Sleepless by Gordan Korman

What worked:

This plot answers the question, “What if there were more hours in a day?” The characters not only don’t need sleep; they never get tired. It’s interesting to consider their five different viewpoints, as they’re presented in alternating chapters. Mickey is tired of being bullied at school, so he starts running and lifting weights at three o’clock in the morning. Levi likes to make posts on social media, so he creates multiple personas for different time zones around the world. Skye is already an outstanding student, but she uses her extra time to expand her learning and develop impressive projects. Cyrus uses the night hours to create new inventions, and he starts by trying to perfect his family’s toaster.

Readers will notice that the characters all use the same allergist before they do. This revelation leads to the main conflict in the plot. Most of the characters don’t view sleeplessness as a problem, but one of them thinks it’s cheating. Her position reminds readers that there are always multiple ways to view a situation. The characters eventually discover there are other sleepless kids, and it’s a relief to share their experiences and feelings. They eventually get together to question Dr. Malachi about how this happened, but his answers aren’t what they expect.

Readers who enjoy Gordan Korman books may enjoy the story's mysterious twist. Sleeplessness is treated as a huge secret, so the kids don’t tell their parents or friends. The early chapters will have readers wondering how it happened, but the answer may be more troubling. Then, they begin to notice clues indicating someone else knows about their secret. Who is this person, and what do they want? Is it a stalker out to harm them? Again, the answer only creates more questions.

What didn’t work as well:

A conflict involving Mickey and Skye develops, and its resolution comes out of the blue. Even Mickey is shocked when it happens. Even though it seems plausible, it feels like a step is missing from the process.

The final verdict:

Fans of the author will be pleased, and the alternating chapters sharing the characters’ five points of view provide a familiar format. I recommend all readers give it a shot.