Day’s YA: THE SLEEPLESS

THE SLEEPLESS by Jen Williams
9781250409256
9/30/2025
Wednesday Books
Ages 13-18

E-galley available on Edelweiss and NetGalley

Elver is a monster–but she wasn’t always one. After being sacrificed as a child to hungry sea serpents, she was saved from death by the Serpent Queen. Given a second chance at life, she now lives her days guarding the Jih forest, where creatures and monsters roam. Her touch is poisonous, giving her the ability to harm or kill anyone who comes into contact with her skin. She will do anything to protect the Jih around her, even if it means venturing into the dreaded human world to save a stolen creature–a keltraxia cub–for her god. As she hunts down the missing cub, she finds herself face-to-face with Altair, the human who stole from her forest. She’s ready to destroy him… until she realizes that he is the only human who is not poisoned by her touch. 

That’s because Artair is a Sleepless. He’s been hidden away in a monastery for years, locked in a room each night to protect the world from the dangerous evil spirit named Lucian that takes over his body when he falls asleep. After his fellow Sleepless are targeted by a mage for a god called the Bloody Claw, he agrees to do whatever it takes to keep them safe–even if it means venturing into the Jih forest to steal a cub. As Artair and Elver are soon thrown together in a high stakes quest to save both the cub and the Sleepless, Lucian becomes hell-bent on manipulating Elver, and finally getting the freedom he wants–but Elver also has her own secret motivations for embarking on the journey. When the three of them enter a crossfire of gods, monsters, and magic, will they make it out alive?

This story presented one of the most unique magic systems I have ever seen in a young adult fantasy novel. With twelve gods, a forest filled with creatures that are both terrifying and adorable, magical curses, and monsters of every kind, I was eager to learn anything I could about this world. And, to make it even better, there were some classic fantasy world settings, like a bustling tavern and a strange fair. I was immediately pulled in by Elver’s story of how she was turned into a monster and came to live in the forest. And the concept of the Sleepless–people who share their bodies with an evil, angry spirit that comes alive the second they fall asleep–was fascinating to me. As we learn more about the monsters that live in this world, we are left wondering what it means to be one, and how they might not always be creatures to be feared.

Getting to be in the heads of all three characters was my favorite part–I felt deeply immersed in each character’s emotions, motivations, and struggles, and it only made me care for each character more. Elver is not your stereotypical female MC–she’s ruthless, vengeful, and sharp. She’s brave and throws herself headfirst into danger to protect the creatures she loves, and at her core, she’s someone who has been left behind by those who were supposed to protect her, leaving her resentful and afraid. Altair is the sweetest male lead to ever exist–he’s trusting, maybe a little naive, and extremely caring. Despite so badly wanting to see and experience the world around him, he puts everyone else before himself, knowing that he poses a danger to them. And Lucian–well, he’s exactly what I was hoping he would be. He’s your classic morally gray villain, with charm and wit galore. He’s snarky and he’s devious, yet he’s also desperate to regain his sense of self and his freedom, and to learn who he really is. Watching both Altair and Lucian experience the world in a new way and learn more about themselves was one of the best, more heartwarming parts of the story–and honestly, it made the love triangle even more difficult for me, given that I loved them both.

If you’re looking for a YA romantasy with banter, a high stakes adventure, a unique magic system, and a love triangle like you’ve never seen before, this is the book for you. Fans of GODKILLER and POWERLESS should not miss this!

Happy reading!
<3 Margo

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