The Little Tragedy

by Jeff Haws

Sleep will come for them. For the past twenty years, every child has fallen into an endless coma on the night of their 10th birthday. Families are broken apart. Society is forever altered. And now, the human race itself is marching toward extinction. Until Kevin Fraser wakes up. With one Fraser child awake and the other rapidly approaching his 10th birthday, his family — and the world — holds its breath. Is this the sign of the plague finally ending, or will the walls start closing around the Frasers as the burden becomes too heavy for them to bear?

282 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 5, 2018

About the author

Jeff Haws is an award-winning journalist whose writing has appeared in the Washington Post, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Miami Herald, Arizona Republic, New Orleans Times-Picayune, and many other publications. His dystopian suspense trilogy "The Alessandra Chronicles," along with standalone novels "The Little Tragedy," "Assimilation" and "Killing the Immortals" are available in print and digital at Amazon. He also has a novella, "Tomorrow's News Today," and a short story called "The Slingshot" on Amazon Kindle. He lives in Atlanta.

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Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
This was an engaging read for me. So many questions swirled through my head as I read this. Most of them similar but repeatedly. Some were answered, while others not so well. It is troubling to contemplate a reality parallel to our own with no kids over 10 years old. And everyone else over the age of 30. No more schools, sports dying off since no one is under 30), etc. The grief in this book was palpable. I think The Sleep and it's effect on society was well described. But the 'InBetween' and what was going on with Kevin and Ryan is where I was most confused. And no answers at all until the VERY end and then it fell a bit flat and was rushed.

The entire ending felt unbelievable honestly and I wasn't a fan. But the story itself was nicely written for the most part. I really appreciated the realistic portrayal of Laura and Stephen. Just your average parents trying to manage. Not super-parents, not rich or powerful. It was easy to connect and empathize with their situation.

I am not sure how to genre this book. Science fiction or paranormal with the boys? Speculative/Contemporary? Dystopian? It is a strange blend but overall I enjoyed it.

I received an advance review copy for free in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

[Nancy (The Avid Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every child in the country slips into a coma on his or her birthday at the age of ten. No one knows why. Every parent knows that this day will come for their child but they try to make the best of the time they have with their children.

The Little Tragedy is about a mother and father with one son lying in a coma and waiting for their other son to slip in a coma as well on his tenth birthday. Laura and Stephen knew the day they decided to have a child what would happen but they chose to have a child and give it the best ten years of their life.

The Little Tragedy tells how one little boy deals with his older brother being in a coma and that he is next. The Little Tragedy tells nine-year-old Ryan’s story about the days leading up to his tenth birthday of how he dealt with it all.

The Little Tragedy is a fast paced read that grabbed my attention from the beginning and didn’t let go until I had read the last page if then. It tells how strong a parent’s love is for a child and what they would do for their children and how far they would go to protect their child no matter what the cost is to them. Stephen and Laura always put the lives and care of their sons before their own.

The Little Tragedy is a very intense read that will pull at the old heart strings choking you up at times and so mad at other times. While I do believe that The Little Tragedy closed one chapter in Laura, Stephen, Kevin and Ryan’s life I still think they have more to say. I still have so many questions that were not answered leaving me wanting more. I hope this is not the last that we see of The Little Tragedy and its characters and of this world.

Do I recommend The Little Tragedy? Oh yeah you bet I do.

[Shayla Raquel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine your ten-year-old child falls into a coma and never wakes up again. But then . . . you'd be just like every single parent in the world, wouldn't you?

In "The Little Tragedy" by Jeff Haws, The Sleep comes for every child upon his or her tenth birthday. This tragic phenomenon has changed the world and has done so for the last twenty years. No family is safe from The Sleep.

Except, that is, for the Fraser family in Knoxville, TN.

Kevin, their oldest child, has fallen asleep, and after a year of this horror, Stephen and Laura must decide what to do. Do they turn him over to the state? That's essentially a death sentence. Do they try to get more money to fund the manpower it takes to keep a child alive while in a coma? And what about their other son, Ryan? His tenth birthday is days away. How will they care for not one but two bedridden children?

Then the unthinkable happens. Kevin wakes up.

A day that should be filled with elation is replaced with that of dread and confusion: Why did Kevin wake up? Why are the nosy neighbors writing hate mail about them online? Why is there a knife hidden in the chest in Kevin's room?

This novel is certainly a page-turner and managed to keep my heart racing, especially with the action scene toward the end. I enjoyed the flawed, relatable characters, and the plot was insanely smart. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because too many questions were left unanswered. To avoid spoilers, I won't list them; but maybe the author felt as if the characters didn't have the answers, so we shouldn't? Then again, there is *one* character who would know the truth. Hmmm . . .

Great job, Mr. Jeff Haws! Can't wait for the next one, and I would love a sequel to this. Pretty please.

[Tirion BookFlix · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free from Booksirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The central idea of the world's children all falling into a coma at the age of ten isn't necessarily the most original plot, however, the way Haws solely focuses on characters makes up for that entirely, each one of his characters has a distinct personality with their own quirks, they felt real and definitely developed throughout the story. We got to know them on almost a psychological level, especially the family at the center of this story.

On top of this the world itself felt real and bleak and hopeless. It didn't dramatize the effect no children surpassing ten for 20 years would have on the world, it wasn't constant chaos, it was just bleak. Only when a particular event happens do people begin to descend into that kind of behavior and it felt natural. For me there was only one problem with the realism, and that was the lack of the CDC's presence in the story.

The book was very suspense based overall; I always had more questions than answers throughout the plot. Which I very much enjoyed; however, I can see that if you prefer fast paced, action packed books, there will be times that will feel a little slow for you. Also, Haws tends to include lots of perspectives within his writing when large events happen, and this is great for understanding and developing the characters, and building the suspense, but sometimes I just want to know what they're looking at or what's happening more.

Another aspect of this book that I loved is the utter other-worldliness that is created around the sleep, it is so mysterious and interesting, the only fault I can find in it is that I wanted more, so much more than I got. I desperately hope there is a sequel so we can fully explore it, because I have so many unanswered questions. Another aspect that makes me feel this way is the ending, it just doesn't feel conclusive at all, I want to know how the story really ends.

Overall, this book is 4 stars because I find the characters so interesting and enjoyable to read about, especially Laura she was my fave, and the gossip forum sections were to die for, but I'm not weeping over the sad things that happen like I would for a 5 star book, but you might.

I would definitely recommend this book to others, particularly those who enjoy suspense, light Sci-Fi or fantasy and anyone who loves character driven books. Just be careful, the title isn't lying when it says tragedy.

[Sandra Vdplaats · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Little Tragedy.

Beginning as early as 1916, and continuing well into the 1920s, an unusual and disturbing illness devastated millions of people throughout the world, which has been largely overlooked by history - despite the fact that it took the lives of over a million people, and left countless others frozen inside unresponsive bodies - , as an epidemic outbreak of “Schlafkrankheit’ or Economo’s disease overlapped with the outbreak of the Spanish Flu.

Among the survivors, victims tended to remain in a coma indefinitely, sometimes for months or years, one of the last patients to die in 2000, after having been in a 'sleep' /comateus state for almost 60 years.

The film Awakenings (1990), themed patients who fell victim to the ‘encephalitis lethargica’ epidemic that havocked the globe from 1917-1928;  Neil Gaiman’s Sandman calls the occurrence of the sleepy sickness  phenomenon ‘locked-in by Morpheus.’

In This Little Tragedy the left behinders have to deal with the insurmountable grief and loss deal when all children fall asleep as soon as they turn 10.

This is their story.

[Friscomama · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book kept me interested all the way through, and the characters were interesting and realistic.
The sleep taking over children on their 10th birthdays was a problem for me. Yes, it is fiction, but children in the real world do not develop in lock step. No difference for pre-term babies?
The sleeping started in 1999? So, alternate history? Could be, but why?

I'm not trying to say there is something wrong with it, those 3 stars are for "liked it," but I was not quite into the brief description of The Sleep. Although I could see some value to having the children sleep from ages ten to twenty-five to avoid all the drama of adolescence.

I received this book from BookSirens to write an honest review.

[Ava M Bartley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

This book had one of the most unique storylines you can imagine. It was a mystery thriller. The characters were very well developed and believable. The dialogue flowed smoothly. The editing was very well done with very few grammatical errors and misspelled words. This was my first book from this author but it won't be the last.

[Madness Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure how to feel about this one. This is a story I have mixed feelings about when all is said and done. For one thing, the writer is talented when it comes to pacing and keeping the reader hooked on where the story is going next. I would say there are emotional highs and lows, but I didn’t exactly cry or anything. So, as far as making a story you can read from cover to cover goes, the author did very well.

I suppose my main issue is that this is a story that is billed as a sci-fi novel, reads like a decent speculative fiction for about the first half or so, but then goes into supernatural fiction territory that makes the entire story feel like a cop out. It also doesn't really explore the medical aspect of the story. Kevin's condition is just accepted and he stays at home. IRL his blood would be tested, as would his brain function, heart rate, bone marrow, etc. I don't think this would change the ending, but it would still be a logical step.

To explain what “The Little Tragedy” actually is, this is a higher stakes version of someone winning the lottery only for bad things to happen to them. In this case though the lottery is a family’s children living in a world where the human race is going extinct because all children go into a coma at age ten. This story asks a lot of really intriguing questions about how the world would be different without young people. The problem is these questions are never resolved. In fact, the story seems more preoccupied on the spiritual and personal aspects of such a discovery, and by the end the only thing that matters is that one special family. Nothing is solved in the end but we’re supposed to be okay with that because most of the important people in the story survive. The world is basically doomed, but who cares? Let’s wrap this thing up.

In short, this story isn’t the worst, but it feels genre confused. I guess I felt strongly enough about it to write this long review, so that’s something. I’ll note that this story is rather depressing through most of it, and not always in a way that feels natural. There are nice parts, but so many characters feel needlessly selfish and cruel. I can’t be too harsh on that though, because I think that was the point. Still a bit overdone though.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review of this book. Yeah, I know, I think they made a mistake too. Hopefully though this will help readers make an informed decision about whether they are curious about this book or not.

[Melise · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a fascinating (and scary) concept. For the past twenty years, children have lapsed into an unexplained coma on their tenth birthday and none have ever awoken again. Parents are faced with a choice between keeping their children cared for at home, which is cripplingly expensive, or giving them to the government who care for the child for a year and then euthanize them to make space for more children in need.

This phenomenon, called “The Sleep,” has changed society completely, and Haws does a brilliant job of imagining the myriad ways this would impact our lives.

This novel revolves around a family with two sons, one of whom has been Sleeping for a year, and the other who is weeks away from his tenth birthday. Suddenly, unexpectedly, their older son, Kevin, wakes up, and no one can figure out why. The attention of the entire world is focused on this family, as people strive to understand why Kevin is awake. The longer Kevin is awake without a definitive explanation, the more people around the family begin to react with jealousy and anger. And in the meantime, there is the ongoing question about whether their younger son, Ryan, will succumb to the sleep.

This book was well-written, with an interesting concept. I thought Haws did a great job of looking at how social media, especially neighborhood-focused sites, might respond to this occurrence.

However I was disappointed by the ending, which is why I only gave this book three stars. There are too many elements left unexplained at the end of the book. The book ends with a multitude of loose ends, and although some of them, such as the future of this family, leave me anxious for a sequel, there are too many others that just left me feeling disappointed and as if the book didn’t have a satisfying conclusion.

Thanks to the author, publishers and BookSirens for the opportunity to read this book.

[Cassie Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Little Tragedy takes its audience into a world where every child at the age of 10 falls into an irreversible coma, with no explanation other than it happens to every single child, The grief and tragedy felt from this book has you feeling for all of these parents in this world.
The author does a great job showing what the affects of this actually are, such as no more schools, universities, sports dying off, the drinking age has been dwindled down. This book had me hooked right from reading the excerpt and never lost me after. You really get to know these characters and feel for them, because they are just normal people that want to have normal lives but this 'disease' won't let them.
There were some questions that I was waiting to get answered that were eventually but there were a few that I didn't, such as "theinbetween", or what these people after the family actually wanted from them. The author hints at it for the audience but our characters never get a why.
With that being said, I felt the author gave it a very good ending. I feel this idea could be really fleshed out that it definitely could be justified for a second book, if so, I would immediately pick it up.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jill Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this one, even though it stopped rather than ended - which is usually a deal-breaker for me... That tells you how engaging I found the story. The writing is crisp, the pacing spot-on for the narrative, the plot original and horribly compelling, and the characters heart-breaking in their attempts to deal with an absolutely unbelievably difficult set of circumstances.

