Such a fast paced psychological thriller, has me gripped from the start.. many of us suffer from insomnia, and I’m sure we can relate to Thea. Utterly unable to put this down, all Thea wants is a good nights sleep, so she puts herself forward for a sleep trial, although it’s not all as it seems, what happens when she does finally go to sleep?

I nearly gave up on reading this book due to initially finding it slow to get going. I'm really glad I kept reading. A really clever story focusing on how far big business is likely to go to both control how people think , and to protect itself when things go wrong. A work of fiction maybe, but gets you thinking if some of this is already happening.

Oh, I so wanted to like this. The premise is very intriguing, and the writing is good. However, the story meanders too much, and I never got a sense that the new sleep app/study/helper was a big deal to anyone other than the few main characters. I went in hoping for a world-affecting event, and walked away disappointed.

Also, parts of the story were familiar to an episode of Futurama...

It feels harsh to give this three stars but while I did enjoy this book and get through it pretty quickly I felt it was lacking something. I think it may have been a deeper characterisation and for the plot to slow down a little because although it was a good plot it felt too frenetic at times and not in a good way.

That said, there were aspects that were really well done, for example, Thea's insomnia was so well described that I felt tired reading it. I found it almost impossible to imagine how one could live with so little sleep and made me very grateful that my own insomnia is of a much less extreme version. All the way through the book really captured the feeling of claustrophobia in her life of little sleep and further on the island. While the plot was a little frenetic, the sense of place was really well done.

I think this is a decent read and will be enjoyed by a lot of people - as other reviews here indicate - it just wasn't quite for me.

With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

We read all the time that everyone should in theory get 8 hours sleep a night in order to function properly, but what happens when you are lucky to get 4 hours sleep in a week. For Thea this is her reality, she has tried everything, from meditation, to medication. So when she sees an ad for a new trial of an app that will not only help you sleep but will help you become a better you, she decides to apply for it. Thea is not initially the most likeable character but as the story unfolds she gradually grows on you more, as she seems to be more confident and starts making friends something she seems to lack.

There are 50 participants sent to this island to take part in the trials for the app, it’s done in three stages: stage one orientation stage two the start of the tech and fine tuning it as appropriate. Stage three: use the tech to become the best you can be.

But Thea starts to see some things she is not completely comfortable with, what happened to Richard one of the other participants? She sees him in an almost vegetative state in one of the rooms. Her friend Rosie is attacked and ends up in a critical condition. What do the discs on their heads really do? Is this some sort of brainwashing?

Who is Moses? Why is he chained and locked in a room with a guard. So many things don’t add up for Thea and now she has to finally fight to try and save herself and her friends. The tension in this story gradually builds up and the last quarter of the book you are wondering who can be trusted and who can’t, along with a few things thrown in that you just really don’t see coming. Despite suffering from insomnia I won’t be signing up for any apps!!! A gripping psychological thriller.

I would like to thank #netgalley and #HQ for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

Thea can't sleep and would do anything to be able to. She sees an advert on TV for “Morpheus” that promises her sleep. They are taken to an island for treatment. But nothing is as it seems.

It's a very dark book. I'm not normally a science fiction fan. But I was drawn into this book. It was really creepy and gave me goosebumps in parts. I enjoyed it.

After a car accident Thea realises her insomnia is getting worse. Night after night she spends awake, finally nodding off as the alarm goes off and she needs to get ready for work.
Things change when she receives a strange, intriguing text that promises her better sleep. She takes them up on the offer and finds herself on an island going through tests, being a Guinea pig for Morpheus.
Phase one of the testing goes well but as they creep into phase two things start to get strange and Thea gets increasingly worried about the situation she’s found herself in. Stranded and not knowing who to trust, will things work out for her? Will she ever sleep again?

This book was so good. From the beginning I was engrossed with the story. There was never a point where it stood still and I didn’t want to stop turning the pages. I read the book in three sittings and thoroughly enjoyed every minute. Characters were likeable and the book moved along rapidly keeping me sucked in until the end and even then I wanted more. A fantastic read.

"She knew she could no longer keep her eyes from closing. But, with her mother on one side, and Rory on the other, she was no longer afraid. She finally let the darkness take her."

Wow wow wow! What a story that was!
It was so generic but yet so incredibly different.
An unputdownable thriller with some brilliant sci fi elements.

"This felt very much like a film. It couldn’t be real life, could it? Her life?"

Absolutely brilliant read that had me on the edge of my seat! Some fantastic originality!
Highly recommend!

Louise Mumford’s “Sleepless” is a debut everyone will talk about! Already in the Top 50 Kindle chart as a pre-order, it’s entirely understandable, as there’s a gripping, tense and action-packed plot, but also moments of tenderness and an emotional pilgrimage for the lead characters. This is a multi-layered story that packs a punch and will keep readers themselves sleepless, as they turn the pages well into the night!

