What do You think about The Glitch In Sleep (2007)?
Reviewed by Allison Fraclose for TeensReadToo.comI had to sign some kind of form at the front of this book before reading it, so I’m not sure if I’m allowed to tell you any of this…but here goes. Imagine that The World we know is constructed somewhere else. The sunset is painted daily, the world’s rain is regulated through a huge water tank, and a Good Night’s Sleep is packaged, processed, and sent to you nightly, with a specially built dream enclosed just for you. Beyond the In-Between, every detail of the world is carefully fashioned by workers in The Seems. When Becker Drane was nine years old, he filled out an application for “The Best Job in the World” on a lark. Three years later, he’s a newly promoted Fixer for The Seems eagerly awaiting his first mission. However, the one he receives is tougher than most—to fix a Glitch that is ravaging the Department of Sleep. The World is in peril as The Chain of Events that depends on the delivery of the night’s dreams grows in danger of slipping. Becker must use all of his skills and training to find the Glitch before a Ripple Effect occurs, undoing all of the careful work of The Seems and ripping the very Fabric of Reality away. Humorous and exciting, this first book left me eager for more from this new series, and you can be sure I’ll be reading the rest. As long as I can get past the red tape next time…
—Jennifer Wardrip
Becker Drane has the best job in the world: he is a Fixer in The Seems, a behind-the-scenes society where all the things that happen in The World are orchestrated. He jumps full-force into his first mission: fixing the glitch in sleep. No one in The World can get any sleep, and it has kept several important things from happening. If Becker can't fix it, the Chain of Events will disassemble and life as we know it will be destroyed. The greatest strength of The Seems is the complex world its authors have created. Everything in life is carefully orchestrated by the workers of The Seems, and Hulme and Wexler seem to have thought of everything. If you were to find something they hadn't, the world is so well-developed they could come up with an answer in a mere matter of seconds. Becker is a relatable character, with ordinary problems in spite of his extraordinary job. His supporting cast is charming or scary, as is appropriate.I would recommend The Seems primarily to younger readers. It is suggested for readers ages 10 and up, but I think readers as young as 6 or 7 would enjoy it. Anyone who has the attention span to finish a novel is old enough to enjoy The Seems. Older readers may find it a bit immature, but can still enjoy it as a quick, light read.
—Kimberly Hirsh
Becker Drane has the best life in The World. Not only does he get to live here in our reality, but he also gets to work in The Seems, the world behind our world that controls how The World works. Got a drought? It’s probably a problem in the Seems, and Becker’s job is to Fix the problem. As the youngest full Fixer ever, Becker can’t wait for his first solo assignment — at least, he can’t wait until his problem is a Glitch, one of the most difficult problems that can beset a system in The Seems.This book has some of the cleverest use of cliche I have ever seen. The Seems is controlled by The Powers That Be who govern According to Plan, etc, etc. I loved all of the little witticisms and the clever way the authors used them to build their world. This was definitely one of the more amusing science fantasies I’ve read in a long time. I would recommend the book for kids 9 & up.
—BookKids
