Dystopian Fairy Tale Pick: A Long Long Sleep

A Long Long Sleep
by Anna Sheehan
Candlwick Press
2011
342 pages

Part fairy tale, part romance, part science fiction, part thriller, part dystopian fiction, A Long Long Sleep will seduce readers with its eerie concept. Rose Fitzroy has slept for the past 62 years in a chemical induced sleep in her stasis chamber, long forgotten in a sub-basement under a huge corporation until she is awakened by a stranger's kiss.

Rose slept through the Dark Times when the planet was besieged by plague and death that claimed her parents and her boyfriend's lives. Now she is awake in a new world and destined to take the reins of power of her parents' inter-planetary corporation. Some people see her as a threat to their own power; others see her as a freak or a liar. Rose just wants to find her way, and find a way of living without anyone. She barely gets through the days until she finds a friendship with Brendon (Bren) the boy who kissed her awake.

Someone has sent a Plastine, an engineered super-soldier, to kill her, and it will stop at nothing short of success. Rose realizes her father's reign of terror is far-reaching, even after his death.

Compelling and shocking, Rose's parents' actions are beyond abusive. They are power-hungry and selfish, bent on showing the world a "picture perfect" family while they steal their daughter's childhood one week, one year, two years, 62 years at a time. Rose remembers her early years and realizes that her parents sent her into stasis when it was convenient for them--when they needed to get away, to travel Europe, to take a second honeymoon, to throw a grown-ups only party. Her stasis tube became her womb-like babysitter--sometimes for years at a time. While the world changed and her friends grew older, Rose remained in stasis.

The shocking, yet satisfying ending came all-too-fast. The Long Long Sleep is a serious page-turner that mixes sci-fi with dystopian romance. Readers will practically weep for Rose with her child-like naivete and will later cheer her inner strength of character.

Highly, highly recommended grades 8 and up. No sex, no language. Some creepiness factor when Rose realizes Bren is the grandson of Xavier, her boyfriend of 62 years ago, and creepier still because Grandfather is still alive and Rose recognizes her childhood love. Remember she is sixteen and he is now in his eighties.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.