None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney ISBN: 9780316497800
Series: None Shall Sleep #1
on September 1, 2020
Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Young Adult
Pages: 400
Format: Hardcover
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The Silence of the Lambs meets Sadie in this riveting psychological thriller about two teenagers teaming up with the FBI to track down juvenile serial killers.
In 1982, two teenagers—serial killer survivor Emma Lewis and US Marshal candidate Travis Bell—are recruited by the FBI to interview convicted juvenile killers and provide insight and advice on cold cases. From the start, Emma and Travis develop a quick friendship, gaining information from juvenile murderers that even the FBI can't crack. But when the team is called in to give advice on an active case—a serial killer who exclusively hunts teenagers—things begin to unravel. Working against the clock, they must turn to one of the country's most notorious incarcerated murderers for help: teenage sociopath Simon Gutmunsson.
Despite Travis's objections, Emma becomes the conduit between Simon and the FBI team. But while Simon seems to be giving them the information they need to save lives, he's an expert manipulator playing a very long game...and he has his sights set on Emma.
Captivating, harrowing, and chilling, None Shall Sleep is an all-too-timely exploration of not only the monsters that live among us but also the monsters that live inside us.
Characters: 9, I appreciated that the cast was diverse and it didn’t fall into ‘all the adults are jerks’ trope. That said, I felt like the characters that were the most developed were Emma and Simon, and it bothered me a little to not feel like Travis was more prop than person. Aside from that slightly jarring distance to one of the primary characters, the fact that the villains of the story are developed and complex, not just evil for evil’s sake, was great.
Atmosphere: 10, the atmosphere was compelling and the tension of the story held throughout. I could picture the government buildings of Quantico as well as Simon’s room in St. Elizabeth’s, and even the crime scenes. The fact that the MCs are trauma-surviving teens (in the early 80s) and not hardened cops made the impact of the murders and the attempts to profile the unsub that much more compelling and impactful. There’s some gore- not overly described, but enough to make you squirm to picture it.
Writing: 9, the writing flowed very well, with realistic dialogue and internal observations. There were maybe a few too many descriptions of Simon in an almost mythic light, but it didn’t detract from the story (and there is the observation that we distance ourselves emotionally from serial killers by giving them this powerful, otherworldly air).
Plot: 10, there were some twists I didn’t see coming (and one I did, but it didn’t lessen the impact at all), and not all of them were around the mystery. I love the fact that the MC is a victim, and struggling to figure out who she is post-trauma, without her becoming tropeish, maudlin, or passive as a character. There’s no standard redemption arc, and it feels much more realistic for that. The inclusion of FBI fields such as document forensics was also amazing to see. The pacing is pretty consistent, whether the tension is focused on Emma dealing with her situation, the butting heads at the FBI chain of command, or the murders.
Intrigue: 10, I ended up reading this book in a single day. So clearly, it was compelling.
Logic: 9, it felt pretty realistic (to 1982), aside from the idea that the FBI would bring in teenagers to consult/assist/intern. At the start, I kept blinking at the reference to Emma and Travis being teens because their maturity and intelligence felt more like mid-20s to me. But then, they’ve both had a lot of therapy, so there’s that.
Enjoyment: 10, there’s something fascinating about the elasticity of the human psyche and the ability of some to disregard the social contract and empathy. But there’s also something fascinating about an unflinching look at how trauma survivors adapt to a society that isn’t built for them and doesn’t truly know how to handle them. These two combined here to make a gritty, compelling YA novel. I’ll definitely be picking up the sequel.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
I REALLY want to read this one! I have had it on my shelves for ages, yet here we are. But seeing how much you loved it means I MUST make it a priority- plus I really want to be able to justify buying the sequel heh
Yesssss do it! I think you’ll find it as gritty and compelling as I did.