Thank you to NetGally and Angry Robot for an ARC of this book.

“Sleep, those little slices of death, carving out ever-greater chunks of life until precious little of the waking world was left.”

This book had such an intriguing and unique concept, and I am always drawn to dystopian stories. I've never struggled with insomnia but I tend to have some weirdly dystopian dreams. Laura Elliot includes some profound thoughts on sleep that I had never considered before. However, I found myself more interested in the situation than the people involved.

Thea seemed somewhat like an unreliable narrator to me, her mind constantly bouncing between the present, past, and sleep. I found myself a bit bored by the flashbacks even though I wanted to know the cause of the situation. Furthermore, I was in Thea’s head the whole book yet I felt that I barely knew anything about her personality, and I knew close to nothing about most of the side characters. The plot felt kind of meandering and I don’t know what to make of the ending.

Overall, the book intelligently examines sleep and the effects taking sleep from people might have on civilization. I felt that the concept of this book was excellent, I just wish there was more exploration of the characters.

A grimly pleasant and pleasantly grim read for dystopian fiction fans. The main downside is the first person pov which made it harder to fully engage with the narrative but did also help with building tension. I would still definitely recommend this book! 3.5 stars!

n a world where capitalism has pushed human productivity to its limit, a group of scientists create a neural chip that works in harmony with the human brain.
Promoted as a cure for some of the most debilitating diseases and the pinnacle of productivity the chips are implanted in droves. Sleep is no longer the necessity it once was, instead it can be planned and controlled.

It’s revolutionary…until something goes wrong. A wave of violence washes over London as a few people override their chips and cause a catastrophic chain reaction.
Everyone with a chip implanted becomes sleepless. Human beings physically and mentally changed by the inability to rest.
We join Thea, our main character at the end of the world. One of the scientists who had a hand in ending the world working ruthlessly to find a cure; for the world, for her mother, to assuage her guilt.
Set in the Tower of London, in a self sustaining community, there are some really strong observations of the outside world that recur throughout but most of the narrative is internal.
Thea’s narration switches between diary like entries, internal monologue and scientific observations. Our narrator is unreliable and the reader has to piece together the truth as Thea searches for it.
Flitting between the past and the present, dreams and nightmares, the prose switches from poetic and haunting, to scientific and clinical.

There’s some zombie and vampire inspiration, but the sleepless are relatively sparse throughout the book. We only catch glimpses of the end of the world. The Sleepless are a terrifying unknown that we only really witness in a controlled environment.
A new discovery ushers in hope for a cure, but again mistakes are made in the name of science and progress.

This book is an introspective exploration of what it means to be human. How do we define ourselves and others. What do you have to lose before you become less than human? Where do you draw the line? Is natural, cruel behaviour worse than conscious, optional brutality. What is an acceptable cost for progress ?

Awakened also examines our medical system, our society, illness, our need for scientific progress and what’s ignored in this endeavour, chronic fatigue syndrome, agency and consent.
It calls attention to the apathy and otherness assigned to anyone who is different.

The characters are difficult to place in the beginning, but all feel authentic and flawed in a very human way.
Thea is haunted by the past, present and future. As Thea’s understanding of herself and the world dissolves its reflected in her entries and the final chapters of the book. There are some gut wrenching twists. Over all a really enjoyable read.

A bunch of scientists hole up in a tower after playing too much God and inventing vampires. Main character Thea feels super guilty about this because all she was trying to do was cure her chronically ill mother. When a couple of vampires who are still kind of human turn up on their doorstep in search of shelter, the scientists let them in and interview the only verbal one within an inch of his life. They call him Vladimir, and he goes along with it because he can take a joke. This is not a romance novel, but Vladimir is very alluring and could easily carry his own Twilight series. Thea is a hot mess, but so would I be if I was living in I Am Legend with no cute dog to make up for it. Alex is the kind of person who secretly thinks Andrew Tate has a point. The writing is poetic and stunning.
good for fans of: dystopian existential dread, body horror, the prison season of The Walking Dead, vampires with excellent table manners, goats

"There are really only two types of monster: the one that can hurt us and the one we don't want to be. The Sleepless are both."

Welcome to a surreal speculative horror where sleep has ceased to exist but nightmares are very real.

Awakened is a cerebral, existential crises in book form.

Thea offers a fantastic diarised narration of the whole ordeal, switching between her own memories and observations, reports and research and whatever intrusive thoughts pop into her head while giving us a real sense of the tricking by of time and a building sense of both liminality and urgency. Her desperation to help people like her mother who survived through chronic fatigue and soul crushing tiredness might have been what got her there, but now she needs to save everyone. There was a real conversation littered throughout about our relationships with our bodies, how the chronically ill are so aware of the fragility of the human form, how their tiredness can be soul destroying and that hit very close my heart.

"She isn't made of suffering alone. She's made of what we're all made of: a ghost trapped in a machine, looking for more than we can see. We are not mere stardust decaying across time, we are thought and hope and our own inner dreams, and I think I'm beginning to understand."

