Book Review: As You Lay Sleeping by Katlyn Duncan

Title: As You Lay Sleeping
Author: Katlyn Duncan
Publisher: HQ Digital
Publication Date: February 22, 2017
Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Young Adult

************

Purchase Links:

         

************

As You Lay Sleeping
Katlyn Duncan
HQ Digital, February 2017
ISBN 9781474047470
Ebook

From the publisher—

I did it all for you…

Cara’s boyfriend is dead.

When fingers start pointing at her, she knows she’s in more trouble than she originally thought. Because Cara can see that something isn’t right.

As her carefully constructed life begins to crumble, Cara isn’t sure who she is anymore.

But maybe that’s exactly what someone wants her to think…

To be part of something bigger is probably one of the most intense needs of teenagers, and the “in” crowd is an especially desirable target so Cara has enjoyed being the girlfriend of one of her school’s most popular guys. Reaching such a lofty position also meant having Kat, Joe’s sister, as her best friend and living the high school high life despite her growing uneasiness with Joe. Now that he’s graduated, this would be the perfect time to end things but you don’t get to the top without burning a lot of bridges along the way and he’s not above holding her status over her head. Her long-time friendship with Devin was one of those burnt bridges but, in Cara’s opinion, it was Devin who ruined things. Still, with Joe going off to college, Cara is withdrawing more and more.

When Joe hints that he’s leaving town sooner than expected, Cara sees a chance to end things and agrees to see him “one last time”, in his words. Certainly, she never expected that last time to be literally the last time but, when she finds him dead, her immediate assumption is that he has overdosed. It won’t be long before the fallout begins.

Joe isn’t a likeable guy and, on the surface, neither is Cara but is that any reason to suspect her in his death? All she knows is she needs to prove her innocence because the detective has come to his own conclusions and he’s not the only one who believes she killed Joe. Losing her place among her so-called friends, she welcomes help from a guy who reappears in her life, Ryan, but she could never have predicted the secrets that come to light or the increasing danger to her and those she loves from an unknown source.

Two voices tell this tale, Cara and the mysterious E, and Cara’s hunt for the truth takes her on a journey of self-growth, tuning her into a much more appealing character. I liked the maturing Cara and, while I couldn’t connect with her fully and found the story to be a bit convoluted, not quite living up to its full potential, I enjoyed the read and, if the author continues with a second book, perhaps a few loose ends will be tied up.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, February 2017.

About the Author

Katlyn Duncan was born and raised in a small town in western Massachusetts. Her overactive imagination involved invisible friends, wanting to be a Disney Princess and making up her own stories. Her bibliophile mom always encouraged her love of reading and that stayed with her ever since. Even though she works full time in the medical field Katlyn has always made time for books, whether she is reading or writing them.

Katlyn now lives in southern Connecticut with her husband and adorable Wheaten Terrier and she is thrilled to finally share her stories with the world.

Author links:

            

************

Follow the tour here.

************