Review Detail

SLEEP LIKE DEATH is a re-imagining of Snow White geared towards young adults. Eve, our main character, has been trained all her life to take down the Knight, a sorcerer that haunts her mother’s kingdom. When the Knight’s messenger appears, she begins to uncover the secrets and truths that have been hidden away from her.

What I Loved:
This story took the original tale of Snow White and made it so much more than that! There are remnants of the original story in the book, but the book takes on new twists and turns. It suited the world that the author had crafted. Especially towards the end when Eve has a discussion with some other characters.

The emotional writing in this book was very well-written. Eve is a newly 17-year-old who is dealing with a lot of turbulence in her life. The author encompasses that very well in the emotional turmoil that Eve is constantly finding herself in. As a character Eve is often guided by her heart, but that makes sense with the circumstances she’s been raised under. We don’t change POV’s, but the author also manages to express the emotions of the other characters in the book as well. You can feel the grief and anger that they are experiencing.

The action scenes in this book were exciting and gripping. You can feel Eve’s skills as she fights, but you can also see her weaknesses as well. The scenes are often fast-paced and don’t linger for longer than expected. But the action is full of details, both magical and not, that draw the reader into the action.

The characters in this book, from Eve to the Knight, all felt three-dimensional. Everyone was given layers and depth to their story. They never felt like a character, rather like people that existed in Queens Bridge and the surrounding areas. During the book, most of them acted in a way that fit the personality they had been given.

What Left Me Wanting More:
I mentioned Bayron’s writing when I discussed the emotions and fantasy elements of the book. I do want to acknowledge that the writing didn’t always connect with me as a reader. At times it felt simplistic and strange. Some of the strangeness is likely due to reading an advance copy of the book, so I don’t hold that against the book. The simplistic writing was a bit off-putting though. The beginning of the story was the prime example of this. It just felt out-of-sync with some of the other writing in the book. It might have been what allowed for the fantastical elements to shine though. Plus, I’m sure some readers may not have the same issue I did.

The romance was the other thing that left me wanting more. I didn’t find it to be well-balanced. Rather it felt like to came from nowhere. Once the mutual attraction was established, I thought it flowed well and made sense, but the initial interest didn’t make sense within the story.

Final Verdict:
The fantastical and emotional elements of SLEEP LIKE DEATH allowed it to feel like a fresh story while certain elements also allowed for it to feel like a reimagining. The result was a story that felt both familiar and new at the same time. Some of the story beats matched that from the original tale, but the new beats were exciting and fascinating. The author’s writing style works well with a young adult novel. She handles some of the darker elements in the story well, while also not allowing the story to get too dark. It’s a pleasant balance that lets readers get truly drawn into the story.

Full of fantastical elements and an engaging plot, SLEEP LIKE DEATH is a fresh new take on a classic tale.