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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
I honestly have to say that this book was pretty good. When I started reading it I wasn't entirely sure. It was like a sci-fi version of Sleeping Beauty and, I have to say, I'm impressed. Although I do feel like something with the characters were off, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also felt like the story didn't need to take so long. I read it in just two days and it ended on a pretty light note. (After the twist at the end that I still can't quite fathom.) It let you come up with your own 'fairy-tale' ending for Rose.
3.5 stars
A Long, Long Sleep, I don't know how to feel about you. I feel like we maybe got off on the wrong foot, because I was expecting to be blown away by your awesomeness. With the promise of a sci-fi fairytale retelling, my mind screamed, "CINDER! MORE OF THAT OMG YES PLEASE!" But you're not like that at all. You're much more subtle and laid back.
Rose, our Sleeping Beauty, wasn't the easiest character to connect to. We didn't get off to a good start. She was rather bland and sheltered, and I just wished that she would get up and be awesome and kick ass. Well... that's not who she is. I set my standards a bit high for female characters nowadays, so that was a bit disappointing. Rose has massively low self-esteem, puts herself down constantly, and frequently runs away when things get too hard or complicated. At this point, I thought, "Why in the world did everyone like this so much? Ugh." But then, later on in the book, there was a rather big reveal and plot twist about her back story and... oh god guys. Though I didn't feel anything for her before that, I couldn't help but sympathize. But though I sympathized with her, I still didn't feel a big connection to her. While I understood why she was the way she was, I still wished for a bit... more. Maybe I needed to see more character growth from her.
While I definitely liked the sci-fi elements and how the world had developed while Rose was in stasis, I felt like the world building barely scratched the surface. It just wasn't fleshed out well enough for me to truly love it. There was so much potential there, and I really wanted to know more about devices, technologies, the government, everything... and it was briefly touched on, but not enough for me.
Also, with the label of fairytale retelling, I kind of expected more from the romance. With the flashbacks and dreams, I did love the story that formed around Rose and Xavier. However, that relationship already ended so... yeah. Bren was weird to me, but I kind of like the growth that Rose goes through in confronting her feelings for him. Otto was absolutely adorable. I need more Otto in my life. But I just expected a way different romance - in that I actually expected there to be a romance. But there wasn't... not really. This book has thrown me for a loop, and I just don't know what to feel about it.
Summing Up:
While I definitely liked this book and it was a great reading adventure, I can't help but feel a bit disappointed, if only because my expectations were sky high. It's not bad, I mean, 3.5 oranges - that's a good rating, come on, but it didn't wow me. That being said, I do feel like if I hadn't expected it to blow my mind and be like the Lunar Chronicles series, I would have liked it better. I entered this book with so many misconceptions and incorrect expectations, and my reading experience definitely suffered from it. So I may reread it sometime. I definitely think it's worth another shot. And for what it's worth, Anna Sheehan's writing is definitely great.
GIF it to me straight!
Recommended To:
Fans of sci-fi and fairytale retellings.
A Long, Long Sleep, I don't know how to feel about you. I feel like we maybe got off on the wrong foot, because I was expecting to be blown away by your awesomeness. With the promise of a sci-fi fairytale retelling, my mind screamed, "CINDER! MORE OF THAT OMG YES PLEASE!" But you're not like that at all. You're much more subtle and laid back.
Rose, our Sleeping Beauty, wasn't the easiest character to connect to. We didn't get off to a good start. She was rather bland and sheltered, and I just wished that she would get up and be awesome and kick ass. Well... that's not who she is. I set my standards a bit high for female characters nowadays, so that was a bit disappointing. Rose has massively low self-esteem, puts herself down constantly, and frequently runs away when things get too hard or complicated. At this point, I thought, "Why in the world did everyone like this so much? Ugh." But then, later on in the book, there was a rather big reveal and plot twist about her back story and... oh god guys. Though I didn't feel anything for her before that, I couldn't help but sympathize. But though I sympathized with her, I still didn't feel a big connection to her. While I understood why she was the way she was, I still wished for a bit... more. Maybe I needed to see more character growth from her.
While I definitely liked the sci-fi elements and how the world had developed while Rose was in stasis, I felt like the world building barely scratched the surface. It just wasn't fleshed out well enough for me to truly love it. There was so much potential there, and I really wanted to know more about devices, technologies, the government, everything... and it was briefly touched on, but not enough for me.
Also, with the label of fairytale retelling, I kind of expected more from the romance. With the flashbacks and dreams, I did love the story that formed around Rose and Xavier. However, that relationship already ended so... yeah. Bren was weird to me, but I kind of like the growth that Rose goes through in confronting her feelings for him. Otto was absolutely adorable. I need more Otto in my life. But I just expected a way different romance - in that I actually expected there to be a romance. But there wasn't... not really. This book has thrown me for a loop, and I just don't know what to feel about it.
