A Long, Long Sleep

By: Anna Sheehan

Narrated by: Angela Dawe

Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's Summary

Rosalinda Fitzroy has been asleep for 62 years when she is woken by a kiss. Locked away in the chemically induced slumber of a stasis tube in a forgotten subbasement, 16-year-old Rose slept straight through the Dark Times that killed millions and utterly changed the world she knew. Now her parents and her first love are long dead, and Rose -  hailed upon her awakening as the long-lost heir to an interplanetary empire - is thrust alone into a future in which she is viewed as either a freak or a threat. Desperate to put the past behind her and adapt to her new world, Rose finds herself drawn to the boy who kissed her awake, hoping that he can help her to start fresh. But when a deadly danger jeopardizes her fragile new existence, Rose must face the ghosts of her past with open eyes - or be left without any future at all.

©2011 Anna Sheehan (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Sleeping Beauty Sci-Fi Edition

This is a hard book for me to review. Although it is a very light and enjoyable listen it also has some depth and layers to it that will absolutely break your heart.

It’s a great story with tons of action and so many twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. Not to mention it has a killer ending. Yes folks, this book actually has an ending!

If like YA books like Cinder or Under the Never Sky then you will enjoy this one too.

4 stars

Haunting, Beautifully Written Story!

This is a superbly written, bittersweet story that has moved and affected me like few others. The characters are full and complex, breathing and coming to life from the pages for us, the reader. I fell in love with Rose and Xavier, and am awed by the author's potrayal of the love between them. The nuances of her writing are sheer art and poetry, unique and fresh amid anything else I've read. She makes your heart ache for the consequences of choices and time lost between them. She makes you feel the characters' emotions and struggles, both internal and external.The ending is mostly satisfying, and completely bittersweet at the same time. For me, the change in dynamic made the relationship between the two main characters a lot more awkward at the end than it was in the beginning. That seemed so unfair, (for them!) but also resonated pretty realistically with me (true to life if such a thing happened in our real world) and I felt the author handled it with grace and good taste. This book is begging for a sequel...and I would have one main question: Can there possibly be more for Xavier's future?... Because as much as it seems like there's more to tell about other parts of the story, it just won't feel right to me if the answer to that is no.
I felt the narration is excellent, and very well suited to the characters.

Amazing Story

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

At first, I wasn't such a fan of the narrator. Her voice seemed very old and adult for a 16 year old girl. But as the story went on, I became very drawn to the story.

It was extremely romantic - especially her romance with her first love. So be sure to bring along some tissues when you listen. The end is incredibly tear jerking. There is a sweet ending, or as happy as it could be given the situation.

Incredibly romantic.

You can really feel for her sadness and everything that she has lost.

I really enjoyed it, and this is the first YA novel that I've read in a while that actually made me cry.

Better than expected.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes - it held my interest all the way through and kept me entertained. I genuinely wanted to find out what happened.

Have you listened to any of Angela Dawe’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I had not, but would be happy with it in future if she happened to be narrating another book I wanted to "read".

Any additional comments?

I really liked this more than I'd expected to... mainly because every time something made me want to roll me eyes and think, "typical YA fiction, blerg" the author redeemed it. No, this is not great literature or serious sci fi or even the most shining example our world building and characterization... BUT. I liked the characters. I cared about them. Rose was very very passive at first but there turns out to be any number of good reasons for it - plus, her character arc is about her developing a sense of agency. I loved the arc of her relationship with Xavier, and her relationships with Bren and Otto.

The world building needed polish but it was functional and the romance was not overdone and not the focus of the plot. I enjoyed watching it play out in flashes through Rose's recollections and the realization of what had been done to her.

And finally, I like that the book had a proper ENDING even though it was kept open enough for a possible sequel.

Poorly written, simplistic story, average reader

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

A better author. I'm honestly not sure how this author found a publisher. Her writing is rudimentary, her characters are shallow, and the dialogue is forced. The majority of the characters are teens, yet they all speak with the same voice - the voice of an older person with a Masters degree in English Literature. Furthermore, the dialogue attribution is atrocious. The abundant use of adverbs to "clarify" the intent of the dialogue smacks of an insecure author.

Has A Long, Long Sleep turned you off from other books in this genre?

No. This was simply a poorly written book.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

The rudimentary writing and simplistic story mostly sparked eye-rolls.

Any additional comments?

If you care about quality writing, quality characters, and quality dialogue please, please avoid this "book."

A lite listen

This is a teen book with an entertaining premise that is interesting enough for adults to enjoy.

What a suprisingly good book!!!!!

What made the experience of listening to A Long, Long Sleep the most enjoyable?

the narrator's voice fit the character for once

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Long, Long Sleep?

the twists

What does Angela Dawe bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

her voice is so fitting for what the character was experiencing at the time. Good choice!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes!!!!

Any additional comments?

it will surprise you and then surprise you again!

For teens and young adults

Though I'm not one for angst, these teenage characters were interesting and not at all typical. I was curious enough to follow it to the end and enjoyed it very much.

This book broke my heart over and over!

Would you listen to A Long, Long Sleep again? Why?

It would have to be a long time from now. My emotional response to this book is still too raw.

What did you like best about this story?

The opportunity to make amends, say goodbye, come to terms with truth. I also appreciated the flashback scenes.

Have you listened to any of Angela Dawe’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No but I thought she did great!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Did I want to? No, it was making me so sad! Could I turn it off? No, and I tried! I listened to this book in almost one sitting. And cried A LOT.

Any additional comments?

I didn't rate the story 5 stars because I found myself irritated with how little self worth Rose had. One can only hear so much self loathing. However, as the story progresses, you understand why. The villians. It was their fault and they should have been punished. I won't go into details, but I do highly recommend this book. It's a lovely, haunting, and heartbreaking story with hope at the end, and that makes all the difference.

A new twist on sleeping beauty

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The idea of time travel sets the scene for this story about a girl who awakens from stasis only to find that the life she knew is more than 60 years in the past. If we could