Review: Sleepless by Cyn Balog

SLEEPLESS by Cyn Balog
Pub. Date: July 2010
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Format: Hardcover, 224pp
Age Range: Young Adult

Eron DeMarchelle isn't supposed to feel this connection. He is a Sandman, a supernatural being whose purpose is to seduce his human charges to sleep. Though he can communicate with his charges in their dreams, he isn't encouraged to do so. After all, becoming too involved in one human's life could prevent him from helping others get their needed rest.

But he can't deny that he feels something for Julia, a lonely girl with fiery red hair and sad dreams. Just weeks ago, her boyfriend died in a car accident, and Eron can tell that she feels more alone than ever. Eron was human once too, many years ago, and he remembers how it felt to lose the one he loved. In the past, Eron has broken rules to protect Julia, but now, when she seems to need him more than ever, he can't reach her. Eron's time as a Sandman is coming to a close, and his replacement doesn't seem to care about his charges. Worse, Julia is facing dangers she doesn't recognize, and Eron, as he transitions back to being human, may be the only one who can save her. . . .

Even once they've become human again, Sandmen are forbidden to communicate with their charges. But Eron knows he won't be able to forget Julia. Will he risk everything for a chance to be with the girl he loves?

Cyn Balog's follow-up to Fairy Tale has more wit, more supernatural delights, and more star-crossed romance! Teen girls will love this story of a Sandman who falls in love with his human charge.

SLEEPLESS starts off on that fateful night, unknowingly to Julia, that her life as she knew it would be changed forever. This book drew me in immediately. Right off the bat, I got a peek at the characters’ personalities. So knowing that tragedy awaited Julia, I couldn’t help but feel sympathy for how she found out about her boyfriend’s death. What made me delve more into the book was finding out how she would cope with his loss. Not to mention, how unique the premise of this book is. I enjoyed reading about what Sandmen/women do for humans.

SLEEPLESS is told in alternating view points by Julia and Eron. I loved how the beginning of each chapter represented a flower for Julia and a moon for Eron. I don’t think their story could have been told in a better way. I was able to get inside these characters head and see what made them tick as they tried to fit in and piece their lives back together. Julia’s past comes with a stigma. It was so mysterious the way it was written, so I couldn’t help but wonder what happened in her past that made her the way she is. Same with Eron, I was curious to see how things would play out with his new replacement as the clock wound down to his return to humanity. What a surprise his replacement was! I can imagine Eron and I had the same expression on our faces with that whopper! Eron was so old school which was a nice surprise, but I couldn’t help but wonder how he didn’t pick up more on the changing fashions/slang over the century as he followed his charges.

In my opinion, the ending leaves it up to the readers to imagine what happens next. So I created my own little ending with these two. Cyn drew me into the depths of these character’s lives as Julia and Eron fought their way against so many road blocks in order to escape their predicaments. They say “dreams are the windows of the soul.” SLEEPLESS manages to show the wonder of healing powers that dreams can have on one’s soul. Readers looking for a unique story where dreams come alive in the most unimaginable places should definitely pick this novel up.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars