Cover Image: Don't Close Your Eyes

Don't Close Your Eyes

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

This book is slightly different from other psychological thrillers out at the moment as it involved quite sensitive subject matters, which made it hard to read at times. That didn't take away though from a very cleverly plotted book.

Was this review helpful?

Holly Seddon is a natural writer who knows how to leave her readers wanting more. This book will stay with me for a very long time.
Two families, twin girls, a homosexual boy and their passage through life. Don't want to include spoilers so I'll only say that these two families, the twins especially, suffered more trauma than they should ever have to encounter in a lifetime.
A truly great read not to be missed..

Was this review helpful?

i really liked the way Robin and Sarah's relationship was described in Don't close your eyes. The way the book was split into both the girls lives and flashbacks made it an interesting read. A great read with a nice little twist at the end

Was this review helpful?

Robin and Sarah. Two sisters both living unhappy lives, both believing that they were wronged as children, the decisions of the parents affecting their lives through adulthood and beyond, Tragedy weaving it's way through whilst they create lives ever distant form reality. Ultimately it is a tale of redemption and love. the love that bonds the two as they learn to live with the past and move towards the future.

Was this review helpful?

Told partly in real time and partly through flashbacks, this is a fascinating study of twin sisters being separated during their formative years and the resultant effects on both of them.

A breakdown in their parents' marriage results in Robin and Sarah being brought up separately, Robin by her father in the UK and Sarah by her mother in the USA. The adults in the flashbacks behaved very badly, with little thought of the consequences on their children. Now, Robin is a struggling agoraphobic and Sarah desperately needs her twin sister but can't find her.
Without giving away too much Don't close your Eyes is like watching a train crash in slow motion ... through the flashbacks you can see that their will be problems ahead for the twins and when these correlate with the present all you can do is watch in trepidation ... oh, and read on of course!

Don't Close Your Eyes is a deliciously complex and poignant jigsaw of the twins lives. It is at times harrowing and at others uplifting. The sisters differing personalities shone through clearly and at times in the flashback chapters I found myself nearly yelling at the adults to behave differently.
This was a thought provoking book with a great end twist that I completely missed, much to my shame, because on hindsight the clues were there.
I did find it a bit of a slow burner initially, but was really glad that I persevered. A very good psychological thriller.

Was this review helpful?

Robin and Sarah weren't the closest of twins. They weren't even that similar. But they loved each other dearly. Until, in the cruellest of domestic twists, they were taken from one another. Now, in her early 30s, Robin lives alone. Agoraphobic and suffering from panic attacks, she spends her days pacing the rooms of her house. The rest of the time she watches - watches the street, the houses, the neighbours. Until one day, she sees something she shouldn't...

And Sarah? Sarah got what she wanted - the good-looking man, the beautiful baby, the perfect home. But she's just been accused of the most terrible thing of all. She can't be around her new family until she has come to terms with something that happened a long time ago. And to do that, she needs to track down her twin sister.

But Sarah isn't the only person looking for Robin. As their paths intersect, something dangerous is set in motion, leading Robin and Sarah to fight for much more than their relationship...

This is a very enjoyable book although I did find it quite confusing at times. I had to keep pausing and re-running the previous pages to work out what was going on. Happy to say that it did all make sense in the end. With shocks and surprises throughout; I give 3.5*

Was this review helpful?

I would like to thank NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

I give this book 3.5 stars rounded up.

It took quite some time for the story to get going, I was almost ready to give up and stop reading but I am glad I didn't as it got better.

I really don't know what I make of this book, don't get me wrong it is a good read when it gets going but having finished the book and read the ending I can't help but think the ending could of been better.

Having made this opinion I would still recommend this book.

Was this review helpful?

Exciting thriller - did not see plot twists coming. Discusses themes related to adoption, parenting, family, mental illnesses and the support for it. Glad I got approved for this - thank you! :)

Was this review helpful?

