whilst soothing the cries and demands of her children, she is looking out the window when she sees something...a face at a window, seemingly crying for help. But as quick as she saw it, it's gone again. She blinks. Was it real? Did she see it at all? Because there is clearly nothing there now. Then she looks down into the park across the street, which backs onto a row of houses...one of which she had seen the face. Or rather, thought she did. And there in the park at 4am is a man. What is he doing there at this hour? Without thinking, she deposits the children back to bed and barely stopping to grab a robe, Mary marches out the door and across the street to where the stranger is snooping.
And that is how Mary and Tim meet.
She soon learns that Tim saw the face she did at the window. So she didn't imagine it. It was real. Problem is, he is as sleep deprived as she is so who would believe them? But regardless, both are sure of what they saw. And both are convinced it is missing teenager Samantha Ellis, who vanished walking home one night after her shift at the care home where she worked. And so together they decide to investigate Samantha's disappearance.
But neither of them are prepared for the storm they unleash in the wake of their digging. Can they succeed where the police have failed? Will they find Samantha and uncover the truth before it's too late? For all of them?
ARE YOU AWAKE? is a slow burn thriller that does take a while to pick up pace but there is enough intrigue there to keep you turning the pages. While both characters' backstories provided sufficient insight into their insomnia and sleep deprivation, I did tire of Mary's two year old daughter Audrey's constant and incessant whining and complaints on just about everything. And her demands were uttered at one volume - LOUD!! Audrey was, simply put, exhausting. "MUMMY! HATE PORRIDGE! WANT COCO POPS!", "MUMMY! WANT PANCAKES!", "MUMMY GO HOME! GO HOME NOW!", "MUMMY! MORNING TIME! PLAY LEGO WITH ME!", "MUMMY! NOT SHOPS! IT'S PEPPA TIME!", "MUMMY! I WANT I WANT I WANT!!!" Every time she opened her mouth she uttered demands and was unbearably grouchy - all the time. Her demands were constant, tiring and really reaaaaallllly draining. And I'm not even her mother! I only read the words and I could hear those demands all day long...it was exhausting. No wonder Mary didn't know whether she was coming or going...I doubt I would either. Her narrative at the start was a bit much and seemed more like a chaotic day in the life of rather than the mystery of Samantha Ellis. Tim was a little more bearable though carried a ton of shameful guilt about his time in Syria and now suffers PTSD as a result. And of course insomnia is the result of that. Hence why he was peering out of his window at 4am also.
Unfolding through the alternating narratives of Mary and Tim, there is also the odd narrative from the missing Samantha, leaving you wondering what exactly has happened to her. I did find the story dragged a little bit but that could just been the incessant droning and whining of a demanding two year old I did not take a liking to one bit. It was a little bit much but then some of Mary's flippant remarks in her narrative made me chuckle.
I really did enjoy ARE YOU AWAKE? despite Audrey's constant rants, and she thankfully blended into the background and became more of hubby's problem to deal with once he decided to be a parent instead of sleeping in when Mary more than deserved one. The suspense began to build as more questions are raised and the further Mary and Tim delved. The first half was more about Mary's chaotic life while the second half really picked up the pace and got down to the nitty gritty. Finally, they were getting somewhere. But would they uncover the truth before it's too late?
There are a few red herrings, but equally so, they are also a paramount part of the mystery. Figure that one out. I did...and it seemed I had two answers instead of one. But which one what the truth?
Overall, a good solid mystery with the chilling psychological aspect where sleep deprivation can mess with your mind - tricking you into thinking you saw something when you didn't or you didn't see anything when you did. It will have you questioning your own credibility and leave you pondering the reliability of our two narrators.
I would like to thank #ClaireMcGowan, #Netgalley and #AmazonPub for an ARC of #AreYouAwake in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
September 9, 2022
Mary a mother of two young children and Tim her neighbour think that they see someone being attacked in a flat across the road.
They are both having trouble sleeping at night and are not sure what they saw.
A very slow moving story with unlikeable characters that failed to hold my interest.
Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
They are both having trouble sleeping at night and are not sure what they saw.
A very slow moving story with unlikeable characters that failed to hold my interest.
Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 5, 2023
These two have a lot of time on their hands 😂. Mary and Tim, two random neighbours, believe they’ve seen the missing girl, Sam, in a nearby derelict building. Then ensues a whole lot of WILD investigating. The personal lives of the protagonists could have been explored more — and the domestic nature of the disappearance was a bit OTT. 3*
November 15, 2022
This was not very long but felt very long.
It was fairly easy to follow though and I listened to the audio while I played The Sims or I probably would DNF.
It was fairly easy to follow though and I listened to the audio while I played The Sims or I probably would DNF.
December 19, 2022
The premise sounded promising but the book didn’t deliver. A sleep-deprived journalist and a sleep-deprived mom both think they see a missing teenager in the middle of the night. In a huge leap of faith they begin to work together to try to solve the case, even though the police are working on it. It’s far-fetched at best and was quite boring until the half-way point, where it picked up a little bit.
This would have been a Did Not Finish for me had it not been for the ARC I was given.
Thanks to GoodReads for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
This would have been a Did Not Finish for me had it not been for the ARC I was given.
Thanks to GoodReads for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
November 7, 2022
Mary hasn't slept for months & it feels like years, ever since she gave birth to her two children; Audrey, a smart but restless toddler & Leo, a few months old. As one falls asleep, the other wakes or they end up waking the other, & round & round it goes. One night she is looking out the window & sees what she thinks is 'violent movement' in an empty house over the way. Tim is a journalist who is currently out on sick leave following an earlier trauma. He can't sleep either due to PTSD, & he wanders the park in the early hours. He also sees someone in the upper window of the empty house & the following night, he returns to have a closer look & runs into Mary.
They talk & realise that the person they both saw looked like a local missing teenager, Samantha. Her family have been on the news recently begging for her safe return, & Tim & Mary fear she has been kidnapped & is being held in the empty house on Cliveden Road. The two of them report what they have seen to the police but nothing much comes of it, so they decide to continue their own investigation. For Mary it's a chance to have something for herself outside of motherhood, whilst for Tim, it's the first time he's been interesting in anything (apart from stalking his ex-wife) for a long time. Can they trust each other though, & given their respective issues, can they even trust themselves?
The two main characters are fairly likeable at first, but Tim is a bit of a wet lettuce whilst Mary flipflops between wanting to help & fear of getting involved. Mary is struggling but doesn't talk about it with her husband, but sits there seething instead. Mind you, don't even get me started on husband, Jack (as in Hit the Road if Mary's got any sense - she hasn't). Towards the end, hubby says "I didn't know you were struggling this much". Like dude, the woman can't go anywhere without two kids in tow whilst you go to work, then either come back & swan off out again or fake illness so you don't have to do your share of childcare! Your wife doesn't get to sleep whilst you snore in the next room. I don't know how she wasn't tempted to smother him with a pillow in his sleep, but I digress.
When Mary & Tim realise Samantha's disappearance could link to the disappearances of several other young women in the area over the years, things snowball. It's the usual case of amateur detectives somehow being able to outwit the police & get witnesses to talk, for example, the person they initially think is behind Sam's disappearance conveniently has a 'Road to Damascus' conversion & spills everything. The plot was okay but stretches credulity in some parts, it was interesting though & it mostly kept my attention. 3 stars
Thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Thomas & Mercer, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
They talk & realise that the person they both saw looked like a local missing teenager, Samantha. Her family have been on the news recently begging for her safe return, & Tim & Mary fear she has been kidnapped & is being held in the empty house on Cliveden Road. The two of them report what they have seen to the police but nothing much comes of it, so they decide to continue their own investigation. For Mary it's a chance to have something for herself outside of motherhood, whilst for Tim, it's the first time he's been interesting in anything (apart from stalking his ex-wife) for a long time. Can they trust each other though, & given their respective issues, can they even trust themselves?
The two main characters are fairly likeable at first, but Tim is a bit of a wet lettuce whilst Mary flipflops between wanting to help & fear of getting involved. Mary is struggling but doesn't talk about it with her husband, but sits there seething instead. Mind you, don't even get me started on husband, Jack (as in Hit the Road if Mary's got any sense - she hasn't). Towards the end, hubby says "I didn't know you were struggling this much". Like dude, the woman can't go anywhere without two kids in tow whilst you go to work, then either come back & swan off out again or fake illness so you don't have to do your share of childcare! Your wife doesn't get to sleep whilst you snore in the next room. I don't know how she wasn't tempted to smother him with a pillow in his sleep, but I digress.
