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Sleepless
Not yet published
Expected 7 Jul 26The story of five kids who are up all night every night... and desperate to find out why. There's not enough time in the day. How often have Mickey, Skye, Levi, Cyrus, and Thea thought that? Well, now they have plenty of extra time... because they no longer need to sleep. None of them know why this is happening to them. All they know is that they have to keep it a secret from their families and their friends. And while they keep it a secret, they can use their extra hours to become better than everyone else. Each of them thinks they're alone in their sleeplessness. But once they find each other, they know it can't be just an accident. Suddenly they're forced to address the root mystery - what's keeping them awake at night?
240 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication July 7, 2026
1 person is currently reading
51 people want to read
About the author
Gordon Korman
257 books4,477 followersGordon Korman is a Canadian author of children's and young adult fiction books. Korman's books have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide over a career spanning four decades and have appeared at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 11, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley and Scholastic Press for the arc!
This is the second Gordon Korman book I’ve read, and it doesn’t disappoint. My last read, Restart, centered on the question: what would you do if you woke up and realized you were a terrible person? How would you change? Can people change? In the frame of a traumatic head injury and severe amnesia, Korman guides readers through those questions, gently showing some of the philosophical implications associated.
This book centers on a different question, and one that has a more sci-fi feel: what would you do if you didn’t have to sleep? Through a mysterious set of allergy shots, five (eventually six) kids discover that they don’t need to sleep anymore. Again, Korman lightly brushes on the philosophical aspect here, but not necessarily in reference to the original question. The philosophical points focus more on medical ethics: informed consent, experimental research, patient self-determination and autonomy, acting in the patient’s best interest, do no harm, etc. (And, interestingly, a bit of Frankenstein: should man toy with nature? What happens when man plays God?)
These are big questions for middle grade readers, and I think Korman opens the discussion in an accessible manner that lets young readers tackle the questions for themselves. Classroom discussions would be extremely interesting! Could be a great foundation for persuasive writing.
There were minor mentions of two characters getting into a relationship, without any other elaboration. It sort of made me wish it wasn’t in there, because it felt unnecessary. Although I assume its intended use was to add another element of suspense and tension, the conflict that the characters anticipate doesn’t really pan out and left me feeling like the whole relationship could be cut without impacting the story at large.
I will admit that the pacing felt a little funny—the kids confront the “villain” quite early on—but not too egregious.
I also had a small quibble with the idea that one of the characters finds the best use of his extra hours to be posting excessively on social media, basically being a troll, with the goal of getting millions of followers. Although realistic, it clashes with the idea that the sleepless kids were chosen for the sleepless experiment because of their potential and productivity. I don’t think any adult would look at the social media activity of this kid and think, “huh. He’s really making a difference. We should give him endless hours of this.” Especially in light of all the revelations (lol, for lack of a better term) about the harm caused by social media, especially on young people, it’s a little tone deaf. It reads as aspirational, a worthy goal for someone to pursue, when we should really be encouraging kids to spend the majority of their time off of social media. If this kid was doing some kind of charity or advocacy work, it might (MIGHT) be different, but he’s not. He’s posting memes and trolling from four separate accounts. Consider me unimpressed.
Overall, this was well-written, suspenseful, intriguing, and entertaining. Asks good questions that students can really chew on. Would recommend (although if I had to guess, they would not spring for extra hours and no need to sleep! Would love it if they were productive like the kids in the book but that’s probably just a pipe dream 🤣).
This is the second Gordon Korman book I’ve read, and it doesn’t disappoint. My last read, Restart, centered on the question: what would you do if you woke up and realized you were a terrible person? How would you change? Can people change? In the frame of a traumatic head injury and severe amnesia, Korman guides readers through those questions, gently showing some of the philosophical implications associated.
This book centers on a different question, and one that has a more sci-fi feel: what would you do if you didn’t have to sleep? Through a mysterious set of allergy shots, five (eventually six) kids discover that they don’t need to sleep anymore. Again, Korman lightly brushes on the philosophical aspect here, but not necessarily in reference to the original question. The philosophical points focus more on medical ethics: informed consent, experimental research, patient self-determination and autonomy, acting in the patient’s best interest, do no harm, etc. (And, interestingly, a bit of Frankenstein: should man toy with nature? What happens when man plays God?)
These are big questions for middle grade readers, and I think Korman opens the discussion in an accessible manner that lets young readers tackle the questions for themselves. Classroom discussions would be extremely interesting! Could be a great foundation for persuasive writing.
There were minor mentions of two characters getting into a relationship, without any other elaboration. It sort of made me wish it wasn’t in there, because it felt unnecessary. Although I assume its intended use was to add another element of suspense and tension, the conflict that the characters anticipate doesn’t really pan out and left me feeling like the whole relationship could be cut without impacting the story at large.
I will admit that the pacing felt a little funny—the kids confront the “villain” quite early on—but not too egregious.
