Book Review: Sleep Like Death by Kalynn Bayron

Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: YA Fantasy Retelling
Length: 352 pages
Author: Kalynn Bayron
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Release Date: June 25th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

New York Times bestselling author and TikTok sensation Kalynn Bayron returns to fairytales with a lush, thrilling and original YA Snow White retelling that brings a new and exciting voice to this familiar tale. Perfect for fans of Cinderella Is Dead.

Only the truly desperate – and foolish – seek out the Knight, an ancient monster who twists wishes into curses. Eve knows this first-hand: one of her mothers was cursed by the Knight and trapped in the body of a songbird. With the unique abilities to communicate with animals and conjure weapons from nature, Eve has trained all her life to defeat him.

With more and more villagers harmed by the Knight’s corrupt deals, Eve believes she’s finally ready to face him. But when Queen Regina begins acting strangely – talking to seemingly no one, isolating herself, and lashing out at the slightest provocation – Eve must question if her powers are enough to save her family and her kingdom.

I’M NOT QUITE SURE.

I don’t really know how to format this review. I never found myself upset with reading but now that I’m trying to write this out, I don’t think I really felt anything. When the Snow White aspects started coming into play in the second half, I liked those! I thought there were great allusions with a uniquely crafted version that left me wondering how things would finally come together without feeling like the original. There were a few good twists and changes that worked well for me.

The romance needed better pacing. This is a shorter fantasy and I think the development should have started sooner. The love confessions felt out of left field and while I DID think there was chemistry, I never got those swoony romantic feelings for them.

It is a standalone and from what I recall there weren’t any glaring plot holes. The story wraps up well, the antagonist has a satisfying end and you get that happy ever after.

Overall audience notes: