Don't Go to Sleep

June 15, 2022
After a yearslong reprieve, the Axeman who haunts survivor Gianna's nightmares stalks New Orleans' Italian grocers again. In this true-crime reimagining of the infamous Axeman of New Orleans with a supernatural spin, the hunter becomes hunted by one of his surviving victims. Seven years ago, Gianna and Enzo were brought together through shared trauma--both of their families survived brutal attacks by an ax-wielding intruder. After 17-year-old Gianna's reoccurring nightmare of the attack changes in a threatening way, the Axeman strikes again. Believing her dreams are connected to the killer, Gianna and Enzo scour her nightmarish visions for clues, and the grisly crime scenes pile up. Aside from the Axeman's terrorizing of New Orleans's maligned Italian community, the city also simmers with the tension of the Great War abroad and the 1918 influenza pandemic; readers will feel d�j� vu as they learn about the historical reception of face masks and lockdowns. The supernatural elements--Gianna and the Axeman's connection, an Italian fortuneteller--offer eerie plot tendrils to follow (though some of these are dropped) and come into play in ways that heighten the dangers during big scenes. The graphic violence grounds the story and stakes. Gianna's parents emigrated from Italy as young adults; Enzo is third-generation Italian American. Their romantic storyline is perfunctory but does not distract from the story's tension. A delightfully dark historical cat-and-mouse game blending the psychic and psychological. (author's note) (Historical supernatural thriller. 14-adult)

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February 17, 2023

Gr 8 Up-New Orleans, 1918. Seven years ago, Gianna Crutti's parents were brutally attacked in their home by a man wielding an axe. Though both her parents survived, Gia has been having nightmares of the attack ever since. The dreams she's been having lately, though, are more terrifyingly realistic than ever before, and they happen to intensify right when a new string of axe murders begin. Convinced that the Axeman from their youth has returned, Gia and Enzo, her friend and fellow survivor, set out to discover the murderer's identity and bring him to justice once and for all. This historical supernatural thriller fits a lot into its 320 pages, including prejudice against Italian Americans and stigmas surrounding the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic. It does a good job of making these historical truths relatable to current teens, many of whom have experienced similar situations. However, the development of these issues and elements sometimes come at the expense of the characters, who feel slightly underdeveloped. Despite this, the story is saved by its fast-paced plot, as readers will find themselves speeding through to a heart-pounding climax. This is, overall, an entertaining story that fans of historical crime, macabre thrillers, or light horror will enjoy. VERDICT Recommended for most teen collections.-Chelsey Masterson

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