Sleeper

June 15, 2017
A teenage girl suffering from a sleep disorder finds that an experimental drug cure comes with some unexpected and potentially deadly side effects. High school senior Sarah Reyes is a "good and appropriately ambitious soldier" in the army of queen bee Gigi. All's well until Sarah almost snaps Gigi's neck during a sleepover, the result of a REM sleep behavior disorder that renders her unable to control her actions while she sleeps. She physically acts out her dreams. Sarah, who is multiracial ("a hint of Latin America, a dash of Dutch colonialist, plus a generous helping of Southeast Asia"), becomes a social pariah after the incident with Gigi. But she has the support of her ex-boyfriend Jamie, who is black, and her white best friend, Tessa. Sarah also becomes involved with Wes, a new white guy at school. But Sarah knows she's seen Wes somewhere before--in one of her nightmares. When Sarah tries an experimental drug to cure her disorder, the strange side effects are way more than she bargained for. Both savvy and vulnerable, Sarah draws readers in with her dry wit as she laments her fall from social grace. Well-placed social media and pop-culture references further anchor them in Sarah's increasingly surreal world. The paranormal elements of the story are suspenseful and surprising, but the book's otherwise solid pacing lags at times during the dreamscape scenes. A fresh, mostly successful thriller about vengeance, loyalty, and friendship. (Paranormal thriller. 12-16)

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July 1, 2017

Gr 9 Up-Sarah Reyes isn't having a great year. She has a rare REM sleep behavior disorder that causes her to act out in her sleep and requires that she be tied down every night. When Sarah spends the night with her friends and falls asleep before being strapped down, she almost breaks the neck of one of the most popular girls in school. Now ostracized, Sarah is determined to find a way to move past her disorder with an experimental new drug. As a result of the drug, her dreams become more vivid, but she doesn't move a muscle. Sarah meets an unlikely friend, Wes Nolan, a new guy at school who also has a sleep disorder. While on this new drug, Sarah and Wes can possess the bodies of others under the influence of the drug who don't have sleep disorders. Wes suggests the two of them take revenge on the people who have been making Sarah's life awful. But as Wes starts to make more serious and dangerous plans with their classmates' bodies, Sarah wonders whether it's time to stop. Told from Sarah's point of view, this narrative presents her dreams and reality. Sarah is a sympathetic character, even as she's getting her revenge. The secondary characters are more peripheral, although Sarah's best friend and ex-boyfriend are a little more fleshed out. References to drugs, drinking, and sex make this title more appropriate for older teens. The ending leaves the possibility of a sequel open. VERDICT Recommend for fans of Lisa McMann's "Wake" series or where light science fiction novels are popular.-Natalie Struecker, Atlantic Public Library, IA

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