Summing Up:
While I definitely liked this book and it was a great reading adventure, I can't help but feel a bit disappointed, if only because my expectations were sky high. It's not bad, I mean, 3.5 oranges - that's a good rating, come on, but it didn't wow me. That being said, I do feel like if I hadn't expected it to blow my mind and be like the Lunar Chronicles series, I would have liked it better. I entered this book with so many misconceptions and incorrect expectations, and my reading experience definitely suffered from it. So I may reread it sometime. I definitely think it's worth another shot. And for what it's worth, Anna Sheehan's writing is definitely great.
GIF it to me straight!
Recommended To:
Fans of sci-fi and fairytale retellings.
***SPOILER ALERT***
First, i'd like to point out that it takes A LOT for me to rate a book 5 stars. It has to be good in every aspect, (including plot, characters, setting, etc..) I also would like to share that i read this all in one sitting, because I COULD NOT put it down.
Goodread's description of this book does it no justice. It comes across as a warped version of Sleeping Beauty, which immediately made me think it wouldn't be that good, but I gave it a try.
And it was GOOD. I loved how Anne Sheehan revealed huge details about Rose's life and how Xavier was there all along throughout the book, which made it constantly exciting to read. I also LOVED Otto. He was such an interesting character, and the parts of the book I loved most were Rose and Otto's (IM?) chat conversations, because they revealed so much about the two characters.
Another thing I loved? Everything was so unpredictable. Another? The writing style was brilliant.
So I rate it 5/5, because I loved it so much, and I hope there'll be a sequel!
First, i'd like to point out that it takes A LOT for me to rate a book 5 stars. It has to be good in every aspect, (including plot, characters, setting, etc..) I also would like to share that i read this all in one sitting, because I COULD NOT put it down.
Goodread's description of this book does it no justice. It comes across as a warped version of Sleeping Beauty, which immediately made me think it wouldn't be that good, but I gave it a try.
And it was GOOD. I loved how Anne Sheehan revealed huge details about Rose's life and how Xavier was there all along throughout the book, which made it constantly exciting to read. I also LOVED Otto. He was such an interesting character, and the parts of the book I loved most were Rose and Otto's (IM?) chat conversations, because they revealed so much about the two characters.
Another thing I loved? Everything was so unpredictable. Another? The writing style was brilliant.
So I rate it 5/5, because I loved it so much, and I hope there'll be a sequel!
I bought the Kindle version of this book when it was cheap, and it took me a long time to get into it. It was slow going at the beginning, but eventually picked up, and I very much enjoyed it as a whole. The story is a Sleeping Beauty retelling, with the main character Rose waking up after decades in 'stasis.' The whole world has obviously changed, going through a dark period when many people died, and Rose is the heir to what is now a massive interplanetary corporation. All of a sudden, Rose is thrown back into living, and then somebody is trying to kill her!
Fairy tale retellings are some of my favorite types of stories. And who can resist a book set in the future, with science fiction and dystopian elements? (In case it is not obvious, not me.) So when I sat down to read this book, I was very excited.
I got less so as I started. The story starts out slow, and I could not get into it at all. Rose, the main character, was dull, I didn't like any of the characters surrounding her, the world building seemed mediocre, and the danger to Rose was slow in coming. Luckily, it got better. I forced myself to keep reading, and I was definitely rewarded. The book picks up after a certain point, and I went from being way unengaged to not able to put it down levels of interest.
As you read, you discover why Rose seems dull, and the characters around her are fleshed out to people you want to learn more about. The level of intrigue grows, until you find out who would want to kill Rose, and why, and it turns out to be something you never would have guessed. Rose grows a lot as a character, and as you learn more about her, she makes sense and it is gratifying to watch her change. Her growth is clearly the focus of the book.
I also liked that this book is a single book, and not a first in a series. While it leaves open the possibility for more, it has a satisfying ending, with the story line tied up, not in a too perfect way, but in a realistic, doesn't leave any huge burning questions way.
A Long, Long Sleep is definitely worth the time, and a fun read. I would recommend it if you like young adult fiction and books with awesome characters.
Fairy tale retellings are some of my favorite types of stories. And who can resist a book set in the future, with science fiction and dystopian elements? (In case it is not obvious, not me.) So when I sat down to read this book, I was very excited.
I got less so as I started. The story starts out slow, and I could not get into it at all. Rose, the main character, was dull, I didn't like any of the characters surrounding her, the world building seemed mediocre, and the danger to Rose was slow in coming. Luckily, it got better. I forced myself to keep reading, and I was definitely rewarded. The book picks up after a certain point, and I went from being way unengaged to not able to put it down levels of interest.
