Review: Delightful coming-of-age novella
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 22, 2014
I enjoyed SLEEPING HANDSOME by Jean Haus.  This YA/New Adult contemporary had a fun fairy-tale twist....and the title is a perfect fit.  The female main character (MC), Paige, is a high school senior, a self-labeled popular girl who "even the cheerleaders bow down to"....and who runs with the mean popular girl crowd.  It's these friends who get her in trouble-- and shackled with community service reading to a young man (the other MC), Zach, who graduated high school the previous year (apparently a different school).While the novella is written in first person and Paige's point of view, we see incredible connection between Zach and Paige as she reads his private thoughts.  It seems no one else knows about these journal entries because of the way they're hidden from prying eyes, but when she stumbles across it, she does the believable and reads his diary.  I LOVED how Paige had significant character growth throughout the novella, because of her time spent with Zach.  He made her want to be a better person, want to change, want to reach for her dreams and take ownership for her actions and her choices.So while we don't see Zach and Paige interact until later in the story (because of the "While You Were Sleeping" situation), it's so sweet to see a happy resolution that's hopeful and bright for their future(s).Sensuality level: PG (talk of sexual-related issues, but not "in the scenes")Language: PG-- (pretty much what you'd expect from schools today-- nothing I've not heard in the halls of junior high schools and high schools)I've not been in high school for a good long while, and I found this read to be thoroughly enjoyable....so it's definitely not just for that age group.  Would recommend to fans of contemporary romance.