A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

Release Date: August 9, 2011
Publisher: Candlewick
Pages: 352
Series: n/a
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
Rosalinda Fitzroy has been asleep for sixty-two years when she is woken by a kiss.

Locked away in the chemically induced slumber of a stasis tube in a forgotten sub-basement, sixteen-year-old Rose slept straight through the Dark Times that killed millions and utterly changed the world she knew. Now her parents and her first love are long dead, and Rose -- hailed upon her awakening as the long-lost heir to an interplanetary empire -- is thrust alone into a future in which she is viewed as either a freak or a threat.

Desperate to put the past behind her and adapt to her new world, Rose finds herself drawn to the boy who kissed her awake, hoping that he can help her to start fresh. But when a deadly danger jeopardizes her fragile new existance, Rose must face the ghosts of her past with open eyes -- or be left without any future at all

My Thoughts:
‘A Long, Long Sleep’ is a book that I would describe as light science fiction. It takes place in the future, but there aren’t too many technical details at all. In a very loose sense this is a Sleeping Beauty story that is set within a dystopian-lite society. I describe it this way because the society is actually more Utopian on the outside, but there are sinister undertones to the whole plot.

I was totally drawn in by the plot of this story. You could tell that bad things were going to happen, but you could only unwind these horrific details bit by bit. While some of the story was quite predictable, there were enough twists to keep me guessing. The quieter narrative parts of the story worked for me: I found them compelling enough, but I also enjoyed the few action sequences, because they kept things fresh.

Rose wasn’t necessarily a character that I connected with, but it worked somehow. I still cared about her and desperately wanted the sorrow in her life to end. This novel set a certain mood for me that I felt drawn into, and it kept me coming back to see how everything would work out. The ending felt a bit ambiguous to me, but that’s because I like things all wrapped up. Most plot points do get wrapped up, and there is definitely a sense of completion. I definitely enjoyed this book and I would recommend it particularly for readers of contemporary YA, as the story is more about Rose’s internal struggles with loss and identity than it is about the futuristic setting.

The Cover: It's pretty! I bet it looks better in person.

Rating:
[4/5]

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