I read some reviews about this book before downloading it to my Kindle, and I nearly didn't! I wasn't totally sure it was my kind of book, plus some reviewers had commented upon the jumping from character to character and jumping from past to present (which I'm not a fan of either) making the book difficult to follow. I didn't find this a problem at all, and although maybe it isn't quite my sort of book, this was probably the quickest I have ever read a book!! I just couldn't put it down, not because I was hooked in exactly, but because the characters were so real and the story so full of emotion. I had to keep reading just to keep unpicking at the plot. For the most part, this book seemed more of a family drama until the very end when the plot took a very chilling twist. It was a great storyline, and a very compelling read.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Corvus Atlantic books for giving me the chance to read and review this book.

Was this review helpful?

Robin and Sarah are twins, and both are in a very dark stage in their lives for different reasons. They both hold onto secrets and regret after years of no contact with each other. Those secrets are gradually revealed through the book as the reader understands the love and loss they shared.

The chapters are craftily written to cover each sister's story in both the past and present. Robin's story is written in the third person which helps to portray how distant and withdrawn from the world she is. After being in a band for years she refuses to leave the house and be a part of her community. Her entertainment and sanity relies on the residents of nearby flats as seen from behind her curtains. Sarah's story in is the first person and it's much easier to relate to her. She finds herself lost after losing those closest to her as a result of silly mistakes. Jim has the wrong idea about her, so she's determined to make things right for four year old Violet's sake. The other characters in the book are each flawed in their own ways. Some I loved to hate, whilst others I felt sorry for their situation; wishing they had the motivation to change things.

Flashbacks to the 90's give the reader a chance to see a time where everything was once normal, and how life became complicated for the girls overnight. They had a lot to deal with during their impressionable adolescent years.

This book is full of emotion as the secrets of the past are revealed. They creep up on the reader so gradually it's hard to see them coming as nothing is as it first seems. Holly Seddon has been compassionate whilst exploring some hard hitting themes. Another great read to recommend!

Was this review helpful?

This book turned out not to be what I expected - but in a good way! Rather than the - now - standard psychological thriller, it explored themes of family and sibling relationships with just a hint of something dark. The story unfolded gradually but with just the right amount of suspense. I would definitely plan to read more by this author.

Was this review helpful?

A psychological suspense, a bit slow to start, but you soon become gripped, and looking forward to the next chapter. Nice short chapters, switching between twins Robin and Sarah, and switching between the present and the 1990's when the girls were growing up. The short chapters make it a nice easy read. I really enjoyed this book, and will be looking for books written by Holly Seddon.

Was this review helpful?

Don't Close Your Eyes is one gripping, outstanding psychological thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. The characters are intriguing. There are multiple narrators and timelines throughout making the storytelling quite interesting. Plenty of twists and turns throughout! The writing is so excellent. Holly Seddon is one not to be missed! If you enjoyed Try Not To Breathe or are a fan of suspenseful thrillers, be sure not to miss out and check out Don't Close Your Eyes today.

Was this review helpful?

Excellent psychological thriller from author Holly Seddon.
Twins Robin and Sarah weren't the closest of twins, they weren't even that similar. But they loved each other dearly. Until, in the cruellest of domestic twists, they were taken from one another.
Both now in their 30's, Robin lives alone, agoraphobic and suffering from panic attacks, she spends her days pacing the rooms of her house. The rest of the time she watches the street, the houses, the neighbours. Until one day, she sees something she shouldn't...

Twin Sarah achieved her dreams a handsome man and a beautiful baby, the perfect home. She's just been accused of the most terrible thing of all. She can't be around her new family until she has come to terms with something that happened a long time ago. And to do that, she needs to track down her twin sister.

This is a novel of families and relationships in a complex story about families and relationships, covering jealousy, abuse, love and hate.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Atlantic Books for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this, another cracker from Holly.

I was whipping through the pages right until that final moment, however, there were times that the pace dropped slightly which is why I've dropped a star, but a great read and I definitely recommend.

Was this review helpful?

I read Try Not To Breathe by Holly Seddon when it came out, so I knew I'd want to grab a copy of Don't Close Your Eyes. Seddon writes classic thrillers as if it's as easy as breathing - and perhaps it is, for her. She's that rare talent who deserves all the credit she gets, and more.

