Sleepless by Cyn Balog

ISBN-13: 9780385738484
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: July 2010
224 pgs
Source: Library




In western folklore, it is believed that the Sandman will bring good dreams to people by sprinkling magical sand onto them while they sleep. In Sleepless, it tells a love story between the Sandman and a mortal girl.

Eron DeMarchelle is the Sandman; his mission is no doubt to seduce his charges to sleep. Like a spirit, the Sandmen could not be seen by the mortals but they have the ability to communicate with the mortals through their dreams, though they are encouraged not to do so as to prevent from getting too involved with them.

Julia has been put under Eron's charge ever since her birth. Eron had knew about the rules for not getting too close with his charges, but now that Julia has grown up to be an attractive young lady, he is afraid that he couldn't help but to succumb to the temptation of falling in love with her. After all, his role being a Sandman is going to expire soon once they have hit the hundred years.

Julia, on the other end, is feeling sad and lonely. Her boyfriend Griffin, had died in a car accident and she is not sure how she should feel towards his good friend, who had lately shown an interest in her. To add complexity to the story, Griffin would replace Eron's role once his expiry date is over but Eron is not sure about this arrangement since Griffin has a lot of angst in him. With trouble lurking around the corner, would Eron be able to protect Julia? And most of all, would they even have a happily ever after?

Told in an alternative narrative mode between Julia and Eron, Sleepless is simply a love story with a dose of mythical and suspense. What I liked about the book is the refreshing perspective of the Sandmen, in particularly to Eron as he is a charming yet intriguing figure. What most touches me is the feelings Eron has harboured for Julia for a long time, despite all their differences.

As much as I enjoyed the story, however I felt the characterisations are not fully developed. There are times that I wondered about the characters and wished I could understand them a little bit more (e.g. the relationship between Julia and Griffin as I could not feel there is much chemistry between them). All in all, it was an enjoyable read. It was good to read about the Sandman, Eron, from a new perspective, well at least in the eyes of this reader.