Sleepless

I devoured this one. It is such a neat concept, and I was drawn into Julia's life. I could relate with her on some levels, and enjoyed the banter between her and Griffin. The writing is good, and it kept a good pace and my attention.
I did feel like Julia changed herself when she met Griffin but I don't know how much of that was self preservation against the spotlight because of what happened when she was younger (I was also curious about this because it doesn't tell much, just that she has scars). But I feel like she got tougher and more able to handle things because of him, so I don't mark that down. I don't like how she is with Bret, and was so glad when that plot thread was settled.
Eron is awesome. I loved that he kept his show more mannerisms and morals and how he watches out for Julia and even more so when he finds himself in her life in ways he never really imagined.
The ending felt rushed to me though, and I was a little confused as to what exactly happened.

Bottom Line: Great premise, well executed with compelling characters. show less

Eron is a Sandman, a mythical creature who seduces his charges into sleep. His 100 years of service are almost up and he can return to being a human, but first he has to train his replacement…who happens to be the recently deceased boyfriend of Julia, one of his charges whom he feels inexplicably drawn to.

Griffin cannot seem to accept the fact that he isn’t human anymore and thus cannot have Julia. When trouble finds Julia, Griffin tries to help, but that also turns out the wrong way. Perhaps it may be up to Eron and his approaching re-humanity to protect the human girl he’s discovered he cares for.

SLEEPLESS is a unique and delightful supernatural read that combines romance with suspense, the real with the mythical.

The story show more travels along in a gentle yet always engaging pace, as we learn about Julia, her history with Griffin, and Eron’s backstory. Julia is appreciably complex: oftentimes we might find ourselves wondering why she ever dated Griffin in the first place, but Cyn Balog masterfully weaves together the different parts of a complicated girl who feels like she has to pretend to be someone she isn’t in order to protect herself. Eron, too, is a sweetheart, though perhaps less developed. It’s easy to see why he’s different from others of his kind, and we find ourselves cheering for him and hoping that he gets the girl and everything turns out alright.

Cyn Balog does a marvelous job with the supernatural element of SLEEPLESS. I had only vaguely heard of the Sandmen, but I like how Cyn puts together a complete portrait of a mythical people who have more complex motivations than legend says. Alongside the supernatural, the “real world” element is also well done. SLEEPLESS is a bit light on the grief stage, but—without giving away any spoilers—it does a great job of blending so many different things together, from Eron’s struggles with his too-human feelings, to Griffin’s inability to get over the past, to…the thing that Julia has to deal with.

SLEEPLESS is an easy but enjoyable read, with just the right touch of romance, human struggle, and heart to make it a story that lingers in your mind. show less

The Little Bookworm

Well, this was a different concept. Sandman. That's one I have not read before now. I've really been wrestling with what to say about Sleepless. So I'll say it like this.

The Good:

The concept was unique and very fun. There was the creepy element of Eron watching Julia sleep but it wasn't like he was obsessed with her like some "heroes" I could name. It was his job and he genuinely cared for her.

There were parts that were meant to be creepy or mysterious and they were. The mystery of Julia's past keep cropping up and it was driving me crazy until it was finally answered.

It was a fast read and an intriguing one. I really wanted to know what happened. I'm curious by nature anyway and this book played to that.

It was nice show more to see parents who are there and who care. So rare these days in YA.

The Bad:

There were a few problems here and there that I attribute to reading an ARC and I wish that they would change that last cheesy scene and line. It was too sentimental, I'd say for the character and the tone seemed off given how the rest of the book reads.

I didn't become invested in any of the characters and I hated Griffin, the new Sandman and his best friend. Julia, the girl, is sort of bland though she tries to be tough and Eron's tone was off for me even though he was by far the best character in the story.

Overall, I'd say it was good. I just think there were some missed opportunities to make it great. show less

It’s taken me a long time to write this review. I should have posted it weeks ago, but I couldn’t figure out what to say about this book. I had some strong likes and dislikes and just couldn't figure out how to reconcile them.

Since the moment I heard about this book I had wanted to read it. Sandmen, an existence somewhere between life and death, and a strange love triangle. I was instantly enamored, and, at the same time, concerned this book wouldn’t live up to my expectation.

After all, reading about a book on Amazon is like having a virtual love affair. When the two of you meet, you might have nothing in common. Sometimes you hype someone or something up so much that the reality can’t live up to the fantasy. And a paranormal show more without vampires, werewolves, or any other traditional creepy crawlies had a lot to live up to. I'm such a skeptical, picky reader that I was pretty sure one of us would be calling a cab mid-date.

