(Image from Barnes & Noble)

"If this was about sex, it would be so much easier.

But that's not what he wants.

He wants my soul."

I know, I know, the quote makes the book sound like another blood-sucking Twilight ripoff, but it's not. You will not find a single vampire in Angela Morrison's new YA romance, Sing Me to Sleep. I know, right? An about-to-be-published book for teens with no paranormal activity whatsoever. What's this world coming to? If you're tired of vampires, werewolves, pixies, zombies and the like, or if you just want to read an ultra-romantic story about two mere humans, well, this book is for you.

Sing Me to Sleep stars Beth, a junior who's always been The Ugly Duckling. With her tall, gangly body, spotty skin and thick glasses, she's a natural target for high school bullies. Nicknamed the Beast, she's mocked, teased or completely ignored. Only one student shows her any kindness: her old pal, Scott. Short, nerdy Scott has been her best friend since preschool. He's always been nice to her, steady as a rock. Suddenly, though, things are changing. Scott's changing. A growth spurt and some serious hours in the gym are turning him ... well, hot. He even seems to be flirting with her - another kindness, obviously, since no guy would ever fall for a Beast.

Beth's only escape is music - singing along with divas on her iPod, admiring the smooth sounds of the world-renowned Amabile Boys Choir, and scratching out song lyrics whenever they pop into her head. No one - not even Beth - realizes just how good she is until a soloist opportunity with her all-girls choir falls into her lap. Suddenly, she's getting some diva-like R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Her solo just might be the clencher her choir needs to compete at the Choral Olympics in Switzerland. There's only one problem: While Beth might sing like a diva, she doesn't look, move or behave like one. Thanks to snooty Meadow, who barely gave Beth a glance before, all of that is about to change.

When her transformation is complete, Beth realizes she may not be as hideous as she thought. In fact, she may even be beautiful. At least that's the message she's getting from Derek Collins, Amabile's gorgeous soloist. Thankfully, he's never seen the real her, the Ugly Duckling her, the Beast that still crouches behind her straightened hair, acne-free, Lasik'd facade. His attention makes her think she may have been wrong - maybe a guy, even a hot guy like Derek, really could love her. Even though everyone warns her away from Derek, Beth can't resist. She knows there's something he's not telling her. She also knows she doesn't care. Maybe he truly is dangerous, maybe he is leading her on, but isn't it worth it to feel adored, even just for a few weeks? And what of Scott? Newly hot, completely devoted Scott, who stood by her even before her extreme makeover? Is it really possible that he wants to be more than friends? What's a girl, especially one with no guy smarts whatsoever, supposed to do? Derek won't tell her anything, Scott says things she doesn't want to hear, and her mom's revelations about Beth's absent "bio-dad" really aren't helping. She's never been more confused in her life. Beast or Beauty - which one is she really?

Although it's predictable and cheesy in places, Sing Me to Sleep is a gripping, passionate story about dreams, self-image, first love, and trusting one's heart. Beth's voice is pitch-perfect; she's a character to whom everyone, even Beast-free Beauties, can relate. With her awkwardness, her sarcasm, her self-deprecating humor, she's hard to resist. Plotwise, the story moves along at a fair clip. Although you can see the big surprise coming a mile away (unlike Beth, who doesn't figure things out until it's almost too late), Morrison manages to keep some suspense going. Sing Me to Sleep actually becomes one of those stories where you know what's going to happen, but you don't really care that you know. You know what I mean? Beth's voice is strong enough to transcend predictability, occasional cheese, and some underdeveloped characters (all the boys, basically) - she makes the story unique, vibrant and compelling.

Sing Me to Sleep starts with three words - Damn, she's ugly - and that's all it took to ensnare me. Beth's voice is magic. It seduced me into caring, believing, hoping. As desperately as Beth wanted to write her own song, I wanted to hear it. There's nothing Beastly about it - Sing Me to Sleep is a thing of beauty. Now, who's being cheesy?

The trailer for Sing Me to Sleep was recently released on YouTube. I don't love it - I think it makes the book look more melodramatic than it really is, but the music is really beautiful. The song in the background is "Beth's Song" from the novel. The single will be available for download on iTunes soon.

Grade: B+

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for mild language and some mature content (see note below)

To the FTC, with love: I got this ARC from Angela Morrison. The fact that she's a friend and generously provides me with free copies of her books didn't influence this review in any way. I swear.

Note: Like Morrison's first novel, Taken By Storm (which I reviewed here), Sing Me to Sleep is what I call "mostly clean." It has a bit of mild swearing, no sex, and only vague references to things like drugs, partying, underrage drinking, etc. It does deal with these issues - especially Beth's almost overwhelming desire to be intimate with Derek - but it does so in a realistic, open way. Instead of being racy or graphic, it's honest, an approach that may open doors to some much-needed mother/daughter chats.

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Now, for the fun part: I have some Angela Morrison goodness to give away. Here's what's up for grabs:

1 - signed, hardback copy of Sing Me to Sleep

2 - signed, paperback copies of Taken By Storm, Angela's first novel

7 - glossy, signed bookmarks featuring Angela's books

This is what you have to do:

Answer this question: If you could choose any musician to write a lullaby for you, who would it be? Who would you most like to sing you to sleep?

Leave your answer in the comment section of this post. Also, let me know which book you'd like to be entered to win. You may enter to win copies of both books. The winners of the books will each receive 1 bookmark. The remaining bookmarks will go to whomever Random.org chooses :) If you spread the word about the contest (post it in your Facebook status, Tweet about it, blog about it, stick it on your sidebar, etc.), you will get 1 extra entry per word-spreading tactic. This contest is limited to readers in the U.S. only. I will choose winners on February 14th.

Good luck!

----- SPOILER ALERT------DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T YET READ SING ME TO SLEEP-----

A couple of notes I didn't want to put in my review for fear of spoiling plot surprises:

• Sing Me to Sleep reminds me a lot of A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks. Anyone else think so?
• The character of Derek Collins was inspired by Matt Quaife, a real Amabile singer who died of cystic fibrosis in 2007. To learn more about the disease, visit The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.