This review was originally posted on http://threecatsandabook.blogspot.com/
If you’d be able to travel back in time and ask wee little Enya what her favorite Disney princess is, she would jump up and down and say: “Sleeping Beauty! Sleeping Beauty!” Or actually, she would say “Doornroosje!” as she can’t speak English yet.
But Sleeping Beauty has always been my favorite princess (until Tangled was released that is. I heart Rapunzel). I couldn’t be more excited to find out about A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan which is a fairytale retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Or so they say.
Although I really enjoyed reading this book, I should warn you that this is not so much a retelling of Sleeping Beauty than a book inspired by the classic fairytale. Or maybe I’m just not very familiar with the phenomenon ‘fairytale retelling’.
Either way, A Long, Long Sleep is about Rosalinda Fitzroy who awakes about 80 years from now by a kiss. She was locked away and forgotten in her stasis tube in which her body and mind were basically chemically frozen. She finds out that her parents and her boyfriend are long gone and that she slept through disasterous years called the Dark Times.
What I loved most about this book was that I did not see the ending coming at all. I expected some kind of love triangle, like in so many other YA-books. But, spoiler alert, there isn’t a love triangle in A Long Long Sleep. Another thing I loved about A Long, Long Sleep was the world it was set in. Then there’s Rose, a character I absolutely adored. I felt so bad for her. She’s thrown into this entire new world and she doesn’t know anyone, which leaves her completely clueless. And what’s down to her is so cruel. I could really relate to her because if I ever would find myself in a situation like hers, I would react exactly the same.
There were some parts in this book that I would have liked to see explained more. For example, Rose’s friendship with whatshisname, the alien friend. It seems like her relationship with him is going to be a very important part in the story because a lot of attention is paid to it. But in the end their friendship is just that, a friendship, and it isn’t an important part in the plot. Which makes me think that there is going to be a sequel.