This book tries to bridge fiction with reality, making this world of horror seem possible with the little details - whether it’s including the highly controversial HeLa cells as part of their research, — with subtle kind of horror that isn’t zombies clawing down the door, but despair, death, fear and the unknown.

It read more like a dystopian, literary tale but definitely would appeal to the horror lovers too. If you loved Bird Box, Omega Man, or The Girl with All the Gifts you will loooooove this.

This book was definitely a darker/ heavier read. I loved the whole concept of scientists trying to create a more progressive humanity by eliminating our need for sleep, but at how it changed us at our core to become something more primal.

I felt at times the conversations became quite frustrating with not really answering or explaining anything and just raising more questions, and felt like some of the dialogue was put in as people would expect more dialogue.

But otherwise I really enjoyed this book, it was a really good read and I would recommend.

I really didn’t like the writing style in this book which is a real shame as I think the idea and premise are excellent. It was too heavy and wordy for my liking and I found it very difficult to follow what was actually happening and in what period of time

march has been a slow reading month for me… anyone else feeling the same? 🙇🏻‍♀️

Awakened
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I finally finished Awakened! this dystopian sci-fi ARC really caught my attention with its medical influence, especially as a chronically ill person (any other Type 1 Diabetics out there? 🙋🏻‍♀️).

it’s a bit unsettling since it explores the darker side of medical advancements made at the expense of others. the story’s fast pace kept me hooked but at times the erratic storytelling felt hard to follow. i think maybe this was intentional, as it mirrored the confusion and discomfort the main character was experiencing throughout the story. definitely a solid read! 📚

thanks @angryrobotbooks and @netgalley for the ARC 💛

#bookstagram #dystopianfiction #scifi #bookreview #currentlyreading #type1diabetes #chronicallyill #bookcommunity #readerlife #netgalley #bookish #readingislife #booklover #bookaddict #booktok

I will start by saying I really quite enjoyed the premise of this book. I am a sucker for dystopian books and this one did not disappoint. I found the writing engaging and the story line held my interest. It had taken me a while to get through but that was all on me. And the fact I came back to it after somewhat of a break speaks to my enjoyment of this book. If you are into dystopian/ horror books this one is really enjoyable.

I entered this book with high hopes, as I am a big fan of dystopian stories. However, I found the writing style to be quite heavy, which made it challenging for me to fully engage with the narrative. The pacing felt slow, and it took me a significant amount of time to reach a point where I actually started to enjoy the story. I was thinking in not give a review to it because I don't want affect other people read this book. But I honestly couldn't enjoy the writing style.

I honestly gave this book a right go . I didn’t really like it, I think the writing style wasn’t to my taste I had really high hopes I’d enjoy it.

The premise of this really intrigued me. However it was very rambly and at times felt like I was reading a textbook. DNFed at 20%, really disappointed since it sounded so interesting but the pace was way too slow.

Awakened by Laura Elliot

Sleep; many revel in its spatial awareness of another plane of existence, while others fear the unknown and haunting reminders of how minuscule and tragic human life can be. Laura Elliot creates a world that attempts to solve this conundrum. Thea Chares and her scientific colleagues have an idea. Computer chip implementation placed within the recipient's brain attempts to seize control of their sleep habits under the guise of increasing human productivity. Surely, more uptime means more productivity. Why waste time sleeping? However, humanity starts to fade into a post-apocalyptic nightmare when these chips start to "malfunction." Humans turn into despondent beasts whose only purpose is to feed on scraps of rotten flesh within trash piles in the London area. Or is there more to the story? What can a survivor named Vladimir teach us?

I have visited the Tower of London, which rises majestically above the Thames River. I was amazed at its architecture and immenseness, providing shelter within its barriers. Of course, this was its intent—to be a self-sufficient community in case of warfare. A siege, from whom you may ask? Why the vast majority of London residents whose lives succumbed to research gone wrong in this tale, of course. Within these walls, readers are provided a glimpse within the location that provides a haven for the scientists. They are safe, or so it seems. What can’t protect them are their “brilliant” ideas. The need to provide solutions for the betterment of humanity becomes yet another instance of one that also provides an avenue of control. The moral dilemma begins as Vladimir, the rare victim who has managed to survive this "outbreak,” takes Thea through an arduous journey of human enlightenment. His ideas serve as a reminder to those who will listen that the creatures outside the gates were and remain human regardless of outward appearance and behavior. Thus posing a question to the reader: What is wrong with who we are now?

At times, I must admit, some conversations may have lingered a little too long. This caused moments of distraction and was far from a seamless experience. That said, I felt like the message was important. I wondered if employees of the technological community have these same ethical battles internally. Do they question their research or simply rely upon a ready-made corporate answer that justifies the decision-making? We must already be aware that some only flourish in an environment of totalitarianism, seeking to subjugate humanity at all costs. Using clever marketing and offering the threat of fear circling around us like buzzards targeting a new corpse. We are programmed to seek change. In a society constantly enamored with progression, we, the citizens, only seem to regress in our way of life. A very interesting dichotomy exists. I digress.

