The Sleepless by Jen Williams

The quick cut: A girl with poison skin partners with a boy who harbors an evil spirit within him, each for their own purposes.

A real review: 

 Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing the arc for an honest review.

 What would you do if gods and monsters roamed the Earth? Would you devote your life to one in order to keep yourself safe? Or feel powerless in the face of such creatures? Elver learned this the hard way when she's saved by one of the gods.

 Elver used to be an ordinary girl until she died and was brought back by a god. The trade off? She's no longer human, with poison skin than can kill ordinary human beings. Now living in a dangerous monster forest, she's a guardian of the wild. So when one of those creatures is taken by an ordinary looking man, she chases him down to get it back. Somehow, he's immune to her skin! What is happening and how can they work together for common goals? 

 This one started slow for me, but by the end I was absolutely hooked! Elver, Altair, and Lucia make a fascinating combination, with each one having their own personal goal for their partnership. 

 Elver has made the best of a life she didn't imagine, but Altair's appearance shakes that life up. His choices force her to deal with what gifts she's been given and in turn had to face what she really wants. Does she want to be like everyone else? Or does she really want something else entirely? 

 Altair has spent most of his life being told that the spirit that takes over when she's asleep is an evil demon. This of course completely changed how he views himself and the responsibility he feels to keep it at bay. The problem is that how can you know what is true when you never really meet this spirit? 

 Luciano has been in a very real way trapped in a body for YEARS. Only having control when Altair is asleep, he's been tied down and trapped indoors for so long that all he has is rage. He doesn't even control when he's conscious. Wouldn't you want revenge? 

 The characters and their dynamics is what makes this story so great. The gods and monsters is what makes it such a clear fantasy story. In the end, the core story is about facing reality and admitting who you are, a long with what you really want. 

 A fun fantasy with a slower start. 

My rating: 4.5 out of 5