Published by : Corvus Books
6 July 2017
Copy : Paperback ARC review copy received from publisher
The Blurb
Robin and Sarah weren't the closest of twins. They weren't even that similar. But they loved each other dearly. Until, in the cruellest of domestic twists, they were taken from one another.
Now, in her early 30s, Robin lives alone. Agoraphobic and suffering from panic attacks, she spends her days pacing the rooms of her house. The rest of the time she watches - watches the street, the houses, the neighbours. Until one day, she sees something she shouldn't...
And Sarah? Sarah got what she wanted - the good-looking man, the beautiful baby, the perfect home. But she's just been accused of the most terrible thing of all. She can't be around her new family until she has come to terms with something that happened a long time ago. And to do that, she needs to track down her twin sister.
But Sarah isn't the only person looking for Robin. As their paths intersect, something dangerous is set in motion, leading Robin and Sarah to fight for much more than their relationship...
The Very Pink Notebook Review
I was a huge fan of Holly Seddon's first thriller, Don't Forget to Breathe, so was really excited to hear another book was on it's way and I was not to be disappointed.
At first glance I could see similarities between this novel and the first. It focusses on two female lead characters and the narrative is also given similarly in the voices of both. In this case, non-identical twins, Robin and Sarah, in both the present day and in historical flashbacks. Both have strong and unique back stories which makes you question the reliability of the narration. It leads you on a twisting and turning path so you are never quite sure - what is the truth?
Starting at the beginning, the twins life as they knew it was torn apart when they were teenagers when their parents decided to separate. The family was best friends with another family, and both decided they wished to be with each other respective partners. Robin was left with her dad, her effective step-mother, Hilary, and Callum, Hilary's son but who Robin and Sarah were best friends with for years, and with whom she develops a closer bond than to her own sister. Sarah was taken by her mother and step-father, Drew, and quickly relocated to Atlanta. Robin and Sarah maintained contact, but neither were truthful about what was really going on in their lives.
Fast forward the years and Robin, a once well known guitarist in a hit band, finds herself so scarred by what has happened in her life she no longer leaves the house. Instead she spies on her neighbours and makes sure she does 10,000 steps around the house every day. She hasn't seen Sarah until the day she turns up on her doorstep amidst her own troubled world and looking for the sister who can help her.
As the two try and heal wounds from their past and present day lives, they slowly reveal the truth about what happened to them all those years ago and things start to make sense for the two sisters. They must learn to grieve for what they lost and let go of old hurt and resentment. But they are not the only ones involved in their past and eventually doesn't the past always catch up with you?
With plenty of suspense, Holly Seddon has managed to create a claustrophobic read, with powerful characters and plot, and in true Holly style, if you were a teen of the 90's (as I was) she floods you with nostalgia as she nails the music and popular culture of the time. As the reader you long to know what they are hiding and Seddon drip feeds this in via short and snappy chapters. In the author's effortless and flowing style she gradually ratchets up the pace until the very end when she executes a real 'I did not see that coming' killer twist.
With moments of real compassion and emotion, mixed with some gritty and dark scenes this is a must read.
Without a doubt Don't Close Your Eyes by Holly Seddon receives a Very Pink Notebook rating of :
About the Author
Holly Seddon is a full-time writer, living slap bang in the middle of Amsterdam with her husband, James, and a house full of children and pets. Holly has written for newspapers, websites and magazines since her early 20's after growing up in the English countryside, obsessed with music and books. Her first novel Try Not to Breathe was published worldwide in 2016 and became both a national and international bestseller. Don't Close Your Eyes is her second novel.
