The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To

In my Readers Advisory class, I am reading a different genre every week (this week, romance - - eeeew!) and then writing a review.  I figured that would be a good thing to include here for many reasons, not the least of which, maybe later I'll want to remember what book I read, but won't have access to the course online anymore.  For now, I want to share the book The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To by D.C. Pierson.  I personally hope this becomes a movie because it would be fabulous, as long as it stays true to the book.

THE BOY WHO COULDN’T SLEEP AND NEVER HAD TO, by D. C. Pierson. New York: Vintage Books, 2010. 226 pp. 978-0-307-47461-2. The prologue begins compellingly: “All the newspapers and TV pundits are calling this fall’s freshman college class the ‘Symnitol Generation.’” Symnitol, we find out, is a pharmacological solution to man's desire to stay awake, to have more hours in the day, and this is the story of how this came to be. When the action in this fast-paced, action-driven novel begins, the narrator, Darren, tells about his passion for drawing but also for staying out of sight at high school. This is shattered when Eric, a very strange boy with an oddly mature presence, takes note of Darren’s drawing and they become quick friends as they work on a comic book-movie-video game project. When Eric tells Darren about his “thing” - not having the ability or need to sleep - Darren is incredulous but then a believer. When the two realize the extent of Eric’s powers, their worst fears of "The Man" become reality, and the action really begins. The ending is unsettling and yet satisfying as the book comes full circle. Surprisingly slated as adult fiction, this title appropriately won an Alex Award, as teens will delight in this book. Graphic novel fans that want to read a traditional book will enjoy this fast-paced title with lots of twists and turns.

Author interview can be found here.