Audiobook review: A Long, Long Sleep

Author: Anna Sheehan; Narrator: Angela Dawe
Publish date: 2011
Source: Library
"It should have been a short suspended-animation sleep. But this time Rose wakes up to find her past is long gone-- and her future full of peril.

Rosalinda Fitzroy has been asleep for sixty-two years when she is woken by a kiss. Locked away in the chemically induced slumber of a stasis tube in a forgotten subbasement, sixteen-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 gone, 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." (Goodreads)

I've been meaning to read this book for a while now. I love the concept and am new to loving fairy tale retellings, so I figured this was a win-win. It was pretty good, although I didn't quite love as much as I wanted to.

I really enjoyed the set-up of A Long, Long Sleep and how the reader learned everything about Rose's new world as she did. Life is interesting and different after the Dark Times, and I appreciated the new technology Anna Sheehan created for the future, although I wish there was more. The most often discussed device seemed to be a glorified iPad and the nerd in me would have appreciated something "cooler."

I had a lot of issues with Rose's self-confidence and always calling herself stupid, but by the end, there was an explanation for that, so if that annoys you, keep reading! Some of the dialogue also seemed strange and choppy sometimes, but the story was interesting enough to look past that. I was pretty satisfied by the end and was pleased to read a standalone novel.

Like I said earlier, I liked this one a lot, just didn't absolutely love it. Angela Dawe did a great job, as usual, and I think listening to this was a good choice. I think my students will like the print version, so I'll be on the lookout for one for my classroom!