Library Journal - Audio
06/10/2024
Manibo's genre-bending debut is a wild ride. In a near future, a mysterious pandemic sweeps the world, leaving a quarter of the population incapable of sleeping; these unfortunate people are deemed Sleepless. When Jamie Vega, a Filipino American journalist and one of the Sleepless, finds his boss dead of an apparent suicide, he begins his own investigation, intent on proving it was murder. Things take a turn when he realizes he is the last person to have seen him alive, but gaps in his memory make his search increasingly dangerous. With explorations of technology, power, corporate greed, disease, and gender, this book provides a complex look at an intriguing near future. Filipino American narrator Joel de la Fuente brings out the tension in this gripping story. De la Fuente's depiction of Jamie descending from his safe life as a journalist into an out-of-control world is chillingly believable. VERDICT Science fiction, social commentary, and mystery collide in this story, perfect for fans of Blake Crouch and Sarah Gailey. Manibo is an author to watch, and his debut is a must-add for all collections.—Elyssa Everling
JANUARY 2023 - AudioFile
Narrator Joel de la Fuente nails the confusion that lurks at the heart of this chilling audiobook. Its setting is a world in which a quarter of the population loses the ability to sleep without any health consequences. Most cash in by working multiple jobs during their 24 hours of wakefulness. One of these fortunate Sleepless is journalist Jamie Vega, who uses some of his time to investigate the suspicious suicide of his boss. But Jamie discovers an unknown side effect of the sleeplessness, and de la Fuente captures the frightening chaos that ensues. Also, he smoothly inhabits all the diverse characters Jamie encounters during his investigation. De la Fuente's deft touch powers the thrill ride that this production becomes. D.E.M. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
04/18/2022
Manibo’s slow, thoughtful debut presents a stark view of society in the 2040s through the eyes of New York journalist Jamie Vega, who’s determined to prove that his boss and mentor, Simon, was murdered. When Jamie discovers Simon dead at his desk with a bottle of wine and an empty tube of contraband drugs, he immediately suspects foul play. As Jamie investigates which of Simon’s enemies may be responsible, Manibo draws readers into an eerily realistic near future where visors have superseded smart phones, maglev trains allow for fast travel across the U.S., and roughly a quarter of the world’s population suffer from hyperinsomnia—a condition that prevents sleep. As one of the Sleepless, Jamie devotes his extra hours to pursuing leads and exposes a startling fact: he was the last person to see Simon alive, an encounter he has no memory of. Though Jamie’s lead suspect, a disreputable man eager to buy Simon’s media company and fold it into his megacorporation, appears clichéd at first, Manibo gradually reveals a frightening depth to these aspirations as Jamie draws closer to unravelling both the cause of his amnesia and the person responsible for Simon’s death. Manibo neatly dissects the drawbacks of capitalist demands on society in this taut near-future procedural. It’s smart, high-tech noir. Agent: Eddie Schneider, JABberwocky (Aug.)
From the Publisher
A tale of insidious, corporate-capitalist implications . . . and the human consequences of a life without dreams.” —Booklist
“Bracing pageturner. . . . blending SF and mystery/thriller tropes with social justice concerns to discuss discrimination, ambition, betrayal, family, memory as defining who we are, and capitalism’s devastating will to power.” —Library Journal’s “Top Fall Debut Novels”
“Manibo neatly dissects the drawbacks of capitalist demands on society in this taut near-future procedural. It’s smart, high-tech noir.” — Publishers Weekly
“[A] gripping, nightmarish descent into obsession, addiction, and the horrible journalistic pursuit of truth at the expense of literally everything else. . . . [A] deep, introspective reflection on the ways in which productivity has taken over our lives, and the novel crafts a compassionate treatise on what makes people’s lives worth living.” —io9's “Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Books of 2022”
“The Sleepless is a thrilling debut with a fresh, edgy voice.” —Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“Fittingly titled, as the compulsive plot will keep you turning pages, way past your bedtime. The Sleepless does what only the best science fiction can do: create a world so boldly changed—but so hauntingly true—that it teaches us much about our own.” —Sam J. Miller, author of Blackfish City
“Victor Manibo’s The Sleepless has everything I want in a near-future whodunit: an irresistible ‘what if’ premise, a twisty and desperate murder investigation, and a razor-sharp examination of the chillingly recognizable dark side of a seemingly bright future. The Sleepless delivers on its promise; I could not close my eyes.” —Fonda Lee, author of the Green Bone Saga
“Manibo has crafted a sharp, immersive dose of speculative fiction, a potent blend of science fiction and noir. The Sleepless will prove its name: you won’t be able to put it down, even as bedtime beckons.” —Alex Segura, author of Secret Identity
“A meditative near-future thriller that explores grief, meaning, and time in a world that’s terrifyingly plausible.” —Lincoln Michel, author of The Body Scout
“The Sleepless is an expertly crafted tale of exploitation and deceit set within the eldritch horror of a neverending capitalist grind.” —K. M. Szpara, author of First, Become Ashes
“The Sleepless is just the beginning; Victor Manibo is an author to keep your eye on.” —Lara Elena Donnelly, author of The Amberlough Dossier
“The best kind of science fiction . . . A knockout of a debut.” —Rob Hart, author of The Warehouse
JANUARY 2023 - AudioFile
Narrator Joel de la Fuente nails the confusion that lurks at the heart of this chilling audiobook. Its setting is a world in which a quarter of the population loses the ability to sleep without any health consequences. Most cash in by working multiple jobs during their 24 hours of wakefulness. One of these fortunate Sleepless is journalist Jamie Vega, who uses some of his time to investigate the suspicious suicide of his boss. But Jamie discovers an unknown side effect of the sleeplessness, and de la Fuente captures the frightening chaos that ensues. Also, he smoothly inhabits all the diverse characters Jamie encounters during his investigation. De la Fuente's deft touch powers the thrill ride that this production becomes. D.E.M. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine