Review Detail
4.0 5
Young Adult Fiction
219
This one will keep you up reading...
(Updated: June 06, 2026)
Overall rating
4.0
Plot
4.0
Characters
N/A
Writing Style
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
N/A
Reader reviewed by Justine
I was excited about Cyn Balog's novel Sleepless right from the beginning because of the fresh, fabulous-sounding premise, and I'm happy to say that it does not disappoint!
I was excited about Cyn Balog's novel Sleepless right from the beginning because of the fresh, fabulous-sounding premise, and I'm happy to say that it does not disappoint!
Eron
DeMarchelle is a Sandman - yes, the kind that sprinkle sand into your
eyes so you'll go to sleep. He's been at the job for almost a hundred
years - ever since he died young in another century - and he's very
close to becoming human again. All Eron needs is to train a replacement
Sandman before his hundred-year anniversary.
DeMarchelle is a Sandman - yes, the kind that sprinkle sand into your
eyes so you'll go to sleep. He's been at the job for almost a hundred
years - ever since he died young in another century - and he's very
close to becoming human again. All Eron needs is to train a replacement
Sandman before his hundred-year anniversary.
Julia's
a girl with a tragic past: she never talks about the incident that left
her with scars on her face when she was seven years old. Trouble is,
she's got an equally tragic present: her boyfriend Griffin just died in
a car crash, and his best friend Bret now seems to want more from Julia
than she cares to give.
a girl with a tragic past: she never talks about the incident that left
her with scars on her face when she was seven years old. Trouble is,
she's got an equally tragic present: her boyfriend Griffin just died in
a car crash, and his best friend Bret now seems to want more from Julia
than she cares to give.
The
catch? Julia is Eron's favorite charge, and one that he's become a
little more attached to than a Sandman ever should. And the apprentice
Sandman who's going to be taking over for Eron? None other than Julia's
recently deceased boyfriend...
The narrative alternates between Eron and Julia's perspectives in a
style that really works for this book. Both Eron's and Julia's voices
are true to the times they were raised in - Eron's is decidedly
old-fashioned, and Julia's very much 21st-century. The characters Cyn
Balog creates are delightful, multi-faceted personalities (with the
possible exceptions of Bret and Griffin, who, let's face it, the reader
isn't really intended to like.)
I enjoyed Eron's voice right away; it was such a refreshing change from
the modern viewpoint of Julia. True, he's a bit opinionated and
stuck-up sometimes, but he really does care a great deal for Julia as
well as his other charges, and his chivalrous attitude stands out in
stark contrast with Griffin's crude manners. Also, I loved seeing him
react to the modern world and all its conveniences for the first time!
Julia's character, on the other hand, it took me longer to warm up to,
although eventually I did. I found her somewhat irritating at the
beginning, mostly because I didn't understand why she would want to
date a guy like Griffin to begin with (who seemed like a jerk!) But
once we get a little more background to her story and what has shaped
her outlook on life, it makes more sense. Her personality is gradually
fleshed out through her interactions with her mother, Bret, and Eron,
and it's great to see her realizing that what Griffin once offered her
she doesn't want or need anymore.
The mystery of Julia's past added another angle to the story that kept
me reading, although I think it was dragged out a bit too long before
the truth was revealed. Still, as a hook it definitely worked! Suspense
was also added in the form of a love...pentagon? Griffin's still in
love with Julia, but so is his best friend Bret; Julia's not really
sure who she's in love with; Eron knows exactly who he cares for but
for him it's forbidden. Add to this Chimere, one of the Original
Sleepbringers (who was never human) who seems to be making a play for
both Eron and Griffin, and you have quite a tangled web of romance.
I really liked seeing the world of the Sandmen the author creates; it
brings to life the Sandman folklore and makes it a good deal more
complex. The Sleepbringers have certain talents (for instance, speaking
through dreams and turning invisible) and also certain rules they must
follow (no touching humans or human objects). If I have one complaint
about this it's that I'd like to better understand how the Sandman's
presence in dreams works. Why Julia didn't recognize Eron the first
time she saw him, given that later she remembers he's the one who took
her places in her dreams? Also, how does Eron manage to wake Julia up
when Griffin's her Sandman and Eron is human?
The more serious concern I have is the ending, which was just a bit too
pat for believability. The romances are all straightened out with
amazingly little difficulty (considering how complicated everything
was) and Julia's past is not explained fully enough for my taste. Then
everything wraps up really quickly - abruptly, in fact - without even
mentioning what happens to one of the relatively important characters.
It felt a bit like the author needed to finish it all of a sudden to
meet a deadline! Some more resolution tying the loose threads together
- preferably with Julia's history - would have been greatly appreciated.
Overall, though, this is a fantastic addition to the YA fantasy genre
because it is such an intriguing concept. Sandmen have never been done
before as far as I know, but Cyn Balog's book could certainly spark
some more on the topic!
catch? Julia is Eron's favorite charge, and one that he's become a
little more attached to than a Sandman ever should. And the apprentice
Sandman who's going to be taking over for Eron? None other than Julia's
recently deceased boyfriend...
The narrative alternates between Eron and Julia's perspectives in a
style that really works for this book. Both Eron's and Julia's voices
are true to the times they were raised in - Eron's is decidedly
old-fashioned, and Julia's very much 21st-century. The characters Cyn
Balog creates are delightful, multi-faceted personalities (with the
possible exceptions of Bret and Griffin, who, let's face it, the reader
isn't really intended to like.)
I enjoyed Eron's voice right away; it was such a refreshing change from
the modern viewpoint of Julia. True, he's a bit opinionated and
stuck-up sometimes, but he really does care a great deal for Julia as
well as his other charges, and his chivalrous attitude stands out in
stark contrast with Griffin's crude manners. Also, I loved seeing him
react to the modern world and all its conveniences for the first time!
Julia's character, on the other hand, it took me longer to warm up to,
although eventually I did. I found her somewhat irritating at the
beginning, mostly because I didn't understand why she would want to
date a guy like Griffin to begin with (who seemed like a jerk!) But
once we get a little more background to her story and what has shaped
her outlook on life, it makes more sense. Her personality is gradually
fleshed out through her interactions with her mother, Bret, and Eron,
and it's great to see her realizing that what Griffin once offered her
she doesn't want or need anymore.
The mystery of Julia's past added another angle to the story that kept
me reading, although I think it was dragged out a bit too long before
the truth was revealed. Still, as a hook it definitely worked! Suspense
was also added in the form of a love...pentagon? Griffin's still in
love with Julia, but so is his best friend Bret; Julia's not really
sure who she's in love with; Eron knows exactly who he cares for but
for him it's forbidden. Add to this Chimere, one of the Original
Sleepbringers (who was never human) who seems to be making a play for
both Eron and Griffin, and you have quite a tangled web of romance.
I really liked seeing the world of the Sandmen the author creates; it
brings to life the Sandman folklore and makes it a good deal more
complex. The Sleepbringers have certain talents (for instance, speaking
through dreams and turning invisible) and also certain rules they must
follow (no touching humans or human objects). If I have one complaint
about this it's that I'd like to better understand how the Sandman's
presence in dreams works. Why Julia didn't recognize Eron the first
time she saw him, given that later she remembers he's the one who took
her places in her dreams? Also, how does Eron manage to wake Julia up
when Griffin's her Sandman and Eron is human?
The more serious concern I have is the ending, which was just a bit too
pat for believability. The romances are all straightened out with
amazingly little difficulty (considering how complicated everything
was) and Julia's past is not explained fully enough for my taste. Then
everything wraps up really quickly - abruptly, in fact - without even
mentioning what happens to one of the relatively important characters.
It felt a bit like the author needed to finish it all of a sudden to
meet a deadline! Some more resolution tying the loose threads together
- preferably with Julia's history - would have been greatly appreciated.
Overall, though, this is a fantastic addition to the YA fantasy genre
because it is such an intriguing concept. Sandmen have never been done
before as far as I know, but Cyn Balog's book could certainly spark
some more on the topic!
G
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