In “Don’t Open Your Eyes,” author Liv Constantine continues with her unique take on suspense novels; a writing style in which she creates characters we like and can identify with who are in situations that grow more and more bizarre. Here we meet Annabelle, who has what appears to be an enviable life.
She is married to a successful neurologist and they have two teenage daughters. They live in a beautiful home in a very upscale neighborhood and attend monthly parties with their equally successful, social neighbors. But we quickly learn that Annabelle’s life has not been easy. Her mother suffered from dementia when Annabelle was in college, so instead of enjoying those years, she spent them caring for her mother. Because Annabelle’s father had abandoned the family when Annabelle was very young, she and her mother were very close. Her mother sacrificed everything to be the best mother she could to Annabelle, including working night hours so she could be there for Annabelle in the mornings and evenings. Her father provided no child support, but Annabelle’s mother made do.
The different chapters are clearly delineated so we know the time period and from whose point of view we are reading. “Before” indicates the flashbacks, the time when Annabelle was in college and shortly thereafter. The chapters labeled “Annabelle” are, obviously, about Annabelle in the present. Some chapters are labeled “Scarlett” and are from Annabelle’s daughter, Scarlett’s point of view. Her chapters are riddled with texts as she communicates with someone she has met online. Like many teenagers, she seems oblivious to any possible danger in sharing information with a stranger. There are also some very brief chapters cryptically labeled “The Wife.” We know that the wife isn’t Annabelle, but we also don’t have any idea who this woman might be.
Annabelle has started to have vivid dreams, and disconcertingly, many parts of her dreams come true. In one dream, her husband is trying to choke her, and as he is leaving after she responds by taking out a knife, he tells her he won an award. When she wakes up, Annabelle can’t imagine her placid, calm, orderly husband ever losing his temper the way he had in her dream. But she’s shaken when shortly after, he tells her he’s won that award. Another dream involves a familiar restaurant that in her dream has a new name and look, and Annabelle doesn’t understand why. It’s disconcerting when she meets a friend for lunch there and she realizes that her dream foretold the future.
With no one she can confide in, Annabelle is anguished about what she should be doing with what she sees in her dreams. Should she be acting on them? If she tells her husband, will he believe her? What we learn is that in this novel, few people are who they appear to be. Smiles and success hide dark actions from the past as Annabelle struggles to make sense of her dreams. Is fate set in stone or can we change what the stars have in store for us? “Don’t Open Your Eyes” makes us wonder how much anyone can tell from their dreams. Do they reveal our inner thoughts and insecurities? Do they ever prophesize what will happen? Or are they simply random brain waves at night?
Be prepared for a rollercoaster ride that will keep you guessing to the end. And along the way, you’ll enjoy the suspense and even appreciate the clever red herrings that point in the wrong direction. It’s Constantine at her best.
This review was first posted on Bookreporter.com.