east

Alyce at At Home with Books is doing a weekly feature where she highlights one of her favorite reads from the past and encourages others to do so as well.

While I am a fan of (almost) ALL fairy tales, I do hold a chosen few close to my heart. One of those is the East of the Sun, West of the Moon myth. My grandmother donated a beautifully illustrated book from her personal library to my family sometime in my pre-teen years. East of the Sun and West of the Moon, illustrated by Kay Nielson in Art Nouveau style, had me enthralled from page one. The illustrations were finely rendered and almost mystical, and the pages were so fragile that the reading experience itself was quite tenuous.

That early exposure taught me to love the story, and reading different retellings since hasn’t shaken my affection for it. My preferred retelling in more recent times is Edith Pattou’s East.

Rose has always felt out of place in her family. So when an enormous white bear mysteriously shows up and asks her to come away with him, she readily agrees. The bear takes Rose to a distant castle, where each night she is confronted with a mystery. In solving that mystery, she finds love, discovers her purpose, and realizes her travels have only just begun.

As fresh and original as only the best fantasy can be, East is a novel retelling of the classic tale "East of the Sun and West of the Moon," told in the tradition of Robin McKinley and Gail Carson Levine.

Main character Rose feels stifled and misunderstood. Family pressures and misfortunes are exacerbated by her mother’s superstitions and her father’s job, which takes him away on map-making expeditions. But when adventure comes for her, she finds that the world and love are strange and that survival will be harder than she ever imagined.

While Pattou’s story follows the general outline of the original fairy tale, it is told from alternating viewpoints of five or six of the main characters. Each voice adds something to Rose’s story, even as they add to the overall picture. This movement and cycling through different voices could be confusing, but the author pulls it off. The technique lends itself to a sense of passage and travel that is not only unique, but also particularly suited to a tale that is essentially a journey.

Another distinctive (and perfectly wonderful!) ingredient in this story is the pervading superstition attached to the compass rose. Obviously, a sense of direction is central to the story. I mean, look at the title – East! But Pattou has created or borrowed superstition about birth order and personality type to attach to peculiarities of each point of the compass, and combined it with detailed descriptions of maps and the Far North. Added up, it is both beautiful and strange.

These elements, in conjunction with an honest and tender love story, equal not only a sterling fantasy tale, but also one that has earned its rightful place on my ‘re-reads’ shelf.

Recommended for: fans of fantasy, fairy tales, delightful young adult literature, unique world cultures, and journeys that end in love, sadness, and other essentials of growing older (and wiser). Enjoy!

This book counts for the Once Upon a Time challenge.

tyger tyger, burning bright

I owe Kersten Hamilton. Twice. First, she introduced me to NetGalley. If you’re not acquainted with NetGalley yet, I’m putting on my commanding voice and ordering you to go over to the website RIGHT NOW. Trust me. Read books before they’re released, for free on your computer. That concept? All sorts of awesome. And Kersten was a love and sent a link and explained the whole thing to me, adding, of course, that I could check out the galley for her novel on the website.

Second, she wrote Tyger Tyger. This book was fresh and interesting and UNIQUE. I alternately laughed and cried over it the other night, and my roommates worried until I looked up with a teary smile and said that I was reading a really good book. After that, they let me finish it in peace. My only real complaint is that the sequel will take so much time to arrive!

Teagan Wylltson's best friend, Abby, dreams that horrifying creatures--goblins, shape-shifters, and beings of unearthly beauty but terrible cruelty--are hunting Teagan. Abby is always coming up with crazy stuff, though, so Teagan isn't worried. Her life isn't in danger. In fact, it's perfect. She's on track for a college scholarship. She has a great job. She's focused on school, work, and her future. No boys, no heartaches, no problems.