As you read, you discover why Rose seems dull, and the characters around her are fleshed out to people you want to learn more about. The level of intrigue grows, until you find out who would want to kill Rose, and why, and it turns out to be something you never would have guessed. Rose grows a lot as a character, and as you learn more about her, she makes sense and it is gratifying to watch her change. Her growth is clearly the focus of the book.
I also liked that this book is a single book, and not a first in a series. While it leaves open the possibility for more, it has a satisfying ending, with the story line tied up, not in a too perfect way, but in a realistic, doesn't leave any huge burning questions way.
A Long, Long Sleep is definitely worth the time, and a fun read. I would recommend it if you like young adult fiction and books with awesome characters.
A twisted fairy tale in which Rose wakes up from a frozen sleep of 60+ years to discover half the world’s population has been decimated by disease, her parents and her boyfriend are dead, and she’s being hunted by someone or something who wants her dead. I gobbled up this book. Rose is a fascinating character, and we see her grow from a scared girl who only wants the relief of her stass tube to a young woman willing to fight for her new life. I don’t usually like flashbacks, but I thought they were handled beautifully here. I loved that Rose says she’s not smart, that she’s too high-strung, that she’s worthless–and we see that none of that’s true, but we gradually come to understand why she feels that way. I loved all three boys: Xavier, her best friend/ex; Bren, her savior and current crush; and Otto, her fascinating, alien new friend. Also, without spoilers: I loved that the ending isn’t a HEA sort of thing, that Rose is still figuring things out. Highly, highly recommend! I’ll give away a copy on the blog when it comes out for sure.
Can I give a book 6 stars? Please?
This book was amazing! It was so thought provoking! If you haven't read this book - do it!
This book was amazing! It was so thought provoking! If you haven't read this book - do it!
I literally read this book three times in two days...it was amazing. I will admit that I usually am not one to read romance novels, but this onne was fantastico. It was so raw and emotional and made me want more! The characters were amazing too (I love Otto most) and made for a great read. Keep writing Anna Sheehan!
**PLEASE NOTE- this story made me cry, and few books do that to me. It's fantastic :)
**PLEASE NOTE- this story made me cry, and few books do that to me. It's fantastic :)
I absolutely loved the concept behind this story, like a futuristic and dark retelling of Sleeping Beauty with a twist. I don't think an exact year is ever given, although at one point I believe there is mention of 2087 and it seems like that was in the past.
I liked Rose, she was troubled and misunderstood by her parents who basically wanted a plaything and not a child. They had no qualms about putting her in stasis just because they were going on holiday or working away. Stasis is like a hyper sleep kind of deal, you go in and get chemically induced to sleep but while you're in there, you don't age or anything. So with Rose being put into stasis so often, she watched others around her grow up while she remained a child.
She awakes in the future and everyone she knew is dead. People believed she had died years ago and now that she's back, she has a lot to learn and a lot to do to try and assimilate into this new time.
I really hope there's more to follow and, judging by certain events in the book, there might just be. If the author hasn't started on a sequel yet, I think she should. I believe A Long, Long Sleep will be a hit with the YA crowd and could definitely do with becoming a series.
I liked Rose, she was troubled and misunderstood by her parents who basically wanted a plaything and not a child. They had no qualms about putting her in stasis just because they were going on holiday or working away. Stasis is like a hyper sleep kind of deal, you go in and get chemically induced to sleep but while you're in there, you don't age or anything. So with Rose being put into stasis so often, she watched others around her grow up while she remained a child.
She awakes in the future and everyone she knew is dead. People believed she had died years ago and now that she's back, she has a lot to learn and a lot to do to try and assimilate into this new time.
I really hope there's more to follow and, judging by certain events in the book, there might just be. If the author hasn't started on a sequel yet, I think she should. I believe A Long, Long Sleep will be a hit with the YA crowd and could definitely do with becoming a series.
I'm still not quite sure what to think of this book. It's so unlike all the current dystopias out there that it's refreshing, but it's hard to come to that conclusion when it's also so creepy and disturbing--but in a good way, like Sheehan did an excellent job of both world building and literary development. There were a couple loose ends, but all in all, without giving you spoilers, I have to say that this is a really fresh take on fairy tale retellings and YA scifi, and that is sorely, sorely needed. It's slow to make you invested in the story and characters, but when you get there, it's really fascinating how Sheehan used fairy tales and sci fi as a platform for so many interesting and seemingly disparate things, like self esteem and child abuse (okay, actually not that disparate). I also love how unapologetic Sheehan and her protagonist, Rose, are regarding the various relationships Rose has with people. They're strange, not understandable to outsiders, neither totally platonic nor totally romantic, and as complex as real relationships are. That's another thing that is so, so rare to see in YA.
Got 50 pages in and gave up, as it was dull. Great concept, poor follow-through.