SLEEPLESS

In this sweet supernatural romance, Balog resurrects a childhood fantasy: the sandman, who puts us to sleep at night. The sandmen (and women) here are human souls who have died but can return to life after a century of ghostly service. In this case, Eron, who died in 1910, looks forward to meeting in real life Julia, the girl he’s watched over all her life and has grown to love. Eron has a rival, though: Griffin, Julia’s actual, recently deceased, possessive boyfriend. Griffin becomes Eron’s apprentice sandman, but it quickly becomes clear that Griffin has no intention of following the rules or of allowing Eron to romance his girl. The author presents Eron especially as an attractive character, using archaic language to root him firmly in 1910 but allowing readers to watch him cope with modern life and grow more confident. Julia wrestles with a childhood trauma, her growing attraction to Eron and the apparent continued presence of Griffin. Suspense, believable characters and an imaginative twist on a ghost story/romance make for a lovely read. (Supernatural romance. YA)