When All the World Sleeps by Lisa Henry and J. A. Rock

Daniel Whitlock is terrified of going to sleep. And rightly so: he sleepwalks, with no awareness or memory of his actions. Including burning down Kenny Cooper's house-with Kenny inside it-after Kenny brutally beat him for being gay. Back in the tiny town of Logan after serving his prison sentence, Daniel isolates himself in a cabin in the woods and chains himself to his bed at night. Like the rest of Logan, local cop Joe Belman doesn't believe Daniel's absurd defense. But when Bel saves Daniel from a retaliatory fire, he discovers that Daniel might not be what everyone thinks: killer, liar, tweaker, freak. Bel agrees to control Daniel at night-for the sake of the other townsfolk. Daniel's fascinating, but Bel's not going there. Yet as he's drawn further into Daniel's dark world, Bel finds that he likes being in charge. And submitting to Bel gives Daniel the only peace he's ever known. But Daniel's demons won't leave him alone, and he'll need Bel's help to slay them once and for all-assuming Bel is willing to risk everything to stand by him.

Where do I even start with this? There are so many things this book did well, I really don't know where to start. Maybe with the characters, they were great. Or maybe with the plot itself which was engaging and thought-provoking. Or maybe with all of the other little details that shaped this book into an awesome read.

I really didn't now what to expect. Even if I would have wondered about it before reading I still couldn't have guessed where this would go or how much I would enjoy it. There is a good amount of mystery to it and I'm still trying to piece things together. There has to be something more to it, we were given some details, some snippets that someone should have put together, but yet, no one asked the right questions. That's as much as frustrating as it is delightful. Actually, more delightful than frustrating. I love a book that keeps me guessing long after I finished reading.

Another thing I liked very much is the way Bel and Daniel spoke, the communication, and the fact that Bel acted his age and the reader is made fully aware of that. I found that to be very realistic when at the beginning I had my doubts.

The relationship between Bel and Daniel evolved so nicely, I really liked watching them grow into each other, learn each other. And I loved the insecurities, the wondering, the questioning. Hats off for very well written characters.

And maybe I'm overthinking the plot? Seeing things that are not actually there? I don't know. All I know is that I have this strong impression there's more to it, something we are meant to pick up on, and that also adds a realism to the story that I really love. It doesn't feel like the book is unfinished, and if my suspicions would have been revealed it would have felt cliche. But like this? It's just how things are sometimes.