Vintage Tuesdays: She Sleeps No More

Waking Beauty

Written by: Elyse Friedman

Released: June 22, 2004 by Three Rivers Press

Summary: “What a great book! This isn’t chick lit; it’s human lit about a fantasy everyone has had: How different would life be if I woke up one day flawlessly gorgeous? The narrator is a sarcastic genius with a black outlook on life that only deepens when the world begins to kiss her formerly repulsive, now-perfect ass.”—Poppy Z. Brite, author of Liquor

I read this book in eleventh grade after I saw a classmate of mine reading it at a table in the atrium during a free period. I had borrowed it from her to read the first few pages and I was hooked; which resulted in my buying a copy for myself and then loaning it out to all my literary friends.

I remember when I was reading this book I thought that I was slipping into an alternate world where it was perfectly possible to wake up looking like a Victoria’s Secret model. Of course, that was only at first. As I read the book, I was so torn about Allison being pretty or her being ugly, which made me question if it really was greener on the other side. So much happened to Allison that made me wonder if she had been better off staying how she was originally, but then there were those moments where you could see that true happiness no matter what had happened.

This is a completely unrealistic book, though. I mean, it’s a really modern-day, more adult fairy tale where the ugly duckling turns into the proverbial swan. So, if you’re looking for a more adult read, because this one deals with a lot of issues and situations that aren’t meant for those who are younger, this is a pretty good book. It’s an easy read that makes you ponder the important things in life. I’m giving it a 7/10.