Awoken by a kiss after 62 years in stasis, Rosalinda Fitzroy finds herself in a post-apocalyptic future world where she is 1) rich as hell 2) considered a freak and 3) hunted by a bot that wants to terminate her once and for all.
I’m a total sucker for fairy-tale/sci-fi mash-ups (BEAUTY by Sheri Tepper is one of my favorite novels of all time) and A LONG, LONG SLEEP twists the sleeping beauty myth in a creative, exciting way that explores bad parenting, the nature of humanity and the enduring power of love.
One of the reasons why I am including this novel in Dystopian August is of course the fact that the current society portrayed arose after “the dark times”, a period of war, disease and all that bad stuff. But another reason is that Rosalinda’s family situation is so seriously screwed up, I’d classify it as dystopian (if limited in nature).
Despite often acting incredibly childish and complaining about being stupid, Rosalinda had my sympathy. My favorite parts were her flashbacks of life before, when she slowly fell in love with her neighbor Xavier. Their interactions were so realistic and sweet, effectively grounding the more fantastical elements of the plot. And though I did like the subplot involving a alien that Rosalinda’s company owns, I groaned whenever they “chatted” via instant message.
A LONG, LONG SLEEP is messy in parts (and really creeped me out at the end), but it’s ambitious and heartbreaking and exciting. It comes out today. Find out more about it at the author’s website.
Zombie chickens say: Stasis may suck but reading about it rocks! Highly recommended.
Song for the Ultimate Dystopian Playlist: Monday Morning by Death Cab for Cutie. Sample lyrics: “She may be young, but she only likes old things.” (Tee hee – no kidding!) “The night is gonna fall, the vultures will surround you. What you see is going to astound you.”
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21 comments:
Hello there!
I write a blog -(www.wherethewritercomestowrite.blogspot.com) where I obsess over books and writing and do book reviews too!
I was wondering if I would be able to get an ARC copy of your upcoming book Crewel to review for it?
Thanks,
Romi.
(you can email me at rfoster (dot) foster (at) gmail (dot) com or contact me via my blog if you like!
This looks really neat. I love the cover a ton but it's interesting in that it doesn't really give off the impression that it's scifi. Very neat and thanks for the review!
I was really intrigued by this; I agree that there are some dystopian elements as well as a lot of creepy stuff.
I'm totally a sucker for these sorts of mash-ups too!
Sounds fascinating, plus I have this from Netgalley.
Great review :-)
I'm very much looking forward to this one! Huge fan of fairy tale/sci-fi mash-ups - glad we have that in common. *grin*
Sounds interesting. I haven't really read any sci-fi/fairy tale combination stories before, but you've peaked my interest. I'll have to try this one out.
You had me at the psycho bot that wants to destroy her once and for all! I also love Death Cab for Cutie, and am glad to see this song choice. I think it's interesting that Rosalinda's family is sort of dystopian in itself!
This sounds like a very ambitious novel and it sounds like the author did a great job of pulling it all off.
I was surprised by how much I really enjoyed this book.
I loved the character of Otto - one of the best I've read in a while!
Love that cover and the premise definitely sounds interesting. It's been a while since I read some good dystopian -- will have to look for this one!
I love the premise of this story and have been hoping it would get good reviews. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy!
Wait, there are OTHER sci-fi/fairytale mash-ups?! (These are two of my favorite genres, so this mash-up is totally awesome.)
I'm glad to know that it turned out to be a good read; it looks so cool, I was afraid it might not live up to expectations.
@Susanna - You'll definitely want to be on the lookout for Cinder by Marissa Meyer. It features a cyborg cinderella!
Hum...haven't heard of this one but, since I'm obsessed with dystopias lately, I'll have to check it out. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!
Mary @ BookSwarm
Your zombie chickens are as wise as Yoda :P - and they share the same fabulous coloring!
I didn't know what to expect with A LONG, LONG SLEEP except a Sleeping Beauty tale - but it was done in such a manner that I don't think I will ever think of stasis the same way again. *shudder* What happened to Rosalinda and Xavier was so tragic!
I am glad you included it in your round-up :)
I have never seen another review of this before. It sounds interesting, though.
Oh, I have this one at home from BEA--must read it soon!
Between your review and the recent one on The Book Smugglers, I'll definitely be reading this one!
I have so many books to read! I've had this one from Net Galley for awhile and need to get to it. Though Im usure if I still can, LOL. Staked loved it as well I believe.
I've been geeking on this book for a while now. I can't wait to read it.
This was such a great read! I couldn't put the book down and even more so towards the end. It blew me away! Actually had me on the edge of my seat. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone!
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