Who wants to be awake forever?

Life has changed for eight-year-old Merel. Since the birth of her sick baby brother, her parents seem to have forgotten she exists. But when she finds a tiny silver violin in her bedroom rug, things take a turn for the worse. Merel learns that her sleep has abandoned her and that she must embark on a perilous journey to recover it or stay awake forever. Together with her devoted toy sheep, Roger, tired Merel sets out in search of Lullaby Grove and, before long, is haunted by a scary stranger.

Follow Merel into a surreal world. Meet a sleepy king with an obsession for feathers and a transparent old man on a night train going nowhere. Discover why the moonfish cry, why you should never walk across the Great Yawns, and whether Merel can escape her pursuer, win back her sleep, and realize what matters most.

Sleep, Merel, Sleep is a sweet and wistful tale about treasuring those closest to us.

My Review

I chose to read this book after receiving a free copy. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

Merel is having a terrible time sleeping since her sick baby brother came home. She’s also feeling neglected because her parents are having to spend all of their time with him. Finally, her personal sleep gives up and quits, which means she’ll never be able to sleep again.

Merel ends up in another world. The descriptions are weird but they’re ones that middle grade readers will most likely enjoy. For example, there’s purple grass and a giant named Lollipo whose hair is cotton candy, and his freckles are different colors.

At the end of Merel’s journey, she has learned that maybe her baby brother isn’t so bad. The story did end quite abruptly, and a little more at the end would be helpful. Overall, though, I definitely recommend Sleep, Merel, Sleep for middle grade readers.

About the Author

Silke Stein is a graphic designer and author. Silke currently lives at the west coast of Canada, where she combs the shores of the Pacific Ocean and tends to her ever-growing sea glass collection. When she is not at the beach, or writing, she designs book covers for fellow authors.

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