A woman crosses the Atlantic to visit her ancestral country and isolates herself on a small island in an old Victorian house with a dark taboo history, leaving behind her family and her past, trying to reconnect with her art. Pretty quickly, she'll find the hidden truths and experience them for herself. After a strong opening, the storytelling gets very pedestrian at times and bogged down in repetitive detail, and I have had to skip or speed read to get through it. You can actually follow the plot by reading 5 lines per page quite easily.

Characters:

Characters are distinct and vividly drawn, though Zoe's portrayal as unlikable and unreliable may frustrate some readers.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style combines rich, descriptive prose with a gothic feel, though some readers find it occasionally pedestrian or overly detailed.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot is intricate and engaging, blending elements of the supernatural with psychological tension, keeping readers questioning the nature of reality and character motivations.

Setting:

The setting is a critical component, encapsulating a haunting mansion on a rugged island, which complements the story’s tense and atmospheric tone.

Pacing:

The pacing begins engagingly but may lose some momentum mid-story due to repetition, yet it builds tension well towards the conclusion.

Notes:

The main character, Zoe, escapes to a remote mansion on an island to find peace and solitude.

Zoe experiences unsettling dreams and sleepwalking episodes in the mansion.

The plot blends human emotions with supernatural elements, challenging readers to discern reality from madness.

The book includes the British Demon Lover trope, adding a twist to the story.

The island setting is described as rugged and tumultuous, mirroring Zoe's internal conflicts.

Zoe is portrayed as an unlikable character who often acts selfishly.

There's a mix of gothic romance and psychological thriller elements.

The ending of the book felt predictable and unresolved for some readers.

Some readers criticized the inclusion of explicit sexual content as excessive or distracting.

The narrative contains significant character development and hints of menace among the cast.

Despite mixed reviews, the book engages readers with tension and atmospheric storytelling.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

There are medium content warnings, particularly for themes of abuse, graphic sexual content, and psychological distress.

Has Romance?

There is a medium level of romance present, characterized by complicated relationships and dark elements.

explicit steam level

From The Publisher:

A pacy, chilling psychological thriller, set to reinvent the genre.

It begins, they say, with a woman screaming…

On a remote Scottish island, the McBride house stands guard over its secrets. A century ago, a young widow and her son died mysteriously there; just last year a local boy, visiting for a dare, disappeared without a trace.

For Zoe Adams, newly arrived from America, the house offers a refuge from her failing marriage. But her peaceful retreat is disrupted by strange and disturbing events: night-time intrusions; unknown voices; a constant sense of being watched.

The locals want her to believe that these incidents are echoes of the McBrides' dark past. Zoe is convinced the danger is closer at hand, and all-too-real - but can she uncover the truth before she is silenced?

What can you read after
While You Sleep?

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While You Sleep

Stephanie Merritt