The only thing keeping this from a five-star review was the ending - there were WAY too many unanswered questions. I don't mind a good cliff-hanger, but there's no indication that a sequel is coming, and even if there were, this didn't really end with a cliff so much as a cloud... Things that were alluded to and that underpinned the entire story simply faded out of focus when the pages ended, with no significant attempt to give them any explanation or clarification. It was an unusual choice for a book that did such an otherwise excellent job at scene-setting and well-timed revelations.

Still, even with that, this was a heck of a ride and I quite enjoyed it. Haws is definitely on my radar now!

Thanks to BookSirens for my review copy.

[Michele Benchouk · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a really interesting premise... all children fall into a coma on the evening of their 10th birthday. Only one returns to awareness. Many ethical issues are addressed in the book -- how many children we should have, guilt, accusations, fear, overwhelming jealousy, loss, and sacrifice. The story kept moving along, with quite a few twists and turns. I liked the format of some chapters reflecting blog posts. There was some confusion for me in regarding the purpose of the InBetween; it seemed like that was just a sideline point. There was also some confusion as to why and how the only child to wake up woke up -- it wasn't just coincidence. Finally, the 9-year-old boy carried a lot of the book's message, but it often seemed too mature for someone so young to be thinking about the heavy topics addressed. I know that we often underestimate children and their instincts and feelings, but it seemed a bit too deep sometimes for a young boy. Overall, this book was very readable and interesting. It left me with questions, but not the kind that I want to ponder on and find my own interpretation. Perhaps the author is setting up for a second book?

[Diana Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Little Tragedy Kindle Edition
by Jeff Haws  (Author)
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A bleak Alternate Earth, where all children, for the past 20 years, pass into a deep, unexplained coma on their 10th birthday. The world fractures in on itself, swallowing hpe and families. That is until Kevin wakes up.

The Little Tragedy is a taught, twisting thriller with a Dystopian setting. The end of the human race brings out the worst in many and the best in Laura and Stephen. They fight to keep their family and their two extraordinary boys alive.

The characters are deep and layered. There are no alpha heroes riding to the rescue of spunky but hapless heroines. We are given a view into an average neighborhood and all the good and evil therein.

The story never stops, and answers await those bold enough to keep reading. Mr. Haws has a talent for twisting the screw until it is about to break and then twisting it one more time.

Exciting action scenes fit together perfectly with the character backgrounds.

All in all a great read.

4 stars out of 5

https://www.amazon.com/Little-Tragedy...

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the last 20 years, every child on earth has fallen into a coma on their 10th birthday, never to wake up again. Parents are faced with the heartbreaking decision to keep their children on life support or end their suffering. There was no hope and no waking up from "The Sleep"... Until Kevin. With just days before Ryan hits his 10th birthday, his brother Kevin wakes up from his coma. Why? How? The world (and the reader) want answers to these questions. I kept turning pages in this book but felt like there were no real answers. That is my one major complaint about this book and why I feel like it gets a 3.5/5 star rating for me. There were things that I felt could have been explained better and I found it odd that the parents of the only child to ever wake from the sleep didn't have the government beating down their door to find the possible cure. I won't give out more of the plot because I enjoyed reading this book and it definitely kept me turning pages late into the night, it just fell short and left questions rather than answers.

I received an advance review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Alyssa ❀ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really intriguing, rollercoaster of a read.

I was hooked from the first few pages which is always a great sign!

The only thing that truly crushed me about this book, was that one of the character's had such a strong plot built up around them but it didn't lead anywhere in the end. I was sad to see that I had run out of pages and said character didn't come up again.

I feel like the ending was done hastily, not poorly at all, but that it had the potential to be so much more. I love every other aspect of this book and I really connected to how detailed the author got into the Frasers' marriage. It feels like you're sitting in on personal conversations and really connecting to the main characters, which is not always an easy feat.

In the end, I am wanting to read more by this author, and I'm thinking deeply about the story and what I enjoyed most. There are enough tied up loose ends, that I was very satisfied with the book overall.