Delving into dark subjects such as sexual assault, domestic violence, and suicide, Seddon doesn't pull any punches. Every character is fully formed, fleshed out into life, and every incident is thrilling, engaging. Robin in particular is so real, it's hard not to relate to her.

I love books about dysfunctional families - coming from one myself, I know just how twisted it can get. When Robin and Sarah's mum has an affair with Callum's dad, everything disintegrates, and their families merge into one big mess. Robin and Callum stay with her dad and his mum, and Sarah moves out to Atlanta with her mum and Callum's dad. The distance between the sisters grows, in emotional as well as literal terms. The tangles web of their mingled families gets tighter and tighter, until something has to give.

I loved the way Seddon wrote this, engaging the reader by giving snippets of the past, interspersed with chapters from today. This style of writing, although not unique, is always enticing, and Seddon does it well. Overall, I'd say Don't Close Your Eyes is another winning thriller.

Was this review helpful?

I loved this book and enjoyed the two stories which seemed to entwine. What really made this one of the best books I have read this year was the unexpected twist at the end, brilliant didn't see it coming and just a fantastic book. Really recommend.

Was this review helpful?

Loved this book, from the beginning I knew don't close your eyes would be good but the twist at the end I didn't see coming at all!!
This book covers some sensitive issues but are written about sensitively, the book is based around parents decisions and how it impacts children's lives.
Sarah and Robin are twin sisters living a happy life with mum and dad, Angela and Jack until the parents become friendly with another couple, Hilary and Drew and their son, Callum. Over time Angela and Drew have an affair and decide to live together in Drews family home with Sarah and Hilary and Jack move in together with Robin and Callum, I don't think there was much love between Hilary and Jack as that side of the story was gone into much in the book.
The kids find it hard and harder still when Drew moves Angela and Sarah to America for his job. Here everything changes in the family dynamics and the sisters become strangers.
Years later and Robin used to be the loud mouth has not left her house for years but Sarah has her own life. Sarah tracks Robin down needing her help to get her daughter back but a lot of water has gone under the bridge and the sisters aren't who they used to be.
A great read, loved how the chapters went from one twins point of view to the others and bounced from present day to years ago.
I would like to thank netgalley and Corvus, Atlantic books ltd for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's the story of 2 very dysfunctional families, and the effects of childhood trauma and disruption on the children as they grow up. It deals with bereavement and mental health issues, as well as being a real page turner with a good twist in the tail! Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.

Was this review helpful?

🌟🌟🌟🌟Captivating Stars
So this is the first book I have read by Holly Seddon and what a ride this was.
Thoroughly enjoyed all that is "Don't close your eyes"
So, in a nutshell, this is the story of twin sisters Robin and Sarah and how events of the past can echo down into the future, poisoning lives and destroying relationships.
When the seeds are planted young it's easy to see how they can gather momentum, snowballing out of control as time passes.
Don't Close your eyes is told in such a way that each chapter gives a sister a voice both in the past and present.
We get to follow along and learn along the way what shapes the girl's characters and each chapter grabs at you keeping you enthralled, making you want to turn the page for more.
Our Players in this are a diverse bunch, but by reading this we start to comprehend why they behave the way they do, and in some ways even understand, if not condone the choices made
Be prepared to reevaluate what you think you know as things aren't always what they seem in this family saga.
I've been deliberately vague with this review on purpose, it would be so very easy to spoil this for other readers which I so do not want to do, I've tried to keep this short and sweet conveying impressions rather than facts.
I will say, Robin and Sarah, as twins may be complete opposites of each other but when the chips are down its family we rely on and turn to, no matter the distance and time transpired it's our girl's knee jerk reactions, and this is as it should be.
So this story was a very easy read, it captured me from the start. I found myself reading late into the night desperate to finish and reach its conclusion and when I actually got there, well let's just say I really didn't see that coming.
So if you want a book that is well written and full of family angst and drama, with twists and turns that you didn't expect then give this a go, it's a fabulous edition to its genre that I would definitely recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy Of Don't Close Your Eyes.
Also not forgetting the author "Holly Seddon" for sharing such an enthralling piece of fiction it's greatly appreciated so Thanks to.
This is my own personal unbiased opinion of Don't close your eyes.

Was this review helpful?