Sleepwalk

Will Dare traverses America in a beat-up RV, carrying out odd jobs and surveillance missions for a shadowy organization. His work keeps him constantly moving between motels and truck stops, maintaining loose connections through burner phones while avoiding digital technology that could be traced. During his travels, Will receives calls from a young woman claiming to be his biological daughter from a long-ago genetic donation. These conversations force him to question his detached existence and confront the possibility of genuine human connection. Set in a near-future marked by climate disasters and technological surveillance, Sleepwalk follows Will's journey through a landscape both familiar and distorted. The story moves between his present-day assignments and memories of his past, revealing how he arrived at his current way of life. The novel explores isolation and human bonds in an era of increasing artificiality, asking what remains authentic when trust and truth become fluid concepts. Through Will's perspective, it examines how people navigate relationships in a world where connection and disconnection exist in equal measure.

Readers call this a dark road trip novel that blends noir and science fiction elements. Many note the hypnotic, dreamlike writing style matches the book's title and themes. Readers praise: - The morally complex protagonist Will Bear - Dark humor throughout tense situations - Unpredictable plot twists - Detailed descriptions of American landscapes - Philosophical questions about identity and reality Common criticisms: - Slow pacing in the middle sections - Too many coincidental plot developments - Some found the ending unsatisfying - Confusion about what was real vs imagined Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (6,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (850+ ratings) LibraryThing: 3.9/5 (280+ ratings) Reader quote: "Like taking a road trip through a funhouse mirror version of America" - Goodreads reviewer Critical quote: "The meandering plot lost me halfway through, though the writing remained strong" - Amazon reviewer

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🔹 The novel's road-trip narrative was partly inspired by the author's own cross-country drives during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he would visit his son in Los Angeles. 🔹 Dan Chaon wrote much of Sleepwalk while listening to audiobooks of noir classics like Raymond Chandler's works, which influenced the book's distinctive narrative voice. 🔹 The story's near-future setting incorporates real emerging technologies, including developments in human cloning and artificial intelligence that exist today in early stages. 🔹 The author lost both his wife and parents at relatively young ages, which influenced his exploration of family bonds and genetic legacy throughout the novel. 🔹 The protagonist's nickname "BB" stands for "Big Bear," but it's also a reference to B.B. King, as blues music plays a significant role in the character's life and the book's atmosphere.