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shahrun's review
3.0
This was an atmospheric, gothic horror novel for teens. Set in 1897 in a sanitarium for the children of the wealthy, we follow Alfie who is sent there to try and cure his insomnia. Things aren’t all that they seem. The institution is populated with many interesting characters, I would have liked to learn more about. The author does a good job of building up the tension before the surprising plot twist reveal at the end. I feel like this book should have a sequel as it left me wanting to know more. The ending was a bit of a cliff hanger!
hedihenderika's review
3.0
While The Others Sleep is nothing i ever read before. I find it so strange i never heard about this book before i picked it up and even after i picked it up i haven't heard anything about it. I found this book at a Discound book event and i found it interesting.. so i gave it a go. While The Others Sleep it so different then any other Young Adult/Middle grade book i have read. And i say that in a good way!
When i read the blurb of this book and saw the creepy cover matching its blurb i was immediately intrigued. I have a secret thing for creepy stories, even though i can't watch a horror movie. Plus the fact that is was centerd in the 19th century and in a old sanatorium... it made me want to read it ASAP. The setting of a Victorian sanatorium filled with lots of troubled children was both captivating and slightly scary. It was written so captivating and creepy, it literally gave me a nightmare when i read the first few chapters (can't say it was really because of the book though). The fact that the book wasn't so much a historical fiction but rather a thriller/horror made it better in a way. You weren't distracted by al the historical facts and you were more focussed on the story.
I really enjoyed the characters and the way the book was going with the story. The book took a really creative way with handeling the mental disorders, which i found really nice. It made you feel you were inside their heads at some point and you kind of got a inside look at what it felt like having a mental illness. Though there were some flaws with the story, like some stuff was a bit to childiss for me. Like the monster aspect of the story but later on you coulnd't picture the story without them. There are several strong characters, though I didn't feel particularly enamoured to any of them. The two characters that I was most interested in were Alfie, the protagonist, and his friend Selena. I liked Alfie, although i coulnd't connect with him al the time. Sometimes he felt like a really old man to me and the next second he was a teenage boy. I am quite torn about the revelation towards the end of the book, the 'twist', which is why I haven't given this book a higher rating. Though it was a good idea and clever on the author's part, I think that it made the rest of the book feel a bit underwhelming and as though we didn't truly get a good idea of Alfie. The ending of the story offers more action and a faster pace than the rest of the book and I'm sure it will to appeal to many.
Overall, I found While The Others Sleep to be a very well written book and also a refreshing, non-stereotypical approach to the young adult genre. If you are into horror and historical settings give this one a try, you won't regret it!
When i read the blurb of this book and saw the creepy cover matching its blurb i was immediately intrigued. I have a secret thing for creepy stories, even though i can't watch a horror movie. Plus the fact that is was centerd in the 19th century and in a old sanatorium... it made me want to read it ASAP. The setting of a Victorian sanatorium filled with lots of troubled children was both captivating and slightly scary. It was written so captivating and creepy, it literally gave me a nightmare when i read the first few chapters (can't say it was really because of the book though). The fact that the book wasn't so much a historical fiction but rather a thriller/horror made it better in a way. You weren't distracted by al the historical facts and you were more focussed on the story.
I really enjoyed the characters and the way the book was going with the story. The book took a really creative way with handeling the mental disorders, which i found really nice. It made you feel you were inside their heads at some point and you kind of got a inside look at what it felt like having a mental illness. Though there were some flaws with the story, like some stuff was a bit to childiss for me. Like the monster aspect of the story but later on you coulnd't picture the story without them. There are several strong characters, though I didn't feel particularly enamoured to any of them. The two characters that I was most interested in were Alfie, the protagonist, and his friend Selena. I liked Alfie, although i coulnd't connect with him al the time. Sometimes he felt like a really old man to me and the next second he was a teenage boy. I am quite torn about the revelation towards the end of the book, the 'twist', which is why I haven't given this book a higher rating. Though it was a good idea and clever on the author's part, I think that it made the rest of the book feel a bit underwhelming and as though we didn't truly get a good idea of Alfie. The ending of the story offers more action and a faster pace than the rest of the book and I'm sure it will to appeal to many.
Overall, I found While The Others Sleep to be a very well written book and also a refreshing, non-stereotypical approach to the young adult genre. If you are into horror and historical settings give this one a try, you won't regret it!
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