Don't Open Your Eyes
A Novel
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4.1 • 192 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
In this twisted psychological thriller from the New York Times bestselling co-author of the Reese’s Book Club pick The Last Mrs. Parrish, a woman is tormented by nightmarish visions of her future—and then they start to come true.
“A compulsively readable nail-biter.”—Kimberly McCreight, New York Times bestselling author of Like Mother, Like Daughter
“Psychological thriller lovers are in for a darkly delicious treat.”—Carola Lovering, author of Tell Me Lies
Annabelle Reynolds has everything she’s ever wanted. A devoted husband, two wonderful daughters, and a career she loves. She couldn’t be happier. So why is she suddenly plagued by disturbing dreams of a future where she hates her husband and her daughters’ lives are at risk? At first, she chalks the dreams up to an overactive imagination. But when details from her dreams, details she couldn’t possibly have predicted, begin to materialize, she realizes these aren’t just dreams but rather premonitions of a terrifying future. They all point to a singular choice, an unknown moment that holds Annabelle’s life in the balance.
Then Annabelle has a dream that her daughter Scarlett is in immediate danger. Someone wants Scarlett dead, and Annabelle has no idea who or why. Suddenly, every choice she makes is fraught with peril, with no inkling of which move could bring this terrifying vision to life. As Annabelle’s present life starts to collide with the future in her dreams, she wrestles with how much control she really has over her destiny and whether she can change what is meant to be.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
The lies of domestic bliss give way to shocking truths in Liv Constantine’s exquisite thriller. Suburban professional Annabelle Reynolds seems to have it all, except “all” also includes disturbing dreams that are more like premonitions. When her daughter Scarlett starts texting someone who might be her unknown half brother, threads begin to unravel that threaten to tear Annabelle’s world apart. Constantine rotates perspectives between mother and daughter before adding a surprising twist that knocks the mystery sideways. We loved how the dueling secrets and misinterpretations of Annabelle and Scarlett play with mother-daughter dynamics in a way that’s relatable. The dream-foreshadowing device ramps up the tension without telegraphing too much before the ultimate revelation lands with just the right note of “What?!” Don’t Open Your Eyes serves up a thriller that questions just how steep a price people will pay for the illusion of happiness.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A woman worries that her confounding nightmares are actually premonitions in this slick standalone from The Last Mrs. Parrish author Constantine (a pseudonym for sisters Lynne and Valerie Constantine). Successful PR agent Annabelle Reynolds has a happy family life and a loving husband, so she's startled when she awakens one morning from a dream about a violent marital spat. Annabelle's husband, James, is a sensitive doctor who rescued her from a toxic relationship with a manipulative professor, so she knows he'd never lay hands on her—but she still can't shake the thought. Subsequent dreams, including one about a beachside encounter with a handsome stranger, prove eerily prescient, and then Annabelle has a vision of her older daughter, Scarlett, in grave danger. She keeps a close eye on Scarlett while trying to understand who, or what, is penetrating her subconscious. The nerve-jangling action relies heavily on coincidence, but the plot barrels along at such a breakneck pace that readers are unlikely to get hung up on plausibility. The Constantine sisters are at the top of their game.
Customer Reviews
Surprised that I enjoyed this
Given the description i thought this would be more “creepy” and not my typical type of thriller. I was hesitant to purchase/ read, but gave it a try and it was better than I expected. The mother of the family begins to have strange dreams in her sleep and some begin to come true.. she first begins to question herself but as time goes on she is sure that she is not crazy and her dreams are in fact telling her something… spoiler Alert.. something about her seemingly perfect husband. There are many twists and turns. The ending and the whole premise was a bit unrealistic but I still enjoyed the book.
A cast of unlikable characters
I’m not a fan of books that have no likable characters, as was the case here. I don’t like feeling uncharitable, but when a character does something really dumb that you know is going to have far reaching negative consequences , it is hard not to just shake your head and think, well, they had that coming. I felt that way with every chapter of this novel. The entire premise was pretty implausible. I was only glad when I reached the end. I can’t really say the book was good, or that I would recommend it.
Good Read
This book started to get edgy mid story. I love how each story line was individualized, but were all connected. I especially was not expecting the ending. This book was intriguing.