Don't Close Your Eyes by Holly Seddon

          2.5 Stars

In an attempt to enthrall the reader the author has turned what should have been a great in to a muddy confused mess.  I read A LOT and from a lot of genres but this particular niche is one of my favourites so I am well versed in the perspective and timeline shifts throughout a book.  Somehow in this one it all feels rather clunky and contrived and jolts you out of the story each time it happens.

It doesn't help that Robin and Sarah are completely unlikeable characters.  I know the book is, in lots of ways, about mental health and the impact their childhood had on them has no doubt brought them to where they are.  However, I did not find even a glimmer of humanity within either character that allowed me to empathise with their situation or make me want to make their lot better.  This is unusual for a Holly Seddon book as all the other books of hers I have read had exceptional characters.

The plot itself is well crafted and you are never really 100% certain what is going on.  There are some nice twists thrown in, for both sisters, but they are not enough to save the book.  Intrinsically this is a book about people and if you don't like the characters, or feel anything for them, then you are probably going to find it tedious and hard going.  Sad to say that is pretty much how I felt; the only reason this got more than 1 Star was because of the plotting and quality of the writing.