Sleeping Beauties Offers A Unique Look at Modern Gender Roles

Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was intrigued by the premise of Sleeping Beauties before I ever picked it up. The idea of all of the women falling asleep and getting a sickness from which they could not awake was super interesting to me. From page one, this book truly did the plot justice.

This book is not really horror, despite the King name. I found it to be more psychological/suspense/fantasy. I really enjoyed the writing style, which was poetic at points. The description and character development is out of this world. There are so many characters in this book, but I didn't feel confused. The development is so good that I was able to keep all of the characters distinct in my mind.

I enjoyed seeing so many characters' perspectives in this book. It keeps it engaging because there are so many sub-plots happening at once. I found the premise to be interesting. I was constantly looking at the deeper meaning of the book. If you're looking, I really think the book has a lot to offer in terms of gender roles, life's meaning, and the power of secrets. I like that there is so much depth to a very different, engaging story.

The book has a very apocalyptic feel. I also felt like it had similarities with The Handmaid's Tale, which is one of my favorite books. I like the commentary on gender roles and felt that this book did a job at illuminating interesting talking points without being over-the-top or "preaching."

My only dislike came near the end of the book. I had a hard time getting through the last 100 pages because I felt like the book really slowed down. The book was exciting up through about page 600. For me, it slacked off at that point and lost my interest. I felt like the ending was way too long and lost its intensity.

I also would have liked a deeper ending. It felt like a little bit of a letdown.

This book is certainly a time investment due to its length. However, if you're looking for a very different read that deals with gender roles in an apocalyptic background, grab this book.

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