Thea struggles with sleep, spending much of the night wide awake and barely surviving on only an hour or so of sleep a night. After being involved in a car accident caused by her lack of sleep, she receives a mysterious text message promoting Morpheus: a programme that states it will improve sleep and make you the best person you can be. Intrigued by the prospect, Thea applies for a place and is accepted into the program. Whisked away to a remote island to take part in a sleep trial, Thea soon finds out that there may be more to the Morpheus technology than just improving sleep...

“Sleepless” hooks you in from the opening chapter, where you’re thrust into the life of insomniac Thea. From the opening action, right through to the exhilarating conclusion, this is a novel of breathtaking pace that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. This thrill-ride explores the unsettling use of tech against humanity and the horrifying prospect of using it to influence - and ultimately rob us of - our free will in a very plausible way. Whilst there is an element of science fiction to the plot, the narrative is very firmly rooted in psychological terror and is all the more believable and harrowing for it. As Thea starts to delve into the secrets of Ing Enterprises and the reality of the sleep trial she has volunteered for, the suspense heightens. There are moments of razor sharp tension and brutal action, but throughout this there is an excellent development of character. There is a taut, paranoid atmosphere on the island and this brilliantly sets the reader up to be unsure of who to trust. Mimicking Thea’s own dilemma, I found myself shifting between who I thought was on her side and who the enemy was. Being kept continually guessing helped me storm through this book, as I simply had to find out what was going on and why, as well as discover who was really who they said they were!

I also found that the emotional journeys both Thea and her mother Vivian traverse throughout the narrative were equally affecting and added a rich substance to the tense plot. Thea moves from a sleep deprived, rather helpless husk of a woman (devoid of any real human connection other than her mother), to a determined, decisive, strong heroine who others look up to. She also comes to accept her insomnia and vows to sleep when her body dictates, rather than try and fit into the acceptable mould of modern, working life. The complex relationship she forges with Rory (one of the sleep technicians) provides a mix of paranoid intrigue and a potential romantic future, offering an element of hope to Thea’s story. I found her journey to self acceptance and self respect as engaging as all of the action and I was completely invested in Thea as a character. Vivian is at a point in her life where her age is catching up with her and she is starting to feel less relevant. Having spent many years as an activist, she had started to take more of a backseat in their campaigns, but Thea’s predicament reinvigorates her and she too moves from a more passive life back to one of action. Vivian’s determination to find out what is happening to Thea signifies a strong mother/daughter bond, but also demonstrates that we are not bound by age when it comes to protecting our loved ones.

Mumford is a talent to look out for and I’m sure we will enjoy many more outstanding thrillers from her in the future. I’d love this to be optioned for film or television too, as it’s such a visual story. In the meantime, I highly recommend this novel and fans of the genre will not be disappointed!

An arc copy from Netgalley. Thanks for the opportunity of reading it.
A UK author. I think it looks like a debut novel.
Suffering from extreme long term insomnia Thea goes to an experimental sleep facility. The book has a suspense/ futuristic sci fi feel to it. The sleep facility is on an island, so you know no good is going to come if this! It’s gets quite creepy.
It’s very different, quirky Got my attention straight away. It’s fast paced.
I like the writing style, it makes for easy reading.
I like the threads of humour in the book, that tends to be at the start of the book. The tone becomes more serious as the book gets darker.
You can’t help but like Vivian the warrior mom, and her side kick Delia.
I would have liked an epilogue to know if Thea managed to expose the corporation, as they were still advertising they hadn’t been held to account.
Would like to know if there was a future romance there too.

When I read the premise of this book I was very intrigued by it - a modern dystopia, set in London, the main character suffering from insomnia submits herself to a trial on a remote island. It all sounded very Black Mirror-ish to me, which I loved.

The first half of the book, when we meet Thea, learn more about her life, her sleeping issues, how she is targeted and eventually selected for the sleep trial was very gripping, and I found myself unable to stop reading it.

However, as the book progresses and the trial is already underway, the story becomes very farfetched. The novel quickly goes from dystopia to a bad action movie with an unrealistic plot. I found some of the decisions the author mode for the narrative made no sense, and things were left unexplained. This all culminates in a very disappointing ending.

Overall this was a pleasant, easy read, but not a book that will stay with you.

Thank you very much, NetGalley and HQ for my ARC!

This was an uncomfortable and thrilling read. It is a claustrophobic novel, with elements of dystopia scattered throughout. I found the topic uncomfortable but the writer dealt with it well. Overall the structure was a good, but I found the pacing in the beginning a little slow and the ending disappointing. I also felt that the concept of the noel has been done recently by CJ Taylor with her novel sleep and although this was a different approach, the premise I felt was similar.
I also found the ending disappointing. This ay suit fans of dystopian novels however and as I am not a fan of these, that may be the reason why I didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped.

Thanks to the publisher, the author and NetGalley for my arc.

I was so disappointed with this book. I was hoping that it would be as described - 'an unputdownable, gripping, psychological thriller' - but, for me, it was the opposite. The dreadful formatting was my first big 'put off'. I don't know if this only occurs in the Kindle edition, but the whole book is littered with the following examples:
Missing spaces between words (Theawished) (for aninterview)
Missing spaces after full stops and commas (... Vivian finally proclaimed.'But I ...) (... because,'You had such ...)
Spaces within words (Unhing ed ...) (The re are ...)
I hope this is something that can be quicky fixed because errors like this almost make the book unreadable.
I have given a rating of 3 stars (assuming the formatting can be corrected) because although I thought the story was ridiculous (sorry, but I did), it was well-written. I thought that the characters were unbelievable - except for Thea's mum Vivian who I loved. The dialogue between mother and daughter made me chuckle, but nowhere in the book was I gripped or thrilled. Sorry!

Interesting premise for a book. Sort of Shutter Island meets Dystopia. Such a shame it didn't live up to its promise. Thea and Vivien are well rounded and developed characters although Thea is a tad annoying and Vivien designed to shock. Thea is an insomniac who craves sleep. A chance text on her phone sees her eagerly signing up to a sleep help programme which leads to her being incarcerated on an island, no phone, no shoes just a series of bizarre and frightening events. The book, whilst well written was very slow going and dragged. The problem, for me, was that nothing was really solved. It was left very open ended. More of a dystopian genre than a psychological thriller and read as such I think it would work better.
It's piqued my interest enough that I would give the author another chance

I liked some aspects of the book but I skim read a lot as found it dragged in place
I liked Thea and her mum but no other characters

So much awesomeness in one book. Where do I start amazing characters amazing twist, I want more from this author. I already added this book to our book club list.

Wow! That was a psychological thriller that kept me reading into the wee small hours. Many twists = turns with fascinating characters. A really good read

A claustrophobic and action-packed novel that perfectly captures the zombie-like experience of insomnia. (Hello fellow sufferers....if you know, you know.) I was sleepless myself trying to race through to the ending to find out what would happen!

Thea has been suffering from insomnia for years, often getting only an hour of sleep per night, and feeling destroyed in the daytime. When she sees an ad for a new sleep program called Morpheus which could cure her insomnia, she decides she would do ANYTHING to get into this study. A little strange that the study requires you to move to an island? Maybe, but Thea desperately needs to sleep.

Once on the island, Thea is fitted with metal disks on the sides of her head, and after observation, learns she is "special" where sleep is concerned. She also begins to notice that very weird things are happening around the island. This begins an action-packed set of events where Thea teams up with other sleepless subjects to learn exactly what is being done to them.

I have to say I absolutely LOVED the character of Thea's mother Vivian: a rabble rousing feminist in her 70s who holds protest meetings at her home and who you just know is going to figure into the story in a great way. And she does not disappoint. I also really enjoyed Thea's resourcefulness and intelligence and fully appreciated her desperation when suffering from insomnia.

Overall I really enjoyed this story and the great way it captured both sleeplessness and the hallucinatory quality of some of our dreams. At times I felt there was almost TOO much action and it got a little hard to keep up with. I also didn't feel like the end totally tied up the reason for the technology and what the people running it were trying to do. There were a few other loose ends that I wondered about as well. But these things aside, Sleepless is a totally original, creative, fun meditation on the importance of a good night's sleep and the lengths some people will go to get it. I would give this book 3.5 stars, rounded up for the totally original and fun thriller idea.

Thank you to HQ, NetGalley, and Louise Mumford for the advance copy. Wishing everyone good sleep tonight, unless of course you are awake with a great thriller.

This is a very unusual theme for a book but it works well. Thea can’t sleep so she signs up for residential treatment using advanced technology. Her mother thinks she has joined a cult and is very suspicious of the whole idea. The course turns out to be more than tackling sleeplessness and is to do with experimenting with changing the participants’ whole brain functions. That causes issues. The story then turns into an exciting series of deaths and strange relationships. It certainly keeps the reader wanting to know what happens next and is very well written with amazing understanding of sleep issues. The only disappointment is the ending. There is the suggestion of a love affair but that is left hanging as is what happens to Thea when she returns to normal life.

A fresh and unique book that reminded me lots of John Marrs recent releases. It will certainly be enjoyed by anyone who also likes his genre of book.
The writing style is fast paced and accomplished. I liked this book and it will stay with me for a while due to the original storyline.