Until Finn Mac Cumhaill arrives. Finn's a bit on the unearthly beautiful side himself. He has a killer accent and a knee-weakening smile. And either he's crazy or he's been haunting Abby's dreams, because he's talking about goblins, too . . . and about being The Mac Cumhaill, born to fight all goblin-kind. Finn knows a thing or two about fighting. Which is a very good thing, because this time, Abby's right.

The goblins are coming.

True story: I’m a horrible procrastinator. I got the note about this lovely book back in April? May? And didn’t read it until this month. I call this my hoarding tendency. If a book looks REALLY good, and I have access to it, I sometimes hold off on reading it, thinking that I’ll need it to get me out of a funk or to keep me occupied on the Metro or some such. When I know perfectly well that the Metro is always full of interesting people to watch, and that good books should definitely be read NOW.

Luckily, Juju at Tales of Whimsy reviewed this one and was super-enthusiastic about it ("beguiling, fresh, earnest?" sounds like love!). Then Heather of BURIED IN BOOKS urged me on by saying that it had zombies. And as it happens, I’m in the midst of the September Zombies Event. So…done deal. Turns out the ‘zombies’ are a sort of disgusting cat goblin, but that’s perfectly fine. Zombie = zombie equals zombie. It counts.

About the story: Tea thinks her family is normal. Well, weird maybe, but normal, when tragic things start happening,… and she begins to see things. Or does she? Then her cousin Finn arrives to disrupt the life she has all mapped out, and trouble follows him wherever he goes. Thus begins the adventure of a family caught between two worlds. It’s full of Irish legend and myth, and the rich descriptions of the creatures on both sides (or is it worlds?) are simply gorgeous.

I don’t think I can praise the inclusion of Irish myth enough. It was new to me (and probably will be to a lot of readers, even if they’re fantasy buffs), but it was woven in right with the rest of the story, and used to such an effect that I felt surprised and gratified when I figured things out. That may be a good test for a well-written book – if it teaches you something new in such a way that you are only impressed, and don’t feel ‘taught.’ This was such a one.

Hamilton’s story tugs on the emotions. Even while I alternately appreciated the fantastical elements and wondered a bit at certain gaps in the plot, I was feeling everything intensely. It’s not perfectly told, but I connected to it. It’s rather violent in parts, and some decisions made by the characters were hard – so hard! But I never felt cheated or wronged. Instead, it was emotional, un-put-downable, and a terrific start to a series that I’ll be reading to the very end.

Recommended for: fans of fantasy and fairy tales, emotive and romantic (in the best sense of the word!) YA lit, darkness with a heaping side of hope, worlds just beyond our own, and adventures that aren’t all that they seem.

Tyger Tyger will be released by Clarion Books on November 15, 2010. I received an e-galley from NetGalley for review.

fables: legends in exile

It’s confirmed. Bill Willingham is a genius. Some of you knew this already. For those of you with no idea in the world who ‘Bill Willingham’ is, he’s an author/creator of the award-winning Fables graphic novel series. I recently began my exploration of graphic novels with a spin-off of the series, Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love. That one, while not written by Willingham himself, acted as enough of an enticement that I decided to read the entire series.

Here’s my side of the story. Willingham’s novel Peter & Max was a far-and-away favorite of mine last year, but although I’ve done it before, I tried not to make a snap judgment about his genius until I’d read at least two representations of his work. With Fables: Legends in Exile, I’ve officially read (and LOVED) two Willingham creations. As far as I’m concerned? Case closed. Fables (and its author) = made of awesome.

When a savage creature known only as the Adversary conquered the fabled lands of legends and fairy tales, all of the infamous inhabitants of folklore were forced into exile. Disguised among the normal citizens of modern-day New York, these magical characters have created their own peaceful and secret society within an exclusive luxury apartment building called Fabletown. But when Snow White's party-girl sister, Rose Red, is apparently murdered, it is up to Fabletown's sheriff, a reformed and pardoned Big Bad Wolf, to determine if the killer is Bluebeard, Rose's ex-lover and notorious wife killer, or Jack, her current live-in boyfriend and former beanstalk-climber.

