Sleeper

by MacKenzie Cadenhead

As if surviving high school wasn’t hard enough, Sarah Reyes suffers from REM Sleep Behavior Disorder, a parasomnia that causes her to physically act out her dreams. When she almost snaps her friend’s neck at a sleepover, Sarah and her nocturnal habits are thrust into the spotlight and she becomes a social pariah, complete with public humiliation.

When an experimental drug comes onto the market that promises nighttime normalcy, Sarah agrees to participate in the trial. At first, she seems to be cured. Then the side effects kick in. Why does a guy from her nightmare show up at school? Are the eerily similar dreams she’s sharing with her classmates’ coincidence or of her making? Is she losing her mind or does this drug offer way more than sleep?

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Fiction, Thriller, Paranormal

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2017

Reviews

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I received an advance copy of this book for free. Thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Fire and NetGalley.)

This was a YA story about a girl who acted out her dreams.

Sarah was an okay character, and I felt quite sorry for her the way she was bullied after nearly killing the school mean girl. She certainly showed that she wasn’t above revenge though when it came to getting her own back.

The storyline in this was about Sarah being involved in a trial of a new drug for her REM Sleep Behaviour Disorder, and discovering that this drug gave her the ability to take over other people’s bodies while they were asleep. It seemed to take a while for the book to really get going though, and it didn’t really hold my attention very well.

The ending to this was okay, but I had lost interest really by that point.



6 out of 10

[Samantha · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had a hard time with this book because I still can't quite figure out how I feel about the whole thing. Sleeper, while it had an interesting premise, fell flat on the delivery. I kept reading because of my sometimes ridiculous need to finish things even if I don't like them - simply to find out what happens at the end. While the book is chilling, suspenseful, and entertaining in the long run, I couldn't connect to the characters. Despite all of this, though, my biggest issue and the absolute reason that I will never recommend this book, is it's problematic representation of sexual assault.

There are two instances of sexual assault in this book, one where the main protagonist is the victim and another where some main characters in the book assault another character while under the control of drugs. Both instances occur while under the influence of the test drug Dexid, but then the assault is never mentioned again. The characters brush it off, and the whole thing is swept under the rug save for a few horrifying comments by another character named Josh (the guy who assaults Sarah while she is paralyzed) that the sleepers are basically zombies you can do anything to and they won't care. No mention of anything after that. There is no healing, no consequences, and no inkling that anything ever even happened to the character.

This book is the epitome of sexual assault as a plot device and plot filler, and it, for lack of a better word, is horrifying.

Now, beyond that, I think Sleeper could have been great. The violation of invading someone's body while they sleep was metaphor enough, but the literal "representation" of sexual assault that was then passed over in order to move the plot along has completely ruined this book for me. Perhaps if there had been additional commentary on the assaults committed, even an admission that they had actually happened - I might have felt differently. This book had such a great opportunity to highlight power imbalances and what it's like to be taken advantage of when vulnerable.  This book had a great opportunity to scrutinize what counts as an assault and why, what consent is, and how taking advantage of someone while they are unable to respond is still assault. This book could have been a powerful narrative, and perhaps that is what it tried to be. Instead, though, we were given victim erasure and a complete lack of any sort of feeling in regards to the attacks that took place in the book.

It's a shame, really.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the ebook ARC of Sleeper by MacKenzie Cadenhead.

“Sarah! “Stop!, You’re going to klll her!” a familiar female voice shrieks. Sarah has her hands locking firmly on Gigi’s chin and forehead, as she is about to snap her neck.
Sarah Reyes, a 17 year old girl who suffers from REM, which is a sleep behaviour disorder where she is physically acts out her vivid dreams while she is still asleep.
Sarah then agrees to a clinical trial using drug called Dexidnipam. At the beginning, everything seems to being going well and she seems to be cured, until she starts getting side effects. And then a guy from her nightmare shows up at her school.

I give this book 3 stars and would definitely recommend it to a friend. It was a good read. Its a suspense thriller. I would love for part 2 of Sleeper to be published.