I found the plot interesting, and Thea's character in particular likeable, but let's not kid ourselves; this was a grim read. Fear not, fellow readers; all is not lost. Sleep is the place that allows true freedom and escape. A sacred moment that is ours and ours alone. Perhaps this is why I read. Wonderous landscapes created by talented authors are awaiting my eyes. Soaking up knowledge like a ray of sun on a hot summer day, and in those moments I am truly free from constraint and judgement. These types of books are important to remind me I am human, in my simpleton caveman-like form, and that is ok. I am giving this 3.5 stars and rounding up to 4 stars. Recommended!

Many thanks to Angry Robot for the ARC through Netgalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion.

Laura Elliot’s Awakened is a gripping and unsettling exploration of the devastating consequences of scientific overreach. In a world where sleep has been stolen in the name of progress, humanity has crumbled. The result is not a utopia of productivity but a dystopian nightmare, where those affected—known as the Sleepless—have become violent, unrecognisable shells of their former selves.

The story follows a group of scientists trapped within the Tower of London, burdened by guilt and clinging to the desperate hope of finding a cure. When two miraculous survivors appear, their arrival sparks more questions than answers. Are they a beacon of salvation, or do they signal an even greater catastrophe?

Elliot masterfully weaves themes of morality, consequence, and the definition of humanity into a deeply thought-provoking narrative. The ethical dilemmas at the heart of the book challenge both the characters and the reader, forcing reflection on the cost of ambition and the fine line between progress and destruction.

With its compelling premise, richly drawn characters, and a hauntingly atmospheric setting, Awakened is a must-read for fans of intelligent dystopian fiction. Chilling, thought-provoking, and utterly immersive, this is a book that lingers long after the final page.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

Where do I start?
I rated it 5 stars because I couldn't put it down for a second. So so good. I totally recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can because it's really good and the characters are fantastic.

If you enjoy an end of the world story, where the survivors, racked with guilt, try to fix the mistakes of the past and right the wrongs that ended the world, then this is the book for you.

Set in London, in the Tower of London, where the whole site was once outfitted to become a lab to work on something that would change the human race for the better, a group of survivors work to live, connect and try and fix the wrongs to the rest of the humans that they themselves brought about. The concept: what if you did not need to sleep? How much more could you get done? Work, play, and military applications, this new chip could have changed the world. And it did. But alas, not for the better. Everyone equipped with a chip has become Sleepless, humans that have forgotten what it means to be human, as they run on instinct to simply continue, and attack those different to them. The survivors of the Tower, who created the chip, try to fix what has gone wrong. Then one day two people walk into the Tower, one chipped but not yet as mindless as the rest.

This was a great end of the world book, told from the perspective of one of those who had caused it. It is twisted, scary and brilliantly written, showing the degrading psyche of those who were spared.

I would like to thank Angry Robot and Laura Elliott for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. What drew me to this book was the whole idea that humans can exist without sleep but of course there are consequences. It’s told from the viewpoint of one of the scientists and their philosophical and moral code/order we all follow and our need to explore and exist is all called into play.

The plot sets its own pace which I liked as there was a lot to describe and a lot of the characters to write about. I loved the science aspect it was specific but not overwhelming. There’s a sense of foreboding and horror which gradually creeps in throughout the story which I thoroughly enjoyed this is helped along by the author’s ability to create a very believable post apocalyptic world in vivid detail. Her writing style flows easily and is very engaging. I was surprised to know this is her debut novel as her writing feels like she’s been doing it for years.

I especially loved the main character and how she explains the science, the project and her own life experiences which have led her to this point and what she is doing in the present. All the characters are compelling but she is one of the most outstanding as it’s through her we discover what is happening.

Overall I found it a very addictive and thoroughly absorbing read. If you enjoy post apocalyptic settings, believable, rich characters and a plot that is nothing short of outstanding look no further than this book it won’t disappoint. I look forward to further books by this author as I was blown away by this one..

Dystopia science fiction, and a strong female main character. This book is a bit of a slow start, but picks up the pace as it gets going. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review of the book.

It's nice to enjoy a book when reading something from an author for the first time.

The FMC tells the story in first person, and it takes place in a futuristic London where times are bleak, to say the least. The first half of the book is a bit of a slow burn with a lot of back story on the FMC and the Dystopian situation the world is in. There is a lot of medical-related info, which I assume is from real-life to make the story seem more believable. The second half gets more interesting as the story develops. Some new characters play much bigger roles. It has good dialog with some 'Interview with the Vampire' vibes.

First person stories can be more intimate and highlight the struggles of the storyteller. This is true in Awakened. What's missing is scenes from the outside environment, as the entire story takes place in a very small subsection of the city.

I finished the book in two days, which says something. The ending was different than I expected.

Science fiction dystopian world of a man made disaster. Based in London, strong female lead. Great book, very reflective and thought provoking. Thank you to the author. Thank you to # netgalley and the publisher.