As evidenced in the blurb, Legends in Exile is set up as a whodunit, with the mystery surrounding the death of Rose Red. Various fairy tale characters (Little Boy Blue, one of the Three Little Pigs, Prince Charming, etc.) make appearances, and their inclusion makes the story feel like a mash-up of the best kind. We already know some of these characters’ personality flaws and exploits, thus leading to an immediate sense of history and familiarity in the story and its protagonists.

And yet, mixed in with that comfort of past history is the dark heart of the story and a set-up that is really interesting, and doesn’t skimp on modern ‘issues.’ There isn’t going to be a traditional happily-ever-after, just as we never get one of those in real life (shh…don’t tell the kids!). In this world, even princesses get screwed over, and their adventures aren’t always shiny and wonderful. It makes for some interesting and inventive reading, for sure.

So, who did it? I won’t tell and spoil the secret. The mystery portion is very well done, and I actually had only a very bare inkling of what was going to happen, even though I had both visual art and written text for clues. In other words? The story is clever. And the set –up for the rest of the series – fantastic! I wish I had the next four or five volumes immediately.

One thing I can’t forget is the artwork itself. It’s gritty in portions, absolutely beautiful in others (the individual issue covers, for instance), and definitely aided my appreciation of the story. Bigby wouldn’t have been himself without the ever-present stubble and cigarette burning. Who knew that Bluebeard was bald? And the fantastical creatures that every now and then take up a portion of a drawing are both fascinating and lovingly detailed. I will definitely look forward to more entertainment from this crew in the future!

Recommended for: reluctant readers of any age (but especially teens), fans of comics and graphic novels, fairy tale aficionados, and anyone who can appreciate a sort-of happily-ever-after, as long as it is well told and the journey is enjoyable. Some questionable situations, so I’d rate it about a PG-13.

This item counts for the Once Upon a Time Reading Challenge.

fairy tale plus graphic novel equals…what, exactly?

The other day I proclaimed on twitter that Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love was my “first foray into graphic novels.” Well, it’s not. I mean, it’s the first one I finished, but it’s not the first one I’ve tried. I got about three quarters of the way through Persepolis, and I’ve read pages here and there of several others. But this one I bought (as opposed to borrowed from the library) and made an effort to read through. You know what? It was pretty cool. Illustrated twist on fairy tale: what’s not to love?

When supernatural artifacts from the Homelands begin surfacing in the modern world, it falls to Cinderella, Fabletown's best-kept (and best dressed) secret agent to stop the illegal trafficking. But can Cindy foil the dark plot before Fabletown and its hidden, exiled inhabitants are exposed once and for all? And how does her long lost Fairy Godmother factor into the equation?

Whether she's soaring through clouds, deep-sea diving, or cracking jaws, Cindy travels from Manhattan to Dubai and hooks up with a handsome, familiar accomplice who may be harboring secret motives of his own. Meanwhile, trouble brews back home in Fabletown when Cindy's overworked, underappreciated assistant decides to seize control of The Glass Slipper, Cindy's exclusive shoe boutique.

Now, the first thing I would wonder if I read that summary is ‘what the heck is Fabletown?’ And I think that’s a valid question. Answer: Bill Willingham created an original series and world where the Fables, creatures from the traditional tales, are in hiding in our world. He wrote (and is still writing?) this series, as well as the novel Peter & Max (which I LOVED so hard!). And Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love is a spin-off by a different author, but set in that same universe. So it’s got history if you want to go looking, but it’s a complete tale in its own right as well.

Protagonist Cinderella is a tough lady living the life of a spy, after she the happily-ever-after she was promised doesn’t work out as planned. It’s a cool set-up, and Cindy’s adventures are exciting. It isn’t on the same level of dark violence or genius that Peter & Max was, but it’s satisfying and fun. Best description I can think of: it feels comfortable and yet still interesting. As a kid I read Archie comics. This is obviously on a whole different level – a more nuanced, grown-up one. But it still appeals in some way to the kid inside me. I’ll be trying many more graphic novels in the future!

