Review: Sing Me to Sleep

Sing Me to Sleep

Angela Morrison

Pages: 320

THE TRANSFORMATION

Beth has always been “The Beast”—that's what everyone at school calls her because of her awkward height, facial scars, and thick glasses. Beth's only friend is geeky, golden-haired Scott. That is, until she's selected to be her choir's soprano soloist, and receives the makeover that will change her life forever.

THE LOVE AFFAIR

When Beth's choir travels to Switzerland, she meets Derek: pale, brooding, totally dreamy. Derek's untethered passion—for music, and for Beth—leaves her breathless. Because in Derek's eyes? She's not The Beast, she's The Beauty.

THE IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE

When Beth comes home, Scott, her best friend in the world, makes a confession that leaves her completely torn. Should she stand by sweet, steady Scott or follow the dangerous, intense new feelings she has for Derek?

THE HEARTBREAK

The closer Beth gets to Derek, the further away he seems. Then Beth discovers that Derek's been hiding a dark secret from her …one that could shatter everything.

I just couldn't finish it. Even though Beth spent pages and pages complaining about girls becoming pretty too easily in movies, her 'transformation' was pretty dull. A new haircut, lasik and getting rid of acne scars are not major procedures nowadays. The fact that Beth went from 'scaring small children' to 'supermodel gorgeous' without any major plastic surgery was unbelievable to the point of outright stupidity. I mean, the classmates that used to taunt her didn't recognize her without her thick glasses? I just can't suspend my disbelief that far.

Gaping plot holes aside, I found Beth entirely unbearable as a narrator. She spends all of her time lamenting over her looks, which might be why she's doesn't notice all the boys who take an interest in her. I'm sick of authors who think it's charming for a protagonist not to recognize obvious flirtation. It just makes the narrator seem all the more stupid and drags the book on for an extra hundred pages.

I didn't get far enough to get into the real romantic turmoil of the story, but I'm going to presume that if I'm not interested in either of the suitors after 200 pages of a 320 page book, I'm not going to be.

All this said, Sing Me to Sleep is not the worst I've ever read. I can see where some might find appeal, especially if they don't share my pet peeves. However, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone and won't be reading anything else by this author.

The one star rating is automatic for every book I can't bring myself to finish but read more than half of.