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a voluntary and honest review.*

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The blurb drew me in to this book, I was intrigued by the idea of children around the world falling asleep, never to wake up, and what that would mean for humanity. The author has given great thought to the story line, from why couples would carry on having children even though they know they'll fall into a coma on their tenth birthday, to how people would react when they find out one of those children has woken up.
Laura and Stephen are credible characters, struggling to come to terms with the fact their sons will fall victim to this sleeping sickness while trying to overcome their guilt. The story really picks up when Kevin wakes up unexpectedly and the family have to deal with the media and jealous neighbours.
I really liked the paranormal element, and would have loved to know more. The ending leaves you thinking there could be a sequel - I really hope so, as I'd love to see what happens next!
A great story I highly recommend.

[Linda Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Other-worldly, pins-and-needles kind of story…LOVED it
This book read like an episode of “Twilight Zone” of old. Still not sure if I got the gist, but I sure loved being that confused, wink. Great intricate story with compelling characters…even your neighborhood b*tch.
The blurb lets you know some – unknown disease/syndrome puts all 10-year-old children into a coma. Except, the children in Laura and Stephen’s home. One has just come out of a coma and another never goes into one. What?! What does that do to the new 20-year-old accepted social order? It’s not hard to imagine what craziness would ensue. Collective behavior at its worst. There were some touching moments, like in chapter 28 during the last hours of Ryan’s 10th birthday. Tears were running down my face!
If you enjoy quirky intricate plots, great dialogue, intrigue and stories of familial love, get this book. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Crystal Mayfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Little Tragedy, all I can say is, read it. Read it while looking up at your children and grandchildren, imagine just one day they don't wake up, not dead but asleep. It's happened before in our history who's to say it won't happen again.

This story follows a family who's one child has already succumbed to "The Sleep" and their other getting ready for its arrival.

I took my time reading this story, usually, I like to speed read to force myself through a book. I wanted to feel this story so I took my time and I am glad I did. I could feel the emotion of every character and that is hard to find in any story. Every character had something to offer the reader. The author did a splendid job writing and conveying everything that was intended. I just hope that maybe there will be a next book maybe a few years into the future.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[lucyreads_ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a hard one to rate for me. As soon as I read the premise I knew I had to read it but while I found it to be a gripping read, it didn't deliver quite everything I would have liked.

This book takes place in a world where for the past 20 years all children on their tenth birthday have fallen in to a coma never to wake up again. Then for the first time a child wakes up which brings a lot of excitement and hope, but also lots of questions.

I think the author did a great job showing how this lack of young adults would effect the world overall. I also liked the mob mentality aspect, and how that came in to play.

However, I was disappointed with the ending. There were a number of questions left unanswered at the end, and I would have have prefer getting a bit more closure.


*ARC copy provided via Booksirens in exchange for an honest review.

[Jo Burl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book had a very interesting concept - for the past 20 years, on a child's 10th birthday evening they fall asleep and go into a coma, never to awaken. But, what happens if a child does awake?

The book had me enthralled until the very end, when every question I wanted answered - wasn't.

SPOILERS:




1. What IS the sleep? What causes it?
2. Where are the kids' "souls/minds/personalaties" during the sleep?
3. What happened that Kevin was able to communicate with Ryan?
4. What was all that weird stuff with Ryan when he was supposed to fall into the sleep but didn't? Why wasn't hurt he fell out the window or was in the car crash?

Arrghhh!!! There may be a sequel, but I'm to disappointed to pick it up.

[Rachel Lor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a hard time choosing how many stars to give this book. The premise was really interesting- for the past twenty years, every child fell into a coma on his or her tenth birthday. For the first time ever, an eleven-year-old child wakes up. The parents are elated, but their miracle raises a lot of questions, and scrutiny.

I would have liked more character development. It also bothered me how when the focus shifted from character to character, the timeline would often abruptly jump back a little.

There were some high-actions sections that I didn't particularly enjoy, but that many readers would probably like.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Paula Ptomey · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing story about what we would do if our children were "taken" from us, and suddenly are back again. Starts off well and keeps an amazing pace. Parts of it will have you wondering how you and yours would respond in the situation. Also has a great portrayal of how society would respond. Characters are well developed, and you agonize along with them. Great read!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Allie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was good, the mystery was riveting, but the ending was less than satisfactory. The ending ruined it all. It answered the question of what happened, but not how and why it happened. That's why what happened doesn't make much sense.

I received an advanced review copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.