Recommended for: existing comic and graphic novel aficionados, the curious, and the fairy tale addicted. A pleasant surprise and a very quick read in the bargain.

Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love counts for the Once Upon a Time Reading Challenge.

princess of glass

I knew I wanted to read this book, I really did. First off, I’m a sucker for the fairy tale sub-genre of fantasy. I have been since high school, when I discovered Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling’s adult fairy tale series and short story collections. I gobbled up re-tellings after that – everything from Robin McKinley to Jane Yolen to Charles de Lint and Mercedes Lackey. And I’ve adored the YA presence on the fairy tale scene, as well. Shannon Hale, Edith Pattou, and old favorite Patricia C. Wrede…these ladies know how a fairy tale should be told.

Secondly, I know I like Jessica Day George’s writing. I read her Dragon Slippers trilogy, and I enjoyed the enthusiasm and inventiveness that pervaded her writing. So, despite not having read its precursor, Princess of the Midnight Ball, I requested this book. I even ended up waiting in line at ALA for an autographed copy of it. I knew the blurb, I’d seen the cover, I’d decided I wanted it. And yet, when I had the ARC version sitting in my house for a week, I couldn’t bring myself to crack the cover.

Why? Obstinacy. When I am faced with a book that I MUST read, on a deadline, I (sometimes) get tetchy. I find fault with a perfectly good story. I’ll pick it up, put it down, decide to start another book, find another, 'better' one. In this case, it was orneriness, pure and simple. The cover was so PINK, and I wasn’t feeling PINK, if you know what I mean. I was feeling like swords and death and…well…you can look at the titles I’ve reviewed over the past couple of weeks: A Madness of Angels, Cold Magic (review forthcoming), and I Kissed a Zombie, and I Liked It.

Ahem. But today I was home sick from work, and I decided to do something ‘worthwhile,’ which ended up being to read and finish Princess of Glass.

The engrossing companion novel to Princess of the Midnight Ball, with a wicked twist on Cinderella.

Hoping to escape the troubles in her kingdom, Princess Poppy reluctantly agrees to take part in a royal exchange program, whereby young princes and princesses travel to each other’s countries in the name of better political alliances—and potential marriages. It’s got the makings of a fairy tale—until a hapless servant named Eleanor is tricked by a vengeful fairy godmother into competing with Poppy for the eligible prince.

Ballgowns, cinders, and enchanted glass slippers fly in this romantic and action-packed happily-ever-after quest from an author with a flair for embroidering tales in her own delightful way.

My worries from before? Tempest in a teacup. This was a charming little tale, engaging and just what it should be, in the best way possible. While it doesn’t delve too deeply into the darker side of fairy tale lore, it does have moments of introspection on the nature of fate and right and wrong. It will please those who pick it up for its cover, and perhaps guide them to a love of myth and magic. And it will probably pleasantly surprise those who pick it up in spite of its cover (hello, prime example here!).

One of those lovely surprises was the main character. Poppy is a perfect example of ‘a girl who does things.’ She’s not passive – she’s strong, smart, and she can run her own life pretty well, thanks! She’s not stupid with her courage, but she doesn’t hesitate to say what she thinks, and it is all very, very natural. I think Poppy is quite possibly one of the most likeable heroines I’ve met in a while. We would be instant friends, I say!

However (there's always some qualifying word like 'however' in my reviews, have you noticed?) I did have a couple of minor grumbles left in me. The ending was left very tidy. I…won’t go so far as to say I HATE that, but let’s just put it around that it’s not my first choice. Subtlety is sublime. Authors, I don’t want to know how the character’s entire life will evolve, especially if your story ends while she is still in her teens. Yes, I am the girl who was a bit sad to see the Harry Potter epilogue, thanks for asking, and I’ll shut up now, no worries.

Oh, except there was that one continuity problem…and the fact that Prince Christian didn’t act much like a teenage boy (I have three younger brothers, so I may qualify as an expert on them. In some circles.). He was noble and understanding and content to hang out with the girls. You're right, I refine too much. He must be the best eighteen year old ever invented! But that’s all inconsequential, right? Especially if I can tell you (and I can, dear readers!), that these small complaints did not alter my essential enjoyment of the story. So it was cute and neat – so what! It fit my mood perfectly tonight.

Recommended for: romantics, fairy tale enthusiasts, fans of light YA fantasy, and anyone looking for a spunky girl hero.

I am reviewing this title as part of Traveling ARC Tours, and it will count for the Once Upon a Time Reading Challenge.

había una vez

That’s “Once Upon a Time” in Spanish. I hope. Unless I messed up the spelling. *sigh* It was a long and wonderful weekend. And it’s been a long time since my last Spanish grammar lesson, come to think of it. Eeek! But enough of that. This post is a wrap-up/summation/endnote for the Once Upon a Time IV Challenge, hosted by Stainless Steel Droppings, which officially ended on June 20.

I said I’d read five books that fit into the category of fantasy, myths, or fairy tales. Not all of these books are classic ‘fairy tales,’ but all of them contain elements of the fantastic, and thus count for the contest. Click on the titles to see my reviews.

White Cat by Holly Black

Sleepless by Cyn Balog

The Moorchild by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

The Sleeping Beauty by Mercedes Lackey

No worries that I’m going to drop fantasy any time soon…I’ll continue to read fairy tales for the rest of the year because I’m also taking part in the Once Upon a Time 2010 Reading Challenge. Do you have any recent fairy tale reads to recommend?

a white cat and a con

Oh twitterverse, I want to say ‘thank you.’ I’d never read a Holly Black book before picking up White Cat. I knew vaguely that she had written some ‘modern faerie tales,’ but I didn’t feel any urgency to find those titles. Then White Cat was released. The twittering world exploded, blog reviews went up all over the place, and someone said the magic words: ‘best book of the year.’

Just like that, my antennae went up. Well, it's quite a claim. I'll give anything proclaimed 'best of the year' a try, as long as I trust the speaker. But even if a book sparks my interest, I won’t necessarily go out and buy it. If that were the case, I’d be buried under a mountain of books (literally), and also quite broke. So instead I checked the local library system and found a copy. Here’s my shout-out to the Arlington Library System! The book was in my possession within the week.

Cassel comes from a family of curse workers -- people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they're all mobsters, or con artists. Except for Cassel. He hasn't got the magic touch, so he's an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail -- he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago.

Ever since, Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts crumbling when he starts sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He's noticing other disturbing things, too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him, caught up in a mysterious plot. As Cassel begins to suspect he's part of a huge con game, he also wonders what really happened to Lila. To find that out, Cassel will have to out-con the conmen.

Holly Black has created a gripping tale of mobsters and dark magic where a single touch can bring love – or death – and your dreams might be more real than your memories.

My undiluted reaction: fan-freaking-tabulous. Just the sort of con caper that makes my insides liquefy and my brain start working in overdrive. If it were translated immediately into film-form, it would rank right up there with Ocean’s 11, The Italian Job, and Brothers Bloom. Those are, by the way, some of my favorite films. I get a rush from the cleverness, the con, and the bit-by-bit reveal. It’s not for everyone, but it’s for me. Not even kidding. I don’t even like mystery as a genre; I like people getting played, and the story itself getting the best of me until the last second.

I also love a twist, an unexpected conclusion and a clever switch. I don’t want to explain more, because one of this book’s main strengths is its inscrutability and the unraveling thereof. Cassel and company were a great cast of characters, though not all are equal or equally interesting. But each person fits in the novel, and I didn’t feel like anyone was there as a placeholder or simply for a future set-up. I guess I’m just trying to say that it’s smooth, seamless, and beautiful. Here’s hoping there are many more adventures, cons and magic-filled moments in their future.