I also had a small quibble with the idea that one of the characters finds the best use of his extra hours to be posting excessively on social media, basically being a troll, with the goal of getting millions of followers. Although realistic, it clashes with the idea that the sleepless kids were chosen for the sleepless experiment because of their potential and productivity. I don’t think any adult would look at the social media activity of this kid and think, “huh. He’s really making a difference. We should give him endless hours of this.” Especially in light of all the revelations (lol, for lack of a better term) about the harm caused by social media, especially on young people, it’s a little tone deaf. It reads as aspirational, a worthy goal for someone to pursue, when we should really be encouraging kids to spend the majority of their time off of social media. If this kid was doing some kind of charity or advocacy work, it might (MIGHT) be different, but he’s not. He’s posting memes and trolling from four separate accounts. Consider me unimpressed.
Overall, this was well-written, suspenseful, intriguing, and entertaining. Asks good questions that students can really chew on. Would recommend (although if I had to guess, they would not spring for extra hours and no need to sleep! Would love it if they were productive like the kids in the book but that’s probably just a pipe dream 🤣).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
What worked:
This plot answers the question, “What if there were more hours in a day?” The characters not only don’t need sleep; they never get tired. It’s interesting to consider their five different viewpoints, as they’re presented in alternating chapters. Mickey is tired of being bullied at school, so he starts running and lifting weights at three o’clock in the morning. Levi likes to make posts on social media, so he creates multiple personas for different time zones around the world. Skye is already an outstanding student, but she uses her extra time to expand her learning and develop impressive projects. Cyrus uses the night hours to create new inventions, and he starts by trying to perfect his family’s toaster.
Readers will notice that the characters all use the same allergist before they do. This revelation leads to the main conflict in the plot. Most of the characters don’t view sleeplessness as a problem, but one of them thinks it’s cheating. Her position reminds readers that there are always multiple ways to view a situation. The characters eventually discover there are other sleepless kids, and it’s a relief to share their experiences and feelings. They eventually get together to question Dr. Malachi about how this happened, but his answers aren’t what they expect.
Readers who enjoy Gordan Korman books may enjoy the story’s mysterious twist. Sleeplessness is treated as a huge secret, so the kids don’t tell their parents or friends. The early chapters will have readers wondering how it happened, but the answer may be more troubling. Then, they begin to notice clues indicating someone else knows about their secret. Who is this person, and what do they want? Is it a stalker out to harm them? Again, the answer only creates more questions.
What didn’t work as well:
A conflict involving Mickey and Skye develops, and its resolution comes out of the blue. Even Mickey is shocked when it happens. Even though it seems plausible, it feels like a step is missing from the process.
The final verdict:
Fans of the author will be pleased, and the alternating chapters sharing the characters’ five points of view provide a familiar format. I recommend all readers give it a shot.
This plot answers the question, “What if there were more hours in a day?” The characters not only don’t need sleep; they never get tired. It’s interesting to consider their five different viewpoints, as they’re presented in alternating chapters. Mickey is tired of being bullied at school, so he starts running and lifting weights at three o’clock in the morning. Levi likes to make posts on social media, so he creates multiple personas for different time zones around the world. Skye is already an outstanding student, but she uses her extra time to expand her learning and develop impressive projects. Cyrus uses the night hours to create new inventions, and he starts by trying to perfect his family’s toaster.
Readers will notice that the characters all use the same allergist before they do. This revelation leads to the main conflict in the plot. Most of the characters don’t view sleeplessness as a problem, but one of them thinks it’s cheating. Her position reminds readers that there are always multiple ways to view a situation. The characters eventually discover there are other sleepless kids, and it’s a relief to share their experiences and feelings. They eventually get together to question Dr. Malachi about how this happened, but his answers aren’t what they expect.
Readers who enjoy Gordan Korman books may enjoy the story’s mysterious twist. Sleeplessness is treated as a huge secret, so the kids don’t tell their parents or friends. The early chapters will have readers wondering how it happened, but the answer may be more troubling. Then, they begin to notice clues indicating someone else knows about their secret. Who is this person, and what do they want? Is it a stalker out to harm them? Again, the answer only creates more questions.
What didn’t work as well:
A conflict involving Mickey and Skye develops, and its resolution comes out of the blue. Even Mickey is shocked when it happens. Even though it seems plausible, it feels like a step is missing from the process.
The final verdict:
Fans of the author will be pleased, and the alternating chapters sharing the characters’ five points of view provide a familiar format. I recommend all readers give it a shot.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
In "Sleepless," Gordon Korman introduces five kids who suddenly discover they no longer need to sleep, initially using the extra time to get ahead in life. However, what feels like a superpower quickly turns into a dark mystery as the group realizes they are part of something much larger and more dangerous.
January 31, 2026
That was great. Well told story, fun characters, satisfying resolution. Your Gordon Korman fans are going to love it!
February 18, 2026
While I'm a huge fan of Gordon Korman, "Sleepless" was not one of my favorites. I was somewhat uneasy with the concept of a doctor performing unauthorized and secret experiments on kids and not involving the parents at any point in the kids' investigation. It just felt weird, but I'm a teacher, parent, and older woman.... I also wish some more context had been given regarding insomnia and the importance of sleep as a counter argument. There was also no resolution for the issue that the kids were being treated for allergies and respiratory issues and hadn't really been given aid. by their doctor. It presented an off-putting feeling about the medical industry.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews