“Sleepless” by Cyn Balog centers around the character Eron DeMarchelle, a Sandman whose role is to help people sleep by appearing in their dreams. Eron, however, develops an emotional attachment to one of his charges, Julia, a teenage girl grappling with the recent death of her boyfriend, Griffin. The main conflict revolves around Eron’s struggle to balance his supernatural duties with his growing feelings for Julia, which are complicated by the arrival of a new Sandman and the looming end of Eron’s own time in the role.
Julia, dealing with grief and the unsettling attention of Griffin’s best friend, faces additional danger as the story progresses. The plot thickens when Griffin, having died in a car accident, becomes a Sandman himself. Eron, whose term as a Sandman is nearing its end, worries about Julia’s safety under the indifferent care of his successor. As Eron transitions back to human form, he must decide whether to risk everything to protect and possibly be with Julia, defying the rules that Sandmen must not interact with their charges after returning to human life.
The story’s key events include Julia’s struggles with grief and harassment, Eron’s internal conflict about breaking Sandman rules, and the climactic resolution where Eron’s protective instincts and feelings for Julia drive him to take significant risks. Throughout the novel, themes of love, loss, and the tension between duty and desire are explored against a backdrop of fantasy and supernatural elements.
Overall, “Sleepless” offers a unique take on the Sandman legend, blending romance and fantasy in a story that examines the complexities of emotional connections and the lengths one might go to protect a loved one.