Recommended for: adventurers, daredevils, and those who want to join the club (or at least read about it), appreciators of clever stories, dark magic and dark times, and anyone in the mood for sharp, brilliant entertainment at its best and finest.

This book counts for the Once Upon a Time IV challenge.

the sleeping beauty

Mercedes Lackey is a ubiquitous fantasy writer. Chances are if you’ve ever stepped into the fantasy and science fiction section of the bookstore, you’ve seen one of her titles. And not only is she prolific, she’s incredibly good. There’s something for almost every taste. My favorite series (well, one of them) is her Elemental Masters series, which re-imagines fairy tales in an alternative, magic-laden Edwardian England.

In the past several years Lackey has published another fairy-tale-type series, set in a new fantasy universe. These stories combine generous doses of romance and happy endings with imaginative world-building. They include: The Fairy Godmother, One Good Knight, Fortune’s Fool, The Snow Queen and now The Sleeping Beauty.

The hallmarks of the 500 Kingdoms books (as they are called) are humor, inventive plotlines that alter fairy tale stories and take them in new directions, clever heroines, and sweet romances. In my book that combination equals a satisfying read.

With signs and The Tradition (a magical force that places people in fairy tale stories) pointing to an all-out war set to break out among the kingdoms, Rosamund, the king's daughter, is "playing dead" as two princes show up at the palace intent on waking her with a kiss. But, as the two of them start to fight it out, Rosa's godmother cuts them all short and takes charge.

Now, with two princes competing for the hand of Sleeping Beauty-one of them, the one with roving hands (Prince Leopold) probably "should" be her prince, while the other (Prince Siegfried) doesn't seem to belong here at all - more complications occur. The king dies and the neighbors start looking at Rosa's kingdom.

But with the palace filling with young and old princes intent on winning Rosamund's love, invading the kingdom and putting those young men in peril would mean incurring the wrath of thirty other countries! With a volatile situation in the making, will anyone get a happily-ever-after?

After I’ve read a summary, I often ask myself a couple of questions. What’s the deal with this book? Do I need to read the others in the series to ‘get’ it? What makes it worth my time? Let me try to answer. If you’ve read the other books in this series, you’ll like The Sleeping Beauty (but you don’t have to read them to understand). If you read fairy tales for adults (or even teens), you’ll like it too. If you prefer your stories fairly clean and a touch humorous, you’ll also fall for it. In other words, it’s what you expect. And that’s not a bad thing.

For Lackey's novels in general, this is ‘romance lite.’ Though she reworks several familiar tales to bring something quirky and new to the table, the result ends up feeling a bit formulaic. Which isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy it. I did. It’s a tribute to how much I expect from the 500 Kingdoms novels, and from Mercedes Lackey – I anticipate first-class entertainment. She so enchanted me with previous stories that I felt a bit let down when I could see just how the story would end after I finished the first twenty pages. I guess I expect twists and mysterious endings these days…

I’m a demanding nitwit, I know. After all, I enjoyed the reading and I will still re-read The Sleeping Beauty and also eagerly await the next installment in the series (Lackey is that fantastic). What does it boil down to? I heartily recommend this book to anyone with a natural bent towards happily-ever-afters. In fact, it qualifies as a PERFECT summer beach read, especially for the fantasy-inclined. There! I’ve found its niche. And I can’t wait to place a finished copy in my beach bag!

The Sleeping Beauty releases on July 1, 2010.

I read an e-galley of this book courtesy of Harlequin Luna and NetGalley. It also counts for both Once Upon a Time challenges.

mister sandman, bring me a dream

I was raised on a mix of classical music and 50s and 60s hits, with a foray into 40s big band every once in a while. Mix that in with a father who danced my mother around the kitchen and whistled to every tune, and what do you get? A love (or at least a grudging appreciation) for those oldies. I’m still not a huge fan of opera – my mom pushed that – but I find myself humming doo-wop hits more than I’d like to admit. Thanks, Dad.

Predictably, one of my favorite songs to sing to myself is “Mister Sandman.” When I realize I’m doing it, I usually stop guiltily, but there’s no denying that it’ll be in my head forever. So when I heard about the concept of Cyn Balog’s upcoming novel Sleepless, I was understandably intrigued.

Eron De Marchelle isn't supposed to feel a connection. He is a Sandman, a supernatural being whose purpose is to seduce human charges to sleep. While he can communicate with his charges in their dreams, he isn't encouraged to – after all, getting too involved in one human's life would prevent him helping his other charges get their needed rest.

But he can't deny that he feels something for Julia. Julia, with her fiery red hair and her 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. Eron has always felt protective of Julia...but now, when she seems to need him more than ever, he can't seem to reach her...

Sandmen are forbidden from communicating with humans outside their dreams. But will Eron be willing to risk everything for a chance to be with the person he loves?

Real, live, fiction fantasy Sandmen! That in and of itself gets an A+. And not only because I have a ‘thing’ for Sandmen. But ALSO because it’s (as far as I know) completely original in YA fiction, and Balog creates a plausible mythology for this story.

I think Sleepless has a lot going for it, and the summary/teaser/whatever-you-call-it is certainly appealing. I like the ‘his and hers’ perspective that alternating chapters provide. It allows for wider reader interaction with the characters and storyline, and the changing viewpoints kept me from being too biased towards one character or another. There is satisfying tension and mystery despite the two-narrator system.

With those things said, I did note one weakness. It’s Eron’s voice. I know that it is extremely difficult to replicate the tone, language and speech variance of times gone by, especially in a format that will appeal to a young adult audience. I still felt that Eron sounded stiff, modern and clueless rather than like a man from 1910. It’s probably just me being nit-picky, so if you don’t think it will bother you, pick this book up!

And before I get back to what I liked, I’m going to mention the elephant in the room. I hate to say it (except I don’t – look, I said it last year!), but this book has Twilight-like elements. They’re not all over the place, and no one is going to get sued for copyright infringement, so don’t get your panties in a twist. I just have a few Edward Cullen/Eron De Marchelle similarities to point out:

1. Age. Both gentlemen are over 100. For cereal.

2. Death. They both kicked the bucket in gruesome fashion back in the day, but were ‘saved’ from it.

3. Creepy bedroom stalking scenes. He watches while she sleeps. (I know, it’s kind of the point in Sleepless, but still.)

4. Super-polite behavior. I’m stretching this one, but think of it as a ‘gentleman complex.’

Those things begged to be said. You understand, right? OH! And did I mention the cover artwork?!

Now that I’ve done my duty, I have to tell you one more thing I enjoyed about Sleepless. It was my utter and complete hateration of the character Chimere. Yes, I just used a made-up word in that last sentence. It fit. Don’t argue. Okay, back to Chimere. She is everything I love to hate: inhuman, beautiful, naïve-seeming, and giggly. Plus I think she wears ruffles and corsets a lot (or maybe I’m imagining things). And let’s not even get started on what she actually does and says. Anyway, I quite enjoyed my absurd dislike of Chimere; it made the reading experience a lot of fun to imagine different ways to do her in. If that can even be done. But you know.

So there you have it: Sleepless is a flawed but unique tale that will please fans of the YA paranormal genre. Recommended for incurable romantics, anyone with a Sandman fixation (I know you’re out there – I can’t be the only one!), and readers everywhere looking for a tale to wile away those sleepless hours.

Sleepless comes out on July 13, 2010 from Delacorte Press.

I reviewed this book as part of Traveling ARC Tours. It also counts for the Once Upon a Time IV Challenge.