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lmurray43's review against another edition
5.0
Love Stephen King and I have to say that this book was unique and that is what kept me wanting to read more. There is no actual boogie man so to speak and you have to keep reading to find out what is happening with the women of the world.
I’d recommend this book to any Stephen King fan.
I’d recommend this book to any Stephen King fan.
buuee's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Alcohol, and Blood
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt
angus_mckeogh's review against another edition
3.0
Got off to a rip roaring start. Crazy and engaging premise. But it was long and at times just seemed to meander as if the authors had exhausted their ideas. Then as it approaches the end it seemed to slowly grind to a halt. Not terrible, maybe just a bit better than merely okay, but certainly not amazing.
emily_m_green's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
In Sleeping Beauties, a collaboration between Stephen and Owen King, a powerful feminine force has created an epidemic in which women form a cocoon around themselves when they fall asleep. Once they form the cocoon, they don’t wake up.
As women around the world fight to stay awake, the men do not know what to do. Some try to cut away the cocoon, which makes the women respond violently and to often kill the male who woke her up. In this epidemic, women are trying to stay awake by any means available and men are trying to find an answer to wake the women. Maybe, however, they don’t want to be woken up.
One of the themes of this book is the violent behavior of men. Men abuse, fight each other, harm animals. Women, however, work together and create new opportunities. While there is some violence amongst the women, it is rare. And while men do work together, it always brings violence, even when they’re getting along.
As an allegory, the book presents an extreme view of the cruel behavior of most men. The criticism of men within the book is frighteningly harsh. I am surprised by how extremely bad the men are painted. One of the focal points is a women’s penitentiary, and nearly every woman has been lead to incarceration as a result of being treated abominably by men.
The plot is interesting and while the characters are pretty flat, it is still fascinating to see where they lead and to learn the fate of the women—and the men. I just can’t wrap my head around the hard headedness of the male characters in this book.
Would I teach this book? Probably not. The starkly negative look at men’s behavior is so extreme that it would need to be discussed and I am not sure it could be explained in a satisfying way, even as an allegory. Discussing a gendered epidemic in our post Covid world would certainly spark conversation, especially since Sleeping Beauties was published pre-Covid.
wellreadintrovert's review against another edition
4.0
In the not too distant future, women and girls everywhere are falling asleep. Only, they aren't waking up again. Instead, they are being covered in a cocoon-like substance. When they are forcibly awakened or the gauze is disturbed they become crazed and violent. While the men are left behind to fend for themselves, the women are transported to a utopian world where everything is safe and calm. Except for Evie. Evie is the one women alive to be able to fall asleep and wake up as normal. But is Evie just a lucky one? Or is she a demon that needs to be slain?
Sleeping Beauties achieved a few things, for one, it feels like a deeply metaphorical and political read. It's hard not to miss the gender gaps, equality issues and struggles of the women involved here. The second thing, is this is a long winded but very necessary tale of horror needed for this generation. I have seen quite a lot of reviews mention the likeness to other King novels, and while yes, they are there. There is still a distinct enough difference that even seasons King fans shouldn't be too nervous about those similarities. My only gripe, is this probably could have been cut down - even by 50 pages. There was quite a lot of filler that could have been taken out without losing any of the story.
Definitely don't dive into this one first if you're a King virgin - but long time fans should find enough brilliance in this to enjoy it. Sleeping Beauties isn't your typical horror, though! So tread lightly if you prefer some of the classic King horror to the more Thriller/Horror's from recent years.
Sleeping Beauties achieved a few things, for one, it feels like a deeply metaphorical and political read. It's hard not to miss the gender gaps, equality issues and struggles of the women involved here. The second thing, is this is a long winded but very necessary tale of horror needed for this generation. I have seen quite a lot of reviews mention the likeness to other King novels, and while yes, they are there. There is still a distinct enough difference that even seasons King fans shouldn't be too nervous about those similarities. My only gripe, is this probably could have been cut down - even by 50 pages. There was quite a lot of filler that could have been taken out without losing any of the story.
Definitely don't dive into this one first if you're a King virgin - but long time fans should find enough brilliance in this to enjoy it. Sleeping Beauties isn't your typical horror, though! So tread lightly if you prefer some of the classic King horror to the more Thriller/Horror's from recent years.
hanssssmarie's review against another edition
it felt too dragged in and there were way too many characters to connect to
mbenzz's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 Stars...
It's been so many years since I've read a Stephen King book, and I had forgotten how good he is. My reading goal this year is to tackle the longest books on my TBR list, and this was the longest one I had at the start of this year.
I loved the beginning of this story. Definitely the first 50%. After that, though, I started to struggle. This book could EASILY have been shaved down by 200 or so pages and still have been just as good.
There are so many characters in this book that I had a hard time keeping track of who was who, so whenever someone would come to their inevitable gruesome end, I didn't really care because I had to sometimes reference the glossary of people at the front of the book to remember who they were.
As for Aurora, the sleeping sickness, it started out super cool, then sort of...petered out. The ending was pretty lackluster and unbelievable. I mean...why DOOLING, of all places? What made that place so special? I never understood.
Overall, though, I'm glad I read it. I heard it's going to be made into a TV series, and that's a show I would definitely watch. I think I need a little more Stephen King in my life. I'll have to rectify that this year.
It's been so many years since I've read a Stephen King book, and I had forgotten how good he is. My reading goal this year is to tackle the longest books on my TBR list, and this was the longest one I had at the start of this year.
I loved the beginning of this story. Definitely the first 50%. After that, though, I started to struggle. This book could EASILY have been shaved down by 200 or so pages and still have been just as good.
There are so many characters in this book that I had a hard time keeping track of who was who, so whenever someone would come to their inevitable gruesome end, I didn't really care because I had to sometimes reference the glossary of people at the front of the book to remember who they were.
As for Aurora, the sleeping sickness, it started out super cool, then sort of...petered out. The ending was pretty lackluster and unbelievable. I mean...why DOOLING, of all places? What made that place so special? I never understood.
Overall, though, I'm glad I read it. I heard it's going to be made into a TV series, and that's a show I would definitely watch. I think I need a little more Stephen King in my life. I'll have to rectify that this year.
emrodav's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 to 4 ⭐️
Mostly I liked it, especially how the huge cast of characters was handled, but it definitely lacked in explanations/resolution.
Longer review to come.
Mostly I liked it, especially how the huge cast of characters was handled, but it definitely lacked in explanations/resolution.
Longer review to come.