Anna Sheehan
Publisher: Candlewick
Release Date: August 9, 2011
Series or Standalone: Standalone
ISBN: 9780763652609
Format: ARC
Pages: 352
Source: BEA
Websites:
Anna Sheehan – Website
Anna Sheehan – Facebook
A Long, Long Sleep –
Candlewick Page
Rating: 4 Stars
I was really surprised by A Long, Long Sleep. I don’t know what I
was expecting from this book when I started reading it, but I was very happy
with what this book turned out to be. A Long, Long Sleep
was a lot more than just a new retelling of Sleeping Beauty, it felt like it’s
own new story.
Initially, this book started
out a bit slow. I had to set it down and come back to it, but once I picked up
again, the story really began to come into it’s own. Around a hundred pages in,
I became engrossed by the book. I really wanted to know more about Rose’s past.
Rose wakes up 62 years after she was put into stasis by her parents. Everyone
she knows has passed away, the world she new has changed. One thing that kept
me constantly engaged in reading was the mystery of why she was constantly
stass as a child. That was a mystery that I really wanted to learn more about.
And I was shocked and sadden when I found the answer.
I felt really bad for Rose,
the life she knew has disappeared while she was in stasis. The world has
changed, with half the world’s population getting wiped out by disease in the
Dark Times and then being rebuilt. Rose awoke to a world were she was an
outsider, and a famous outsider at that has inherited basically everything.
Initially, I was really annoyed by Rose because she was weak, and
self-deprecating. But then I began to see why she was that way and sympathized
with her. Over the course of the book, Rose really comes into her own too. Her
world has changed, and she too has to change. With the help of Brendan, the boy
who awoke her with a kiss, and Otto, a very sweet alien friend, Rose starts to
gain self-confidence and self-respect and strength.
When I started this book, I
was worried it was going to be a heavy sci-fiction book. However, the sci-fi
element was just a platform for the rest of the story. Sure, the book does take
place in the future and there are stasis tubes and such, but the sci-fi element
of the story isn’t overbearing and provides the basis for a story that is very
driven by characters.
The story and the characters
really grew on me as I continued reading. I wanted to learn about Rose’s past,
about her parents and what happened between her and her boyfriend Xavier. When
Rose’s past is finally revealed I was deeply sadden and shocked. I really
wanted to give a Rose a hug because her life SUCKED. And if you thought your
parents are bad, wait until you learn about Rose’s parents.
I loved how the different plot
lines were woven together to reveal the bigger story arc. I loved how the thing that was chasing Rose tied into
Rose’s mysterious past and helped reveal answers to bigger questions. And I
must say, this book did have a twist that left me shocked and deeply saddened
for poor Rose. It was a bittersweet twist I would say.
A Long, Long Sleep is an emotional, unique, new read. The book and the characters grow on
you as you continue reading. I really liked the ending, not everything was
wrapped up in a neat bow, but enough was wrapped up to leave you satisfied. I
really enjoyed this fresh take on a classic fairy tale.
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