[Tissy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a very discombobulated story and the amount of syllables in that word mirrors that of the sub-plots present.
It could have been such a good story but there were just too many things happening and not in the 'keep you on the edge of your seat' way but rather 'wtf is going on?'. Having said that each of the MANY sub-plots were interesting in isolation and maybe two of them would have worked well together but simultaneously and in one novel it become overloaded and ridiculous. It felt like maybe the book should have been split into a series where these events could have been developed and explained better rather than the rushed delivery you get.
The writing was ok but immature in places especially relating to the MCs which could have been fleshed out a little more so that the morality questions held more resonance.
I didn't end up finishing this book I really tried but my interest dwindled and by 78% I threw in the towel. Perhaps I'll come back to it at some point but for now we're on a indefinite break.

[Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sarah Reyes has a sleep disorder that makes her act out her dreams until she is given a chance to partake in a trial for an experimental drug that might help her. At first, all is well and the drug seems to work and then unexplained things start happening to Sarah that seem to indicate the drug was not a good idea.
I do enjoy the odd YA novel. Okay, I really like YA novels and this one seemed okay to me but I seemed to lose interest a bit at times and felt like the characters were a bit too flat. I did enjoy it enough to want to finish the book.

[Lesincele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me ha parecido sumamente original. El tema de los sueños y como lo trata ha sido lo que más interesante me ha resultado al igual que el tema de los calcinadores. Iba a darle 4 estrellas pero el final aunque me ha gustado, me ha parecido demasiado precipitado al igual que un giro que hay cerca del tramo final, que al ser tan rápido pues no me ha convencido del todo.

[Ruthsic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sleeper, or Adventures in Experimental Drug Trials as I like to call it, is a thriller with paranormal elements. Sarah has a sleeping disorder that causes her to act out her dreams, which can be preeeetttty dangerous for people around her. When an experimental drug is suggested by the clinic, she goes for it, and it seems to work, with the small caveat that now she is able to move in and out of a collective dream consciousness with ease. She meets another such dreamer, Wes, who has been through some tough times due to the illness, just like her. Together, they get high on their new relationship and the power associated with their drugs.

Now, the plot tackles the aspect of bullying head-on, with the story resting on a high-school vendetta gone wrong. Sarah is being bullied by her former best friend for attempting to strangle the latter during an episode, and when the opportunity presents to exact her vengeance, she doesn't wait for the dish to get cold. She and Wes jump into people's dreams and their bodies and violate their privacy and well, bodies. Sarah grows more and more hesitant as the plot furthers, because Wes starts to up the stakes every time and she realizes that she is a toxic relationship.

What the story doesn't completely address, though is sexual and physical assault. Sarah is almost raped by an ex, but she doesn't ever do anything about it. She instead focuses her attentions on the 'mean girl' who spread rumors about her. Sarah and Wes, while in other's bodies, do things that would technically be considered 'roofied' sexual assault. The plot does address the violation of a person's autonomy but not that. Also, the thing between them was nearly insta-lovey, with them declaring destiny and stuff within like a week of knowing each other *eyeroll*. And it is kinda weird to imagine all this escalation taking place in a matter of a couple of weeks!

The dream consciousness thing was an interesting aspect but isn't explored much, with regards to world-building. And the burners aren't exactly explained. Also, if they could enter the dreams of other dreamers without the drug, why couldn't they do it before (with the exception of one instance)? The plot also leaves the story on a open ending, which I am kind of conflicted about. How much of it was the influence of the drug, and how much was their true nature, and does she still empathize with him?

In conclusion, an interesting concept of a book but it should have been executed better.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Sourcebooks Fire, via Netgalley.

[Elliot A]

I was given this ARC by NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I made it through about one quarter of this story before I decided that this wasn’t for me.

I grew restless with the seemingly never-ending introduction and the overtaking of the story by the main character’s romantic (?) interest.

I can barely remember the main character’s name, but the guy, who shows up out of nowhere and takes over her entire attention is mentioned an annoying number of times.

