I’m a big fan of C.L. Taylor and have loved her other books, so I was excited to pick up a new one. However, I didn’t love this. The plot itself is brilliantly thought out and I couldn’t figure out who thee murderer was at all. I thought I had it sussed out but there are a couple of great twists used that throw you off more than once. But I just couldn’t connect with the characters.
The problem I had was that I didn’t get to know Anna well enough. Usually, Taylor ensures that you really get into the head of her characters. While I felt Anna’s guilt and fear, I couldn’t engage with her. I just couldn’t get a picture of her in my mind, and instead was imagining a combination of traits from Taylor’s other female-led stories, which is probably why I felt so distant from her.
The setting is also underused. I didn’t feel the claustrophobic atmosphere of being stuck on a remote island with a killer or the feel of the stormy weather. The feelings of the characters are certainly explored well, but I think the setting could have really intensified the story if used better.
Still, Sleep is a gripping thriller and there’s no doubt that Taylor knows how to keep you intrigued. I may not have enjoyed this book as much as her others, but she’s definitely a fantastic writer that I will always be excited by.
The problem I had was that I didn’t get to know Anna well enough. Usually, Taylor ensures that you really get into the head of her characters. While I felt Anna’s guilt and fear, I couldn’t engage with her. I just couldn’t get a picture of her in my mind, and instead was imagining a combination of traits from Taylor’s other female-led stories, which is probably why I felt so distant from her.
The setting is also underused. I didn’t feel the claustrophobic atmosphere of being stuck on a remote island with a killer or the feel of the stormy weather. The feelings of the characters are certainly explored well, but I think the setting could have really intensified the story if used better.
Still, Sleep is a gripping thriller and there’s no doubt that Taylor knows how to keep you intrigued. I may not have enjoyed this book as much as her others, but she’s definitely a fantastic writer that I will always be excited by.