Review - Sleepless by Cyn Balog

Sleepless by Cyn Balog
Published by Delacorte Books
Publication Date: July 13, 2010
Review based on ARC, provided by Traveling ARC Tours
Rating: 4 bookcases

Summary from Amazon:  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?

In Sleepless, Cyn Balog takes the Sandman myth and expands upon it to create a love story. Eron is a Sandman, a being assigned to help three humans fall asleep each night. One of his charges is Julia, a lonely teenager whose boyfriend died in a car accident. The story, told in alternating chapters from both of their perspectives, chronicles how their lives intersect and change.

It was interesting to see how Eron and Julia changed throughout the book. My favorite parts were when Eron reminisced about his life before he was a Sandman. Through his memories, it was easy to see how Eron became the being that he was and how he developed his feelings for Julia. It became clear why he was protective of her and how his actions changed his feelings for her. Out of all the characters, Julia changed the most. She went from a quiet, mostly introverted girl who was afraid to get close to others, to someone who realized her own self worth and accepted other people’s love.

Sleepless was a quick read, I read it in one sitting. It drew me in from the beginning and kept my attention right through to close to the end. However, the last few chapters felt a little rushed. I had to go back and read those chapters twice to make sure that I really understood what happened. The action and character development were executed so well up to that point, but then they went on fast forward. This was especially true for one character who did something that I wasn’t expecting. Perhaps if Sleepless were longer, he would have gotten to the place where his actions didn’t feel out of character.

Overall, Sleepless was a really good book. I think it will appeal to readers who enjoy books that rework and expand upon fairy tales and myths and to readers who like a good love story.