Generally speaking, my rule of thumb is that if after a quarter of the story I still feel like I am in the introduction part of the book, it is time to put it aside. I also checked other readers’ reviews and they seem to agree on this point.

Furthermore, I read that somewhere closer to the middle of the story a sexual assault occurs, which is handled with a dismissive attitude.

This was not in the description of the book, otherwise I would not have requested it.

Overall, I will give this one a pass and wouldn’t suggest it to other readers.

ElliotScribbles

[Miniikaty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un 2,5.

http://letraslibrosymas.blogspot.com....

Esperaba otra cosa cuando decidí leer este libro, el mundo de los sueños siempre me ha llamado bastante la atención y éste tenía una buena premisa, pero nada, otra lectura más para el montón de libros "normaluchos", que cada vez crece más este año. Y es que aunque resulta novedoso el tratamiento de la novela -como el mundo de los sueños puede ser algo tangible y afectar al mundo real-, además de las implicaciones de el comportamiento humano que aquí son llevadas casi al extremo, al final el desarrollo es algo pobre, le falta más chispa a la trama y unos personajes con más carácter... y ya que estamos un desenlace contundente. Me ha dejado con la sensación de tocar la superficie de algo que podría haber sido realmente bueno, como si la autora no hubiera querido llegar al fondo.

Y es que uno de los errores recae en los personajes. Que no tienen nada de especial, no se les conoce bien y por supuesto es imposible empatizar con ellos.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Sleeper” an intensely gripping science fiction thriller heats up when Sarah Reyes suffering from a REM sleep behavior disorder becomes the target of a smear campaign after she almost snaps the neck of the high school lacrosse captain at a sleepover to celebrate the team’s second place tournament victory.

Undergoing treatment at the Leigh-Erickson Center for Sleep Medicine she not only begins taking Dexid, a drug that gives her a sense of normalcy at night, learns that Wes Nolan the boy in her dreams is a new student at high school, but also discovers that the experimental drug has an unusual side effect. Tormented by Gigi and her followers, Sarah with Wes’s encouragement decides to use her new ability only to discover that the consequences of her revenge may be more than she bargained for.

Darkly chilling Sarah Reyes suffering the retribution of Gigi and her in -group at high school discovers that the experimental drug she’s taking gives her an amazing power when she dreams. With Wes Nolan, a teen abandoned by his family to medical research because of his sleep disorder, she decides to take her revenge on those who’ve made her life hell only to discover that her actions have terrible consequences, and that the boy she trusts is not the ally she thought he was.

Riveting in its intensity the plot twists and turns as scandal, gossip, misunderstanding and pettiness rips Sarah’s world apart but all too quickly she learns that the experimental drug that lets her body relax at night may be a weapon she can use to retaliate when they sleep. Scheming with Wes a boy who shares her dreams and upping the dosages of the drug, she swiftly discovers that revenge costs more than she bargained for when someone she respects and has cared for is severely hurt.

Drawn to Wes because of their bond in the dream realm, I found the romance between the two unrealistic as Sarah impulsively jumps into a lustful relationship when you get the feeling she still cares for her ex-boyfriend Jamie Washington. And I was a trifle surprised that Gigi, Kiara nor Amber’s parents played a roll in the drama that befell the girls. Yet the plot is still well-written and mesmerizing as it progresses quickly and smoothly to an unusual ending.

Sarah Keyes daughter of a single working mother is competitive, impulsive and feisty although she tends to walk in Gigi’s shadow at first, wanting to be part of the in-crowd. Tessa is her loyal and shrewd best friend while Jamie Washington star quarterback and ex-boyfriend is smart, kind and a steadfast friend who has a lot of common-sense. Good-looking Wes Nolan alienated by his parents, experimented on for much of his life and considered a troublemaker at the schools he attended is insecure, manipulative, controlling and reckless. He does care for Sarah, but his own objectives take precedent over his tender feelings for her.

I liked “Sleeper” an imaginative science fiction thriller with a slightly different twist. This is a novel you can’t put down until finished.

[Patri.Bucher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Realmente esperaba una trama completamente distinta. Ha sido un libro muy juvenil con unos personajes sin sentido, de los que he odiado a todos y con una trama que realmente no me ha quedado claro su objetivo y me ha parecido muy simple

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sleeper follows Sarah a typical high school student who is on the lacrosse team, in the popular crowd, has family struggles...and a sleep disorder that causes her to act out her dreams.

While the premise seemed promising and kind of unique, the characters were unrealistic and the plot seemed to get much weirder after about a third of the way through.

Characters:
-Typical bad girl: NOT a cheerleader (shocker), but are there really girls out there in High School with no morals, whose sole job is to make everyone's life a living hell? And are there really "Queen Bee" girls that somehow have control over everyone?

- Main Character (Sarah): In the beginning, we're supposed to feel sorry for her, as she is bullied to the extreme... And somehow no one gets in trouble for anything until it's way too late (are there any teachers at this school?) Also, she seems desperate for someone's approval right from the beginning, either her "boyfriend's" or her former best friend (the Typical Bad Girl).

-Parents (of all characters): All parents seemed to be typically absent and were mostly just there to cause conflict and move the plot along. Notably, the "boyfriend's" parents were never mentioned as doing anything in the present tense, they were only ever mentioned as having previously done something. Were they even alive still? The world will never know. Also, the main character's mom was made to be a sweet mother who just wanted what's best for her child, yet in the beginning, we're told that she just lets her child go into testing by herself when she's TEN, and meet her new doctor. I don't know why, but that rubbed me the wrong way. My own mother used to go into checkups with me all the way until I was half way through high school, because I thought needles were scary. Seems kind of weird to let a ten year old go into a new study by herself, and not be there for at least the introductions.

Without giving too much away, there were a lot of problematic things mentioned in a positive light (slut-shaming, bullying, drug usage, student-teacher relations, etc.), but if you can get past all of this, the author eventually has the characters question their morals and become (slightly) better people. I think there's a good discussion about ethics hidden in here somewhere, but I think most of the message will be lost after reading the intense bullying by the main character and how most of it is just forgiven because of her difficult past.


Triggers for:
-Emotionally Abusive Relationships
-Physically Abusive Relationships
-Stalking
-Slut-shaming
-Body Shaming
-Drug use: real and made up drugs, regarded in both a negative and positive light


**I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Brie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received a copy from a goodreads giveaway.

The premise was so intriguing that I couldn't wait to start reading.
Early on in the story it became clear the main character has very questionable morals and not in an inreliable narrator sort of way. She's as aweful as the antagonists while being written as if we should feel sorry for her.

The plot was more high school drama than anything else. It felt like the whole dream stuff took a back seat to revenge and boyfriend drama. Then the eventual attempt at an explanation for the dream stuff made little sense.

Finally I was not a fan of the way physical attacks were brushed off. Unbelievable.

[Joann M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Sci-fi thriller!! Not to sure about that ending do I see a series coming!

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Sleeper” is a unique YA thriller- that wasn’t like I expected from the summary. Sarah is a high schooler who suffers from REM sleep disorder, where she physically acts out her dreams. While she has tried therapies in the past, nothing seems to work except putting her into restraints at night. This has been a killer to her social life. One night, she pushes her limits and hangs out with her friends from lacrosse, including Gigi, the most popular girl in school. Unfortunately, they all fall asleep. Sarah is dreaming of a deer she needs to put out of its misery while a shirtless hot guy watches, when suddenly she hears shouts telling her to wake up. When she does, she’s confronted with Gigi in her death grip. Being the stereotypical mean/popular girl, Gigi sets out (and does) make Sarah’s life a nightmare for her unconscious disease. To make things more complicated, the guy from her dream turns up at school.

