Sleeping Beauties

A Novel

By: Stephen King, Owen King

Narrated by: Marin Ireland

In this spectacular New York Times bestselling father/son collaboration that “barrels along like a freight train” (Publishers Weekly), Stephen King and Owen King tell the highest of high-stakes stories: what might happen if women disappeared from the world of men?

In a future so real and near it might be now, something happens when women go to sleep: they become shrouded in a cocoon-like gauze. If they are awakened, if the gauze wrapping their bodies is disturbed or violated, the women become feral and spectacularly violent. And while they sleep they go to another place, a better place, where harmony prevails and conflict is rare. One woman, the mysterious “Eve Black,” is immune to the blessing or curse of the sleeping disease. Is Eve a medical anomaly to be studied? Or is she a demon who must be slain?

Abandoned, left to their increasingly primal urges, the men divide into warring factions, some wanted to kill Eve, some to save her. Others exploit the chaos to wreak their own vengeance on new enemies. All turn to violence in a suddenly all-male world. Set in a small Appalachian town whose primary employer is a woman’s prison, Sleeping Beauties is a wildly provocative, gloriously dramatic father-son collaboration that feels particularly urgent and relevant today.

Convaluted

I was very excited to read this book written by both Kings and sadly to say a big let down for me. There were entirely too many new, and turned out to be important, characters, I could not keep up with them all. It didn't help that the narrator only had 3 to 4 distinct voices. Also there was a lot of gratuitous gore in places it added nothing to the story line, whereas some gore thrown in to a few other boring places could've helped the scene. Regarding the interview with the Kings at the end, great to hear you guys are having fun and I will of course try again on the next one.

very disappointing

it was at most mediocre. it was NOT up to Stephen King standards. the story was lacking King flare.

3 stars at best

I have been an avid fan of Stephen King since my teens and have read just about all his books. The concept of this book was original and appealing, however, it appeared as though the plot was quite chaotic. For example: Why would the bodies of the sleeping women be left (vulnerable and unprotected) in the land of men?
The same men that (per the book) had caused and continued to be hostile towards these women?

So, while there seems to be the opportunity for these women to "start over" in a better place without fear of violence from men, there's really no escape as their bodies are at the mercy of the men (stuck with their sleeping bodies) .

I would not recommend this. I felt it fell short of accomplishing what Stephen and Owen King may have set out to do.

Not Kings best

If you can get past the first 100 chapters you’ll be able to finish the book because it takes about that long to figure out where they are going with the entire book, and I really did not like the ending.Most certainly not one of Kings best books.

So disappointed

I picked up a Stephen King book, Carrie, on the way home from school in the back of a car. I was catching a ride home with my friend’s buddy. I mention this because it changed my life.
I became a King disciple that day. I have read every book he has had published except “On Writing”. Most of them twice. Several more than that.
So it really saddens me to write this review. I actually had to speed up the reading to 1.25 to get through it.
It’s a story of women falling asleep and staying asleep. There is no depth. There were so many cliches and predictable moments.
The depth of the characters was minimal. There was a time when I felt King bring his characters to life.
He is known for his horror books but The Dark Tower was more Fantasy. And it is amazing. The whole series.
I’m not sure if it’s his age or writing thar forgettable crime drama trilogy. Maybe it was writing with his son. But his latest work has been a waste of time used better for other things. Even his movie “The Dark Tower” was horrible. Granted that has little to do with him.
All I’m saying is his work isn’t something I’m going to add to the top of my To Read list.
As a matter of fact “On Writing” probably won’t be his only book I won’t have read when they lay me in my final resting place.
But for anyone who hasn’t read his books, read them all. Up to Dr. Sleep. Then you can say you’ve read all of Mr. King’s readable books. :(