Well, I was wrong. It didn't just step outside the box. It shattered the box.

Normally, it takes me a while to sink into a new world. I was shocked at how quickly I was consumed by Cyn Balog’s Sleepless. Her writing is captivating, the concept is unlike anything I’ve seen, and overall it was a quick, fun read.

I was thrust directly into the story, which I always love. Balog wastes no time getting the reader up to speed on what had happened prior to page one. She effortlessly weaves background information and bits and pieces of her mythology into the plot, crafting a beautiful yet lonely world that exists on the fringes of our own.

All Balog's characters have distinct identities that set them apart from one another, but Eron DeMarchelle was by far my favorite. He was well developed within a matter of chapters. I felt like I really got to know him, past and present. By about chapter two or three, I was secretly wishing he was my sandman.

The only problem was that this rapid, in-depth development Eron went through overshadowed other characters, namely Julia and Griffin, who I felt like should have been tracking along with him. As I read, I waded through Julia's chapters while anxiously anticipating Eron's. I couldn't wait to see him again.

Julia failed to engage me in the same way. I didn't feel like I knew as much about her or her motivations. Griffin's character was nearly stagnant, but he had no point-of-view, so I am more forgiving in his case. However, it did contribute to the only other major problem I had with this book.

About six chapters from the end, I thought I was going to walk away satisfied in a way that I hadn't been with a book in a while. It had this beautiful potential for a bittersweet ending, but, in a matter of pages, all of that changed.

In sight distance of the finish line, one of the major players did a total 180 and ruined all hope that the ending would be as original as the premise of the book. I could literally see things changing course, and the worst part is that I cannot attribute this character's change of heart to careful development throughout the book. It came out of nowhere and was less than believable. The sudden turn around made for an ending that was too neatly tied up for my taste.

Sleepless was an enjoyable read, but it left me wanting something more. show less

I will come right out and confess that I am not well-read when it comes to the paranormal romance genre. Reading YA is a new thing for me this year and I've been turning my nose up to most paranormal books because I thought they would all be overdone with vampires and werewolves. Don't get me wrong. I like those things in moderation but I get a little bored when everything seems like I'm rereading Twilight over and over again. Call me a book snob if you wish.

Upon reading the description of this book and hearing excellent things about it, I decided to shell out the money and dabble in a little bit of paranormal romance. The premise of this book is certainly unique and made me excited to get started as soon as I got home from PAYA. show more Instead of vampires and werewolves, Cyn Balog creates a world around those who bring sleep to humans--also known as the Sandman! *waits for you to get the "Mr. Sandman" song out of your head* Our beloved Sandman is Eron and one of the humans he is assigned to seduce to sleep is Julia--a girl who is considered an outcast by her schoolmates and suppresses her emotions by jokes and sarcasm. Eron has a strong connection with Julia--more than a Sandman should ever have with one of his humans. Eron, who was once a human, faces making the transition back to becoming a human after completing his 100 years as a Sandman. He is troubled by his new replacement as well as dangers that he wants to protect Julia from but can't due to rules that forbid it.

This book was such a compelling read. I read it in the course of one day and I just loved the idea of this world of the Sandman. Props to Cyn Balog for originality! I really liked the characters of Eron and Julia. Eron was such a charming character and I felt like Balog really created a vivid picture of him in my head. Sometimes he seemed a little too perfect but I got over that pretty quickly. Julia was a very complex character that was written very well. Her facade quickly crumbles and we learn who she really is after the death of her boyfriend Griffon (not a spoiler!). The story unfolded through alternating chapters and I was more than pleased with how Balog was able to smoothly go from Julia to Eron, as there is nothing I hate more than a jarring transition between point of views.

I was quickly on my way to slapping a whopping 5/5 stars on this and serving it to you all on a shiny, silver platter that would cause you all to be flocking to your local bookstores to make this your next read. But then--much to my dismay-- a few issues prevented this from happening.