When a new drug, Dexid, comes up as a possible trial, Sarah is willing to give it a try- she wants her shot at normalcy. Dexid seems to work- in that it keeps her from moving during her dreams. However, she suddenly begins to see these new creatures, named Burners by Wes. They are horrifying and chasing her and Wes at every turn. The dream world consists of a train station where they can follow the passengers into their dreams off the trains. The Burners are there to stop them from entering others’ dreams. As Sarah learns, this is not all Dexid helps her to do, but it also helps her to possess the dreamer’s body and control their actions.

When the Burners attack, you wake up into a paralyzed body for a few hours- a fact which becomes terrifying when Sarah witness the violation of her body by one of the workers at the sleep center, Josh, and Gigi. This violation sets the stage for her subsequent violation of others when she takes control of their bodies. I would think this book would need warnings for sexual assault. If you don’t want to know more about it (this may be considered a spoiler) then skip this, but I want to include for people who might be sensitive. The lack of control over one’s body is really a pretty frightening concept, and there is a dubious moment of sexual assault during her paralysis (not clear if she was actually assaulted/how far it went), but this is not handled well, since the Josh is never brought to justice and may be doing any number of things to other sleepers (he comments about them all being zombies, so you can do whatever you want). I found this to be a bit horrifying and wish this was handled better by the characters in the book. The main characters then also sexually assault some classmates (stepsiblings) while on Dexid, and this is never brought to justice either and is really disturbing.

The writing is fast-paced and intense, moving quickly and making the book difficult to put down. I felt pretty uncomfortable at the events in the book (particularly what I mention above and the callous attitude towards it all), and for that reason, I’m not sure how I feel about it- I liked the writing style and the idea of the book- but the events were pretty disturbing. The concept of sleep disorders and astral projection is interesting but it is not really clear how the medication gets there (some explanation is offered, but a certain amount of faith is needed). I have some mixed feelings about it overall. It’s pretty heavy for a YA book, so I feel this is better suited for an older audience. Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

[DelAnne Frazee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Sleeper
Author: MacKenzie Cadenhead
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Published: 8-1-2017
Pages: 274
Genre: Thriller
Sub-Genre: Bullying, Growing Up, Young Adult, Fiction, School life, Social Skills, Friendship, Family Issues
ISBN: 9781492636144
ASIN: B06XRHQTQ7
Reviewed For NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire
Reviewer: DelAnne
Rating: 4 Stars


As if surviving high school wasn’t hard enough, Sarah Reyes suffers from REM Sleep Behavior Disorder, a parasomnia that causes her to physically act out her dreams. When she almost snaps her friend’s neck at a sleepover, Sarah and her nocturnal habits are thrust into the spotlight and she becomes a social pariah, complete with public humiliation.


When an experimental drug comes onto the market that promises nighttime normalcy, Sarah agrees to participate in the trial. At first, she seems to be cured. Then the side effects kick in. Why does a guy from her nightmare show up at school? Are the eerily similar dreams she’s sharing with her classmates’ coincidence or of her making? Is she losing her mind or does this drug offer way more than sleep?


Although a bit out there this book also touches on true problems faced by many adults and young adults as well. The sleep disorder is real, the cure is not that I know of, but the possibility is there as is the side effects of any new drug. Age appropriateness is a problem though. I would not recommend it to young teens or younger because I feel some of the scenes might be a bit much for them to handle and deal with. On the other hand older teens and adults will find this book fascinating. We all remember our high school days and trying to find our way in the social groups. Add in a physical problem that could make you physically dangerous and suddenly you have nowhere and no one to turn to. Both family and peers look at you like your an alien out to harm others. Hope is not a commodity in great supply. Desperation has you trying an unknown drug, but the side effects can be just as bad as the disorder itself. What do you do? This is Sarah's story.


My rating of "Sleeper by MacKenzie Cadenhead" is 4 out of 5 stars.


