BOOK REVIEW - I Can't Sleep by J.E.Rowney

 

                                                                 BOOK DESCRIPTION

  “I can’t sleep. Not since June 16th, 2018.Not since what happened…”

Traumatised by the events of her past, exhausted by insomnia, Becky Braithwaite believes that a new start will help her to recover. She leaves home to fulfil her brother’s dreams, and honour the life he never had but she soon finds that escaping from the past is not as easy as she imagined.

Is her fatigued mind playing tricks on her, or is danger really lurking in the shadows?

This unputdownable psychological thriller will keep you turning the pages to find out the truth.    

Suffering from insomnia is not only frustrating but if you suffer from it long term, it can also have a detrimental effect on both your physical and mental health. I think one of the most frustrating aspects is when you struggle to stay awake before you go to bed but the minute you lie down,you are wide awake and your brain insists that you stay that way,right up until the moment that your alarm is due to go off. That scenario is difficult to live with but at least you do actually manage to get some sleep but just imagine if you had to live without any sleep. Imagine spending night after night after night, wide awake, lying in bed,counting down the hours until daybreak.

Rebecca (becky) the narrator of this captivating thriller hasn't been able to sleep since the terrible night, two years ago when her life and heart were shattered into tiny little pieces. Hoping to change her life and escape her past,she has moved hundreds of miles away from home and is in her first year at University studying to be a journalist. Rebecca was a hot mess which was not really surprising considering the fact that she has spent so much time surviving on short micro-sleeps. All she wants is to be a normal student,fit in and make friends but events from her past have made it difficult for her to trust people. And her feelings of mistrust and anxiety start to increase and build when strange things start occurring and she can't escape the feeling that she is being watched. Is her sleep deprived mind playing tricks on her or is she actually being terrorised by a unknown enemy? The author has cleverly given the book a intimate feeling by writing the story as if Rebecca is telling the story to the reader personally. I had mixed feelings about Rebecca, I loved her wicked witty sense of humour, I felt empathy for her due to some of her issues but there was also the odd moment as the story unfolded where I had doubts about her sincerity and trustworthiness. Apart from Rebecca, the other character who stood out for me was Rebecca's flat mate Sally who came across as a likeable individual and appeared to genuinely care about Rebecca's well being. But was she genuine or was there a ulterior motive behind her actions and behaviour?

This is a extremely well written thriller that had me hooked in from the first page and glued to my kindle, I was so enthralled by Rebecca's story that I read the whole book in one sitting. The truth about the terrible event that changed Rebecca's life was gradually revealed like the stunning colours of the flowers in spring. The characters were diverse and realistic, the plot was intricate and gripping and Rebecca's story had a genuinely shocking conclusion. I would love to watch a film adaptation of this intense thriller. A very enjoyable read and very highly recommended.

                                                                         AUTHOR BIO

J.E. Rowney spent several years in the cold Yorkshire hills, but now lives on the south coast of England. She spent ten years working as a midwife before turning in her gloves to become an author.

She is an award winning poet, and also enjoys writing short stories. In May 2020 she was the winner of the Dinesh Allirajah Prize for Short Fiction.

"Charcoal", her first novel, was published in 2012 to wide critical acclaim, and was a bestselling novel on Amazon within days of release.

She spends lots of time writing in coffee shops, so if you see her, say hello.

Ms. Rowney says: "I always dreamed of being a writer, until I realised that I was. Then I started to write."

You can find out more about JE Rowney on her website at jerowney.com, or follow @jerowneywriter on social media.

PURCHASE LINK....

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cant-Sleep-gripping-psychological-thriller-ebook/dp/B086Q9B11B/ref=sr_1_3?crid=XXJJGXOIFQME&dchild=1&keywords=i+cant+sleep&qid=1609258777&s=books&sprefix=I+cant+%2Caps%2C218&sr=1-3