1. The ending! I was starting to get panicky towards the end as I was realizing how few pages were left. I could not comprehend how this could be resolved with what was left. I started checking to make sure I wasn't missing pages or that this was part of a planned series. I could feel the anxiety level rising and sadly this was the end indeed. I felt the ending was rushed and some of the character's actions were too contrived, just for the sake of ending it neatly. (I'm talking about the ending with Griffon and how he went from one emotion to the next and finally gave in without a fight)
2. I felt like for the most part Balog did a really great job with Eron's transition into being a human. A few minuscule parts, however, did not feel believable. I find it hard to believe that after observing humans for a hundred years that he was so bewildered by a BUS! I mean, he had clearly seen cars before. This shouldn't have been a big deal but he sat there acting like it was a giant cheeseburger flying through the air. I understand that he didn't get some of the intricacies of how human speech had evolved or the trends but that part just didn't seem believable to me.

I really did enjoy this book and think that the concept of the book was one of the most unique out there! Had it not been for the things I mentioned above, I would have happily given it 5 stars as it really would have deserved it. Balog has a knack for writing a compelling storyline and sucking you far into it. If you are a paranormal romance fan, this is a MUST read! If you are not really a paranormal fan, I'd read a few other things and THEN read this so that you will appreciate a truly unique story in what has become a very saturated "market". show less

Balog, C. (2010). Sleepless. New York: Delacorte Press.

215 pages.

Appetizer: Julia doesn't dream very often. Still, the sandman assigned to her, Eron DeMarchelle, a seventeen-year-old who died almost a century ago, must "seduce" her to allow her to fall asleep each night. He has been a sleep bringer for almost a century. And now he has a chance at becoming human again.

But first Eron has to train his replacement, Griffin, Julia's prankster boyfriend who died unexpectedly. As Julia struggles to move on with her life, still sensing that Griffin is somehow near, she must face unwanted advances from Brett, Griffin's best friend. While Julia doesn't sense any danger from her only remaining friend, both Eron and Griffin do and they must find a show more way to work together to protect Julia, or battle one another for her heart, without risking their own futures.

To share the story, the chapters switch back and forth between Eron and Julia's perspectives. I was impressed by how distinct their voices were, how well written the book was and how well-planned the plotting was. So much of the book deals with the quiet tensions and desires that drive the characters slowly toward conflict.

Also, the initial scene really drew me in. Julia wakes to a phone call from a journalist asking for an obituary quote about Griffin. Julia assumes this is one of Griffin's many pranks, so her comments are far from complimentary. It's only after a second journalist calls that Julia suspects this isn't a joke. It was hard to stop reading, even though it was well after midnight.

There were a lot of great details throughout the book. Since Julia is about to turn sixteen, she has to practice driving with her mom, who "

This reminded me a lot of my own driving practice. My dad would stomp his foot whenever he thought I should use the break. My mom, in a tragedy of opposites, would sit in the back seat reading, pretending I was her chauffeur. Whenever I tried to rouse her from her book with a question like "Mommy! Help what do I do? I'm so scared I'm going to kill us both right now?!" she'd grudgingly look up and say, "I don't know," or "Can you stop at the Starbucks so I can get a toffee nut latte?"

No, I would not stop at Starbucks for a toffee nut latte.

If I have to drive, she have to suffer through being caffeine-deprived.

And now I wonder why I still occasionally get feelings of anxiety about driving.

...

And back to our regularly scheduled book review....

I can see why this book is getting positive reviews all around the blog-town. But as I continued to read, the narration started to raise a lot of red flags that it was sending unhealthy messages.

For example:

"I swallow, trying to remember if I ever told him where I work. No, I'm pretty sure I didn't. There are four hundred stores in this mall, and yet he manages to get a job at my place of employment? This is all too creepy. But my heart begins to flutter. Those dark eyes. That stubble-dotted movie-star jawline...This guy could be a serial killer, yet my ticker is still screaming, "Bring it on!" (pp. 133-134).

Tell me, Few But Dear Readers, how do you feel about that little excerpt?

Ever since the Twilight series became popular, it seems that having a stalker has been the cool thing to do in paranormal YA romances. This makes me more than a little uncomfortable since, some of the time, the stalker is the good romantic lead. Icky. Now, I can understand the appeal of a romantic character who wants nothing more than to protect and save the girl. I can also understand the metaphor of how taking a chance and loving someone can feel like a great risk, like you're putting yourself in danger. And I know that most of these books are viewed to be fun escapes from reality for the readers. But I'm still more than a little worried about the messages stalker literature sends to the tweens who devour these books and then wonder where their Stalker-Edward is. Remember when I showed you this?

Fun times.

You'll notice that Sleepless is in the middle of the scale. That's right kids, this is a well-done and only "pretty creepy" approach to stalker-ism. Sure, Eron crouches outside Julia's window and watches her sleep, but when he does it, it's not because he's already obsessed with her, it's his job and he knows that it's wrong and he even feels a little bad about it.

...I can't believe I just typed that.

Griffin on the other hand, has a creep element. Somebody is a little too excited to get into the ladies' bedrooms without their knowledge.

Admittedly, the more I read of the book, the creepier all three potential love interests became. And Julia's reactions to them didn't help matters. Here's kind of the boiled down version of the way the guys perceived Julia and her reactions to them:

Eron: Julia, you are virtuous and fragile. I must protect you!
Julia: Eron, you are stalkery and strange. Kiss my hand again! *she randomly falls down and starts bleeding*

Griffin: Julia, you are mine! I must protect you!!!!!!!!
Julia: Griffin, you are dead. I am yours!

Brett: Julia, you are sexy! Hold still while I kiss you passionately!
Julia: Brett, you are scaring me. But you are Griffin's best friend and are pathetic. I will hold still while you rape-kiss me multiple times.

Swoooooooooooooooooon!

Few But Dear Readers, it's such a difficult decision! Which guy to choose?! And it only kinda-sorta sends tragically awful messages about female agency.

Sigh.

Dinner Conversation:

"Griffin Colburn knew something was wrong the moment he slid into the driver's seat.
It was a twinge. Nothing more. He shook his head, blinked. Pushed it off" (p. 1).

"You can ring my be-e-ell, ring my bell!"
My eyes flicker open. All I see is a pink satin pillow, which I've clamped over my face to block out the rest of the world. When I remove it, I recoil in the morning sunlight like the undead and crane my neck to check the clock at my bedside.
9:20 a.m. Oh, hell no" (p. 4).

"My first and only boyfriend is so dead" (p. 7).

"If Mama, God rest her soul, could see me now, crouching outside the window of a girl's house, in this tree, she would surely rise from her grave and swat the life clean out of me. And I agree with her; this is no place for a man. But that is one thing I am not.
At least not yet.
Watching the bedtime ritual of a woman from a clandestine post is perfectly acceptable behavior for us Sleepbringers, known as Sandmen to humans. In fact, I watch more than one woman every night. I'm sure Mama would get out the belt if she knew that. It's not proper human behavior, so it was a struggle even for me to grasp. After all, I still appear human, and one's human sensibilities are difficult simply to disregard. Even now I'm not entirely comfortable with stalking women in the dark, though I've been carrying out this seduction for nearly a hundred years. I'm about as used to it as I'll ever be" (p. 8). show less

One word. Sandman. I was hooked when I saw that word. But I'll let you know a little more about it so you can be crazy hooked. Eron DeMarchelle died almost one hundred years ago in a milling accident. He is exactly as he was when he was human. A shy, sweet, dashing gentleman. He is finally able to turn back human to finish his "unfinished business" which he has no idea what it is. The deal was that he would spend a hundred years as a Sleepbringer and then get back to his life. He was able to have one of his charges his "beloved." Julia took her place after she died. He cares for her and would do anything to protect her.

Julia has always had people walking on egg shells when they were around her. At seven she had something happen to her. show more Something that left three marks on her cheek that she has always been self conscience of so when Griffin albeit not the nicest boyfriend ever accepts her she is happy. But then he dies. She doesn't show anything like he taught her. She doesn't even really know what she feels. And then there's Bret his best friend and he's like Griffin's twin. He starts acting weird as soon as Griffin dies. And so does her dreams.

I read this one slow on account of it was a group read that I suggested may I add. So the drama felt was even more because I had to wait. And I don't know how but the pages I had to read would always end perfectly with a cliffhanger. Duh duh duh! moments. Griffin was such a mystery to me. I had no idea if he cared about Julia or anything really. I still don't know if he cares about her. It was really weird but in a good way.

I HEART Eron. He's the type of guy that holds your door out for you and you just stare at in class dreamily. He basically made the book. I tried to picture him and the way he talked with the way he was described and my brain was all in a jumble. He's supposed to be this handsome Italian born guy who talks ridiculously proper. I just can't fathom it. Bret, Griffin's best friend, was an interesting mix to the plot. He kept me on my toes. Chimere, an Original, also provided me with questions to her character. Mostly who she liked and what was her deal? I seriously liked this book. It was well worth all that waiting.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. How do you know they're not going to get it on?
"Get it...?" I begin but shake my head. -LOLOL!

Don't forget me, he seemed to say. You belong to me.

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