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[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a ride. I loved the premise, and the moral dilemmas and the pseudo-scientific explanation of how the dreams work. And this book did not treat it's subjects lightly, and brush off how horrible people can be, nor totally justify all the characters' reactions. No one in this story is just a monster or just righteous. 4 stars because abusive relationships are tough for me to read, and some of these characters are horrific and their actions (or consequences thereof) are not really addressed/resolved. I also found the sudden romance a bit over the top and exaggerated, but I don't feel romantic/sexual attraction the way most teenagers/adults do, so I can't say it is or isn't realistic.

TW: controlling behaviors, coercion, public humiliation, physical restraint, abusive relationships, school bullying, assault which goes largely unaddressed

[Kat Ellis]

Sarah has a sleeping disorder that makes her violently act out her dreams, until a new drug enables her to sleep without endangering herself or others for the first time. The only drawback (or is it?) is that it allows her to enter the dreams of others who have taken the drug -- something only she, and a mysterious boy, can do. Add in a bully and a quest for revenge, and SLEEPER turned out to be quite gripping. While I didn't love Sarah or the secondary characters, she was certainly an intriguing anti-heroine with a very sketchy moral compass, and I was keen to find out where her path would take her. It was a quick read with lots of energy and drama.

**I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

[Deborah Heredia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sin más. Una historia de gente que se mueve entre los sueños de los demás, venganzas, rencillas de instituto y poco más.

[Jason · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know what possessed me to buy this YA dreck at a Dollar Tree.

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book i wish it was longer and it was badly written at times but idc its iconic

[Hannah Hohman · Rating 5 out of 5]

On a personal note, this book was so captivating and amazing and I loved all of it. I also reviewed it for my job and a more detailed and objective review can be found here: https://www.forewordreviews.com/revie...
"Sleeper is entirely enthralling, with twists and layers that race through to the end."

[Zoe Petrella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was really good because it was sort of a mystery and dramatic and I love those types of book so I would recommend this book to people who like mystery and dramatic type books. The book was about a highschool girl named Sarah who has a disorder called REM sleeping where she physically acts out of her dreams and to be able to sleep sh has to be tied down to her bed so she doesn't try to hurt people or anything around her. One night she has a sleepover her first in years and she accidently falls asleep without being tied down and when she wakes up, she wakes up to her friends yelling at her and in her hands was her friends neck whom she was strangling. She couldn't control herself. She eventually let go and she went to a clinic to try a type of drug to help her sleep better and to not physically act out of her dreams. She meets someone else at her school names Wes and they have lots of thing in common. More than you can imagine. They are both REM sleepers and they bond over this and the drug learning they can do things the more drugs they take the more they can control themselves as long as others in the dream world. But what will happen once the person she trusted turns his back and tries to use the drugs against her and wants too much power. Read the book to find out. : )

[Cody Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review is available at https://childishlypassionate.wordpres...

Admittedly, I have not been in the reading state-of-mind since before Christmas now. That’s a whole four months of inactivity and wishful thinking when looking at all the fabulous YA literature that has been released recently. So Sleeper had a lot to live up to in order to bring me out of the reading rut I’ve been in for so long. I must admit, this book was definitely out of my comfort zone. However, the fact I have finished the book – something I have not done for a while – is an achievement on its own. Perhaps I could describe Sleeper as interesting. Yes, let’s start with interesting.

[Dominique [plantypageturner] · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Sarah! “Stop!, You’re going to klll her!” a familiar female voice shrieks. Sarah has her hands locking firmly on Gigi’s chin and forehead, as she is about to snap her neck.

The first line of this book had me hooked and I couldn't put this down! Beautifully writes and flowed together smoothly. The characters where well thought out and put together. This book was right up my ally and is a must read for everyone!

(ARC via netgalley/sourcebooks fire- thank you so much!)

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Sleeper" is chilling, suspenseful, thrilling, and intriguing. The summary drew me in right away as I wanted to know who the boy from her dreams was and discover more about her REM sleep discover. I would recommend this highly to others as an action filled suspenseful YA novel. I can definitely see this novel being turned into a series and I seriously would buy the rest to read more of Krista's story.