When Mary & Tim realise Samantha's disappearance could link to the disappearances of several other young women in the area over the years, things snowball. It's the usual case of amateur detectives somehow being able to outwit the police & get witnesses to talk, for example, the person they initially think is behind Sam's disappearance conveniently has a 'Road to Damascus' conversion & spills everything. The plot was okay but stretches credulity in some parts, it was interesting though & it mostly kept my attention. 3 stars
Thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Thomas & Mercer, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
May 7, 2023
This book started out so well but I ended up getting bored the further into it I got. Are You Awake follows Mary and Tim who both seemingly witness a violent act through a window across the street in the middle of the night. Believing it’s connected to the recent disappearance with a local teenager, they start investigating and getting increasingly intertwined in the mystery.
I usually find the amateur sleuth trope frustrating - it’s often unbelievable how much they get involved but I found myself thinking had I been in Mary’s position I would have done the same thing - it would infuriate me how the police didn’t seem to care about their tip. I also really felt for her losing her identity through being a mum to two young children and needing something to get her teeth into.
Ultimately I found the ending unsatisfying and I don’t think it made much sense in terms of the story up to that point. I also hated her husband and the other supporting characters. I did get through it pretty quick and enjoyed it for the most part so 3.5 stars.
I usually find the amateur sleuth trope frustrating - it’s often unbelievable how much they get involved but I found myself thinking had I been in Mary’s position I would have done the same thing - it would infuriate me how the police didn’t seem to care about their tip. I also really felt for her losing her identity through being a mum to two young children and needing something to get her teeth into.
Ultimately I found the ending unsatisfying and I don’t think it made much sense in terms of the story up to that point. I also hated her husband and the other supporting characters. I did get through it pretty quick and enjoyed it for the most part so 3.5 stars.
April 8, 2023
Was alright, nout special.
October 18, 2022
A huge thanks to Amazon Publishing UK for my complimentary copy and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Can Claire McGowan do no wrong? Of course not! This is a wickedly clever premise that features a mother of two (Mary) who is on maternity leave and of course like every mother needs a good night's Sleep. One night when she can barely get some shut eye looks out the window and seemingly sees something at the same time her neighbor who suffers from PTSD does the same and witnesses the same event. They wake up to news of a missing girl and these two neighbors suddenly become sleuths. Did they actually see what they saw? Are you awake will have you pinching yourself to see if you are awake too. I enjoyed it!
Can Claire McGowan do no wrong? Of course not! This is a wickedly clever premise that features a mother of two (Mary) who is on maternity leave and of course like every mother needs a good night's Sleep. One night when she can barely get some shut eye looks out the window and seemingly sees something at the same time her neighbor who suffers from PTSD does the same and witnesses the same event. They wake up to news of a missing girl and these two neighbors suddenly become sleuths. Did they actually see what they saw? Are you awake will have you pinching yourself to see if you are awake too. I enjoyed it!
June 5, 2022
3.5 stars
As someone who's struggled with sleep, I felt the first few chapters of this book did a great job of summing up how it sometimes feels... and it connected me to the characters in sympathy.
Beyond that I just went with the flow, and was entertained by it all.
The plot is slightly ott, but it's all the more fun for that.
Plenty of twists along the way.
I enjoyed it.
As someone who's struggled with sleep, I felt the first few chapters of this book did a great job of summing up how it sometimes feels... and it connected me to the characters in sympathy.
Beyond that I just went with the flow, and was entertained by it all.
The plot is slightly ott, but it's all the more fun for that.
Plenty of twists along the way.
I enjoyed it.
April 30, 2024
A mother of two young children and a journalist with PTSD were sleep deprived. They met and formed an unlikely alliance, trying to find a missing young woman believed to have been spotted in their neighborhood.
Although I did finish the book, I didn't really enjoy it. It has too many plot holes and characters doing questionable actions.
Although I did finish the book, I didn't really enjoy it. It has too many plot holes and characters doing questionable actions.
April 4, 2025
As is often the case when I take too long to read a book, I got bored and disinterested and just wanted it to be over. I skimmed the last 20 pages outside the library so I could return this before I go to Europe for three weeks and don't have time to read. I liked the two main characters but the second disappearance was a bit much, but I had pretty much lost interest by that point.
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