My copy was provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

[Wendy Chamlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went from always reading thrillers to loving ya books! I wasn't too sure if I would like this one but it was very well written. The storyline flowed smoothly and kept me glued to the pages! I would strongly recommend this book!

[Cassi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. It sounds like a fantastic idea. When I first heard about it I thought it would be totally up my alley as an interesting combination of things I love. But in execution I really did not enjoy it. It had some of the worst things about some of my favorite things.

I never thought that this would be a bad thing, but this book reminded me a lot of Heathers. I love Heathers, it's a dark comedy with a good revenge story. This book however didn't hit me in the same way that Heathers does. It definitely has that revenge angle. In the very beginning the main character is ousted from the popular cliche because of something that she can't control. A main part of the book is her getting back at those for turning on her. You do feel a little bit of empathy for here but you don't feel the same sense of justice that you get with Heathers. You also don't have the humor or, honestly, the heart. I feel like this book took some of the worst things from Heathers and ignored the best.

I think maybe the biggest thing that prevented me from connecting to the revenge plotline was the characters. For one thing, I never really connected with the main character. Yes, you feel a little bit of empathy for her alienation but not enough for me. She's just not a very good heroine in my opinion. I don't need my main characters to be kicking ass and taking names (in fact I often dislike that), but I do need them to take control of their storylines. This girl did not do that. She let other people talk her into basically everything, and even in the big climax it was someone else who figured out how to defeat the villain. How am I supposed to get behind a hero who is characterized in this way? I wasn't able to.

As for the secondary characters it was much of the same thing. I didn't connect with them. Probably the best example of this with the male lead. I really hated him. There were definite Heathers vibes with him but just as the MC lacked the heart of Veronica Sawyer, Wes has none of the charm of J.D. I never understood why Sarah liked him and let her talk him into going on this revenge plot. He was just a massive jerk and I wanted him gone. And as the book went on it just got worse. Plus the romance here was so frustrating. It was Twilight-esque in the way the characters interacted. I'm not a fan of a lot of romances but this one definitely didn't come close to winning me over.

The one thing I did like however was the world of this book. It was definitely a unique and interesting world. The idea of a drug being used to help people invade dreams was definitely a cool concept. I really liked seeing the characters invade others dreamscapes and what happened when they were in there. It had this cool sci-fi invasion of the body snatchers feel to it. Although I do wish there was more explanation of some of the aspects of the world. There was a little bit of that later in the book but I could have used it in the beginning when everything was being established.

When I started reading this book, it did pull me in but unfortunately it let me go very quickly. It's not a very long book and despite the fact that I read it basically every day it still took me a week to finish it. I thought I was going to breeze through it in a couple of days but I didn't do that. It really dragged. In fact I really only finished it because I skimmed through the last quarter of the book in about a day. I just wanted it to be over. And that is never a good thing when you are reading a book.

*** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion. ***

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Admittedly, I have not been in the reading state-of-mind since before Christmas now. So Sleeper had a lot to live up to in order to bring me out of the reading rut I’ve been in for so long. I must admit, this book was definitely out of my comfort zone. However, the fact I have finished the book – something I have not done for a while – is an achievement on its own. Perhaps I could describe Sleeper as interesting. Yes, let’s start with interesting.

What I adored about Sleeper was the sheer thrill of the whole story. The wonderful concept of a drug which enhances Sarah’s REM Sleep Behaviour Order was absolutely brilliant – and truly original. Pitched as a combination of Inception and Heathers (both things I haven’t got a bloody clue on), the book was a pleasant retreat away from the modern YA literature based around romantic adolescent adventures. Sleeper is gripping. The first chapter is a hook, and like a fish on a line, you are sold into what is going on. If you’ve read my previous reviews, you’ll understand this is something I adore in literature.

I would also like to shine a line on the tone of the novel. It was an incredibly easy read, and had it not been I probably would have struggled to read it all the way to the end. Despite having no communication with books over the past four months, I kept to my usual time of six to seven hours. There was no difficulty in reading it, making it a perfect read to give to a younger, more mature reader. Sleeper is also incredibly fast-paced. I like that. MacKenzie Cadenhead did not drag out any part of the book, and all chapters were relevant and interesting to read. This is a rare trait to find within a story, as there is so much emphasis on the building up on specific events.

Ah, that wonderful point in my review where I can mention characters. Sarah is ultimately a flawed character. I had a deep sympathy for her at the beginning of the story – partly because she has absolutely no control over her actions or the consequences. But as the story developed and she found power, the consumption turned her into a creature which did sicken me. Her actions were despicable, no matter how much they could be justified. The world would be a horrible place if we lived by the idea of ‘an eye for an eye’. I’m hoping that Ms Cadenhead was going for this affect. Of course, every character in the wrong seeks redemption, but I found it hard to award it considering her foolishness and behaviour.

Wes was a much harder pill to swallow – and yet, was a refreshing addition to the plot. There is a very British swear word I would love to use in describing Wes. But I’m above that, at least orally. The bad vibes were incredibly strong – intention, I know. And while I really, really, didn’t like Wes, it was nice to see the main guy not seen as some kind of hero. His flaws are laid out on the table, and are tackled quite maturely. Hats off Ms Cadenhead!

Summarising Sleeper, it was definitely an odd book. It has pulled me from my hangover (both book and physical) and has surprisingly given me a lot to consider. While I still feel quite unsure as to whether this was a book for me, I do still feel it deserves high praise.

[The Book Nerd's Corner · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Sleeper" is a the story of a girl that suffers from REM Sleep Behavior Disorder that causes her to act out her dreams in the physical world. One night at a sleepover, Sarah almost strangles Gigi in her sleep. When Sarah takes part in a clinical trial to test a new drug called Dexid, things go from bad to worse as she realizes that she has special abilities in the dream world which allow her to abuse reality in unpredictable ways. . .

Upon picking up "Sleeper" at the library, I honestly thought it looked like a horrible book. But when I began to read it, I was relieved that the book was actually quite interesting. Half school story and half sci-fi thriller, "Sleeper" is a unique book unlike any that I have read before. It did remind me of a book that I read recently called "Dead Girl" by Kerrie Faye (which I highly recommend), due to the themes about overthrowing the mean girls and taking revenge against those who wronged you.

I thought that dreamscape that Sarah enters is really interesting. Between the strange abilities that she wields and the mysterious Burners, monsters that are trying to stop her from using said abilities, it is an interesting place to be. The way that the drug Dexid enhanced her powers also made logical sense, even if it wouldn't be possible in the real world. The stakes surrounding her abilities were quite high and this it really got my heart pounding as the book progressed.

Another thing I like about this one is how we meet the love interest, Wes. Literally on page three, Sarah meets him in one of her dreams. I'm also going to add that he was shirtless. I mean, it was pretty obvious from the initiation that he was the other half of the romantic pairing in this one, and I thought it was such a fun way to meet him. Wes himself on the other hand, is much less likable. Early on in this book I thought maybe he had potential, but the original scene you meet him in is much closer to his true colors, which was quite honestly a bummer for me. I wanted to like him, but he was a bit overbearing from the get-go.

The biggest problem I had with this one was the theme of revenge. Stories that are centered around revenge tend to make my stomach crawl, especially when they are in a realistic setting rather than a fantastical one. The schemes that Sarah and Wes come up with to get revenge on their school's worst mean girls actually made me want to puke. Luckily, Sarah begins to question the morality of what they are doing, which gives the theme a more positive twist. I still have mixed feelings on it in the long run, though.

Overall, "Sleeper" is a chilling sci-fi thriller that had my heart pounding and my stomach turning. I'm not the biggest fans of thrillers, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It could have been much more eloquent at times and was spattered with often cheesy pop culture references, but for the most part it was a decent story line with a decent cast of characters. I think that I enjoyed this one enough to recommend it to those who enjoy high intensity science fiction with a touch of dark romance.